Taking on the Kennedys

A searing analysis of campaign politics, 'Taking on the Kennedys' examines the 1994 U.S. Congressional race in Rhode Island between Senator Edward M. Kennedy´s youngest son, Patrick, and a doctor named Kevin Vigilante. Beginning in goodwill, this race quickly descends into a million dollar battle of televised personal attacks and mudslinging that have come to epitomize the modern American political campaign. With unparalleled access, 'Taking on the Kennedys' enters the backrooms of American politics, providing an inside view of the political handlers, spin doctors, journalists, and followers that make up a political campaign. This cinema verite documentary is a case of study of the universal issues of modern American electoral politics. It examines the impact of negative advertising, the role of the media, campaign finance reform, and the decline of electoral partisanship.