Teddy Roosevelt - An American Lion (2002) Review

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(More customer reviews)TR is like America's favorite uncle - sure he was President but wow was he cool. I saw this new, sweeping biography on cable and immediately pre-ordered it. Technically innovative and thoroughly accurate, it presents a moving portrait of a man you can't help but like. Stunning in the use of camera angles, dissolves, pans, edits and re-creations, the action is riveting. Rare film clips abound, perfectly edited. We see, for example, TR chopping down a tree, galloping on horseback, flashing his famous grin; troops landing and horses swimming onto the Cuban shore for the Spanish-American War; TR in "his" Panama clambering, clad in white suit, onto a giant bulldozer. And much more indeed.
The stills are also revealing: his father's honest face ("the best man I ever knew"); Alice, his lovely first wife (dead on the same "cursed" day as his mother: "the light has gone out of my life"); his comely childhood sweetheart and wife, Edith; TR in a dandy's cowboy outfit complete with Tiffany knife; his favorite son Quentin, later to die in the Great War, with head cocked lovingly on TR's shoulder. Richard Dreyfuss as TR proves the value of a good actor's voice and Edward Hermann's narration is richly textured. Presidents Bush II and Clinton, numerous TR descendants, and scholars galore are nicely picked and interwoven into the narrative. Though TR was the first American to win the Nobel Prize (settling the Russo-Japanese War) and the only president to earn the Medal of Honor (charging up San Juan into a hail of bullets), these awards seem almost incidental to his simple humanity. We are left wondering if there are men like him today, warts and all. But we are grateful for what one writer calls "this largest of American characters". (Also recommended: McCullough's classic "Mornings on Horseback"; Morris' Pulitzer-winning "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt" and his meticulous second volume, "Theodore Rex").

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TEDDY ROOSEVELT:AN AMERICAN LION - DVD Movie

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American Experience: The Presidents Collection, Vol. 2 (Theodore Roosevelt/FDR/Franklin Delano Roosevelt) (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)The American Experience series is one of the stellar viewing experiences on television. When they focus on the Presidents, the show assumes even more gravity. These two volumes focus on Theodore Roosevelt and FDR, two of the greatest Presidents of the 20th century. The T.R. documentary is particularly strong in his younger years and the photography is gorgeous, especially around Sagamore Hill, his Long Island home. David McCullough's narration is, as always, masterful.
The FDR segment is oustanding. They open with the radio flash of Roosevelt's death and for those of us who were not yet born, it's as if we are magically transported back to April 12, 1945. Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin is a joy throughout, as she weaves her commentary and perspective into the fabric of the narration. For all of us who revere Franklin Roosevelt, this is the quintessential documentary on his life and times. The music is buoyant, poignant and memorable - it mirrors Franklin Roosevelt in every way. The two best American Experience Presidential profiles are undoubtedly this one on FDR and their 1990 look at LBJ, also available on Amazon.

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This continuing series looks at two towering members of an American dynasty who shaped the destiny of the country. Teddy Roosevelt profiles a man who typified America's mood at the turn of the last century--confident, exuberant and involving. Now, discover both the heroic and tragic sides of Roosevelt's character--the boundless energy that drove him, and the bleak emotions he tried hard to suppress. Great challenges define a great president, and in FDR, you'll examine Franklin Delano Roosevelt's incredible strengths and his ability to inspire Americans struggling to cope with the Great Depression and entry into World War II. Meet the man whose powerful leadership led to the restoration and hope of a nation.

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Wright Stuff (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)This "American Experience" documentary of the Wright Brothers is superb. The assembled band of historians and family members provide matchless insights, and the rare archival footage and evocative musical score help capture this fascinating story in a way that the printed page alone simply cannot do.Even if you're familiar with the Wright Brothers you will go away from this with an even deeper appreciation and affection for these two humble but brilliant men and the era in which they lived. While at all times factual and perceptive, the "Wright Stuff" is full of humanity and subtlety. Garrison Keillor's narration is deft and utterly appropriate, and David McCullough's brief introduction gives the production added weight and impact. Great for Wright Brothers aficionados as well as those wanting to take stock in what these two great Americans achieved not so very long ago.


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Garrison Keillor narrates the all-American story of two Midwestern boys who truly believed they could fly-Orville and Wilbur Wright. While they had produced a working plane by 1903, they didn't publicly reveal their invention until five years later when Wilbur executed a perfect take-off and landing on a racetrack outside Paris. Discover little-known facts about these visionary brothers and their flying machines that changed the world.

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