I’m watching the made-for-TV Killing Kennedy movie. It’s beautifully shot, well scripted, flawlessly costumed and set.

But the outstanding star above all is Rob Lowe as Jack Kennedy.

Geeks like me have watched the old home movies, absorbed the photos, studied the audio tapes. I met three (and interviewed two) of those closest to JFK with the awe of a pilgrim. Fans like me know about the affairs, the illnesses, the underside of politics through which the Kennedy machine operated. But we mourn the lack in our own generation of that heady combination of intellectual engagement, pure style, compelling oratory and above all the political optimism of bright young people convinced that they are able to make a difference. It was the reason so many of us watched the West Wing, and why we envied the characters. And it’s the reason Jack Kennedy and his generation remain our heroes.

Camelot? You bet.

And Lowe has absolutely nailed it.