Chappaquiddick

Lieutenant Joe Kennedy, Jr., the eldest son of former ambassador--

...died instantly, after the plane he was piloting exploded

during a mission over the North Sea.

President Kennedy was shot

as he drove from Dallas airport to downtown Dallas.

...an ambulance, and the car rushed to--

Bobby Kennedy was shot

at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.

Senator Edward Kennedy,

the only one of the four brothers left alive--

Teddy Kennedy would most certainly

be the candidate to beat in the next presidential election.

But will he run?

That's the question. Will Ted Kennedy run?

Senator, can I get you anything?

No, thank you.

- Roll sound. - Okay, roll camera.

- Are you all set, Senator? - Yes, Bob.

Great.

"We choose to go to the moon, not because it is easy,

but because it is hard."

What does your brother's promise to America mean to you?

Well, he was always someone who kept his promises.

My brother committed his life to the idea that

the United States is a beacon of democracy.

And so too for my family, I think he was a beacon.

Someone we all hoped to look up to.

I know I sure did.

He said this mission would have, quote,

"a great impact on the minds of the men across America."

I think my brother set a course for the entire nation

in a way that we can never abandon.

You see it in the space program, sure.

But even in my own life, I often ask myself,

"What would Jack have me do?"

President Kennedy cast a long shadow and still does.

It's one I walk in every day.

What's it like walking in that shadow?

Senator?

I think you have what you need, Bob. Thank you very much.

- Thanks for your time. - All right, cut.

- Bob. - Senator.

Pleasure.

Do we have Joe yet?

I was a little more focused on salvaging our relationship

with the majority leader.

You're worried about the wrong thing.

Come on. Mansfield's smart enough to know

Ted's gonna be his boss in three years.

Well, do we have him?

Yes. Mr. Gargan is on hold for you now.

You're connected.

What's going on, Teddy? I've been on hold here for 10 minutes.

Well, [really needed to talk to you.

Well, it must be something really damn important.

The hotel in the Vineyard is overbooked.

What are you talking about? I just checked us in.

-I got the key in my pocket right now. - No.

No. Not our room, the girls' room.

- They just called. - Oh, come on.

They ran Bobby's campaign, Teddy.

I'm sure they can sort it out for themselves.

Joey, they don't know the island. I need this handled properly.

Well, what do you want me to do? Slap an injunction on the desk clerk

-until he coughs up a room? - I don't need my lawyer.

I need my cousin. I need my advance man.

I gotta rig the boat, Teddy. The regatta's this afternoon.

I know when the race is. I'm sailing the damn boat with you.

And I'm still getting the cottage organized for the party.

Joey, there is no party without the Boiler Room Girls.

All right, I'll see what I can do, but I can't just jump in...

Listen, listen, listen. OI' Joey will fix it, right?

You know, when your dad said that, it was a compliment.

When my dad said that, he said I could always count on you.

Now, can I count on you?

Yeah. Sure.

- OI' Joey will fix it. - That's great.

All right, I'll see you soon.

Three, two, one, zero.

All engines running. Liftoff. We have a liftoff.

Thirty-two minutes past the hour. Liftoff on Apollo 11.

Apollo 11 is on the way.

Riding that pillar of flame, into the skies out there,

250,000 miles away,

where the moon is waiting for man's first arrival.

Flight to take three days,

and the spacecraft to reach there on Saturday.

The landing to take place on Sunday,

and Neil Armstrong to set foot on the moon

at 2:21 am. on Monday morning.

The first critical phase of this flight is over, the launch.

They're now in Earth orbit.

They are now over the Atlantic approaching the coast of Africa.

In touch shortly with the Canary tracking station,

we may hear some more from them,

and then out over Africa, the Indian Ocean,

past Australia, back around for the first trip...

Did he ask?

Did he hint in any way?

Even if he did, do you really think I would tell you?

I've kept bigger secrets.

Hmm. I'll take that as a yes.

You're brilliant, Mary Jo, and you're available.

There is no reason why he wouldn't want you.

Considering my options.

- That's a surprise. - Why?

Last time we talked, you said you'd never go back.

- To Washington? - To politics.

With Bobby it was different.

It didn't feel like politics. It felt like public service.

And after he was gone, I...

Anyway, yes, Ted asked, and I'm thinking about it.

Well, you're thinking too hard.

How is he doing?

He just became the youngest majority whip in U.S. history.

Pretty good, I'd say.

Trading state secrets is an act of treason, you know.

Hello, Senator.

Good to see you, Rachel.

- Mary Jo. - Senator.

How are the kids, Senator?

Fine. Yeah, just fine.

And your wife?

She's at home on bed rest, I'm afraid.

Yeah, it was doctor's orders.

Well, I think I'm gonna go for a swim.

- Are you coming? - Maybe later.

Good luck in the race this afternoon, Senator.

Thank you.

Wet“ Thanks for coming.

It's a reunion. Why wouldn't I?

Did you consider my offer?

It'll never be the same.

You can't hide in Jersey City forever.

Come back to Washington, work on my staff.

- Too many memories there. - Build new ones.

I don't think I could handle another presidential campaign.

I...

I don't... know if you'll have to.

- At my mark... - Drop the chute, Teddy!

Senator, they have right of way.

Trim it! Trim it!

- We're gonna clear them! - I'm coming up!

Joey, call it out!

Ten boat lengths, Teddy. We gotta drop the spinnaker.

Not yet!

Teddy, come on! We gotta duck these guys.

Joey, this boat's been in my family longer than I have.

If anyone knows how she handles, it's me.

We gotta fall off and let them overtake us.

Are you kidding me, Teddy?

- Drop the spinnaker! - Not yet!

God damn it!

Good one, Ted!

Hey! Hey! Here he is.

It's the senator.

Hey, everybody, come in here. Get in here. Come on.

Everybody, raise your glasses to the senator.

Ninth in the race, but still first in our hearts.

Hear, hear. Cheers.

While we're raising glasses,

we should raise a few more for the Boiler Room Girls.

- Quite right. Hear, hear. - Absolutely.

Uh, Rach, can you turn that down, please?

Can someone please peel the U.S. Attorney away from Nance Lyons?

Come in, Nance.

Come in, all of you. Just come in. I want you all to hear this.

Family.

There's no more important word.

Family is more than just a name.

Joey Gargan and I don't share a name.

We share a lifetime bond.

We're family.

We named you girls the Boiler Room Girls.

I like to think we called you that because,

working on Bobby's campaign...

he had such a fire in your bellies.

Wanting to live up to the name on that ticket.

Wanting to prove yourselves worthy of it...

the Kennedy name.

We miss him every day.

His memory endures.

His ideals will endure.

And we will persevere,

because that's what Kennedys do.

And I want you all to know that,

because you're all part of the Kennedy family now.

To family.

- To family. - To family.

And to Ted in the White House in '72.

You should come up to Boston this summer.

We can take in a Red Sox game.

I don't know.

Come on, this could be our year.

You say that every year, Joey.

Yeah, but Yastrzemski's on fire.

- I mean, really. - Maybe. I'm actually running

this campaign in Jersey City, so...

We could head out to Hyannis. Drop in on Ethel and the kids.

I know she'd love to see you again.