I Am JFK Jr.

John F. Kennedy Jr. was the rare American who spent his entire life in the public eye. But while he was seen (at least in the tabloids) since infancy, most people never heard him speak until he delivered a speech at the 1988 Democratic National Convention. Despite a slew of anecdotes and positive observations here from a stellar and somewhat bewildering mix of notables on screen—where else can you find Ann Coulter, Mike Tyson, Robert De Niro, and Christiane Amanpour in the same film?—Kennedy comes across as a good-natured but slightly vapid personality who appeared to enjoy being the center of attention. However, constantly being in the spotlight frayed his marriage with publicist Carolyn Bessette, and their union was troubled before their deaths in a 1999 airplane crash. Endless buzz posited that Kennedy was destined for politics, and he embarked on a publishing career with the politics-meets-lifestyle magazine George, which was a middling publication, but one that Kennedy aggressively promoted on talk shows and sitcoms. Oddly, filmmakers Steve Burgess and Derik Murray pay relatively little attention to Kennedy's relationship with his sister Caroline and even less to his dealings with stepfather Aristotle Onassis. As celebrity profiles go, this one is mildly engaging but not particularly revelatory. Optional. Aud: P. (P. Hall)