Rating: 
Summary: Good Muscial. Good History. Good Fun.
Review: "Is anybody there? Does anybody care? Does anybody see what I see?" John Adams (William Daniels, St. Elsewhere, among other things) musically muses in 1776. He is frustrated and believes that the cause of independence may be lost over the issue of slavery.
1776 is a good musical. Maybe it's not the best musical of all time, but pretty darn good. It's fun, it's witty, it's a little naughty in places, and it's very close in historical accuracy. It is a tradition in my household to watch it every 4th of July, to remind ourselves that the holiday is more than just picnics and firework displays.
The music is special too, because it has meaning to the character(s) that sing it and meaning for us. For instance, when Martha Jefferson (Blythe Danner) sings her song, "He Plays the Violin", it has a poignancy to it, because she sings "Say I died loving bride, loving life, loving wife..." and we are reminded that she dies before Jefferson ever sees the Presidency. The exchanges between John and Abigail Adams show us both the love and friendship they shared and the hardship that the wives and families of the revolutionary leaders suffered. When Edward Rutledge of South Carolina (John Collum, Northern Exposure) incredible performance "Molasses to Rum to Slaves", tells us both something about the economics of the times, the compromises that policymakers have to make, and the tragedy of slavery that haunted our nation until the American Civil War and still has repercussions resounding in our ears. He chastises Thomas Jefferson (Ken Howard) on Jefferson's hypocrisy, "You, sir, are a practitioner." Tough words there but true!
1776 isn't only about colonial history; it was written during the American involvement in the Vietnam War. The young messenger (Stephen Nathan) that carries the dispatches from George Washington, sings "Mama, Look Sharp." This sad, dirge-like song is so moving, because it tells us that while the policymakers are quibbling and quarrelling in Philadelphia (or Washington, D.C.), someone is out there dying for the policies and decisions they have implemented. Something to note is that the song "Cool, Cool, Considerate Men" comes right before the Messenger's song and he walks through them, but the cool men don't even seem to see him. No wonder Nixon wanted it taken out of the picture!
But stop all the doom and gloom. There are fun, rousing songs as well like "Sit Down, John", "The Lees of Old Virginia", and "The Egg". I love this musical, because it makes the founding fathers seem more real than any history book has ever done. This musical captures perfectly the anxiety that shadowed the birth of the United States of America. Whether they were on the left or the right, I feel such love for the idiosyncratic, irascible, dynamic men that helped create this ever-evolving democratic republic.
Rating: 
Summary: Finally--independence from the wretched VHS release!
Review: "1776" has always been one of my favorite musicals. It broke no new ground, and had no songs that became "standards" but it made history come alive in a way few movies ever have, and presented the founding fathers not as gods but as all-too-human people plagued with all-too-human frailties but who somehow managed to overcome their regional and philosophical differences and forge a new nation together. The movie version was extremely stagey and not particularly well directed, and its audio quality was atrocious, but it was more than made up by the solid quality of the play and the perfect casting. I simply can't imagine anyone other than William Daniels playing John Adams (indeed, he went on to play Adams' father in PBS's "The Adams Chronicles") or Howard Da Silva playing Franklin (just listen to the original Broadway recording, which features someone else playing Franklin, to see the difference--in fact, Da Silva did such a good job he went on to play Franklin in a series of "Bicentennial Minutes" in 1976)). Ken Howard, in pre-"White Shadow" days, plays a very staid Tom Jefferson. What always nagged me about the movie version was how how much of the material from the original musical was left out. In addition, the VHS version was plagued with terrible sound, and the most horrible pan and scan I've ever seen in a movie (so bad that you can't tell who is speaking in certain scenes because they're off frame). The DVD finally solves most of the problems, restoring several key scenes. A restored section of debate on the resolution for Independence is welcome, and highlights the the jarring editing in the original release where these scenes were cut. Most importantly, the musical number "Cool, Considerate Men," which very lucidly explains the philosophy of the anti-independence bloc, is restored (apparently, producer Jack Warner caved in to Richard Nixon's objections to the scene). Even without Nixon's beef, the piece isn't well directed and drags the movie a bit, but within a home viewing context it really is welcome. Most importantly, the movie is restored to wide-screen format, so the pan and scan is gone. This is most important for numbers such as "The Egg" and "Molasses to Rum." Unfortunately, the transfer to DVD highlights some of the film's flaws. The lighting is terrible in some places. The soundtrack quality remains tinny. Some of the editing is very jarring. But the technical flaws are overcome by the sheer quality of the performances. Your enjoyment of the movie will be based solely on whether you like the play. Pauline Kael hated it; thinking that it burlesqued the founding fathers. I don't agree. Franklin was a hilarious, bawdy man. Adams was a hot-tempered egotist. "1776" portrays them better than any wooden PBS or educational film ever could.
Rating:
Summary: For History and Musical Buffs Alike
Review: I've always been a big fan of both musicals and American history (I'm surprised at how many of us there are), yet I was not aware of 1776's existence until my mother insisted that I watch it. She ordered 1776 as a birthday present, and after seeing the cover depicting men in frilly, silly-looking garb, I was skeptical. After watching it, however, and being subjected to the "obnoxious" wit of William Daniels as John Adams, the vivacity of Howard da Silva as Benjamin Franklin, and the winsome charm of Ken Howard as Thomas Jefferson, I was immmediately hooked. While many would point to musicals such as Follies, West Side Story or My Fair Lady as being the greatest of the genre, I find no greater joy than in sitting in my room and singing "Sit Down, John" with the rest of the 2nd Continental Congress. A must-see for history buffs and musical buffs alike!
Rating:
Summary: Another Kid's review
Review: 1776 is the best movie, ever! It has the laughter and joy of 200 years ago. I like the songs and the fun. My personal favorite song is the Lee's of Old Virginia. My second favorite is But Mr. Adams. I love the history in this movie. You should watch this movie as much as you can.
Rating:
Summary: We're waiting for the chirp.
Review: I love this movie. I watched it for the 1st time in 9th grade history class. It makes the Declartion of Independance entertaining and having Mr. Feeney (from Boy Meets World) as John Adams is great too. The songs in this movie are spectacular. Some of the dialogue is kinda racey, but other than that, great.
Rating:
Summary: Director's Cut Diminishes A Favorite
Review: 1776 has been a favorite of mine since I first saw it on a 12 inch black and white screen in the 70s. This "director's cut" version gives me a greater appreciation for the work of film editing. The additional scenes are mostly tedious and negatively impact the film's pace.
I hope that one day a DVD version will be released with the addition of the original edited film.
Rating:
Summary: Start a New Tradition
Review: For at least 20 years, it has been a family tradition to catch 1776 on TV around the 4th of July. It really gets everyone in the mood for the 4th and reminds us all about what we're really celebrating. Okay, some of the voices aren't great, some of the acting is over the top, some of the history, well...isn't, but hey, you just have to love this great family classic.
Rating:
Summary: A magnificent musical about our founding fathers
Review: This is one of the most outstanding musicals ever created. While it is not well known and not highly acclaimed, the music is so cleverly woven into the true story of the Declaration of Independence and the actors and actresses bring the story to life. Every famly should watch this on the fourth of July.
Rating:
Summary: Great Cast, Great film
Review: This DVD is worth it for the bonus materials alone: "Cool, Cool Considerate Men" is a wonderful song, my kids sing it constantly ("To the right, ever to the right, never to the left, forever to the right").
I saw this 25 years ago in William and Mary hall. After Adams said he went to Harvard, you couldn't hear Jefferson's response in the Hall we were so loud, but I'm pretty sure I know where he went to school.
This is a great historical musical. Light hearted most of the time, ultimately uplifting, yet poignant in many places. Great songs, often very funny script, and an outstanding cast.
In addition, 1776 truly is educational. It deals in a serious way with the odds against the Declaration of Independence, with the struggle that took place to establish the US, with the relationships between the various states, and with the reasons that slavery was dealt with the way it was.
It is a joy to watch. 1776 is as close to perfect as you can expect any film to be.
Rating:
Summary: good-stuff
Review: an enjoyable charming musical loosely based on actual historical facts. for a musical, not too far from the facts as we know them. 1776 is my favorite musical. If you do not think history is dull, you've got to love this musical. great for the kids. painless way to teach some history. I just love it.
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