The Roosevelts (film)

The Roosevelts: An Intimate History is a 2014 American documentary film directed and produced by Ken Burns. It covers the lives and times of the Roosevelt family, including Theodore Roosevelt, a Republican and the 26th President of the United States; Franklin D. Roosevelt, a Democrat and the 32nd President of the United States, a cousin of Theodore; and Eleanor Roosevelt, the longest-serving First Lady of the United States, a niece of Theodore who had wed Franklin. As a result of the influence of Theodore and Franklin as Presidents, as well as Eleanor as First Lady, a modern democratic state of equal opportunity was begun in the United States. The documentary film begins with the birth of Theodore in 1858 and ends with the death of Eleanor in 1962.

Actors and historians

The documentary film is narrated by Peter Coyote. Actors read lines of various historical figures and a series of noted commentators give background information. They include:

• Paul Giamatti - Theodore Roosevelt (voice)
• Edward Herrmann - Franklin D. Roosevelt (voice)
• Meryl Streep - Eleanor Roosevelt (voice)
• John Lithgow - James Roosevelt (voice)
• Patricia Clarkson - Margaret "Daisy" Suckley (voice)

As themselves: Jonathan Alter, H. W. Brands, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Edna Gurewitsch, Clay S. Jenkinson, William Leuchtenburg, David McCullough, Jon Meacham, Patricia O'Toole, Geoffrey C. Ward, and George Will.

Other voices include: Adam Arkin, Keith Carradine, Kevin Conway, Ed Harris, Josh Lucas, Carl Lumbly, Amy Madigan, Carolyn McCormick, Pamela Reed, Billy Bob Thornton, and Eli Wallach.

Episodes

Gallery

Funding

Those funding the film included the following:

Reviews and criticism

The series premiered to positive reviews. The Roosevelts became the most streamed documentary on PBS's website to date.

One critic of the series, Michelangelo Signorile, wrote in The Huffington Post that the production was entertaining but noticeably omitted any references to the Newport sex scandal and another scandal involving Sumner Welles. Signorile also criticized Burns' dismissal of a possible sexual relationship between Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok as 'tabloid' material.

See also

References

External links

• The Roosevelts at the PBS WebSite/1.
• The Roosevelts at the PBS WebSite/2.
• The Roosevelts at the Ken Burns WebSite.
• The Roosevelts at the Internet Movie Database.
• The Roosevelts - Episodes: PBS; TV; VOX.
• The Roosevelts - Trailer (01:20) on YouTube.

Quotations related to Theodore Roosevelt at Wikiquote
Quotations related to Franklin D. Roosevelt at Wikiquote
Quotations related to Eleanor Roosevelt at Wikiquote

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