HBO’s Series on John Adams

We do not subscribe to HBO, so I had to wait to get the John Adams DVDs on Netflix. It was well worth the wait!

I confess to not knowing very much about our 2nd President; so much of his story was new to me.  Maybe that is what made it such compelling family television – Mr. Pete and I could learn right along with our children.  The producers went out of their way to present a real picture of life in early America from the bad roads, the rotten teeth, and small pox to difficult travel and dubious and painful medical care!  I did feel that after watching this, my children had a realistic idea of how difficult life in the colonies really was.

The cast lead by Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney (as John and Abigail Adams) made these historical figures come to life!  We got so caught up in every episode that I found myself doing additional research about them on line to share with my eager family! We came to enjoy Ben Franklin’s wit and George Washington’s valor while at the same time wondering if Thomas Jefferson was the father of liberalism in America!

Since Sam read the Scarlette Pimpernel last fall, the French Revolution and its impact on America was of special interest to him.

There are some scenes that might be too intense for younger kids.  A man is stripped totally naked (yep, a second of full frontal) tarred and feathered right at the boat yards!  The small pox innoculation scene of Abigal and her children was also pretty intense as was the at-home mastectomy of Nabby Adams (for breast cancer) in the last episode. There is one short (fully clothed ) sex scene between John and Abigail that can be easily skipped as well.  (Although catching octogerian Ben Franklin in the bathtub with his girlfriend was one of the funnier parts of the series!)

As a homeschooler, I pointed out to my children that Abigail was completely home educated and a voracious reader.  Throughout the series the collaboration between Abigal and John is highlighted as essential to his success as a leader and politician, and as a man. Her opinion and counsel was highly valued by her husband.  Their love and respect as portrayed in the series makes her death all the more poignant in the last episode.

Sam, my sophmore, spent a lot of time studying American History last year.  He said that this series really made that time period come alive for him.  He even re-read that part of his history text!  I think particularly with the 4th of July behind us, it is important to see the growing pains that our country went through to come into existence.  This series does that well.

My library has a book of Abigail’s letters that I hope to pick up just for further enjoyment. My Dearest Friend: Letters of Abigail and John Adams

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