John Adams on HBO
- Thread starter Krisno
- Start date
It hasn't ended yet in Canada--part 6 airs tonight. I've quite enjoyed the first 5 parts to varying degrees, and overall the series has been excellent. Depending on what kind of features are on the DVD release, I may purchase it when it's released on June 10.
Unfortunately HBO's box sets tend to be rather light on the extras and heavy on the price, so I might have to take a pass.
Unfortunately HBO's box sets tend to be rather light on the extras and heavy on the price, so I might have to take a pass.
You know, Blu-Ray, the high definition DVD format that beat HD-DVD in the format war?
I have to admit, the historical inaccuracies in tonight's episode drove me nuts. Characters dying years before they actually did, Adams writing to Jefferson after Abigail's death when in fact Abigail was still alive, the scene with Trunbull taking place the year of his death, etc.
Still, I liked this episode, particularly the second half. The sequence where he writes to Jefferson again was quite good though I would have thought more time would have been spent on that considering it was the defining occupation of Adams in his retirement. The death sequences of the two were well-done and I enjoyed the part at the end with John Quincy. Giamatti and Linney were excellent, as they were throughout this series.
My problems with this episode aside, I'm going to very much miss this series. Here's hoping HBO does another historical mini-series in the very near future.
Still, I liked this episode, particularly the second half. The sequence where he writes to Jefferson again was quite good though I would have thought more time would have been spent on that considering it was the defining occupation of Adams in his retirement. The death sequences of the two were well-done and I enjoyed the part at the end with John Quincy. Giamatti and Linney were excellent, as they were throughout this series.
My problems with this episode aside, I'm going to very much miss this series. Here's hoping HBO does another historical mini-series in the very near future.
^Agree with your criticisims on the time distortions, obviously done for dramatic purposes. I was annoyed by no mention of the War of 1812 and would have liked to hear Adam's take on that conflict. I wasn't impressed by Giamatti at first, but as the series went on he seemed to really get into the character, and he put tears in my eyes at Abigail's death. Linney (who I have an enormous crush on) was awesome as always. Yet another quality HBO production.
I have not seen the series, but a friend of mine who has notes that there are not enough references to other noteworthy events - such as the War of 1812 - that would have provided some context.
Linney's great in everything.
Funny, Murray Kempton said the same thing, and I think it's wrong. Eleanor's activism began even before the R's went to Washington during the Wilson Admin. Remember, when TR won the Nobel Peace Prize, to the dismay of his own children he gave a large chunk of the change to ER "because she'll know what to do with it." TR also said, really to the dismay of his kids, that "Eleanor reminds me more of me than any of my own children." And that's all before 1919.
Had the Roosevelts gotten divorced, Eleanor would still have had the money and the platform of NYState reform politics to become noteworthy in reform movements and Democratic politics. In many ways, most clearly to people in NYState, she was the true heir to Theodore [NEVER 'Teddy']. Would she have become the most famous woman on the planet? Probably not, but she would have become pretty prominent.
I'm not an in depth student of U.S. Revolutionary Era history, but was it in fact true that BOTH Adams an Jefferson died on July 4th 1826; or was that another inaccuracy?
True story. Adam's last words are reputed to be "Jefferson lives" or some variation on that, despite Jefferson having died a few hours earlier.
Yes. A friend of mine got paid to read their correspondence at the LoC - conducted in Greek - for an author.
MeanJoePhaser
Admiral
We got to see Sarah Polley's tit and that made the whole episode worthwhile.
I found it odd that an old man like Adams was shingling his roof!
I found it odd that an old man like Adams was shingling his roof!
Yeah, he wouldn't even be well enough to drive nowadays, let alone shingle his roof. I know he wasn't rich but he had servants on the farm for God's sake. But he was a farmer and he enjoyed doing that.
Adams last words were "Thomas Jefferson survives" although here's a spoiler for those who haven't watch it. Thomas Jefferson does not in fact survive.
They managed to acknowledge the whole Sally Hemmings issue, even have an excerpt from James Callender's actual 1803 story.
Adams last words were "Thomas Jefferson survives" although here's a spoiler for those who haven't watch it. Thomas Jefferson does not in fact survive.
They managed to acknowledge the whole Sally Hemmings issue, even have an excerpt from James Callender's actual 1803 story.
I haven't yet seen the last episode, but one of the little ironies of the 50th anninversary is that neither one attended the ceremony thinking the other would be there.
Also, for those of you who liked the Declaration of Independence episode best, I would recommend the movie version of the musical, "1776". Yes, you will have to put up with singing and dancing (only a little) politicians but the book scenes and the performances, especially of William Daniels as Adams, Howard Da Silva as Franklin, Ken Howard as Jefferson and Virginia Vestoff as Abigail, make sitting through the musical moments (if you're not a musical theatre fan) worth it. This movie did for me in two and a half hours what 12 years of public school education never did. I think I actually got what was at stake for these men.
So, yes, I'm also a big fan of this mini-series and the book(s) it's based on. McCullough also wrote a companion book titled "1776".
I think I'd next like to see a mini-series based on "Team of Rivals" about the contentious Lincoln cabinet.
Also, for those of you who liked the Declaration of Independence episode best, I would recommend the movie version of the musical, "1776". Yes, you will have to put up with singing and dancing (only a little) politicians but the book scenes and the performances, especially of William Daniels as Adams, Howard Da Silva as Franklin, Ken Howard as Jefferson and Virginia Vestoff as Abigail, make sitting through the musical moments (if you're not a musical theatre fan) worth it. This movie did for me in two and a half hours what 12 years of public school education never did. I think I actually got what was at stake for these men.
So, yes, I'm also a big fan of this mini-series and the book(s) it's based on. McCullough also wrote a companion book titled "1776".
I think I'd next like to see a mini-series based on "Team of Rivals" about the contentious Lincoln cabinet.
Yeah, neither of them were in any shape. Obviously since they died on that day. Jefferson wrote something that was published about the 50th anniversary and John Adams gave the Quincy a toast "Independence Forever" when they came to see him towards the end.
I've learned recently that in 1976 (bicentiential year) that PBS did a highly-regarded mini-series on four generations of the Adams family in The Adams Chronicles. It's going to be released on DVD very soon.
I've never seen 1776. I recall that Brent Spiner played John Adams in a revival of the musical more than a decade ago.
Jefferson wrote something that was published about the 50th anniversary and John Adams gave the Quincy a toast "Independence Forever" when they came to see him towards the end.I've learned recently that in 1976 (bicentiential year) that PBS did a highly-regarded mini-series on four generations of the Adams family in The Adams Chronicles. It's going to be released on DVD very soon.
I've never seen 1776. I recall that Brent Spiner played John Adams in a revival of the musical more than a decade ago.
It's out already, actually - the first disc is on its way to my house right now, courtesy of a free Netflix trial!
Similar threads
