1776 (2024)

1776

According to “1776,” the United States was actually founded by a “bunch” of sad sacks, and the Declaration of Independence came about after Jefferson got “unstuck” with his wife.

When I was a child, I once read a series called “The Childhood of Famous Americans.” The entire series had one little problem; it told what made its subjects interesting, but only after their childhoods. This series motivated us bait.

Perhaps from the same series came “1776.” It has one historical point to make none of those famous Americans ever grew up. They just put on wigs and grew sideburns and continued to act in the same childish ways.

This is an insult to real men like Adams, Jefferson, Franklin and so forth yet we have been singing them our “fatherhood.” By the time “1776” came out as a movie, Independence Hall had become pre-ordained for a dumb show romp. The fact that we do not want to fully recognize these early leaders may have something to do with how little transparent our present brand appears.

As everyone must know by now, this film takes place during the days immediately before July 4 when the declaration was signed. As would be expected performances tend to be trapped within roles. Here William Daniels (as Adams) and Donald Madden (as James Dickinson) are both great actors forced into postures in which you wonder if they ever scratched or spit or anything at all.

However there are several structural problems apart from that. On stage there’s mention of some letters between John and Abigail Adams where she urges him onward and upward. In this movie it is depicted as through Abigail’s appearance many times like looking like the vampire countess in “Taste the Blood of Dracula,” surrounded by soft focus giving John her morning line.

I could hardly remember any songs let alone discuss them; maybe I shouldn’t talk about it. It is too bad this movie didn’t take advantage of its pursuit of happiness right.

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