Thirteen Days is a lot like Oliver Stone’s JFK. It’s well made and it’s entertaining, but take everything in this "based on a true story" movie with a grain of salt. This isn’t supposed to be a history lesson.

In 1962 the Russians began to place nuclear weapons in Cuba. Most people know that. As well, most people know that President Kennedy took a stand against this and both countries came to what appeared to be the brink of war before the Russians backed down. However, what most people don’t know is that there was an advisor to Kennedy named Kenney O’Donnell (Kevin Costner) and he played an instrumental role in this crisis. But did he really? Who knows, but this movie would have you think so.

The fact of the matter is that regardless of how close or far it strays from the truth, Thirteen Days is a pretty good thriller in its own right. Viewed as just that, it’s entertaining and compelling to the end (since it’s based on a real-life event we already know the outcome). It also features some surprisingly good performances, not only by Costner, but also by Bruce Greenwood as JFK and Steven Culp as Robert Kennedy. Just don’t take what happens in this *** movie too seriously; if you want to do that you’re likely better off going to the library where you’ll find something closer to the truth. However, truth and movies don’t always mix and Thirteen Days is a good night’s entertainment at the theater.

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