The National Parks: America's Best Idea

2009

Seasons & Episodes

  • 1
  • 0
8.6| 0h30m| en| More Info
Released: 27 September 2009 Ended
Producted By: Florentine Films
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/
Synopsis

Filmed over the course of more than six years at some of nature's most spectacular locales – from Acadia to Yosemite, Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon, the Everglades of Florida to the Gates of the Arctic in Alaska - “The National Parks: America's Best Idea” is nonetheless a story of people: people from every conceivable background – rich and poor; famous and unknown; soldiers and scientists; natives and newcomers; idealists, artists and entrepreneurs; people who were willing to devote themselves to saving some precious portion of the land they loved, and in doing so reminded their fellow citizens of the full meaning of democracy.

... View More
Stream Online

The movie is currently not available onine

Director

Producted By

Florentine Films

AD
AD

Watch Free for 30 Days

All Prime Video Movies and TV Shows. Cancel anytime. Watch Now

Trailers & Images

Reviews

Salubfoto It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.
Brendon Jones It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.
Rio Hayward All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
Adeel Hail Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.
jamespclark-61647 I can't remember a Ken Burns film i have not thoroughly enjoyed. Until this one. I'm also a huge fan of the parks, so i trudged through every episode of this series. But the political and philosophical aspects were nauseating.
peter_viney I had no desire to return to the US until I saw this documentary. Whilst I loathe what most of America stands for, (money, guns, greed and religious fervour.....yes, I'm generalising), I do say I admire the appreciation and position National Parks hold in the American psyche. This documentary is a reflection of that position and is beautifully told. I am a fan of the way Burn's tells his stories. I find them simple, poignant and seamlessly told. Burns is a master craftsman and while many may criticise his condemnation of American action at times, I feel he is trying to say - let's not repeat the mistakes of our forefathers by forgetting what has gone before.As for John Muir, Teddy Roosevelt and Co., their contributions should, and have been celebrated appropriately. I have since returned to the US and been to three National Parks. And to Ken Burns, I am grateful for the fact I did.
imdbdood "The knapsack of custom falls off his back with the first step he makes into these precincts. Here is sanctity which shames our religions, and reality which discredits our heroes. Here we find nature to be the circumstance which dwarfs every other circumstance, and judges like a god all men that come to her."-A quote of Ralph Waldo Emerson in the movieWhile there is no comparison to actually being in nature, the ideas that are presented in this masterpiece of a documentary are so new and refreshingly different to the common non-nature-goer that it can't help but bring the viewer, thankfully, away from their usual rat race-like trance and rhythm to a realization of a greater good and majestic context of reality.What a beautiful and powerful reminder of what belongs to all us and what all of us, in turn, belong to!
metrodyne It is another example of what Ken Burns does so well. It is a film that brings a well known but little understood aspect of American history to life. The broad scope of the film is monumental. It covers, in fair detail, the creation of all the major National Parks while delving into the people, the politics, the conflicts, and the personal stories behind the scenes. As with other of Ken's work, you begin to feel that the people in the story are family friends or people you have known for years. You understand how personalities shape events and move American custom and law. You are left with an appreciation of American democracy and freedom and the unruly way Americans sometimes resolve internal conflict…how popularity and simply "the right thing" can win the day after a good fight.The film is interspersed with glimpses of typical Americans and reveals their most delicate feelings in experiencing the National Parks. It is very effective at illustrating the transformative power of natural beauty, its healing and empowering effects on the soul, and our deep connections to nature and wildlife and our deep needs for it. The film is as much about the why humans seek to preserve natural beauty as it is a history of it.It all works. It is a masterful piece of art and you will enjoy and be moved by it.

Similar Movies to The National Parks: America's Best Idea