'John Adams' doesn't go Hollywood (Looks like an excellent HBO series next month)

Pittsburgh Tribune Review ^ | Feb 24, 2008 | Bill Steigerwald, David McCullough

[dickmc]

When Hollywood's movie-makers and docu-dramatists get their hands on American history, accuracy, reality and truth often are tortured beyond recognition. But starting at 8 p.m. Sunday, March 16, HBO Films will be delivering the seven-part, nine-hour mini-series "John Adams." ... it is by all accounts a high-quality, historically accurate and meticulously faithful adaptation of super-historian David McCullough's blockbuster 2001 book of the same name. I talked to McCullough about the making of the HBO series Tuesday by phone from his home in West Tisbury, Mass.

[dickmc]

Q: I presume that by now you've seen the final cut of "John Adams"?

A: I have not seen the final cut because there is still editing being done for the last hours. But I have seen the evolution of the project from the very beginning, all the way along over the last three, nearly four years. I've seen every version of the script for each episode and I have seen the preliminary rough cut, the secondary rough cut and so forth for all of the episodes. I can tell you that I am more than pleased with the quality, the look, the integrity of it all. It is superb.

.

The link to the rest of the article and interview is here and is well worth reading.

McCullough, who grew up in Pittsburgh and whose family owns McCullough Electric Supply, apparently has substantial day-to-day input in the scripting and production.

Bill Steigerwald is a Pittsburgh native and columnist with LA and Hollywood experience.

[max americana]

I see the posters here in Hollywood all the time (freakin posters of everyone anyways)...

I read an interview on Paul Giamatti on Penthouse...very good interview. Sounds like he doesn’t have an air of arrogance to him like cLOONEY does.

[randog]

I saw a poster in the post office. Unfortunately, I don’t have HBO. I’ll have to wait for video or A&E/History channel to pick it up.

[max americana]

I don’t have HBO either LOL. Someone will eventually upload it on bittorrent anyways. You can count on it.

[Argus]

I thought Giamatti was terrific in CINDERELLA MAN. Never pictured him as John Adams, but I look forward to his portrayal.

[x]

Could be interesting, if Thomas Haden Church plays Jefferson...

Adams: "If anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving ..."

[onedoug]

Thomas Haden Church bump.

[NonValueAdded]

ping

[LibFreeOrDie]

I recall PBS’ “The Adams Chronicles” (1976) as being pretty good. It’s being reissued on DVD in May.

http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Adams-Chronicles-DVD-Announcement/9001

[SunkenCiv]

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[KayEyeDoubleDee]

Trivia question for historical-minded freepers: Why would HBO films be interested in doing a piece on a dead white European male like John Adams?

[SunkenCiv]

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John Adams by David McCullough

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[Pharmboy]

President Adams' Obit

The RevWar/Colonial History/General Washington ping list (FreepMail me if you want to be placed on or taken off the list)

And thanks to NonValueAdded and SunkenCiv for the pings...

[RDTF]

cool - been waiting for HBO to come out with something else worth watching

[floozy22]

Thomas Jefferson died on the same day.

http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/obits/jefferson.html

[the OlLine Rebel]

To trash him.

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

Adams: "If anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving ..."

Oddly enough, it looks like Jefferson was something of a Pinot-head himself [his reputation as a Bordeaux fan is apparently a little misleading, possibly owing to the recent Jefferson Lafite fraud]:

The Founding Wine Geek
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/03/books/McInerney.t.html

...So it comes as a bit of a shock to learn here that during his years in Paris, when he had access to all the great growths of France, the sober sage of Monticello stocked his cellar with more Burgundy than Bordeaux...

[Pharmboy]

Here's the site for the miniseries

[KayEyeDoubleDee]

To trash him.

Could be, but I doubt it.

Hint: What's even more evil than a dead white European [or Mediterranean] male?

[Pistolshot]

Jefferson died the same day also.