Path to War (2002)
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Movie Info
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Cast
as Lyndon B. Johnson
as Clark Clifford
as Robert McNamara
as Lady Bird Johnson
as Dean Rusk
as George Ball
as McGeorge Bundy
as Jack Valenti
as Bill Moyers
as Dick Goodwin
as Martin Luther King Jr.
as Gen. Earl Wheeler
as Gen. William Westmoreland
as Norman Morrison
as Everett Dirkson
as Walt Rostow
as Luci Baines Johnson
as Marny Clifford
as Nick Katzenbach
as Mrs. McNamara
as George Wallace
as Joseph Califano
as Roy Wilkins Jr.
as CIA Briefer
as Adam Yarmolinsky
as Lynda Baines Johnson
as Officer
as Mrs. George Ball
as Mrs. Dean Rusk
as First Journalist
as Secret Service Agent
as Duty Officer
as Marine Corps Chief of Staff
as Air Force Chief of Staff
as Navy Chief of Staff
as Cpl. McCaffrey
as White House Photographer
as John McCone
as Pat Nugent
as John Stennis
as Mrs. Moyers
as Major Wolfson
as Juanita Roberts
Critic Reviews for Path to War
All Critics (3) | Top Critics (2) | Fresh (3) | Rotten (0) | DVD (1)
It's LBJ as King Lear instead of Big Bully, tendentious but absorbing, with Baldwin the pleasant surprise.
Directed confidently by John Frankenheimer, Path to War is a powerful expression of mourning.
The well-produced political drama plays like the TV movie it is.
Audience Reviews for Path to War
A thorough and effective examination of the Johnson presidency, focusing on the escalating involvement in Vietnam that would eventually undue his administration. Very well written, the film always feels realistic, often re-creating scenes with verbatim historical transcripts. Michael Gambon's Lyndon Johnson is uncanny, he captures the overbearing, homespun demeanor he was known for, while also replicating his mannerisms perfectly. Overall, I would argue the film was far too kind to Johnson, conveying him as more of a victim of circumstance, who found himself in over his head and refusing to cut his losses, and whose otherwise lofty achievements (the mythical "Great Society" programs of dubious effectiveness) go unnoticed. Still, it was very effective in showing a conflicted man, reminding me almost of Oliver Stone's Nixon. Similarly, Alec Baldwin's McNamara was surprisingly authentic, showing a brilliant, though naive, man of cool demeanor. The running time is a bit bloated, but well worth it for history/political buffs. 4/5 Stars
Super Reviewer
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