Review: John Adams

He was not the most glamorous founder. Or the most charismatic. Or even the most admirable. His most notable initiative as president, the Alien and Sedition Acts, prompted protests across the country.

Even so, he was interesting. John Adams, America's second president, was a study in contrasts who fascinates researchers, readers, and even television viewers. He was a man who still intrigues.

I reacquainted myself with Adams this month when I rented John Adams, the 2008 miniseries from HBO. Based on the Pulitzer-Prize-winning book by David McCullough, the seven-part series documents Adams' life as a lawyer, a congressional delegate, an ambassador, a vice president, a president, and a senior statesman.

Though Paul Giamatti shines as the moody, mercurial Adams, others turn in strong performances. Laura Linney, David Morse, and Stephen Dillane play convincing versions of Abigail Adams, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson. Ebon Moss-Bachrach does the same as John Quincy Adams, the founder's oldest son and a future president.

The loving but turbulent relationship between John and Abigail Adams is particularly compelling. The power couple endured numerous hardships during America's colonial and revolutionary periods, including hardships chronicled in more than one thousand personal letters.

No less riveting is Adams' friendship with Jefferson. The allies, rivals, and friends maintained a grudging respect from the time they signed the Declaration of Independence to July 4, 1826, the day the United States turned fifty and Adams and Jefferson died hours apart.

I rented the series to better familiarize myself with Adams, who plays a small but significant part in The Patriots, a historical fiction novel I will release in September. Adams, a delegate to the Continental Congress, mingles with protagonist Noah Maclean in early 1777.

I would recommend both the miniseries and McCullough's book to people who love history and compelling drama. Rating: 5/5.