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David McCullugh’s biography of John Adams won the Pulitzer prize. HBO brought this book to life in sleek, polished grandeur.

He was a revolutionary and the second president, and in HBO’s seven part miniseries, Paul Giamatti illustrates John Adams in living color as the giant of American History. Between his verbosity and guttural noises, the man comes alive completely.

On Best Week Ever, Melissa Rauch once said that Paul Giamatti deserved an Oscar just for wearing glasses. Among his other talents, John Adams proves he deserves an Emmy at least, even though we all know that Emmys are just the red-headed stepchild of the Academy Award. Joined by Laura Linney as the incomparable Abigail Adams, these two outstanding talents shared the focus of the miniseries and made it impossible to tell who was the more amazing of the married duo.

Starting in 1770, part one, “Join or Die”, begins the story at the Boston Massacre just before the Revolution officially started. We get a lovely glimpse of our heroes here; John’s love of the law and Abigail’s unflagging morality. Linney holds herself with pride, her diction astounding (the sum of her talent is clearly visible when she says “Ambition”. One word is enough to prove how amazing she is).  The background, whether in the green screen created scenery or the menagerie of people and accents, provides a completely detailed colonial world.

Part two takes us through the Declaration of Independence process, and is quite possibly the most emotionally and patriotically stirring piece in the miniseries. It is neigh on impossible to watch this and not feel some pride in being an American, and the history behind our country. From the bloody shots of the Join or Die flag and British ships firing on Bunker Hill to Abigail Adams’s speech on equality between men and women (she points out that men may be the facilitators of politics but women actually live the politics they create, making them just as equal in the political process) and the reading of the Declaration of Independence, there is no end to the majesty of the independence process shown here.

“Don’t Tread On Me”, part three, shows what a miserable failure as a French diplomat Adams was. This begins the slower part of the miniseries, and part four, “Reunion”, is much of the same. The best thing about these two parts is clearly the actors who play Jefferson, Washington, and Franklin. Stephen Dillane, David Morse, and Tom Wilkinson respectively show their amazing character acting skills. Washington cuts a remarkably similar figure to the one we all grew up with. Jefferson, though he goes through several ups and downs in the miniseries, is utterly remarkable, both in his philosophical expressions and his place in the political process of early America. Franklin is every bit the nutty womanizing off-kilter genius history knows him to be.

Parts five and six delve into Adams’s vice presidency to Washington and his own presidency. One message that Adams pounds into us over and over again is the certainty that war is a last resort – a message that has particular meaning today. In fact, there is a great deal in John Adams that speaks to our current political situation – enough to make us think that most of the cast of forefathers would be voting for Obama. It is a curious thing, and it makes one wonder just how much of this filmed facet of history is a pulpit for the current political leanings of those behind it.

Part seven, “Peacefield”, is a conclusion to the life of John and Abigail Adams, as well as Thomas Jefferson. Something that struck me as utterly amazing is the fact that Jefferson and John Adams both died on July fourth, on the fiftieth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The full drama of that moment is played up, and once again, it gave to patriotic stirrings.

The miniseries is a phenomenal thing, incredible in both production value and execution. The bonus features are utterly brilliant and give the audience a more complete understanding of the time period. The feature “Facts are a Stubborn Thing” is one of the best features I’ve ever seen. It causes little bits of trivia to pop up on screen as the miniseries plays out, kind of like VH1’s pop-up video. This is a feature I’ve only ever seen on Becoming Jane, and I hope it becomes a widely used trend.

There is also a documentary on David McCullugh, “Painting with Words”, and a featurette on the making of John Adams. The latter is especially impressive in showing how the completeness of the colonial and post revolutionary world was re-created for this miniseries.

John Adams reminds us that history is a messy thing, fraught with complications of human emotions, the weakness of heroes, and the improbability and foolishness of the mob. Yet despite all this, our history is something to be proud of, to celebrate.

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