1776

You should all go see this movie as soon as possible. The Founding Fathers are awesome, something the singing in no way detracts from.

I could never get over the Founding Fathers singing. It just completely threw me off during that movie.

Still, it wasn't too bad of a movie. However, I don't think Ben Franklin should ever sing (and, he won't any longer, since he's dead).

William Daniels (Boy Meets World) is succintly cast as John Adams 'The Agitator' and always the first man in line to be hanged. Mr. Williams' singing isn't much, but the man can SELL a song! (check out his solos 'Piddle, Twiddle, and Resolve' and 'Can You See What I See?') He brings the advocate for Independence to life, much better than Anthony Hopkins ever could.

Howard de Silva is positively brilliant as Benjamin Franklin - throwing out 'Franklin' quotes and performing both humor tongue-in-cheek and drama with serious intensity. Check out his work in the scenes involving his debates in the congress - the man WAS Franklin!

Kenneth Howard plays the young, aristocratic, and measured Thomas Jefferson with finesse. Conned into writing the Declaration of Independece by Adams, he delivers sarcasm to Adams' agitating with style.

The rest of the cast - comprised of the original performers from the Broadway show - are brilliant in their individual roles ranging from Richard Henry Lee (check out the actor's VOICE when he sings) to McNair the congressional custodian, all mix humor and drama together beautifully. The emotional high points - an army messenger singing a narrative about dying in war - Edward Rutledge defending slavery with a gut-hitting solo about the hypocracy of slave traders - and Adams' patriotic number 'Can You See What I See?' are brilliant and leave you breathless.

Story is simple - Adams, Franklin, and Jefferson want to declare Indepedence from Britain and their methods to gain an unaminous vote are slowly gaining supporters until they run into a snag with the South who want to remain loyal to the crown. In an effort to buy time, they cook up the Declaration which opens a whole new can of worms over the slavery issue. Amid all this, Adams holds letter-conversations with his wife (who needed a bigger role because Abigail was instrumental in organizing support for her husband), Jefferson's wife comes to visit to get him out of his writer's block, Washington sends posts of what is going on in the war, the issues of freedom and indepedence are hotly debated, and political bickering is shared by all the representatives.

Don't let it being a musical scare you - the numbers are blended effortlessly amid dialogue and it has some of the best speeches in movies ever (I did Adams' opening monologue for one of my drama classes). It's not about a bunch of 'old white dead guys', it's alive with the talents of actors who REALLY know their craft (except Blythe Danner as Martha Jefferson - the woman looked completely blank and acted as if English was not her first language).

Besides, where else can you see Ben Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston perform a kickline and it not look ridiculous - especially when they're singing about Jefferson about to kill Adams for interrupting nookie time with his wife.

Really, go out and rent it, folks.

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Besides, where else can you see Ben Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert Livingston perform a kickline and it not look ridiculous - especially when they're singing about Jefferson about to kill Adams for interrupting nookie time with his wife.

Indeed, that is an awesome song. I think 'Can You See What I See?' is a Christmas song, though. John Adam's solo started with him quoting a letter from Washington. (who was badass in that movie, despite not actually being there)

"Is Anybody There?
Does Anybody Care
Does Anybody See What I See?"

Such an awesome song.