HBO's miniseries John Adams

[Wretched Excess]

john adams is one of my favorite historical figures, and so far this series is painting a disappointing portrait of a very complex man.
and the fact that the utterly dysfunctional "I am not drinking ****ing merlot" guy from Sideways is playing the part of adams isn't helping matters very much.

[DixieBelle]

^we can't stop calling him "pig vomit".

[CactusCarlos]

I highly recommend it!  They showed part 1 & 2 tonight and it was so well done!  I think it should be required watching for every American.

I caught it.  I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of it.

[BEG]

I caught it last night from reading the reviews here.  I'm hooked.

[Wretched Excess]

I caught it last night from reading the reviews here.  I'm hooked.

the miniseries doesn't do justice to the man, or the period, or the book.

[CactusCarlos]

I caught it last night from reading the reviews here.  I'm hooked.

the miniseries doesn't do justice to the man, or the period, or the book.

I'd like to hear what you believe the miniseries could have done better.  I don't know much about John Adams so you have me intrigued.

[Wretched Excess]

I caught it last night from reading the reviews here.  I'm hooked.

the miniseries doesn't do justice to the man, or the period, or the book.

I'd like to hear what you believe the miniseries could have done better.  I don't know much about John Adams so you have me intrigued.

first of all, I wouldn't have started with the boston massacre.   he was (iirc) nearly 40 at the time; surely some sense of his formative years was in order before we plunge headlong into the precipitating crisis of the revolution.   adams was the preeminent high federalist of his day, and the tension between he and the jeffersonian faction had already begun.  by the time the election of 1800 rolls around, the presidential campaign that gave birth to political parties (more or less) as we understand them today, there is no way anyone will be able to make any sense of what the essence of the disagreement was about in the first place.

harry truman got better treatment (a full length movie) and a better actor portraying him (gary sinise).  adams was an outstanding president in extraordinarily interesting and difficult times, who just happened to have the misfortune of being president after george washington.  anyone would have suffered by comparison.  think of The Almighty being your warmup act.

I suppose it is generally a good thing that people are watching, but adams is a favorite of mine, and he just isn't getting the treatment that I think he is due.

 

[BEG]

I caught it last night from reading the reviews here.  I'm hooked.

the miniseries doesn't do justice to the man, or the period, or the book.

I'd like to hear what you believe the miniseries could have done better.  I don't know much about John Adams so you have me intrigued.

first of all, I wouldn't have started with the boston massacre.   he was (iirc) nearly 40 at the time; surely some sense of his formative years was in order before we plunge headlong into the precipitating crisis of the revolution.   adams was the preeminent high federalist of his day, and the tension between he and the jeffersonian faction had already begun.  by the time the election of 1800 rolls around, the presidential campaign that gave birth to political parties (more or less) as we understand them today, there is no way anyone will be able to make any sense of what the essence of the disagreement was about in the first place.

harry truman got better treatment (a full length movie) and a better actor portraying him (gary sinise).  adams was an outstanding president in extraordinarily interesting and difficult times, who just happened to have the misfortune of being president after george washington.  anyone would have suffered by comparison.  think of The Almighty being your warmup act.

I suppose it is generally a good thing that people are watching, but adams is a favorite of mine, and he just isn't getting the treatment that I think he is due.

 

Maybe the miniseries will make people more interested in Adams and in turn they will pick up a book or two about the man.  I read "Benjamin Franklin: An American Life" about a year ago and this series about Adams makes me want to know more about the man.

[SilverOrchid]

We are so getting HBO

[Wretched Excess]

We are so getting HBO

better hurry.  it's only a 7 part series. 

[SilverOrchid]

We are so getting HBO

better hurry.  it's only a 7 part series. 

It'll be On Demand.

[LadyLiberty]

I caught it last night from reading the reviews here.  I'm hooked.

the miniseries doesn't do justice to the man, or the period, or the book.

I'd like to hear what you believe the miniseries could have done better.  I don't know much about John Adams so you have me intrigued.

first of all, I wouldn't have started with the boston massacre.   he was (iirc) nearly 40 at the time; surely some sense of his formative years was in order before we plunge headlong into the precipitating crisis of the revolution.   adams was the preeminent high federalist of his day, and the tension between he and the jeffersonian faction had already begun.  by the time the election of 1800 rolls around, the presidential campaign that gave birth to political parties (more or less) as we understand them today, there is no way anyone will be able to make any sense of what the essence of the disagreement was about in the first place.

harry truman got better treatment (a full length movie) and a better actor portraying him (gary sinise).  adams was an outstanding president in extraordinarily interesting and difficult times, who just happened to have the misfortune of being president after george washington.  anyone would have suffered by comparison.  think of The Almighty being your warmup act.

I suppose it is generally a good thing that people are watching, but adams is a favorite of mine, and he just isn't getting the treatment that I think he is due.

 

Maybe the miniseries will make people more interested in Adams and in turn they will pick up a book or two about the man.  I read "Benjamin Franklin: An American Life" about a year ago and this series about Adams makes me want to know more about the man.

I think you're right, BEG. Just watching this, John Adams, is making me want to learn more about Benjamin Franklin as well, because of his depiction in this.

When I "see" Thomas Jefferson too, I am thinkging, "WOW!"

For me, there is just something VERY mystifying, VERY powerful, almost God-like about our Forfathers.

I am also loving Abigail Adams. I want to know more about her, too!

[DixieBelle]

^I was thinking the same things! Of course my idea of a fun weekend is going to Mount Vernon or Monticello.

[LadyLiberty]

^I was thinking the same things! Of course my idea of a fun weekend is going to Mount Vernon or Monticello.

I have been to colonial Williamsburg SO many time, as a kid though, when it really didn't  mean anything. Now I want to go.

And, I insist that our next family vacation be taken at DC, because my son is the perfect age for it to have a lasting impact on him. I went when I was his age, and I will never forget it.

[DixieBelle]

Yes, you have to!!! And let me know!!!

[Wretched Excess]

^I was thinking the same things! Of course my idea of a fun weekend is going to Mount Vernon or Monticello.

monticello sucks, as did jefferson.

I think if we were to trace back our political heritage, we would be more comfortable with adams, and the high federalists.

[Wretched Excess]

episode three comes on at 9PM eastern time.

[BEG]

episode three comes on at 9PM eastern time.

I  watched, did you?

[SilverOrchid]

^I was thinking the same things! Of course my idea of a fun weekend is going to Mount Vernon or Monticello.

monticello sucks, as did jefferson.

I think if we were to trace back our political heritage, we would be more comfortable with adams, and the high federalists.

Jefferson did suck but Monticello is very beautiful.

[LadyLiberty]

Hey Mama, and you other John Adams watchers, tell me what you thought of last night's episode.

IMO summation, it was good, and I actually liked the way that he handled the French. Naturally it pissed them off, but Franklin didn't seem to be doing too much other than soaking up all the French frivolities. Adams didn't give a rip about that, he was there to DO business and get it done.

By the time Adams got there and was told by Franklin that there was a treaty, Adams was pretty ticked about that, having travelled all that way, and then he discovered what the "treaty" was...which is why he didn't fall for it. He didn't to replace one master for another. There seemed to be a fight for political power between Adams and Franklin, and Franklin got to the Congress and swayed their opinion of him.

[Wretched Excess]

episode three comes on at 9PM eastern time.

I  watched, did you?

I watched it, of course.  a couple of times.   I watched the first two episodes, usually broadcast back-to-back, every time I noticed them on HBO last week . . . and they were on a LOT.  fortunately, the rebroadcast of this past season's chargers @ packers game on the NFL network was over by 9 last night, or I would have had a difficult decision to make.

this one drug a bit, I though.  I don't remember the drama on the voyage to france.  I don't remember abigail being that distraught by him leaving for france.  I do remember the french playing us against the british.  an awful lot happened in those three years in europe that was worth exploration,  but didn't seem to make it into the show.  I hope they develop john quincy adams' character more deeply in the later episodes.

I noticed  that "the making of john adams" was someplace else on HBO sunday night, and it was at least as interesting as the actual show.  there was a lot of input from mccullough in the production of this series;  a lot more than perhaps I suspected.

I think my biggest problem with the thing is that the actor playing adams is such a tool. 

 

[LadyLiberty]

Oh, I  actually really like Paul Giamatti   

So, Adams' time in Europe was supposed to be over a THREE year span??? If so, they are doing a piss poor job showing the time lapse, because the children aren't even looking even older, and I wish they would just display the date on the screen like they do in more of the docudramas.

I too thought the first 2 episodes were much more rivetting. I teared up when they shot the cannons when they publicly declared our independence, but that is just me and my jingoistic self 

I now expect JA and BF to have a severe riff between each other.

[Wretched Excess]

Oh, I  actually really like Paul Giamatti   

So, Adams' time in Europe was supposed to be over a THREE year span??? If so, they are doing a piss poor job showing the time lapse, because the children aren't even looking even older, and I wish they would just display the date on the screen like they do in more of the docudramas.

I too thought the first 2 episodes were much more rivetting. I teared up when they shot the cannons when they publicly declared our independence, but that is just me and my jingoistic self 

I now expect JA and BF to have a severe riff between each other.

the rift between franklin and adams is overblown, IMO.   the rift that is coming between jefferson and adams can't be overblown.  i am interested in seeing how they will handle his one term in the white house, and the election of 1800.  and the truly heartrending way in which adams and jefferson reconciled later in life will need a very delicate touch.

they both died in the 50th anniversary of the signing of the declaration of independence.

[Wretched Excess]

Ok, I've "tried" to watch it.
If they could bottle that show, they could put Sominex out of business.

if you only caught the last one, I thought it was a coma inducing member of the barbiturate family as well. 

[LadyLiberty]

Ok, I've "tried" to watch it.
If they could bottle that show, they could put Sominex out of business.

People have complained about the cinematography at the HBO site. I don't know WHY they chose to do this.