jnagarya-1 All the praise of this mini-series is deserved. But those who don't focus on John Adams rather miss the point: it is a biography of him.And one reviewer writes, "For most of us the Declaration of Independence is taken for granted." I have no idea what the "Declaration" has to do with it, as it has never been law (it was a propaganda piece). The Constitution is law, and the model for it was the Massachusetts constitution, which was written by John Adams (except the section establishing a state religion, which was written by his cousin, propagandist Sam Adams).For another view of John Adams, see the excellent "1776": he was "obnoxious and disliked"; but it was he who pushed for declaring independence from Britain, against opposition mostly from Southern slave-owning conservatives.It's an injustice to write about this film and miss the point: it is a biography of John Adams, not of Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin, et al.

ShadoWolf0913 This series is truly amazing. The actors are very talented and believable, and the whole is a well-done and remarkable representation of John Adams' life. I always get bored out of my mind by the flat, matter-of-fact nature of textbooks and documentaries. Although I prefer films that show the actual war more than the politics, this film is what got me hooked on the Revolution, and history in general, and I would strongly recommend it to anybody who is interested in that kind of stuff.I dropped one star because there are a number of historical inaccuracies throughout the series--pretty much all minor details, and for the most part, the plot is authentic, but it is something that matters a great deal to me with portrayals of history. I got the David McCullough's book after I watched this and I would highly suggest reading it as well if you really want to learn the details more accurately. Also, some parts of Adams' life feel like they were rushed/skipped over, but considering that they have to go through his whole life in seven episodes, they do a good job covering the important aspects. Other than that, I can find nothing to criticize. There is much use of silence throughout the film, which works wonders to inspire the mood of the various scenes, but when the score is played in the background, it emphasizes the moment dramatically. The title track, especially, is wonderfully patriotic and takes my breath away.Again, I absolutely recommend watching this if you are interested in history and America.

wilsr I agonised about what star rating to give "John Adams".I cannot comment on the historic authenticity. However, the sets, sound, makeup, CGI, storyline and dialogue are outstanding. All the actors are excellent and it's invidious to single any one out. But Giamatti and Linney stand out with incredible, intimate and emotional performances.So why the "agonising"? Quite simply, although the cinematography and lighting are technically perfect, someone somewhere - presumably the director in consultation with the producers - thought that a hand-held camera and the odd tilted horizon would add something to the story.Wrong, wrong, wrong.There are two valid excuses for a steadycam shot: if it's physically impossible to shoot it with a crane, and to give the impression of a grabbed shot in, say, a war zone.Unfortunately, too many otherwise first class directors have followed a craze that emerged a few years back, and appear to think that unsteady shots add to the experience. They don't: all they do is make you think about the mechanics of the filming and look for the exit. And tilting the camera for no good reason is just plain effete.So: eight out of ten. A shame, because without the trendy camera-work I would give John Adams ten.

paour The producers' self-evident intent with this series was to offer a nuanced look at a period of US history which has been so glorified as to occult anything controversial.Here, the tug of war between Adams and Jefferson and their respective factions is well illustrated, complete with petty recriminations and back-stabbing (how quaint it now seems that the vice-president could have been the general election runner-up!).Despite my appreciation for this more accurate rendition of history, I was frequently frustrated that the focus on the personal history of John Adams steered the series away of many of the important milestones of the revolutionary period; the Boston tea party is shown only as the tarring and feathering of the commissioner, none of the war of independence battles are more than alluded to, and the war of 1812 is not even mentioned.The costumes are amazing and even more so the physical aging of the characters.A few episodes resort to ridiculously crooked camera angles with annoying frequency, but for the most part the camera work is sedate and pleasing.