John Adams Miniseries
Paul Giamatti stars in this sweeping seven-part miniseries that chronicles the astonishing life of founding father John Adams: revolutionary leader, America's first ambassador to England, the first vice president and the second president. The iconic cast of characters includes Abigail Adams (Laura Linney), George Washington (David Morse), Thomas Jefferson (Stephen Dillane), Benjamin Franklin (Tom Wilkinson) and many more.
HBO's John Adams stays true to history: The title character isn't the brightest light in his story. Wife Abigail emerges as the more riveting figure, thanks to Laura Linney's lovely, thoughtful performance. John explains his problem: "I am obnoxious . . . and unpopular."
As Adams, Paul Giamatti delivers on both counts in the seven-part miniseries. Giamatti's pushy performance underscores why Adams, the country's second president, wasn't first in the hearts of his countrymen.
The miniseries is hard to love at first. The production, based on David McCullough's biography, unfolds as a lavish, sometimes stilted history lesson. The private story of the Adams family is more intriguing and fresh.
John goes off to found the country while Abigail stays at home and cares for their four children. His absence creates problems later. The miniseries gains emotional depth in later episodes, and Giamatti grows in his role.
The early episodes, however, are uneven. Adams serves as founding talent agent, recognizing the gifts of George Washington (David Morse) and Thomas Jefferson (Stephen Dillane).
Benjamin Franklin (Tom Wilkinson) is the founder with the most oomph. "I'm an extreme moderate," fun-loving Franklin says. HBO should build a miniseries around him.
HBO's John Adams stays true to history: The title character isn't the brightest light in his story. Wife Abigail emerges as the more riveting figure, thanks to Laura Linney's lovely, thoughtful performance. John explains his problem: "I am obnoxious . . . and unpopular."
As Adams, Paul Giamatti delivers on both counts in the seven-part miniseries. Giamatti's pushy performance underscores why Adams, the country's second president, wasn't first in the hearts of his countrymen.
The miniseries is hard to love at first. The production, based on David McCullough's biography, unfolds as a lavish, sometimes stilted history lesson. The private story of the Adams family is more intriguing and fresh.
John goes off to found the country while Abigail stays at home and cares for their four children. His absence creates problems later. The miniseries gains emotional depth in later episodes, and Giamatti grows in his role.
The early episodes, however, are uneven. Adams serves as founding talent agent, recognizing the gifts of George Washington (David Morse) and Thomas Jefferson (Stephen Dillane).
Benjamin Franklin (Tom Wilkinson) is the founder with the most oomph. "I'm an extreme moderate," fun-loving Franklin says. HBO should build a miniseries around him.
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NEWS
Why would someone who already knows the bare bones of the story of John Adams want to watch HBO's miniseries about the man? This quality production brings the history alive in a way no mere summary of events ever could. There are the glimpses of the early law career and the drama of an eighteenth century courtroom. There is the build up to the Revolution, with rabble-rousing Samuel Adams urging his cousin to put his growing influence to good use. There are the debates in the Continental Congresses, egos and ideas clashing over whether the injustices inflicted by the British were sufficient to justify separation and war. There are the conflicts between Franklin and Adams in France, and the philosophical disagreements between Jefferson and Adams, friendly at first but erupting eventually into full-fledged political rivalry.
And there is Abigail Adams, John's beloved wife and "dear friend," sharing his struggles and helping him refine his writing and ideas. She supports his involvement in the monumental events of the time, raises their children and runs their farm singlehandedly while he is away on diplomatic mission to Europe, is charmed and then disillusioned by Thomas Jefferson. The viewer is left with the impression that had she lived in our time, Abigail Adams would have been a formidable politician or intellectual in her own right. The superb performance of Laura Linney in this role perfectly complements Paul Giamatti's in the title role, for which excellence both actors duly received Emmy Awards.
The eleven other Emmy Awards, including one for Outstanding Miniseries, one for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries or Movie, and one for Tom Wilkinson in the role of Benjamin Franklin, attest to the overall quality of the miniseries. The overall casting (another Emmy) is fantastic, and extra special mention has to go to prosthetics and makeup (yes, another Emmy) for bringing home the harshness of life in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. In defiance of the popular practice, when filming a period piece, of making everyone stunningly gorgeous, the world created here is both dirty and dangerous. Small pox blisters and rotting teeth give this production added authenticity, and remind us all to be happy to be living in the twenty-first century. As a friend of mine remarked, modern dentistry is an excellent argument for capitalism all by itself.
Yet despite the harsh living conditions, the eighteenth century was a time of great optimism. These men and women really felt the world could change for the better, and that they could be an integral part of that change. This sense of hope and excitement about the future is captured nicely in a scene set in Paris after the Revolutionary War has been won. It is 1783 and Abigail Adams has joined her husband in Europe. Accompanied by Thomas Jefferson, they are attending the launch of the first untethered manned flight of a balloon, seeing humankind break the bonds of gravity that had previously kept us anchored to the Earth’s surface. It is a joyful celebration of our potential to embark upon great quests and see them through to their successful completion.
A quick Wikipedia search uncovered a spattering of historical inaccuracies in the seven episodes, but none serious enough to dampen my enthusiasm for this fine work. HBO deserves a lot of credit for bringing us great, quality programming in recent years, shows like Rome and Deadwood, and for my money, they have done it again with John Adams, recreating this crucial time in the history of humanity's continuing struggle for freedom.
Why would someone who already knows the bare bones of the story of John Adams want to watch HBO's miniseries about the man? This quality production brings the history alive in a way no mere summary of events ever could. There are the glimpses of the early law career and the drama of an eighteenth century courtroom. There is the build up to the Revolution, with rabble-rousing Samuel Adams urging his cousin to put his growing influence to good use. There are the debates in the Continental Congresses, egos and ideas clashing over whether the injustices inflicted by the British were sufficient to justify separation and war. There are the conflicts between Franklin and Adams in France, and the philosophical disagreements between Jefferson and Adams, friendly at first but erupting eventually into full-fledged political rivalry.
And there is Abigail Adams, John's beloved wife and "dear friend," sharing his struggles and helping him refine his writing and ideas. She supports his involvement in the monumental events of the time, raises their children and runs their farm singlehandedly while he is away on diplomatic mission to Europe, is charmed and then disillusioned by Thomas Jefferson. The viewer is left with the impression that had she lived in our time, Abigail Adams would have been a formidable politician or intellectual in her own right. The superb performance of Laura Linney in this role perfectly complements Paul Giamatti's in the title role, for which excellence both actors duly received Emmy Awards.
The eleven other Emmy Awards, including one for Outstanding Miniseries, one for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries or Movie, and one for Tom Wilkinson in the role of Benjamin Franklin, attest to the overall quality of the miniseries. The overall casting (another Emmy) is fantastic, and extra special mention has to go to prosthetics and makeup (yes, another Emmy) for bringing home the harshness of life in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. In defiance of the popular practice, when filming a period piece, of making everyone stunningly gorgeous, the world created here is both dirty and dangerous. Small pox blisters and rotting teeth give this production added authenticity, and remind us all to be happy to be living in the twenty-first century. As a friend of mine remarked, modern dentistry is an excellent argument for capitalism all by itself.
Yet despite the harsh living conditions, the eighteenth century was a time of great optimism. These men and women really felt the world could change for the better, and that they could be an integral part of that change. This sense of hope and excitement about the future is captured nicely in a scene set in Paris after the Revolutionary War has been won. It is 1783 and Abigail Adams has joined her husband in Europe. Accompanied by Thomas Jefferson, they are attending the launch of the first untethered manned flight of a balloon, seeing humankind break the bonds of gravity that had previously kept us anchored to the Earth’s surface. It is a joyful celebration of our potential to embark upon great quests and see them through to their successful completion.
A quick Wikipedia search uncovered a spattering of historical inaccuracies in the seven episodes, but none serious enough to dampen my enthusiasm for this fine work. HBO deserves a lot of credit for bringing us great, quality programming in recent years, shows like Rome and Deadwood, and for my money, they have done it again with John Adams, recreating this crucial time in the history of humanity's continuing struggle for freedom.
