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John Adams

September 10, 2012 | By David Bianculli

Every once in a while, they still do make TV miniseries the way they used to, and here’s a grand recent example. Paul Giamatti stars in the title role, and nails it, in this 2008 HBO adaptation of David McCullough’s very human, very enlightening history of our first presidential campaigns and other early American “founding fathers” challenges. Laura Linney is fabulous as supportive wife Abigail, Stephen Dillane is an imperious Thomas Jefferson, David Morse an imposing yet very real George Washington, and Tom Wilkinson a crafty, opportunistic Benjamin Franklin. Beautifully mounted – and especially in a presidential election year, invaluable to absorb. This is the Blu-Ray version; also available on standard DVD.– DB

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