So has everyone been watching John Adams on HBO? As of yet, I’ve only seen the first two episodes, but I have to say that I’m completely impressed! The first episode covered John Adam’s representation of the British Soldiers in the Boston Massacre case. It also told the story of his transformation from a marginal Whig to one of the Massachusetts representatives sent to the first Continental Congress. I thought the first episode was good–John Hancock, Sam Adams, and an honest-to-goodness tar and feathering of a Crown-appointed customs official trying to take that loathsome East India tea off Hancock’s ship!
But the second episode actually brought tears to my eyes. It covers the first and second Continental Congresses and the change in political temperature in the Colonies which lead, ultimately, to the adoption of a “Declaration of Independency.” This is my all time favorite moment in American history. All my favorite players are there–John Adams, John Hancock (whose well-timed eye rolls at John Adam’s red-faced speeches are priceless!), Sam Adams (whose role in the American Revolution is far too often over looked), George Washington, Ben Franklin (who is so wonderfully portrayed: ”My opinion is that I have no opinion at all!”) and, of course, my favorite gentleman from Virginia, Thomas Jefferson)–and none of these great men are enemies yet. Each founder has something which they bring to the table and they’re all working together, their strengths coming out and covering over and balancing out each other’s weaknesses. They’re all on the same page… no Federalists or Republicans yet. Just Americans!
They did a fantastic job portraying John Dickinson. John Dickinson is the infamous representative from Pennsylvania who refused to vote for Independence. However, he wasn’t represented as the party pooper, or the guy who rained on the other delegate’s parade. He was the man who loved his country and feared what a hasty and poor timed decision might do to ruin it. The actor did a fantastic job and the writers did a fantastic job. At one point Ben Franklin and John Adams are trying to persuade Dickinson when he says, exasperated, “I cannot vote against my conscience!” to which Adams responds gravely, “No man should ever vote against his conscience.” It’s the turning point in which Dickinson says, “Mr. Adams, I thank you for that” and then proceeds to be persuaded not in voting for the measure but instead to simply find himself “indisposed” during the voting. We should all take a lesson from that scene… in how to treat our political enemies.
Another favorite moment was the writing of the document itself. The five man committee selected to create the draft of the Declaration (Adams, Franklin, Jefferson, Livingston and Sherman) was reduced on-screen to only Adams, Franklin and Jefferson. Which I understand in film-making terms, but the latter members’ roles are all too often forgotten. Alas, that aside, the scene was fantastic. Thomas Jefferson had agonized over every word of the Declaration of Independence when he wrote it and he squirms in his seat as the other delegates scrutinize and deconstruct it. Ben Franklin says of Jefferson’s opening, “It smacks of the pulpit!” to which the Deist Jefferson looks up surprised and says, “It does?” After he endures their critiques, he off-handedly, and understatedly says in a quiet voice, “Well, that’s what I believe, anyway.” Understatement of the Century! But a fantastic rendition of Thomas Jefferson’s typical reserve and self-containment of his passions.
One of the things that I love about all the actors is that they have mastered the tiny nuances of their characters. Jefferson slouches, squirms, and sits tangled up in his chair. Franklin has problems rising to his feet. Adams, when upset, talks sideways with a twitch. I love it! Seeing them all fantastically portrayed is a dream come true for Founding-Father Fan girl like myself.
The ultimate moment in the episode was after everything was said and done, President Hancock says, ”The Resolution is Passed.” But the scene doesn’t end. The camera pans around the room at all the delegates and the moment is pregnant with a “What the crap did we just do?!” It helps the gravity of what they had actually accomplished–both good and bad, and the absolute enormity of it. I think it helps the viewer really grasp the momentousness of the Fourth (or, actually Second) of July. Its the beauty of what cinema can do that books cannot. I loved it.
I loved it. I loved it, I loved it, I loved it.
Don’t worry, I won’t burden you with overly long blog posts about every episode, but this one was a work of art, and pertinent to The Dreamer. I hope you watch them all! And I just found out that another of David McCullough’s books, 1776, is in production by HBO. I have no words for this news yet…!
I have been watching it and am being blown away by it. The biography itself was wonderfully written, but to see it all come to life on the screen… coolness personified. I watched the new episode last night in which he and Abigail are reunited in Paris. Oh my… bawled my eyes out … it was so poignant – especially when you remember this is all taking place in a time well before telephones and “instant” communications, when a letter from America to France took months to arrive… yeah… bawled. Definitely a series that I will be buying on DVD when it comes out. :D
Out of curiousity, have you seen the musical 1776? I love the movie, but I’ve never known how historically acurate it is (aside from the singing, of course). It seems like a lot of the points you note above are in that movie, so I was just wondering. Unfortunately, haven’t found anyone with HBO who will let me hijack their TV yet… :(
I have been interested in seeing this and now you’ve got me all fired up. Too bad I don’t have HBO. I’ll have to wait for the DVD. Glad to hear how much you loved it. Your enthusiasm is contagious.
Ha ha. I never have seen 1776 the musical! Sarah Vowel’s experience with it, as described in Assassination Vacation, however, was unforgettable! Maybe I should get around to seeing it one of these days. I doubt I’ll see the film, though. Musicals turned film almost never bode well!
1776??!?!!?!?!!? I can just imagine what you are thinking….dear lord, that’s excitement!!!!!!! 0__0!!!
I was wondering if it was going to be good or not and now I am really itching to see it now! But then, I’ve always been a sucker for shows and movies that deal with periods of history, especially ones that try to make the people human. Sometimes they do romanticize certain people that should be acceptable. I have got to find the first episode now!
I haven’t been able to watch it sadly :( *cries* Hoepfully, they’ll have an all day marathon of some kind, or a DVD release >_>;; I really want to watch it!
I happened to enjoy the in-depth review you have here, in light of not being able to see it myself. I’ll be snatching it up as soon as it hits DVD, which knowing HBO, should be tomorrow.
I’m praying for a DVD release as well!
I have HBO, but I’m on the other side of the world, and I don’t think they’re showing it here. One reason being almost all the viewers here don’t even know who John Adams is lol.
I don’t live in the US, so I could not watch it. But I know so little about it that it would probably have meant little to me. xD
I don’t even recognise all the names. xD
The depressing thing is that when the nation was just 85 years old there was a bloody civil war.
Darn, I don’t have HBO, but I’m going to have to rent this when it comes out on DVD!! :)
*cannot wait till DVD release….* Think it’ll be released in August??? I hope I hope I hope… because that’s what I’m going to rent/buy as soon as I get back. And make my boyfriend watch with me. :) (but he’s a history buff anyways, so he’ll enjoy it).
Haha episode 3 was hilarious. Adams has troubles with politics in Paris. There is this awesome scene where he walks into Ben’s room when he is sitting in a bathtub playing chess with some old French lady. I cracked up =D By the way, we bought HBO just so we could see this and I am not disappointed!
Madame Helveteuse? OMG, I can’t wait to see her on the big screen!
Did Mr. Adams barge in on Louis XVI in his bedroom yet…??? O____O
I’m glad you finally got a chance to see it! I knew it was going to be great, but it is even better then I expected! If only it wasn’t a small mini series hehe. I just watched the 4th episode, and it is great! It has some very good moments between John and Abigail, which is always something I love. Once you see it, you’ll love it too!
Yeah! I watch it every week! It definitely rekindled my love of history! I actually stumbled on your webcomic by surfing the web for related topics.
I was watching the HBO series John Adams tonight and there was a nod at George Washington’s false teeth. It made me laugh because I remembered that those teeth are on display in Baltimore at The National Museum of Dentistry. Not only that, the map that the American delegation in France used to identify the United States of America at the Treaty of Paris, the actual map from George III’s library, is on display at the Maps exhibitions running at The Walters Art Museum. Check it out http://www.visitmybaltimore.com/video/438/