Today’s movie is a mini-series with a scene that happens on April 9. Watch it tonight and enjoy.
JOHN ADAMS
After the Boston Massacre, John
Adams defies public opinion, represents the soldiers and gets them Aquitted.
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) at the 60th
Primetime Emmy Awards..
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 in 2015
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