John Adams

Fittingly, I spent the past week watching the 7-episode HBO miniseries, John Adams. Paul Giamatti starred as the Founding Father who worked tirelessly to secure liberty for this nation and then spent the greater part of his life ensuring that liberty would be maintained for future generations. Among the last words of the finale are these: "Oh, Posterity, you will never know how much it cost us to preserve your freedom. I hope that you will make a good use of it." There were moments like this throughout the series that made me reflect on how much I freakin' love America
(See: Picture ----->).

The episodes each chronicled important chapters in Adams' life: his defense of the British soldiers after the Boston massacre, his role as a Massachusetts delegate in the first Continental Congress, his time as Minister to France and England, his term as the 2nd President of the United States, and, finally, his quiet later years on his farm, Peacefield. Giamatti was stellar as the brilliant yet flawed Adams, but I was most taken in by the character of Abigail Adams and Laura Linney's portrayal of her. I had no idea of the role that she played in her husband's life- with her strength and intelligence, she advised and supported him in everything that he did, and it is certainly because of her that he was such a spectacular individual.

In addition to inspiring patriotism in every fiber of my being, I marveled at the beauty of this series. Their attention to detail in recreating 18th century America and Europe was incredible. From the costumes to the sets, everything was perfect (And I have that on good authority: David McCullough, the historian who wrote the book on which the series was based, said that in the "Making of" featurette). My absolute favorite part, though, was that they didn't try to romanticize anything. At the end of the first episode, a man gets tarred and feathered in the streets of Boston. The people, too, were shown as they realistically were. Benjamin Franklin was a crackpot as well as a genius. Thomas Jefferson made many mistakes in his life full of distinction and legacies. The Founding Fathers were great men, but they were men. Their judgment was not infallible, and still they managed to establish a nation of freedom and justice that his lasted for more than two centuries under the Constitution that they wrote. We've had problems and been forced to adapt, but the fundamental ideas, for which they sacrificed so much, remain constant.

This series was television at its finest- television that transcends art and make-believe and becomes a window. In this case, it was a window into the most crucial period in our nation's history. Happy Independence Day, people.