Description
A gifted orator, Woodrow Wilson was supremely confident before crowds, yet uneasy in small groups. An intellectual with inflexible moral principles, he led America into World War I, threatening all that he cherished. This miniseries recalls the transformation of a history professor into one of America's greatest presidents, brought down by his stubborn search for peace and an incapacitating stroke. Narrated by Linda Hunt. Over 90 minutes of additional materials including featurettes on Civil Rights, Suffrage, and Third Party Politics
Customer Reviews:
AN INSIGHTFUL BIOGRAPHY OF A GREAT AND CONTROVERSIAL LEADER AND HIS TIMES.......2006-08-20
IN A NUTSHELL: AMONG THE BEST 'AMERICAN EXPERIENCE' PBS HOME VIDEO RELEASES
SET CONTAINS 2 DVDs:
DISK 1]- 'A PASSIONATE MAN'
DISK 2]- 'THE REDEMPTION OF THE WORLD'
On both Disks an incredibly comprehensive and easily accessed set of features is included to enhance one's appreciation and comprehension of the presentation.
-*Mini documentaries on: race relations, women's suffrage, labor rights etc. were very helpful in understanding the times.
-* 'Video' Profiles of key figures in Wilson's life including antagonist 'Henry Cabot Lodge', allies 'Lloyd George' & 'Clemenceau', and Women's Suffrage Leaders and more.
-* Interviews with the filmmakers and scholars
-*Jacob Riis photo gallery
-*World War I poster art gallery
-*A scholar's forum on Wilson's legacy - basically this was a series of answers [by eight historians] to the question of why Woodrow Wilson is historically important?
BOTTOM LINE: EXCELLENT DOCUMENTARY BUT YOU MIGHT PREFER TO RENT OR BORROW IT
This is the kind of documentary that is not likely to be on your frequent viewing shelf, unless you are a motivated student of history. Therefore, since this DVD is both expensive to purchase and available in many public libraries, you may consider viewing a borrowed or rented copy before you buy it.
worthy but dull as ditchwater.......2006-06-05
This is a very worthy documentary on an unusually important President. I like the way in which Wilson the lecherous academic (an understudied type) is described as a man of passion towards women, and openly laughed when his visit to one woman was described as "we don't know how far he went with her - from what we know of him, probably very far". There is also a lot of stalking about by a man in glasses - or is this the actual Wilson (did they have colour movies in 1912)?
One interesting question temporarily raised in the movie concerned how an academic in his ivory tower could handle some of the most corrupt politicians in America. One answer not given is Wilson's own - that his own experience of academic politics made the New Jersey bosses appear to him as mere amateurs.
This film raises all sorts of historical questions in an interesting set of side-movies attached to the main documentary, though they are only brief (how come La Follette never gets a mention?) But you get the sense of a film made for schools. A turbulent period of American history passes before our eyes, but as in a school lesson disturbing questions are not raised.
Did Wilson's earlier political ideas play a role in his political activity? All you get is a brief comment that Wilson's early writings show his concern for a greater role for the State. So why wasn't he a Bull Moose progressive like Roosevelt? Having said that, the programme does bring out the political differences between Wilson and Roosevelt in 1912. Perhaps this indicates that Wilson's writings on The State were therefore more complex? You wouldn't find out here, any more than you would find out in a school textbook.
Why did a progressive like Wilson preside over a period of imperial expansion which would have been described as dollar dilplomacy under his predecessors? Does it have any connection with the Wilsonian vision of the neo-cons of today??
A Red Scare, with its roots in wartime hysteria, is shown as in a US History textbook; but wasn't Wilson, who presided over the worst excesses in the abuse of civil rights in US history, seen as a great progressive President? What is this Progressivism, which can launch social reform while having people arrested merely for saying openly that the war was being fought for profits?
You'll never find out by reading a US History textbook for schools. And you'll never find out by watching this documentary (honourable exception - the appearance by historian Walter la Feber).
Ouch, a lot of work went in this documentary..I can tell, and the makers will hate me if they ever read this. But a lot of work goes into textbooks. Still as dull as ditchwater.
One film that explains all about our politics now........2005-05-08
This open my eyes to a president that no one would suspect had as much impact on the way we live today.I think that the fact he openly had a mistress,explains it is the media's focus on an everyday experience can change the top office's impact(Bill Clinton)).There is too much to describe here rent it,buy it ,it is a must see.He wanted the League of Nations,got the United Nations,need I say more.I think the DVD says every president ,of the U.S.,is a Wilsonion.If you're like me,you get a lot of info from historical film,you'll want this.jnorstad
Pig in a Poke.......2004-08-30
"American Experience" -- great educational television. But do I already own this one? I don't have them all: is it something I might be interesting in? Is it recollections of World War II veterans? Or what it was like photographing the dead of the Civil War? Or how the west was won? Or 19th century fashions? Or building bridges? Can anybody solve the mystery? Though I have inquired about this several times there has been no response. If you cannot give us a picture of the package front, please include a three word summary....
Amazon.com
The Kennedy family, the great American political dynasty, is examined in considerable detail in this American Experience documentary. Hosted by historian David McCullough, the production features a host of experts on the Kennedy clan, including author Doris Kearns Goodwin, the late Speaker of the House Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill, and special counsel/speechwriter Theodore Sorenson, as well as a number of family friends and colleagues who served in political campaigns. The story begins with patriarch Joseph P. Kennedy, who suffered discrimination at Harvard and spent the rest of his life getting even with those who had slighted him. After making a fortune on Wall Street and in Hollywood in the boom of the 1920s, Kennedy became active in Roosevelt's New Deal, eventually becoming the U.S. ambassador to Britain. The father's political miscalculations ended his public role, but the seeds were sown for the political careers of his sons. Copious archival footage from television news organizations is used to present an intelligent and balanced look at Kennedy's performance in office, his rumored personal flaws, and his legacy. With President Kennedy's death, the political force in the family became his brother Robert, who would himself be cut down by an assassin as a senator running for president in 1968. The story winds down with the youngest Kennedy brother, Ted, becoming a powerful senator, but ultimately failing in his own attempt to run for the nation's highest office. The Kennedy family has always fascinated America, and this documentary does a fine job of going beyond the superficial glamour to examine the real workings of the family in politics, the sources of their motivation, and the way the family acted as a cohesive political unit. --Robert J. McNamara
Description
Joseph Kennedy's rise on Wall Street and then in government. John Kennedy's presidency. Robert Kennedy's tormented journey from attorney general to presidential contender. Edward Kennedy's fall at Chappaquiddick and eventual withdrawal from the 1980 presidential race. The Kennedys explores the building of the Kennedy legend, a story in part created and then brilliantly promoted by the family itself, a story whose afterglow still captures the American imagination.
Customer Reviews:
very nice series, excellent narration.......2006-01-14
If you are a fan of the Kennedys, you will enjoy this series. The great David McCullough handles narration and, as usual, does a splendid job (What a voice! What a writer!). This PBS series is well done with a good mix of vintage footage and technical/ production effects. While there are no great revelations, this is a nice overview of the Kennedys; an all-in-one-place dvd, so to speak. Buy it! :)
Vince Palamara
P.S. I especially liked the Berlin June 1963 footage depicting agents Sam Sulliman and Jerry Blaine, both of whom I spoke to, hanging on to the rear of JFK's limo. ;-)
Very Enjoyable American Experience.......2005-08-05
Very informative documentary regarding the Kennedy family. I was especially impressed with the early clips of Joe, Jr., Rosemary & Kathleen, who are often referred to in other programs about the Kennedys, but rarely seen. The color home movie clips of Joe. Jr. & Kathleen playing poolside struck me as both sweet and sad. Another short video clip of Joe, Jr. greeting and shaking hands with his fellow Liberator pilots seems to give a glimpse into the politician he may have become had he lived. Watching him, it is certainly clear to see who got the looks in the family. This documentary is also a wonderful trip through recent American history. Whether you love or hate the Kennedys, I think you'll find this program interesting.
An objective look at the Kennedys.......2004-10-11
Documentaries and dramatizations about the Kennedys tend to either portray the family as saints or devils. Either Jack, Bobby and Teddy are the shining knights of Camelot or they're corrupt devils who can't control their sexual urges. The American Experience documentary about the family avoids this heaven or hell approach and does a nice, balanced job of showing the history of Joseph Kennedy and his children.
On one hand, we hear revelations of Joseph Kennedy's anti-Semitism and the capitulation to Hitler that ultimately cost him his chance at the White House. We hear how precarious JFK's health actually was, his initial tepid response to the civil rights' movement and his reckless womanizing that threatened to bring Camelot crashing down. We hear about RFK's service to Joseph McCarthy, his ruthlessness and his inability to compromise. We hear about Ted Kennedy's womanizing and excessive drinking and find out just how irresponsibly he acted during the Chappaquiddick incident.
However, the film also discusses JFK's heroism during World War II, the Kennedy brothers' conversion into champions of the civil rights movement, RFK's conversion into a sincere champion of minorities and the poor, Ted Kennedy's excellent record of service in the U.S. Senate and the family's long and distinguished record of public service. Despite their flaws, when JFK and RFK are assassinated, we feel the loss and mourn what might have been had they lived.
The film has a huge wealth of archival footage and photographs as well as the testimonies of historians like Doris Kearns Goodwin and Michael Bechloss, journalists like Ben Bradlee, Kennedy family friends like Dave Powers and Chuck Spalding, Kennedy advisors like Theodore Sorenson, Richard Goodwin and Adam Walinsky and even Senator Ted Kennedy himself. It thankfully avoids the cheesy re-creations that are so prevalent in modern documentaries. PBS has established itself over the years as a producer of some of the most high quality documetaries ever made. But The Kennedys outdoes even that standard.
The truth was that the Kennedy's were tremendously flawed human beings who nevertheless spoke for those Americans who couldn't fight for themselves. If you want the true unfiltered essence of who the Kennedys were, please see this documentary.
THE documentary to watch on the Kennedys.......2004-07-02
If you're wondering which documentary to watch regarding the Kennedy family - especially Jack, Bobby and Ted - then this is the one you want to watch. The production of the DVD includes a wonderful blend of a wide variety of people being interviewed along with actual footage of the Kennedys, dating to the Ambassador's time in England up to the 1980's (or thereabouts).
I've seen a lot of Kennedy films and this one includes new footage that I have yet to see in any other video, which is one of the biggest reasons why I feel it is quite unique and interesting to watch. I was also especially intrigued with the narrative style and the content of the interviews.
So - a Kennedy movie? Pick this one!
Excellent documentary on The Kennedys.......2003-12-29
All I have to say is if you do not know the history of The Kennedys this DVD is for you. PBS did a fantastic and classy job on this film. If you want to know more and about the Kennedy assasination this DVD is not for you.
Amazon.com
The Kennedy family, the great American political dynasty, is examined in considerable detail in this American Experience documentary. Hosted by historian David McCullough, the production features a host of experts on the Kennedy clan, including author Doris Kearns Goodwin, the late Speaker of the House Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill, and special counsel/speechwriter Theodore Sorenson, as well as a number of family friends and colleagues who served in political campaigns. The story begins with patriarch Joseph P. Kennedy, who suffered discrimination at Harvard and spent the rest of his life getting even with those who had slighted him. After making a fortune on Wall Street and in Hollywood in the boom of the 1920s, Kennedy became active in Roosevelt's New Deal, eventually becoming the U.S. ambassador to Britain. The father's political miscalculations ended his public role, but the seeds were sown for the political careers of his sons. Copious archival footage from television news organizations is used to present an intelligent and balanced look at Kennedy's performance in office, his rumored personal flaws, and his legacy. With President Kennedy's death, the political force in the family became his brother Robert, who would himself be cut down by an assassin as a senator running for president in 1968. The story winds down with the youngest Kennedy brother, Ted, becoming a powerful senator, but ultimately failing in his own attempt to run for the nation's highest office. The Kennedy family has always fascinated America, and this documentary does a fine job of going beyond the superficial glamour to examine the real workings of the family in politics, the sources of their motivation, and the way the family acted as a cohesive political unit. --Robert J. McNamara
Customer Reviews:
very nice series, excellent narration.......2006-01-14
If you are a fan of the Kennedys, you will enjoy this series. The great David McCullough handles narration and, as usual, does a splendid job (What a voice! What a writer!). This PBS series is well done with a good mix of vintage footage and technical/ production effects. While there are no great revelations, this is a nice overview of the Kennedys; an all-in-one-place dvd, so to speak. Buy it! :)
Vince Palamara
P.S. I especially liked the Berlin June 1963 footage depicting agents Sam Sulliman and Jerry Blaine, both of whom I spoke to, hanging on to the rear of JFK's limo. ;-)
Very Enjoyable American Experience.......2005-08-05
Very informative documentary regarding the Kennedy family. I was especially impressed with the early clips of Joe, Jr., Rosemary & Kathleen, who are often referred to in other programs about the Kennedys, but rarely seen. The color home movie clips of Joe. Jr. & Kathleen playing poolside struck me as both sweet and sad. Another short video clip of Joe, Jr. greeting and shaking hands with his fellow Liberator pilots seems to give a glimpse into the politician he may have become had he lived. Watching him, it is certainly clear to see who got the looks in the family. This documentary is also a wonderful trip through recent American history. Whether you love or hate the Kennedys, I think you'll find this program interesting.
An objective look at the Kennedys.......2004-10-11
Documentaries and dramatizations about the Kennedys tend to either portray the family as saints or devils. Either Jack, Bobby and Teddy are the shining knights of Camelot or they're corrupt devils who can't control their sexual urges. The American Experience documentary about the family avoids this heaven or hell approach and does a nice, balanced job of showing the history of Joseph Kennedy and his children.
On one hand, we hear revelations of Joseph Kennedy's anti-Semitism and the capitulation to Hitler that ultimately cost him his chance at the White House. We hear how precarious JFK's health actually was, his initial tepid response to the civil rights' movement and his reckless womanizing that threatened to bring Camelot crashing down. We hear about RFK's service to Joseph McCarthy, his ruthlessness and his inability to compromise. We hear about Ted Kennedy's womanizing and excessive drinking and find out just how irresponsibly he acted during the Chappaquiddick incident.
However, the film also discusses JFK's heroism during World War II, the Kennedy brothers' conversion into champions of the civil rights movement, RFK's conversion into a sincere champion of minorities and the poor, Ted Kennedy's excellent record of service in the U.S. Senate and the family's long and distinguished record of public service. Despite their flaws, when JFK and RFK are assassinated, we feel the loss and mourn what might have been had they lived.
The film has a huge wealth of archival footage and photographs as well as the testimonies of historians like Doris Kearns Goodwin and Michael Bechloss, journalists like Ben Bradlee, Kennedy family friends like Dave Powers and Chuck Spalding, Kennedy advisors like Theodore Sorenson, Richard Goodwin and Adam Walinsky and even Senator Ted Kennedy himself. It thankfully avoids the cheesy re-creations that are so prevalent in modern documentaries. PBS has established itself over the years as a producer of some of the most high quality documetaries ever made. But The Kennedys outdoes even that standard.
The truth was that the Kennedy's were tremendously flawed human beings who nevertheless spoke for those Americans who couldn't fight for themselves. If you want the true unfiltered essence of who the Kennedys were, please see this documentary.
THE documentary to watch on the Kennedys.......2004-07-02
If you're wondering which documentary to watch regarding the Kennedy family - especially Jack, Bobby and Ted - then this is the one you want to watch. The production of the DVD includes a wonderful blend of a wide variety of people being interviewed along with actual footage of the Kennedys, dating to the Ambassador's time in England up to the 1980's (or thereabouts).
I've seen a lot of Kennedy films and this one includes new footage that I have yet to see in any other video, which is one of the biggest reasons why I feel it is quite unique and interesting to watch. I was also especially intrigued with the narrative style and the content of the interviews.
So - a Kennedy movie? Pick this one!
Excellent documentary on The Kennedys.......2003-12-29
All I have to say is if you do not know the history of The Kennedys this DVD is for you. PBS did a fantastic and classy job on this film. If you want to know more and about the Kennedy assasination this DVD is not for you.
Average customer rating:
- Entertaining and informative, a must see for Kennedy fans.
|
The American Experience: The Kennedys - The Early Years 1900-1961
Starring:
Kennedys
Manufacturer: Shanachie
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
 Biography
| Documentary
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
General
| Documentary
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
General
| History
| Documentary
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Politics
| Documentary
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
( A )
| Titles
| Features
| DVD
| Video
ASIN: B0000214GJ
Release Date: 1999-11-16 |
Amazon.com
The Kennedy family, the great American political dynasty, is examined in considerable detail in this PBS documentary. Hosted by historian David McCullough, the production features a host of experts on the Kennedy clan, including author Doris Kearns Goodwin, the late Speaker of the House Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill, and historian Theodore Sorenson, as well as a number of family friends and colleagues who served in political campaigns. The story begins with patriarch Joseph P. Kennedy, who suffered discrimination at Harvard and spent the rest of his life getting even with those who had slighted him. After making a fortune on Wall Street and in Hollywood in the boom of the 1920s, Kennedy became active in Roosevelt's New Deal, eventually becoming the U.S. ambassador to Britain. The father's political miscalculations ended his public role, but the seeds were sown for the political careers of his sons. This documentary beautifully tells the story of the rise of the Kennedy family, and the intelligent and balanced interviews and the use of rare film ensure an especially informative and entertaining presentation. This video, first of a two-tape set, progresses to the middle of John F. Kennedy's term as president, an office he attained with the considerable help of his father and other family members. --Robert J. McNamara
Customer Reviews:
Entertaining and informative, a must see for Kennedy fans........1999-10-07
I'm not quite sure what I expected, but I was pleasantly surprised to see an honest, direct( without the Jerry Springer drama) documentary on the Kennedy family. It was a well rounded account of family history from Joseph Kennedy's reign to the present day trauma and triumphs.
Average customer rating:
- Add this one to your Kennedy collection
|
The American Experience: The Kennedys - The Later Years 1962-1980
Starring:
Kennedys
Manufacturer: Shanachie
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
Biography
| Documentary
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
General
| Documentary
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
General
| History
| Documentary
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
Politics
| Documentary
| Genres
| DVD
| Video
DVDs Under $14.99
| Today's Deals in DVD
| Special Features
| DVD
| Video
( A )
| Titles
| Features
| DVD
| Video
ASIN: B0000214GI
Release Date: 1999-11-16 |
Amazon.com
Beginning in the middle of John F. Kennedy's term as president, this PBS documentary presents the saga of the Kennedy family through the tragedies and lost potential of the 1960s and 1970s. Relying on interviews with Kennedy experts, including author Doris Kearns Goodwin, journalist and former Kennedy press secretary Pierre Salinger, historians and former Kennedy advisers Arthur Schlesinger and Theodore Sorenson, and other family friends and confidantes, as well as copious archival footage from television news organizations, this documentary presents an intelligent and balanced look at Kennedy's performance in office, his rumored personal flaws, and his legacy. With President Kennedy's death, the political force in the family became his brother Robert, who would himself be cut down by an assassin as a senator running for president in 1968. The story winds down with the youngest Kennedy brother, Ted, becoming a powerful senator, but ultimately failing in his own attempt to run for the nation's highest office. The Kennedy family has always fascinated America, and this documentary does a fine job of going beyond the superficial glamour to examine the real workings of the family in politics, the sources of their motivation, and the way the family acted as a cohesive political unit. --Robert J. McNamara
Customer Reviews:
Add this one to your Kennedy collection.......1999-10-12
Let me say that this is the best video I have seen on the Kennedys. It is a powerful rollercoaster ride through the Kennedy legacy. Tragedy, hope, and success is all here. More importantly, the video touches on Marilyn Monroe, but it is not a video tabloid. These type of Kennedy videos are hard to find. Great, great, video!!!
DVD:
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- The Jack Paar Collection
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DVD
DVD
American Experience - RFK
American Experience: LBJ
American Experience: FDR
American Experience: Truman
American Experience: TR: The Story of Theodore Roosevelt
