The Roosevelts: An Intimate History

2014
8.8| 14h0m| en| More Info
Released: 15 September 2014 Released
Producted By: Florentine Films
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/the-roosevelts
Synopsis

A documentary that weaves together the stories of Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, three members of one of the most prominent and influential families in American politics.

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Reviews

Diagonaldi Very well executed
UnowPriceless hyped garbage
filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
Curt Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.
Charles Herold (cherold) Ken Burns wants you to know the Roosevelts were really awesome. Noble hardworking, intelligent people who devoted their lives to public service. And yes, they were. But they also had some serious flaws, and the only way you'll know that after watching this documentary series is if you knew it before watching it.FDR gets more time than anyone else, and while the series spends endless amounts of time on political minutia and his love life, it spends about two minutes on the greatest stain of his presidency; the Japanese internment camps. When it is mentioned it's cheated by focusing on Eleanor's rather mild early objections to the program.I have read elsewhere that, like most white people of the time FDR told racist jokes and seemed put off by other peoples, such as Asians and Jews, but there's not a hint of that here. The approach to Teddy is similar, obsessed with stories of his strong will and good deeds, but TR was a decidedly problematic character and we see little of that.This doesn't mean there's not a lot of interesting information, nor that the series doesn't make it's narrative compelling, but simply that I don't trust that narrative. To me there's something problematic about spending hours on a World War II president without looking at American antisemitism and those times when America rejected refugees just as we are today. The world is a complex place full of complex people, and I don't see the point in turning politicians into Prince Charmings.As Ken Burns documentaries go, I didn't find this one as engaging as my favorites, like Jazz and The Dust Bowl, but overall it's worth watching, even if it loses momentum towards the end.
Leofwine_draca Another exemplary documentary from the fine American documentary maker Ken Burns. This one has a smaller scope than the other documentary series I've seen from Burns, which typically explore wars the like; this one examines the Roosevelt family, which gave America two presidents alongside many other interesting historical figures. The film has an intimate, personal tone and I'm not ashamed to say I was involved enough to shed tears in the final instalment. This is because the series is so good that it makes you feel like you know the characters involved. I had my suspicions that there wouldn't be enough material to sustain a lengthy running time, but I needn't have worried; this is endlessly engaging, fascinating in fact.
MartinHafer Although folks adore Ken Burns' series on the Civil War and it will no doubt be his most famous series, to me this one on the Roosevelts is as good. It ostensibly covers from the birth of Teddy until the death of Eleanor, it in fact emphasizes Franklin Roosevelt foremost. So, although Teddy was born decades before them, starting in the first episode, the show kept bouncing back and forth between the lives of Teddy and Eleanor and Franklin on the other. This did short-change Teddy's portion of the film just a tad but even still, it really delves into them all in depth unlike any other biography on any of the Roosevelts.Like other Burns series, this one consists of the roving camera over photos, lots of interviews as well as important celebrity impersonations of the particulars. Especially good among these was Meryl Streep's voicing for Eleanor, as it really sounded like her. In addition to all this, the show features quite a bit in the way of film footage and overall, they all create a gorgeous and loving look at these famous folks. Well worth seeing and exhaustive--clocking in at about 12 hours!
William Corden... read 'em and weep There's no doubt that Ken Burns is one of the best documentary producers of our time and this one maintains the high standards. He chooses the right music at just the right time and seems to have no problems in getting the best reporters and researchers to make their contributions. Whenever you watch one of his series you are guaranteed to be educated with some formerly unknown details on the subject at hand, and Burns always does this with tact and grace. The Roosevelts' story is typical of past power politics in the USA, where a compliant media ensured that truth was the first casualty. Having said that, the family certainly did more for the lot of the working US citizen than anyone since, and the personal foibles are minor compared to some of the antics of more recent incumbents. You'd like to think that politics was on a constant path to self improvement but I think that the Roosevelts set as high a standard as you're going to get , the Trumans,Eisenhowers and Carters are the only ones who can compare. Watch this with wistfulness,you're not likely to see such integrity in your leaders again in this lifetime.