ROOTS

ROOTS - 1977

RATED - NR but at least PG for some violence and non-sexual nudity.

RATINGS - 161 Amazon (4.5/5), 132,101 Netflix (4.3/5), 3,019 IMDB (8.7/10).

AWARDS - Winner Golden Globe Best TV Series, 9 Emmy Awards and nominated for 35 other Emmy Awards plus, plus.

STARRING - LeVar Burton, Ben Vereen, Sandy Duncan, Lynda Day George, Ed Asner, Chuck Connors, Lloyd Bridges, Lou Gossett, Jr., Cicely Tyson and on and on.

THEMES - Family, relationships, slavery, freedom.

STORY - Perhaps the most famous TV miniseries of all time. Played for eight straight evenings in January of 1977. The country practically came to a halt during that time slot every evening. Over 130 million views tuned in to watch this amazing story of Alex Haley's family's roots and history. It has been translated into 28 languages since. While the story and technology may seem a little outdated today (how can it not?), this is one story worth watching to gain a better understanding our country's history and where we have come from. In many ways it is the story of our nation from the days of slavery through the great struggles for freedom for all. Kunta Kinte is the main character who was captured and forced into slavery as a young man and brought to America. Perhaps the most poignant moment in the movie is where he has refused to give up his African name and be called Toby, the name his master has given him. He is beaten until, finally, he verbally says his name is Toby. While he may no longer be Kunta Kinte on the outside, he retains his African identity inside and longs to be free to be himself. He tries to pass that heritage down to the next generation. Although slavery obviously plays a major role in the story, it is first and foremost a story of family and what gets passed down from generation to generation. I understand the request for family records from archive sources skyrocketed after the series played. Haley spent over 12 years researching his family's roots before writing the best-selling book that was the basis for the movie. The movie rights were actually purchased before the book was finished and the screenplay was written and finished at the same time as the book. It is a 12 hour investment of your time but something you will not regret. You don't need to watch it all at once-spread it out. Get some friends together. Enjoy. Lu G. for Lu's Reviews. 10/25/2008.

LINKS - AMAZON, IMDB, ROOTS THE BOOK, TRAILER.