John Adams (2008)

Lavishly produced HBO mini-series based on David McCullough’s Pulitzer Prize winning biography of the revolutionary leader and America’s second President. Despite his central role in the founding of the Republic, Adams has largely failed to achieve the mythic statues of Washington, Franklin and Jefferson, this mini-series, like McCullough’s book is something of a corrective to that oversight. Seven parts ranging from about an hour to ninety minutes each, cover the major events in the lives of John and Abigail Adams between 1770 and the priors death July 4th, 1826. It is truly an epic tale, Adams was involved in so many important and fascinating events in his long life that I hesitate to even attempt a summery. He was a farmer, lawyer, revolutionary, congressman, diplomat, statesman, vice-president, President, and father to a president. All of the political, military, and what we generally consider ‘historical’ events are masterfully well conveyed, fit for high schools minus all of twenty seconds of nudity (and one other scene of strongly implied sexuality). However it is the family dynamics that ratchet this production up to even grander statues. The relationship between John and Abigail Adams is one of America’s great love stories, they were equals in every sense of the word, and their 54 year union stood through tests that would have shattered lesser couples. However despite his greatness Adams was a surly flawed human being with a temper, stubborn, holder of grudges, often cranky, perfectionist, and a God like terror to his children, who both revered and feared the man. The humanity of Adams is wonderfully well portrayed by Paul Giamatti who renders him both complicated and righteous. Laura Linny revels Abigail to be a women well ahead of her time, and David Morse, Stephen Dillane, and Tom Wilkinson may all well be giving the definitive portraits of respective founding fathers Washington, Jefferson and Franklin. This is stupefyingly good story telling, perhaps the best thing I’ve seen all year (The Dark Knight included). Five of Five.

Also Including is Painting With Words, an enjoyably engaging, roughly forty minute documentary on author David McCullough, which I give 4 out of 5.

Here is a good sample scene with Adams, Franklin, and Jefferson looking over the first draft of the Decleration of Independence.

Here is the excellent title sequence.