Liberty!
| Liberty! The American Revolution | |
|---|---|
| Directed by |
Ellen Hovde Muffie Meyer |
| Produced by |
Ellen Hovde Muffie Meyer |
| Written by | Ronald Blumer |
| Music by | Richard Einhorn |
| Cinematography |
James Brown |
| Edited by |
Eric Davies |
| Distributed by | Public Broadcasting Service |
Release dates |
November 23, 1997 November 25, 1997 |
Running time | 360 minutes |
| Language | English |
Liberty! The American Revolution is a six-hour documentary miniseries about the Revolutionary War, and the instigating factors, that brought about the United States' independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. It was first broadcast in 1997.
The series consists of six hour-long episodes. Each episode is introduced by Forrest Sawyer and narrated by Edward Herrmann. Period photographs and location filming are intercut with stage and screen actors in appropriate period costume reading as figures of the time, including Campbell Scott (Thomas Jefferson), Philip Bosco (Benjamin Franklin), Alex Jennings (King George III), Roger Rees (Thomas Paine), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Joseph Plum Martin), Terrence Mann (Gen. John Burgoyne), Colm Feore (Alexander Hamilton), Sebastian Roché (The Marquis de Lafayette), Donna Murphy (Abigail Adams), Austin Pendleton (Benjamin Rush) and Peter Donaldson (John Adams). Stephen Lang read the words of George Washington, but is not seen on camera.
Episodes
- 1. "The Reluctant Revolutionaries" (1763-1774)
- 2. "Blows Must Decide" (1774-1776)
- 3. "The Times That Try Men's Souls" (1776-1777)
- 4. "Oh Fatal Ambition" (1777-1778)
- 5. "The World Turned Upside Down" (1778-1783)
- 6. "Are We to Be a Nation?" (1783-1788)
American singer-songwriter James Taylor sings the traditional song "Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier" during the end credits. Original music was composed by violinist Mark O'Connor, who accompanied Taylor; the score, which blends new and traditional music, was performed by O'Connor, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, trumpet player Wynton Marsalis and Nashville Symphony. A collection of the music from the soundtrack was released as a companion album in 1997.
Liberty! was produced for Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) by Twin Cities Public Television (TPT), and won a George Foster Peabody Award. The directors were Ellen Hovde and Muffie Meyer, who also collaborated on the 2002 TPT production Benjamin Franklin.