Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness

Yes, folks, I watched 2 hours and 45 minutes of John Adams last night on HBO so my head is still a bit in that time period.

Since I'm fascinated by the incredible confidence and strength of conviction of our founding fathers I'll continue watching the mini-series. However, if you are a viewer who needs "a little less talk and a lot more action" this series is probably not for you. It's a bit more cerebral than I was expecting and very realistic to the times. People look a bit grubby and worn around the edges as we can only imagine they actually were.

Stuff I didn't know: That John Adams was a lawyer. I knew he was a farmer. I knew he opposed slavery. I didn't know he practiced the law and revered it so.

Stuff that amazed me: Abigail Adams staying at home for months (and years) on end running the family farm and raising 4 children virtually alone. Can you imagine running a farm in the late 1770s? No slaves. The occasional hired hand. That's it. You and four children. Whenever I read about the lives of women in a prior time period I realize what a wimp I am when I complain. Abigail Adams was an incredible woman.

Standouts: Laura Linney as Abigail Adams.

Through the letters and diaries of both John and Abigail Adams we know what a close, passionate and truly devoted couple they were. A true partnership in every sense of the word. It is also evident how much John valued Abigail's opinion and intelligence. John a man before his times. I don't think there was a thought, opinion, or advice John Adams trusted more than Abigail's. Smart man. Abigail Adams was the wife and mother of a President. Boo-yah Barbara Bush!

So all in all it's a good mini-series. Full of historical fact and accuracy. A bit slow moving because it is mostly talk and re-creation of pivotal events in our nations formation. My prediction is that it will get mixed reviews. Who knows. Maybe as the series moves into the period of the Revolutionary War the action will pick up.