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Starring: Paul Giamatti, Laura Linney $38.99 Features:
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Editorial Review:
John Adams is a sprawling HBO miniseries event that depicts the extraordinary life and times of one of Americas least understood and most underestimated founding fathers: the second President of the United States John Adams. Starring Paul Giamatti (Sideways Cinderella Man HBOs American Spendor) in the title role and Laura Linney (You Can Count on Me Kinsey) as Adams devoted wife Abigail John Adams chronicles the extraordinary life journey of one of the primary shapers of our independence and government whose legacy has often been eclipsed by more flamboyant contemporaries like George Washington Thomas Jefferson Alexander Hamilton and Benjamin Franklin. Set against the backdrop of a nations stormy birth this sweeping miniseries is a moving love story a gripping narrative and a fascinating study of human nature. Above all at a time when the nation is increasingly polarized politically this story celebrates the shared values of liberty and freedom upon which this country was built.Running Time: 501 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS UPC: 883929020065 Manufacturer No: 1000038820
Based on David McCullough's bestselling biography, the HBO miniseries John Adams is the furthest thing from a starry-eyed look at America's founding fathers and the brutal path to independence. Adams (Paul Giamatti), second president of the United States, is portrayed as a skilled orator and principled attorney whose preference for justice over anti-English passions earns enemies. But he also gains the esteem of the first national government of the United States, i.e., the Continental Congress, which seeks non-firebrands capable of making a reasoned if powerful case for America's break from England's monarchy. The first thing one notices about John Adams' dramatizations of congress' proceedings, and the fervent pro-independence violence in the streets of Boston and elsewhere, is that America's roots don't look pretty or idealized here. Some horrendous things happen in the name of protest, driving Adams to push the cause of independence in a legitimate effort to get on with a revolutionary war under the command of George Washington. But the process isn't easy: not every one of the 13 colonies-turned-states is ready to incur the wrath of England, and behind-the-scenes negotiations prove as much a part of 18th century congressional sessions as they do today.
Besides this peek into a less-romanticized version of the past, John Adams is also a story of the man himself. Adams' frustration at being forgotten or overlooked at critical junctures of America's early development--sent abroad for years instead of helping to draft the U.S. constitution--is detailed. So is his dismay that the truth of what actually transpired leading to the signing of the Declaration of Independence has been slowly forgotten and replaced by a rosier myth. But above all, John Adams is the story of two key ties: Adams' 54-year marriage to Abigail Adams (Laura Linney), every bit her husband's intellectual equal and anchor, and his difficult, almost symbiotic relationship with Thomas Jefferson (Stephen Dillane) over decades. Giamatti, of course, has to carry much of the drama, and if he doesn't always seem quite believable in the series' first half, he becomes increasingly excellent at the point where an aging Adams becomes bitter over his place in history. Linney is marvelous, as is Dillane, Sarah Polley as daughter Nabby, Danny Huston as cousin Samuel Adams, and above all Tom Wilkinson as a complex but indispensable Ben Franklin. --Tom Keogh
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0 
The Perfect 4th of July 'Birthday Present'!: 
Until I viewed the HBO Miniseries, "John Adams", my impression of the American patriot had been based largely on William Devane's brilliant, if preening rooster, in the musical, "1776". After viewing Paul Giamatti's fabulous, more grounded portrayal, I must admit THIS is by far the best Adams you'll ever find! Proud, yet insecure, lacking the sophistication of Jefferson, stature of Washington, or urbane wittiness of Franklin, Giamatti's Adams is occasionally coarse, frequently headstrong, but makes up, in...
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John ADAMS:
This series is one of the best things I have ever seen on TV. It brought that very important history alive and it made me appreciate the great contribution of John Adams to our history. He was indeed a great man. The acting was first-rate and the settings were magnificent. I have been thoroughly delighted. The special features were very interesting also.It would be wonderful if more similar movies could be done on America's history.
A Towering Miniseries About America's Founding:
This towering miniseries, based on David McCullough's biography of John Adams, tells the story of one of our Founding Fathers and our second president.
The miniseries begins in 1770, when Adams agreed to serve as counsel for British soldiers following the Boston Massacre. Adams was a leader in uniting the various sections of the colonies for independence from Great Britain. One of the most poignant scenes in the entire miniseries was the one in which the delegates to the Second Continental Congress...more info
It can't get any better than this!:
This story will never need to be re-done due to it's most excellent and moral depiction concerning our history and the young men (and woman) who founded our country. Well done Tom and we thank you!
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