List Price: $59.99You Pay Only: $38.99 You Save: $21.00 (35%)Prices subject to change.
Availability: Not yet released
Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
Brand: Warner Brothers
EAN: 0883929020065
Format: Box set, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
Label: HBO
Manufacturer: HBO
Number Of Items: 3
Publisher: HBO
Region Code: 1
Release Date: June 10, 2008
Running Time: 560 minutes
Sales Rank: 10
Studio: HBO
Theatrical Release Date: 2008
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
John Adams is a sprawling HBO miniseries event that depicts the extraordinary life and times of one of Americas least understood and most underestimated founding fathers: the second President of the United States John Adams. Starring Paul Giamatti (Sideways Cinderella Man HBOs American Spendor) in the title role and Laura Linney (You Can Count on Me Kinsey) as Adams devoted wife Abigail John Adams chronicles the extraordinary life journey of one of the primary shapers of our independence and government whose legacy has often been eclipsed by more flamboyant contemporaries like George Washington Thomas Jefferson Alexander Hamilton and Benjamin Franklin. Set against the backdrop of a nations stormy birth this sweeping miniseries is a moving love story a gripping narrative and a fascinating study of human nature. Above all at a time when the nation is increasingly polarized politically this story celebrates the shared values of liberty and freedom upon which this country was built.Running Time: 501 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/SERIES & SEQUELS UPC: 883929020065 Manufacturer No: 1000038820
Amazon.com:
Based on David McCullough's best-selling biograpy, the HBO miniseries John Adams is the furthest thing from a starry-eyed look at America's founding fathers and the brutal path to independence. Adams (Paul Giamatti), second president of the United States, is portrayed as a skilled orator and principled attorney whose preference for justice over anti-English passions earns enemies. But he also gains the esteem of the first national government of the United States, i.e., the Continental Congress, which seeks non-firebrands capable of making a reasoned if powerful case for America's break from England's monarchy. The first thing one notices about John Adams' dramatizations of congress' proceedings, and the fervent pro-independence violence in the streets of Boston and elsewhere, is that America's roots don't look pretty or idealized here. Some horrendous things happen in the name of protest, driving Adams to push the cause of independence in a legitimate effort to get on with a revolutionary war under the command of George Washington. But the process isn't easy: not every one of the 13 colonies-turned-states is ready to incur the wrath of England, and behind-the-scenes negotiations prove as much a part of 18th century congressional sessions as they do today.
Besides this peek into a less-romanticized version of the past, John Adams is also a story of the man himself. Adams' frustration at being forgotten or overlooked at critical junctures of America's early development--sent abroad for years instead of helping to draft the U.S. constitution--is detailed. So is his dismay that the truth of what actually transpired leading to the signing of the Declaration of Independence has been slowly forgotten and replaced by a rosier myth. But above all, John Adams is the story of two key ties: Adams' 54-year marriage to Abigail Adams (Laura Linney), every bit her husband's intellectual equal and anchor, and his difficult, almost symbiotic relationship with Thomas Jefferson (Stephen Dillane) over decades. Giamatti, of course, has to carry much of the drama, and if he doesn't always seem quite believable in the series' first half, he becomes increasingly excellent at the point where an aging Adams becomes bitter over his place in history. Linney is marvelous, as is Dillane, Sarah Polley as daughter Nabby, Danny Huston as cousin Samuel Adams, and above all Tom Wilkinson as a complex but indispensable Ben Franklin. --Tom Keogh
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - the work of confederation drags heavily on...
As an Englishman hoping to learn something more about the historical ties between the U.S. and U.K. I found John Adams the miniseries to be a reasonable effort, but not without its flaws. I don't regard the time spent with it to be wasted, but I am, however, unlikely to ever revisit this miniseries as the direction swings from odd, to intriguing, to utterly incompetent with the frequency of a pendulum. Try hard as I may, weeks after I first saw it, I still cannot explain the logic behind staging a conversation between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson on the subject of the French revolution, and filming it in such a way as to entirely obscure their faces from view, so that only their words can impart any meaning. If there's any truth to the argument that 90% of all communication is non-verbal, the director of this scene did his actors, his audience, and the historical legacy of the American revolution itself a great disservice by treating this project as nothing more than a venue for his misguided experimentation. Other reviewers have made mention of it, and rightly so. The direction of this series is nothing short of appalling. It is plagued by endless use of odd angles, including entire scenes viewed either upside down or from a bird's eye view (once again nullifying the actors' best efforts), and all of it for no apparent purpose.
Other drawbacks include the sometimes harsh and unpleasant content of the story itself. A British tax collector being tarred and feathered and a somewhat ... Read More
Rating:  - John Adams
I have seen all episodes and highly recommend them to everyone who thinks they learn all they needed to know in History Class. This was so much richer in story and facts. Living in the general area I will definitely do some touring this summer. I loved President Adams conviction in liberty and freedom and the right for all people to have it. Also his lack of slaves was a very surprising fact. I also researched as I watched the series and learned so much more than I expected, I will be ordering the DVD'S and getting the book. I wish more meaningful series like this was on TV. This needs to be shown on regular TV for all people to see. Thanks to Mr. McCullough for writing this book and the producers for having the vision to make this series.
Rating: - Superb - would have been better without tobacco use!
A terrific series with brilliant cinematography! I DO wish that the producers (Tom Hanks certainly had the say) had left out the use of the tobacco drug. We don't need smoking or other use of tobacco in ANY movie. Otherwise, a memorable series that everyone over the age of 12 should see! I understand that the DVD extras as really supposed to be something. I've already got my order in for the set.
Rating: - Wonderful
I greatly enjoyed the John Adams HBO Miniseries. I am going to miss watching. I thought it was a wonderful depiction of life during this time period. Like others, this show made me more interested in learning more.
I intend to read the book that was based on the miniseries. I wish there more shows like this on TV that are worth watching. I also, thought that the acting was excellent and ofcourse Tom Hanks did a great job.
Rating: - Great Glimpse of the Past
I'm not a big American history buff... but this movie was really interesting and I found myself in awe of those who fought so hard for our country. You don't see guts and bravery like that anymore. This movie made it so real to me, and not just some stories I've heard, etc. Everyone should see this movie.
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