As a young, intellectual couple, Jack and Jackie Kennedy’s favorite inside joke was to share a look when someone around them was acting too self-important and say, “Oh, God! I forgot about Goschen.”
This was the famous utterance of Lord Randolph Churchill upon learning that he was not as indispensable as he had initially believed. He resigned believing that no one else could adequately fulfill his duties, but was soon replaced by a man named Goschen. The inside joke was meant to poke fun at people who thought they were more important than they truly were, and it served as a constant reminder to Jack and Jackie that they were always replaceable. However, soon after Jack’s untimely and tragic death, Jackie seemed to make solidifying her husband’s legacy as an irreplaceable and one-of-a-kind leader her main goal in life. Jack seemingly had no Goschen in Jackie’s eyes.
As a film, Jackie is nearly perfect for a Kennedy-phile like myself. It seamlessly showcases the narrative of Jackie’s descent into grief while allowing brief glimpses into her life as an opulent and incomparably regal First Lady. The pacing of the film is immaculate as its abrupt scene changes and transitions with a complete lack of warning force the viewer into the mindset of the titular nearly unhinged young widow.
The scoring is also perfect. Though some feel the resounding musical strains to be overpowering, they serve to add to the sense of urgency and unsuppressable emotion that surge throughout the film. The sound mixing and editing are also worthy of commendation. Many scenes feature an abrupt cut of all music and fade to closeups of Natalie Portman. The only sound heard in these heartrending moments is her quiet sobs.
The cinematography is brilliant. This is a story told nearly entirely in closeups, as it well should be. Wide shots featuring two characters feel intimate and authentic. Recreating infamous shots like Johnson taking the oath of office was no small task, and they are somehow executed seamlessly. The shots of the car speeding towards the hospital are poignant and urgent. I have no words that are strong enough to sum up my feelings.
I also have no words for the perfection that is Natalie Portman’s Jackie voice. Not only is the accent impeccable, but her inflection is superb. She truly embodies Jackie, from her physical movement to her guarded expression. She sheds light on aspects of Jackie that I am only aware of because of Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.’s intimate interview the March after the assassination. She adds so much emotion and realness to such subtle gestures. I have never heard more feeling packed into the word “murdered,” or felt such a twinge of pain when I saw someone flinch at a camera flash.
I won’t reveal much of the plot, though I’m sure most are aware of the general premise. I will say that the film reveals the nuances and neuroses of Jackie unlike anything else ever has before. While Jackie was devoted to portraying presidents and their families as human and real, she was equally as committed to convincing the public that she and Jack were both larger than life. While she expressed her belief that Jack would have preferred being a man to being a legend, she never allowed herself to be perceived as anything less than an immaculate icon.
Natalie Portman destroys that carefully-erected facade of greatness. She inhabits the very soul of the famous First Lady and plays her as her very human self. She shows the spectrum of Jackie’s emotions and feelings. You see her go from unguarded to guarded and slowly lose her guard once again. She reveals parts of Jackie the First Lady herself would have never wanted to be revealed, and the film is better because of it.
Make no mistake, the real Jackie would hate the film Jackie. I have come to terms with that. I have also come to terms with the fact that I love it regardless.
While much of the film is devoted to Jackie building up Jack as indispensable and irreplaceable, the fact of the matter is that description is more befitting the First Lady herself. Jackie was the one who was truly one-of-a-kind. Jackie was indispensable. Just like there will never be another Camelot, there will never be another Jackie.
Natalie Portman’s performance could not be any greater than it is. I truly believe that years from now, this will be the performance young actresses are directed to watch as the zenith of acting. It does not get any better or more real than this. It is fully deserving of a Best Actress win. If she loses, it will be the loss of the Academy and not the loss of Natalie Portman.
I am not ready to say with certainty that this is my favorite film. I am not ready to say with certainty that this is the best film of the year. I am not ready to say with certainty that this is a perfect Jackie biopic. I am completely ready to say with certainty, however, that both Natalie Portman and Jackie Kennedy do not have a Goschen.
