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'Chappaquiddick' Film Raises Questions Around Power, Influence Of Kennedy Family

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Jason Clarke stars as Ted Kennedy in director John Curran’s CHAPPAQUIDDICK, an Entertainment Studios release. (Claire Folger/Entertainment Studios)
Jason Clarke stars as Ted Kennedy in director John Curran’s CHAPPAQUIDDICK, an Entertainment Studios release. (Claire Folger/Entertainment Studios)

In 1969, then-Sen. Ted Kennedy said he accidentally drove his car off a bridge on Chappaquiddick. The accident caused the death of his young female passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne. There have always been questions into the circumstances of the crash and why it took Kennedy so long to report it to police.

The latest look at what happened is in a new movie, titled "Chappaquiddick."

Guest

Thomas Whalen, associate professor of social science at Boston University. He is the author of two books about John F. Kennedy and his family, including “JFK and His Enemies: A Portrait of Power."

'Chappaquiddick' opens tonight at the Martha's Vineyard Film Festival. The general release date is set for April 6. 

This segment aired on March 15, 2018.

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