John Adams

HBO does it again. This time it's the miniseries "John Adams" focusing on the Revolutionary War and the first 50 years of independence. Paul Giamatti will no doubt win an Emmy for his portrayal of our second President. Normally seen in lighter fare, Giamatti shows his acting chops in this role. Laura Linney also gives a magnificent performance as Abigail Adams.

Normally, my eyes glaze over when watching films about the revolution. Long, grandiose speeches and stoic portrayals are about as exciting as watching paint dry. In this case it's more like watching Rembrandt create a masterpiece. The story is given feeling and passion along with painstaking attention to detail. Perfect case in point is the fear of smallpox Abigail has. From scrubbing her floor on her hands and knees with a scour to the decision to inoculate herself and her children against the disease knowing full well that it could go horribly wrong and cause death. That was about as unsettling a scene as I have ever watched on TV.

It also breaks some stereotypes about our founding fathers. Take Thomas Jefferson for instance. I have always seen him depicted as a great orator, but here he is shown as a quiet introvert. Nobody really knows what he is thinking until he puts pen to paper and he does so with a magnificent prose and passion.

This is a Playtone production and it shows. Tom Hanks has once again raised the bar for quality. This should be required viewing for all students.

If you missed the first two episodes, they are being replayed thruout the week on the various HBO channels. New episodes on Sunday night. I can't recommend it highly enough.