Posted on 05/03/2008 10:24:03 AM PDT by LS
Based on David McCullough's 2001 best-selling book, "John Adams," the HBO 7-part mini-series starring Paul Giamatti as John Adams and Laura Linney as Abigail Adams is as important for the message that it sends as it is for the history it conveys. Beginning with young attorney Adams's defense of the British soldiers on trial for the Boston Massacre (for whom he won an acquittal), the story follows the political career and personal life of Adams as he becomes a key member of the Continental Congress, editor/co-drafter of the Declaration of Independence, minister to France and England, vice president, then president.
Giamatti (whom I loved as boxer Jim Braddock's manager in "Cinderella Man") captures Adams's irascibility, his aloofness (especially to his family), his pig-headedness, and his complete lack of tact---most of the time. If Giamatti fails, it is in the common Hollywood tendency to whisper virtually ALL lines. I've never met any person who whispered one tenth as much as they do in Hollywood. So you sit with the Surround Sound up to 40, then a scene change, and cannon fire blows your windows out. Linney is equally good as the restrained Abigail, always able to speak frankly to John, and often the only one able to do so.
Other noteworthy performances are David Morse as George Washington, Tom Wilkinson as Ben Franklin, and Stephen Dillane as Thomas Jefferson. (Morse was good, but no one can replace Barry Bostwick in my heart as GW). Dillane portrays Jefferson as an elitist who only speaks for the masses, but never really "knows their pain." His accent is . . . I don't know what. Certainly not southern, but I'm not enough of an expert on regional dialects to know exactly what a Virginia dialect sounded like in 1800, only that I don't think it sounds like his.
Adams's defense of the British soldiers gave him a credibility that few others had, especially when he finally settled on resistance to England. It is noteworthy neither Adams nor Jefferson saw combat, yet, as Benjamin Rush (John Dossett) says in the last episode, Adams and Jefferson "thought for us all." It's an important point: someone has to constantly refine exactly what is at stake, and why a conflict is necessary (or, as Adams argues when it comes to France and England from 1796-1800, unnecessary). It is the very argument many conservatives have made about Pres. Bush---that he has not done a good enough job constantly reminding people why the struggle is both noble and demanded.
Precisely because Giamatti as Adams almost never devolves into sentimentality, the series seldom "grabs you" on an emotional level. One touching scene is when Washington and Adams are announced to the cheering crowd as the nation's first president and veep, with the image reinforcing the reality that without these two men---one arguing for independence, one fighting for it---the Revolution ever would have occurred. Indeed, if it had JUST been up to Jefferson, it's unlikely the Republic ever would have been born; but if it was just up to Adams, it's likely it would have been born a monarchy.
Without doubt, the most emotionally touching episodes are the final two, where Adams struggles with a family that has not lived up to his expectations (his daughter has married a ne'er do well, his son, broke, John Quincy, alienated and angry.) Repeatedly, we see that even if it was Adams's personality to be distant, the sacrifices he made for his country were immense, as were those of Washington and Jefferson, and, yes, Hamilton. No man's honor was beyond attack: on two occasions, Adams actually fears mobs may storm his quarters and kill him (along with President Washington, on the occasion of the Jay Treaty). Like Adams, Jefferson lost a wife during his political career. Both, despite a mutual friendship, were torn nearly til the end of their days by political/ideological rifts that led them to say and do things they later regretted. In short, both men, to the good of the nation, neglected their own kin.
The most touching scene of the series comes when Adams disowns his derelict son for defaming the family name. Even at death he could not forgive him. An equally emotional scene occurs with the death of Abigail, whom Adams calls, as he weeps, "My friend. My friend." Indeed, for most of the series, John and Abigail appear to have a marriage that has transcended romance to an even higher plane---two sides of one personality.
Never let it be forgot that these people who founded our nation were human; yet at the same time, they were superhuman, for their sacrifices were enormous and made with full knowledge of the cost. I would rather have a John Adams, bad policies and all, than most of the modern politicians, regardless of their policies, for good character is impossible to add after the fact.
Giamatti playing Washington or Jefferson would be acting ...
... the guy who plays angry little men, playing our angriest and littlest president may be typecasting ...
Nevertheless, a great man, and a great actor. I look forward to seeing the whole series.
OH man - I was telling someone about the teeth. It did curtail snacking during the show!
It is very good to know that your granddaughter is so well versed on our Founding Fathers.
July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration. Jefferson's last words were "is it the Fourth?" Adams' last were "Jefferson still lives." He was mistaken.
The letters between Jefferson and Adams after both had retired from public life are a warm portrait of a lifelong friendship, though one often battered by politics; they are also an invaluable document of what the Founders thought of their work, even in areas where they disagreed amongst themselves.
I haven't seen the miniseries yet, but in McCullogh's book, one interesting lesson is the stark differences between the two Founders. Both were nominally farmers, but while Adams worked the land when he was in Massachusetts, Jefferson never got his hands dirty. Adams was the classic frugal Yankee, while Jefferson lived and died in debt. Adams was terse and focused, right down to business, where Jefferson (like Franklin and Washington) was more of a charmer, perfectly at home schmoozing large groups of people.
But the letters between John and Abigail are the real treasure. Abigail was her husband's full partner, and in their letters they discussed the philosophy of the new nation, and the events of the revolution.
Abigail even used code to send John intelligence on events in Massachusetts while he was in Philadelphia. Men didn't consider a woman any threat, so they wouldn't lower their voices or change the subject when she walked by.
Yet amid all of that, the letters between John and Abigail Adams are, for my money, the greatest body of correspondence ever between two soul mates. You can keep Robert and Elizabeth Browning.
Lol. The De . . clar-——aaaaaaaa-—tion.”
TJ built 200 stupid coastal gunboats that were all sunk in the War of 1812. Adams built four frigates that did incredible damage to the British fleet, and made them think twice about attacking American ships.
BTW, the original usage of the term "Federalist," which the miniseries failed to capture, was a group that favored SEPARATION of powers between states and the federal government. The Jeffersonians hijacked it to mean anti-central government.
Jefferson contributed significantly too by developing a system in which land was released from government control to individual ownership---just the opposite of his "successors," the modern-day Dems. It was also TJ who suggested the Spanish, not English, money as a basis for our own . . . in 10s!
I agreee that TJ is vastly overrated as a statesman.
As a writer, his language will perhaps never be topped.
I’m not sure I understand your last paragraph. The Federalists like Adams were of a stronger central government. The anti-Federalists like Jefferson were opposed to what in hindsight were necessary central government powers. TJ initially opposed the Constitution for this reason.
Check out our extended discussion of this in "A Patriot's History of the United States."
Exactly who were these guys?
The closest I'm aware of is Hamilton, who I believe made a single not perhaps serious but indisputably maladroit reference to the need for a monarchy. I believe he was actually referring to the need for a strong single-persopn executive, not for a King.
As far as I know, his suggestion met with universal and immediate rejection.
So who were the monarchists/nationalists?
My understanding of the only two factions were the pro-Constitution Federalists (Hamilton, Washington, Adams) and the anti-Constitution anti-Federalists. The latter wanted greater state power and limited national authority.
Ditto. We don't have HBO, but DirecTV ran a free HBO weekend a few weeks back and I caught the first three episodes.
I will buy the series as soon as it hits the shelves.
Again, check out our chapter in “Patriot’s History.” Mike Allen wrote most of this, and my brief explanation here won’t do it justice. He details precisely how the term “Federalist” was originally the term for separation of powers.
Thank you, but I do not have access to your book.
Perhaps you can accomodate me by listing just a few of the leaders of this previously unknown powerful “third force” which planned to abolish states and install a strong centralized government. My understanding of the period, which could certainly be in error, is that this faction didn’t exist except in the rhetoric of the opponents of the Constitution.
I have to admit that, at least in the early episodes, Jefferson came across as, well, gay.
And Franklin came across as an ass much of the time.
Still a great series though.
About what I expected from HBO
To be fair, I’m not sure that the portrayal of Franklin was that inaccurate. The scenes in France, where he was somewhat of a dandy, were probably spot on and, in my opinion, did not portray him in a positive light. From what I have read he was very well liked, and sincerely enjoyed, the French court of Louis XVI, and I think we all know what became of most of them just a few years later due to their elitist attitudes. Additionally, Abagail Adams at one point says that she doubts Mrs. Franklin would approve of a certain relationship. It is fairly widely accepted that Franklin was somewhat of a lady’s man in France.
As for Jefferson, I think it was more the actor than the script. He was just a bit effeminate. As he aged he seemed far less effeminate. HBO did not dwell on things like the Sally Hemmings Affair, which they could have, and instead chose to only discuss it essentially in passing as the Adams family sits at dinner discussing what was appearing in the papers of the day. Had they been pushing a serious agenda they surely would have focused more on that.
Overall it was an excellent portrayal of an often overlooked man. It did not stray far from historical fact, and also did not shy away from Adams’ flaws.
On vacation. More later. Amazon has the book, so everyone “has access.”
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