John Adams

In order to get myself psyched up for my favorite holiday, Independence Day, I have been watching the recent HBO miniseries on the life of John Adams. I have absolutely been blown away. The filmmakers have been able to accomplish that which is so rarely accomplished in movies - they make you feel as though you are a fly on the wall to history.

Owing largely to the David McCullough biography on which it is based, "John Adams" portrays the high ideals and significant moments of the founding period, but also portrays the humanity of our Founding Fathers. As time has passed, the Founding Fathers have been deified in the American consciousness. Much of this is deserved, but it often blinds us to their basic humanity. "John Adams" lays bare all the fears, insecurities, vanities, joys, and disappointments of many of our Founding Fathers, which provides an even greater understanding of the men and the monumental task that they were able to accomplish.

So, to borrow from Mr. Adams' final public words:

Independence Forever.