MovieChat Forums > Jackie (2016) Discussion > Why did they make the journalist a douch...

Why did they make the journalist a douche?

posted 7 years ago by VidaBoheme
17 replies | jump to latest

I just feel that Billy Crudup's character comes off as flip, condescending, and not very sympathetic to a recently widowed, and still heavily grieving Jackie. The screenwriters treat the character as though he has the lens of an audience with over fifty years knowledge of Jackie Kennedy Onassis, as opposed to interviewing a woman who just lost everything.

Maybe his coldness was to showcase how alone Jackie really was in the world at that time? Or maybe this particular journalist didn't like the Kennedys? In any case, I did not enjoy their interactions on screen together because of it. Billy Crudup always seems to play the same character, so it's possible the problem was how he portrayed the journalist.

[–] best_of 7 years ago

Billy Crudup was fine. As a device to trigger Jackie's flashbacks it worked. Thoughts I have of the movie do not include the interviewer and if Crudup was somehow 'better' his presence would have interfered with the main focus, which was Mrs. Kennedy.

[–] VidaBoheme 7 years ago

I see where you're coming from, but it seemed like the device (Crudup) worked to force exposition, and his demeanor felt unnatural and off-putting. Anyway, that's just the way I felt.

[–] VIETgrlTerifa 7 years ago

I agree with you. He was there to force exposition, and Crudup, the actor, was incredibly awkward...not the character who was supposedly may have had an awkward interview with Jackie, but both actors didn't seem comfortable with their roles while filming and it came off in their performances. Natalie Portman's line deliveries, the cheesy dialogue (I can assure you the procession was huge), and the extreme and unintentionally hilarious close ups didn't help matters.

[–] warm-523-122941 7 years ago

Couldn't have been easy to interview a recent widow and ask her to retell the murder of her husband. Most reporters cringe at the assignment to knock on a wodow's door. Also the actor was channeling a real Life magazine reporter so there may be aspects of that person's personality that were awkward.

[–] Kompressor_Fan 7 years ago

I thought he came off very real. I guess it's just a matter of opinion, but I saw nothing off-putting about his demeanor.

[–] VidaBoheme 7 years ago

To each their own. Maybe I just don't like Billy Crudup. Although, I enjoyed his performance as Dr. Manhattan...but in voice only.

[–] ewd76-944-910685 7 years ago

The Kennedys as a whole are flip, condescending, and not very sympathetic. Doesn't hurt them to get it thrown in their face every now and then.

[–] Mr_Don_Rickles 7 years ago

In real life wasn't the interviewer Ted White? He wrote all those Making of the President books.

Ladies and gentlemen, here he is Mr. Warmth himself, the one, the only - Mr. Don Rickles!

[–] AmyLouise 7 years ago

Thank you! Saw the film last night, and I was trying to recall the name of the real journalist who did that "Camelot" interview.

[–] Gus-69 7 years ago

He didn't come off as a douche to me. She was difficult, though.

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[–] LetThemEatCake01 7 years ago

iF THEy showed Jackie's true personality then poor little orphan annie natalie portman would come across as unlikeable and we wouldn't want that would we?

[–] PopperTheKungFu-Dragon 7 years ago

Why was he smirking all the time? That's what I couldn't understand.

Poorly Lived and Poorly Died, Poorly Buried and No One Cried

[–] VidaBoheme 7 years ago

I know, he seemed very smug, and self satisfied with himself!

[–] kurtrivero 7 years ago

I didn't think he was a douche. He was just a journalist.

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[–] hillrosemary 7 years ago

Excuse me, but I'm an English-speaking Briton and I've only ever come across the word 'douche' in French where it means 'shower'. I'm assuming that in American it means something like 'idiot'? Could an American speaker please confirm that or correct me if I'm wrong? Thank you.

[–] kurtrivero 7 years ago

In America the word "douche" basically means *beep*

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[–] hillrosemary 7 years ago

Ah. in British English the 'beep' covers several swear words from the minor to the downright obscenely nauseating. I assume the same is true in America?

Thank you for your help!