Hulu stands out as one of the best streaming platforms out there, with an incredible library of movies and shows spanning decades and genres.
One of their recent hits was A Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessettethe first of many planned by Ryan Murphy's An American Love Story anthology series.
The nine-episode series focuses on the courtship, engagement and wedding of the iconic couple, who captured the public's attention in the '90s and 2026. The series has inspired countless controversies and even some controversies involving the inaccurate portrayal of certain real-life characters who are still very much alive.
Even after all these months and the change of season, I'm still obsessed with it. What is it about Love story does that make it a show worth bingeing on twice? And what does it say about our time when we are still fascinated by the Kennedys – and the seemingly endless tragedies that have befallen them like a curse over the years?
The Series Is Sensitive But Still Fun
It's not fair to say that Ryan Murphy gives in to sensationalism in his TV shows (see: The Monster: The Ed Gein Story), so fans may have been apprehensive about how he would handle a real-life tragedy like romance in the middle JFK Jr. again Carolyn Bessette. However, the fear was easily dispelled in a show that manages to handle their relationship with care while still creating an enjoyable series. Love story intimately recounts the relationship between Kennedy's son and the fashion mogul, a whirlwind romance that began in 1996 and ended tragically for both, once, in a plane crash in 1999.
In the end, the show does a great job of exploring the couple's love while also exploring their inner lives and the pressures they've come under as a result of being in the spotlight. Choosing to move away from the usual excesses of kitsch and camp that have come to define many of Murphy's productions, Love story instead it remains focused, concentrated, relying more on nuance than maximalism. Everything about the show is done with great care, from the writing and production design to the acting, costuming and even the needle drops. Love story it manages to create an interesting, episodic story in the depth that is most defined by its demise in society.
Newcomers Kelly and Pidgeon are Amazingly Beautiful
Sarah Pidgeon as Carolyn Bessette and Paul Anthony Kelly as John F. Kennedy Jr. in 'Love Story.'
FX / Courtesy of FX by Everett CollectionPlaying American historical fiction may seem like a job best left to the professionals, but Love story you've made a good choice in a relative anonymous broadcast. Although some audiences may recognize the character of Bessette Sarah Pidgeon for his Tony Award-nominated performance on Broadway's stereophonic, or his latest appearance last year I Know What You Did Last Summer start over, kennedy Paul Anthony Kelly it was especially brought out of secrecy; the former model was chosen just before filming the part because she had the necessary chest hair. Together, it cannot be denied that both budding actors are perfectly cast in their roles.
As JFK Jr., Kelly embodies the aggrieved, tragic and compassionate nobility and is also impossibly beautiful. Meanwhile, Pidgeon exudes confidence and coolness, smoking cigarettes and exuding idle fun. Both characters bear a striking resemblance to the real people they pretend to be, but Pidgeon has an undeniable portrayal of Bessette that is reinforced by Pidgeon's ironic charm in playing her. Kelly, on the other hand, gives a great performance as Kennedy, yet has the comical problem of being almost again he is good in the role. Still, when Kelly's Kennedy walks into the room, she immediately understands why all eyes – like Bessette's – are drawn to her.
A Fascinating Look at '90s Nostalgia and Celebrity Culture
Anyway Love story it pulls back fairly well from the excesses of other Murphy products, that's not to say it skimps on immersion. The show takes great pains to find an audience in the time and place the show is set in, mid-1990s New York City. From procurement to Manhattan production design, to music labels including Mazzy Star again Jeff Buckley, Love story it's a time capsule straight from the '90s, and it doesn't feel cheap. But it's also '90s window dressing, too Love story paint a vivid picture of this decade's celebrity culture.
The spotlight, the paparazzi and the light of the cameras are like what Love story is about a love story with a title. Because Kennedy and Bessette's relationship was so intertwined with their fame and their relationship to it, the show explores the dynamic between a person's private and public life. The series begins with a scene where Bessette gets her nails done, while the paparazzi flash their cameras and shout her name outside; Bessette only responds with tired confusion. Love Meghan Markle After him, Bessette's romantic relationship catapulted him to a level of publicity he never understood, too Love story he does an excellent job of portraying a man who has been stripped of his humanity for the sake of fame.
Broadcast Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette now on Hulu.
