"The National Parks: America's Best Idea" (2009) TV mini-series

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

27 September 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary

Plot:

The history of the U.S. National Parks system, including the initial ideas which led to the world's first national parks and the expansion of the system over 150 years.

Plot Keywords:

National Park | Conservation | TV Mini-Series | Nature | Historical

Cast

Peter Coyote	...	Narrator (6 episodes, 2009)
Philip Bosco		(5 episodes, 2009)
Murphy Guyer		(5 episodes, 2009)
Kevin Conway		(5 episodes, 2009)
Tom Hanks		(5 episodes, 2009)
Adam Arkin		(4 episodes, 2009)
Lee Stetson		(4 episodes, 2009)
Amy Madigan		(4 episodes, 2009)
Tim Clark		(3 episodes, 2009)
Derek Jacobi		(3 episodes, 2009)
Carolyn McCormick		(3 episodes, 2009)
Josh Lucas		(3 episodes, 2009)
Eli Wallach		(3 episodes, 2009)
Gene Jones		(3 episodes, 2009)

Runtime:

USA:120 min (6 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Company:

Florentine Films

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Late Show with David Letterman: (#16.190)" (2009)

It All Works -- Another Ken Burns Masterpiece!

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.