{"id":4691,"date":"2009-02-02T17:32:35","date_gmt":"2009-02-02T17:32:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.filmdetail.com\/?p=4691"},"modified":"2009-02-02T18:33:20","modified_gmt":"2009-02-02T18:33:20","slug":"uk-dvd-releases-monday-2nd-february-2009","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.filmdetail.com\/2009\/02\/02\/uk-dvd-releases-monday-2nd-february-2009\/","title":{"rendered":"UK DVD Releases: Monday 2nd February 2009"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"DVD<\/a><\/p>\n

DVD PICKS<\/strong><\/p>\n

John Adams<\/a><\/strong> (HBO): Based on\u00a0David McCullough<\/a>\u2019s Pulitzer Prize winning biography<\/a> of the second president of the United States<\/a>, this HBO miniseries arrives on DVD in the UK after winning several awards and garnering considerable critical acclaim.<\/p>\n

For those unfamiliar with the title character, he was one of the key figures in the creation of the United States and its struggle for independence from Great Britain.<\/p>\n

An impressive cast features\u00a0Paul Giamatti<\/a>\u00a0as\u00a0John Adams<\/a>,\u00a0Laura Linney<\/a>\u00a0as his wife\u00a0Abigail<\/a>,\u00a0Stephen Dillane<\/a>\u00a0as\u00a0Thomas Jefferson<\/a>,\u00a0David Morse<\/a>\u00a0as\u00a0George Washington<\/a>,\u00a0Tom Wilkinson<\/a>\u00a0as\u00a0Benjamin Franklin<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Rufus Sewell<\/a>\u00a0as\u00a0Alexander Hamilton<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The seven episodes chronicle the key chapters of Adams’ life, which span the first fifty years of the\u00a0United States<\/a>:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Join or Die<\/a><\/strong>:\u00a0The first episode deals with the\u00a0Boston Massacre<\/a>\u00a0and Adams defending British troops because of his belief in a fair trial for everyone. We also see his cousin\u00a0Sam Adams<\/a>\u00a0(Danny Huston) and his involvement in the \u201cSons of Liberty<\/a>,\u201d a group opposed to British rule. It also shows the tensions over the\u00a0Coercive Acts<\/a>\u00a0and Adams’ election to the\u00a0First Continental Congress<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  2. Independence<\/a><\/strong>: The second episode covers the drafting of the\u00a0Declaration of Independence<\/a>\u00a0and the disputes among the members of the\u00a0Second Continental Congress<\/a>\u00a0towards declaring independence from\u00a0Great Britain<\/a>. Adams is depicted as the lead advocate for independence despite all the danger that entails.<\/li>\n
  3. Don’t Tread On Me<\/a><\/strong>: The third episode sees Adams travel to Europe during the War of Independence<\/a> to seek alliances with foreign nations hostile to Britain. He meets up with\u00a0Benjamin Franklin<\/a>\u00a0in the court of\u00a0Louis XVI<\/a>\u00a0and then goes on to the\u00a0Dutch Republic<\/a>\u00a0to obtain financial support for the Revolution.<\/li>\n
  4. Reunion<\/a><\/strong>:\u00a0The fourth episode shows Adams being notified of the end of the Revolutionary War<\/a> before he is sent to Paris to negotiate the Treaty of Paris<\/a> in 1783. While there, he spends time with Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson and reunites\u00a0with Abigail. After being appointed the first United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom he relocates to the British Court of St. James’s but is poorly received by the British. He then returns to Massachusetts for the first presidential election which sees George Washington become the first President of the United States and Adams first Vice President.<\/li>\n
  5. Unite or Die<\/a><\/strong>: \u00a0The fifth episode explores Adams as Vice-President, presiding over the\u00a0Senate<\/a>\u00a0and the strains within\u00a0George Washington<\/a>‘s cabinet members, especially\u00a0Thomas Jefferson<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Alexander Hamilton<\/a>, the struggle to enact the\u00a0Jay Treaty<\/a>\u00a0with Britain and his inauguration as the second president.<\/li>\n
  6. Unnecessary War<\/a><\/strong>: The sixth episode explores\u00a0Adams’s term as president and the bitter rift between the Hamilton-led\u00a0Federalists<\/a>\u00a0and Jefferson-led\u00a0Republicans<\/a>. Adams’s neutrality alienates both factions and his shaky relationship with his vice president, Thomas Jefferson, is damaged after a breakdown in relations with the French and the signing the\u00a0Alien and Sedition Acts<\/a>. Adams disowns his son Charles, who soon dies as an alcoholic vagrant. He eventually prevents a war with France, but loses the election of 1800 to Jefferson and retires back home to Massachusetts.<\/li>\n
  7. Peacefield<\/a><\/strong>: The concluding episode examines the last years of his life in retirement which include the tragic deaths of his\u00a0daughter to cancer and his wife to\u00a0typhoid fever<\/a>. However, Adams does live long enough to see his son,\u00a0John Quincy<\/a>, elected president. Adams and Jefferson are reconciled through correspondence towards the end of their lives, and both die mere hours apart, on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    A hugely ambitious project, this miniseries offers us a fascinating insight into the early years of the United States as seen through the lens of one of the key founding fathers.<\/p>\n

    Director Tom Hooper<\/a> (who was also behind HBO’s ‘Elizabeth I’<\/a>) and writer Kirk Ellis<\/a> have done an amazing job of distilling McCullough’s 700-page book into seven epiosdes that are rich with drama and detail.<\/p>\n

    Technically, it is first rate with some marvellous cinematography by\u00a0Tak Fujimoto<\/a>\u00a0capturing the candle lit interiors and and outdoor landscapes superbly well.<\/p>\n

    The sets and locations are also extremely impressive, making clever use of CGI which is nicely woven into the action without ever being distracting.<\/p>\n

    It was filmed in the Colonial Williamsburg Historic Area<\/a> in Virginia and Hungary for the European locations and also features 125 speaking roles, so it is mounted on a scale unusual even for an HBO project.<\/p>\n

    However, unlike some historical dramas it goes beyond the settings and costumes to grapple with the underlying themes and and issues at stake in the birth of the United States of America.<\/p>\n

    Part of what makes the series so attractive is the extraordinary nature of Adams’ life – one that encompassed so many crucial events in a remarkable period of history.<\/p>\n

    He personally embodied many of the ideals upon which the nation was founded and also had a remarkably strong relationship with\u00a0Abigail,\u00a0his feisty wife of 54 years.<\/p>\n

    Given the importance of the War of Independence<\/a> you might wonder why it has been so poorly represented on screen but perhaps the shadow of the disastrous Revolution<\/a> (1985) still hangs over anyone that attempts to pitch a project set in the era.<\/p>\n

    A good deal of credit then must go to producer Tom Hanks<\/a> and HBO for attempting such a bold and sweeping project, with a reported budget of $100 million.<\/p>\n

    It has paid off with plaudits and\u00a0swept the board at the 2008 Emmy Awards with 17 nominations and 13 wins including, \u2018Outstanding Actor\u2019, \u2018Outstanding Actress\u2019 and \u2018Outstanding Mini-series\u2019 and\u00a0also won four awards at the 2009 Golden Globes.<\/p>\n

    This 3-disc, 7 part mini series clocks in at 501 minutes and comes with the following extras:<\/p>\n