Wednesday, April 9, 2014

April 9 - John Adams

Today’s movie is a biography with a scene set on April 9.  I hope you will enjoy this film and watch it tonight.

JOHN ADAMS         

After the Boston Massacre, John Adams defies public opinion, represents the soldiers and gets them acquitted. In the aftermath of the Boston tea party and the Intolerable Acts, Adams turns down a post on the British Admiralty court. Adams is a delegate to the First and Second Continental Congresses. Adams opposes peaceful overtures to Britain, while supporting the establishment of an army and the appointment of George Washington to lead it. Meanwhile, at home Abigail and the children are eyewitness observers of the Battle of Bunker Hill and they are inoculated against smallpox. Independence is declared. Adams is appointed ambassador to France, (overcoming the objections of Abigail) where upon arriving he meets with Ben Franklin on the morning of April 9, 1778. [Ep. 3, 17:36 to 24:31] The morality of Adams and the French don’t line up, while Adams and Franklin disagree about goals and methods in dealing with the French government. When Franklin is made sole ambassador, Adams goes to Holland to try and get a loan for the American government. Adams is deathly ill for a time, but after the victory at Yorktown, gets the loan. Abigail comes to Europe and he is appointed ambassador to Great Britain. Adams returns to Massachusetts, but instead of being able to retire to his family, he is elected Vice-President. He is not included in Washington’s inner circle and he has a running dispute about which side to support in the Anglo-French war of 1792. His daughter marries someone he doesn’t like. Adams is elected President. The XYZ affair with France causes more conflict with the vice-president, Jefferson. Conflict with Jefferson also arises from the Alien and Sedition acts, since Adams sees them as necessary and Jefferson as oppressive. He cuts off contact with his son Charles who has become a drunk. The Adams move into the White House and he loses his re-election bid.  His daughter develops breast cancer and in spite of undergoing a horrific operation (without any anesthesia) dies. After Abigail dies, Adams begins corresponding with Jefferson and they renew their friendship. His son is elected president and Adams dies on the 50th anniversary of American independence.

A factual not overly dramatized biopic. Casts a lot of light on the private life of its subject. It’s not afraid to show the famous as they really were, people not idealized super heroes. Not totally flattering portrayals of Franklin and Washington. 

John Adams by David McCullough (Simon & Schuster, New York, 2001) at page 189 gives the date of this meeting

Producer - David Coatsworth and Kirk Ellis

Director - Tom Hooper

Screenplay   - Kirk Ellis

Runtime - 8 hours

Released - March 16, 2008

Awards - It won the Outstanding Miniseries, Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries (Giamatti), Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries (Linney), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries (Wilkinson),. Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries, Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries (Episode 2),  Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Miniseries,  Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries (Episode 3), Outstanding sound Mixing for a Miniseries (Episode 3), and Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Miniseries. It was also nominated for the Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Outstanding Supporting Actor for a Miniseries (Dillane), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries (Morse), Outstanding  Cinematography for a Miniseries (Episode 3), Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries, Outstanding Makeup for a Miniseries, Outstanding Original Dramatic Score for a Miniseries (Episode 2), Outstanding Single Camera Picture editing for a Miniseries (Episode 2), Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries (Episode 6) and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries (Episode 5).   

Starring -

Paul Giamatti as John Adams
Laura Linney as Abigail Adams
Stephen Dillane as Thomas Jefferson
David Morse as George Washington
Tom Wilkinson as Benjamin Franklin
Rufus Sewell as Alexander Hamilton
Justin Theroux as John Hancock
Danny Huston as Samuel Adams
Clancy O'Connor as Edward Rutledge
Željko Ivanek as John Dickinson
Ebon Moss-Bachrach as John Quincy Adams
Sarah Polley as Abigail Adams Smith
Andrew Scott  as William Stephens Smith
John Dossett as  Dr. Benjamin Rush
Mamie Gummer as Sally Smith Adams
Caroline Corrie as Louisa Adams
Samuel Barnett as Thomas Boylston Adams
Kevin Trainor as Charles Adams
Tom Hollander as King George III
Damien Jouillerot as King Louis XVI
Guy Henry as Jonathan Sewall
Brennan Brown as Robert Treat Paine
Paul Fitzgerald as Richard Henry Lee
Tom Beckett as Elbridge Gerry
Del Pentecost as Henry Knox
Tim Parati as Caesar Rodney
John O'Creagh as Stephen Hopkins
John Keating as Timothy Pickering


Copyright by Ivan Walters 2014. 



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