Wednesday, June 3, 2009

John Adams

HBO's 7-part mini-series on the life of our nation's second president, John Adams, is a powerful look into colonial America. The movie is based on the book, John Adams
by David McCullough. I rented the series free at our local library--I could not beat the price! My family spent a week watching a few episodes each night.

The movie includes two inappropriate scenes along with seven bad words. There is enough forewarning to fast forward through the scenes. The language is spread out over the course of the series with most of it towards the end.

The love story of John and Abigail Adams is central to the story with a look into the sacrifice and consequences of political life in Revolutionary America. Their marriage, which spanned 54 years was tenderly marked by calling one another 'my dearest friend.' I particularly enjoyed the final scenes showing the Adams' while snippets of their love letters were being read by the narrator.

Viewers watch as Abigail Adams parents four children alone as John is in Boston for the Continental Congress followed by years in France as a diplomat. Magnificent scenes of the budding of our nation along with introductions to other historical figures of the time rounds out the movie.

My family enjoyed the series. The movies have planted seeds of curiosity to learn more about John and Abigail Adams. I would recommend this for older children and adults -- with a remote handy to fast forward through the inappropriate scenes.

Some books now on my reading list as a result of watching the movie:
My Dearest Friend: Letters of Abigail and John Adams
Abigail Adams: A Biography
The Adams-Jefferson Letters: The Complete Correspondence Between Thomas Jefferson and Abigail and John Adams
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