The Pilgrims 

Recounts the founding (1620) and early years of the Plymouth Colony in the 17th century. Includes the real story of the "First Thanksgiving".

Director:

Ric Burns

Writer:

Ric Burns

Stars:

Artemus Cragg, Calypso Cragg, Julian Elfer

Cast

Episode credited cast:
Artemus Cragg	...	(extra)
Calypso Cragg	...	(extra)
Julian Elfer
Michael Elwyn
Jos Brown Gaier	...	William Bradford (teen)
Matthew Jure	...	William Brewster
Howard Lee	...	Richard Clyfton
Nathaniel Philbrick	...	Self
Oliver Platt	...	Self - Narrator (voice)
Roger Rees	...	William Bradford
James Thorne	...	John Robinson
Tobias Vanderhoop	...	Self
Josh Webb	...	William Bradford (boy)

Storyline

Recounts the founding (1620) and early years of the Plymouth Colony in the 17th century. Includes the real story of the "First Thanksgiving".

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Plot Keywords:

reenactment | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography | History

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was actor Roger Rees last film project before his death in 2015.

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Goofs

In various scenes depicting the Mayflower, the ship is featured to carry the Union Jack. This is incorrect because that flag was not adopted until 1801. Furthermore the United Kingdom (the union of England and Scotland), which it represents was not created until 1707. The only flag that the ship would have carried in 1620 was the English flag which is a white banner with a red cross known as Saint George's Cross.

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Connections

Referenced in Late Night with Seth Meyers: America Ferrera/Oliver Platt/Judah Friedlander/Brian Chase (2015)

User Reviews

Perhaps not Ric Burns' most powerful film, but still informative and thought provoking

I'm a big fan of Ric Burns, whose documentaries I sometimes find even more emotional and powerful than those of his better known (and also wildly talented) brother Ken.

This re-examination of the story of the Pilgrims who came to the New World on the Mayflower, and the ways with which the myths -- sometimes self-created myths, sometimes those that arose over time -- differ from reality was always interesting. I also found it gratifyingly complex in its examinations of the nature of origin stories we tell ourselves as human beings and as a nation. And lastly it was chock full of facts I didn't know. But I didn't find the kind of emotional power of some of Burns' other films; "Death and the Civil War", "Into the Deep", "Eugene O'Neill", "New York" etc.

None-the-less, I was never bored, and by the end I understood a lot more about this important - in event and symbolic meaning - piece of American history than I did before seeing the film, and that's enough for me to feel it was more than worthwhile.

Details

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 November 2015 (USA)

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

129 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD