"John Adams" (2008) TV mini-series

User Rating:

8.9/10   

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

16 March 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History

Tagline:

Join or Die

Plot:

A miniseries on the life of John Adams and the first 50 years of the United States.

Plot Keywords:

John Adams | TV Mini-Series | First Lady | Law | Colonial America

Awards:

Won 4 Golden Globes. Another 32 wins & 19 nominations

Cast

Paul Giamatti	...	John Adams (7 episodes, 2008)
Laura Linney	...	Abigail Adams (7 episodes, 2008)
John Dossett	...	Benjamin Rush (6 episodes, 2008)
Stephen Dillane	...	Thomas Jefferson (6 episodes, 2008)
Sarah Polley	...	Nabby Adams (4 episodes, 2008)
Samuel Barnett	...	Thomas Adams (4 episodes, 2008)
David Morse	...	George Washington (4 episodes, 2008)
Andrew Scott	...	Colonel William Smith (4 episodes, 2008)
Danny Huston	...	Samuel Adams (3 episodes, 2008)
Ebon Moss-Bachrach	...	John Quincy Adams (3 episodes, 2008)
Steven Hinkle	...	Young John Quincy Adams (3 episodes, 2008)
Madeline Taylor	...	Young Nabby Adams (3 episodes, 2008)
Mamie Gummer	...	Sally Smith Adams (3 episodes, 2008)
Kevin Trainor	...	Charles Adams (3 episodes, 2008)
Tom Wilkinson	...	Benjamin Franklin (3 episodes, 2008)
Michael Hall D'Addario	...	Young Charles Adams (3 episodes, 2008)
Landon Ashworth	...	The Senator (3 episodes, 2008)
Dan Taylour	...	Merchant / ... (3 episodes, 2008)
Rufus Sewell	...	Alexander Hamilton (2 episodes, 2008)
Justin Theroux	...	John Hancock (2 episodes, 2008)
Judith Magre	...	Madame Helvétius (2 episodes, 2008)
Brennan Brown	...	Robert Treat Paine (2 episodes, 2008)
Tom Beckett	...	Elbridge Gerry (2 episodes, 2008)
Jules Croiset	...	Second Dutch Banker (2 episodes, 2008)
Sieger Sloot	...	Dutch Man (2 episodes, 2008)
Lex van Delden	...	First Dutch Banker (2 episodes, 2008)
Zeljko Ivanek	...	John Dickinson (2 episodes, 2008)
John Keating	...	Timothy Pickering (2 episodes, 2008)
Thomas Langston	...	Young Thomas Adams (2 episodes, 2008)
Timmy Sherrill	...	Attorney General Charles Lee / ... (2 episodes, 2008)
Juan Eloy Carrera	...	Bostonian Townsperson (2 episodes, 2008)
Robert Rice		(2 episodes, 2008)

Also Known As:

Untitled John Adams Miniseries (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

501 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

Budapest, Hungary

Company:

HBO Films

Trivia:

Among the cargo piled around in the Dockside Welcome Home Mr Adams Scene are antique demijohns swilling with port wine -which is actually hose water darkened with Sprite (tm) and cola.

Goofs:

Factual errors: After John Adams loses the 1800 election to Thomas Jefferson he is seen riding down the road from the White House in his carriage. In the distance down what is presumably Pennsylvania Avenue, the entire Capitol building of today is seen under construction. In actuality only a small section of the Capitol had been completed by 1800 and the full building as we know it today was not completed until after the Civil War

Quotes:

Edward Rutledge: South Carolina, on behalf of its sister colonies...
John Adams: STATES!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Simpsons: The Good, the Sad and the Drugly (#20.17)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Chester

Historical Drama at Its Finest!

Although the miniseries title and episodes focus on the life of John Adams, the strength of the film lies in the exceptional ensemble cast. It was impressive to see such giants as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin, as well as the lesser known individuals, truly inhabited by the actors.

The challenge of the series was to breathe life into those stories and lives we know so well. The filmmakers worked closely to David McCullough's outstanding book for the details, along with the human side of the story captured in the voluminous correspondence of John and Abigail Adams. The political, military, and personal issues were all thoughtfully brought to life. The design values of the film were also superb. Nothing looked stagy or stilted in the sets and costumes, which provided an unusual authenticity of period style for television drama. With each appearance of George Washington (David Morse), it was hard not to gasp due to the believability of his character.

The drama of America's breaking from England for independence was an improbable story and one dependent on the courage and idealism of the individuals portrayed in this film. The personalities of these great figures make this program an accessible and rewarding experience for the entire family. For the patient viewer, what emerges from the John Adams miniseries is not merely a history lesson, but a drama with great relevance today. Simply put, we need more people in our country right now just like John and Abigail Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, Washington, Knox, and, above all, the ordinary human beings heroically portrayed in this fine film!