We Hold These Truths To Be Self-Evident....

For years now I have wanted to watch the movie 1776 for two reasons mainly, for my love of musicals and history. I thought it would be exciting to watch the founding fathers singing their way through the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

William Daniels as John Adams

First and for most, I thought the concept of the movie was great. I've always been interested in how our country came to be and the men that helped shape it. But, what I found were caricatures of these men. Every personality was heightened for comic relief, and I thought it portrayed the founding fathers in a bad light. But, as the movie progressed, it began to take on a more serious tone, and that's when the movie began to get better. I liked how it eventually showed the urgency and the passion these men possessed.

Ken Howard as Thomas Jefferson

Though there was some bad, there was also some good. If you know me, you know how much I love Thomas Jefferson. I have always thought that he was such a great man, and I have always adored him. While I wish they would have shown his personality better, I was happy there was something they did not leave about about him, his violin playing.

There is even a scene in the movie where Thomas Jefferson's wife, Martha (played by Blythe Danner), visits him in Philadelphia (though this is historical inaccurate), and she sings to John Adams and Benjamin Franklin about how she was wooed by him. It was not by his words, but by how he played the violin. Though the song isn't quite memorable, I loved the message it had and just loved that it was about TJ.

Overall, I would recommend the movie for a lighthearted good time, but if you were expecting to see something the portrayed the founding fathers historically accurate then this is not the movie for you. Better stick to the HBO John Adams mini series instead.