If I were to call myself a historical idiot it may actually end up being an understatement. This is not as a result of me not being interested, it’s a matter of poor schooling. Today, for example, I was discussing with someone how few classic books I have actually read and how “Tom Sawyer” may be my only claim to classic literature. As far as American History goes I am not much better. Sure, I know a few details, but after watching only the first two parts of “John Adams” I had already realized how little I actually knew.
HBO’s presentation of “John Adams” based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by David McCullough is broken up into seven parts, the first two of which will debut Sunday, March 16 and the final five will then air on the five Sundays to follow. The mini-series stars the likes of Paul Giamatti, Laura Linney, Stephen Dillane, Danny Huston, David Morse, Tom Wilkinson and Rufus Sewell and is directed by Tom Hooper, who also directed Golden Globe-winning television dramas “Elizabeth I” and “Longford”. As if that wasn’t enough, Tom Hanks is aboard as producer along with Gary Goetzman, the duo that brought you “Band of Brothers”. Suffice to say the talent behind this mini-series speaks for itself.
Part One of the series carries the heavy task of instantly getting us acquainted with our title character as Giamatti tackles the role of John Adams and immediately falls into the role. Adams was a farmer and a lawyer, but more importantly he was a man of morals and an instinct for what was right. When a group of British soldiers are accused of murdering several American colonists in the streets of Boston, what would become known as the Boston Massacre is where we first get a taste for what kind of man Adams truly was.
Signing on to represent the soldiers Adams goes against the mob and ultimately wins the case and more importantly wins the respect of his fellow Bostonians as independent sentiments become the talk of the town. Giamatti perfectly embodies the character of Adams as he has no desire to be a man of politics, despite urgings by both the British and ultimately by his cousin, Samuel Adams (Danny Huston), whose methods are somewhat more radical, but end up being just what John needs to get him into action as Adams becomes a part of the newly created Continental Congress.
The first segment of this seven part series achieves its goal of not only presenting John Adams as a just man, but it also manages to portray the time in which he was living and what exactly was at stake. We are also given an early taste of just how much of a role John’s wife Abigail (Laura Linney) will play in the grand scheme of things. She is John’s voice of reason; the voice that grounds him and forces him to occasionally push aside his vast education in an attempt to better relate to the people by speaking their language.
Part One is primarily a preview of things to come. Giamatti instantly convinces us he can carry out the weighty role of the Yankee farmer and lawyer while Laura Linney proves she can play the voice of reason. The most impressive part of their performances is just how much they represent the characters as they are described. Giamatti aptly portrays a man of many moods and characteristics. Adams was more than just a man that played a major role in forming America, but he was a stubborn, loving, intelligent, vain, thinking man and Giamatti manages to capture all these elements and so much more all in the first hour.
With a running time of one hour and 11 minutes, Part One airs Sunday, March 16 at 8 PM on HBO. Get the full synopsis for this episode here.
You can read my review of Part Two, “Independence” right here.
