John Adams Review

Paul Giamatti stars as John Adams and Laura Linney portrays Abigail -- his wife of 54 years.  Character actor Tom Wilkinson gives an inspired performance as Benjamin Franklin.  This 7-part miniseries is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by David McCullough and explores the enduring love of this historical couple as well as the idealogy, politics, successes and failures of the title character.

Part 1 begins with the revolutionary "Join or Die" in the aftermath of the Boston Massacre where Adams takes an unpopular stand with the colonists by agreeing to be a defense lawyer for the despised British soldiers.  He wins the case, but maintains his independent spirit by refusing a cushy appointment with the Crown.  Thus begins his ascent into the forefront of an emerging democracy and the ongoing conflicts that occur with the relationships with his political passions, his wife and his family.  Abigail and the children are forced to sacrifice their family life and struggle alone on the farm so that John can help bring about the birth of a newly formed, democratic nation. 

In addition to learning more about the politics and history of our Founding Fathers, I also appreciate the attention to the details of their daily lives.  We see John and Abigail as real people, with real flaws and real fears.  They are not painted as generic one-dimensional heroes, though they definitely are heroic in the way they sacrificed their personal comfort to help shape America.  This HBO miniseries portrays them in a way that I found I could easily identify.  I find myself looking at public figures in today's media-driven political climate in an entirely different way.  To me, that is more than enough reason to recommend this beautifully produced, and wonderfully acted historical drama.