andreikirilenkotattoo on TV: 'John Adams' review

Today's column reviews "John Adams":

In the new HBO miniseries "John Adams," history comes alive -- then frequently pauses to nap.

The mini has an impeccable cast, led by Paul Giamatti as Adams and Laura Linney as his wife, Abigail. It's based on beloved source material, the Pulitzer Prize-winning David McCulloch book that everybody seemed to have tucked under their arms for much of 2002. (How many people actually read it, as opposed to showing it off, is an open question.) But too much of the finished product feels like required homework.

McCullough's goal, in part, was to shine a light on one of the less-revered founding fathers -- to show that Adams was more than just the guy who ran the country in between Washington and Jefferson. More often than not, though -- particularly in the first four chapters (out of seven) that HBO sent out for review -- the miniseries seems to be implying that maybe this man's life isn't worth a big-budget, six-week, seven-part epic.

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