User Reviews

I watched "Centennial" for the first time last week having borrowed it from a friend and was overall pleased with it. I am a fan of series or franchise type movies as they enable you to see a more complete development of the characters and stories involved. Taking several hours to view the life of a person on screen makes them become more believable and personable to the audience I believe. I only give it a 7 out of ten because of certain aspects of the film that are sometimes unavoidable due to when it was made.

It was a made for television production and feels like it, rather than the more fluid pace of a film for the theater. The make up and costumes had a distinct unrealistic bright and clean TV show look rather than the true west of that period. Having studied the west as a historical subject, I think some of the production and story came across as unrealistic, but I enjoyed the film none the less. I found the early part of the series to be much more enjoyable and closer to authentic history rather than the latter parts, and found some of the commentary in the last reel by the main characters to be preachy, inaccurate and politically correct with a bias that not always squares with actual fact. Having spent some time in Colorado in that actual area, I saw none of much of what was lamented about. The movie was good for the most part, but unfortunately, a product of its time in the late seventies with all that was happening politically and socially. I will definitely watch it again, but probably skip the last episode. Had James Mitchner left the story in the 1930s, it would have been a better story. Instead I came away with a aggravated sense of having to listen to Mr. Mitchners personal ax grinding about how much America is to blame for everything. Most maddening was the ridiculous statement in the film that the Rocky Mountains couldn't be seen from ten miles away because of all the pollution in the air. I have been there, I have family who has lived there for twenty five years, this comment was absurd and pushing an agenda.

In excess of 20 hours, when I had finished watching it, I wanted to start back at the beginning and see it all over again. Since this is a long mini-series, the characters and storyline are well developed. As characters grow old and die off, you feel a sadness that one rarely feels for a TV or movie character.

The lack of total good in any character adds to the realism. For instance, you find Pasquinel (Robert Conrad) very likeable, despite the fact that he is unfaithful to whomever he marries. As in real life, good does not always triumph over evil, as we painfully see when Pasquinel's "half-breed" son, Marcel, attempts to peacefully give himself up, and it brutally murdered.

And one better be prepared to have a whole box of tissues at hand during a most incredible scene where the army attacks a small tribe of Indian elderly, women and children and a young messenger boy evolves from hating the Indians to finding out very quickly that he does possesses a conscience and how painful that can be. The other scene which will haunt you long after it is over is where Lost Eagle stares tearfully into space as he holds a worthless trinket given to him by the U.S. government in exchange for his giving up his land and, more symbolically, his entire way of life and history.

The best way that I can explain how good Centennial is to put it this way: if the first few hours were chopped out and released as a movie the same year as Dances With Wolves, Centennial would have easily won the Academy award for Best Picture.

Staggering is a good word to describe this mammoth, epic miniseries which traces the birth of a Colorado town from the first time a white man sets foot on in up to the present day (of the time it was filmed.) The story is multi-generational, beginning with French-Canadian trapper Conrad and continuing on with his descendants and those of people he knew. Conrad and best pal Chamberlain's story eventually gives way to Pennsylvania Dutch pioneer and trader Harrison's, which in turn passes the torch to Dalton and his 6,000,000 acre ranch and then to town sheriff Keith and so on, before landing in 1978 with Janssen's bid at a political career. Along the way, many vignettes depict the vast changes, conflicts and hurdles, which affected the birth and growth of the town and its inhabitants. The cast is nothing short of jaw dropping with a plethora of notable television series stars appearing for either long or short stretches of time. Conrad, Chamberlain, Everett, Harrison, Weaver, Karras and Keith all get strong roles that afford them the chance to shine. There are several women, however, who also get to play terrific parts. Carrera is unforgettably gentle and beautiful as an Indian maiden, Zimbalist is wondrous as Harrison's determined wife and Redgrave has one of the best parts of her career as an English girl who transforms over time to a powerful and important pillar of the community. Naturally, there are a few folks who don't measure up in the acting department as well. Some of the smaller roles are essayed by people with limited thespian ability and McHattie is outrageously bad and over the top as Conrad's rebel Indian son. Also, Carlson, as Conrad's white daughter, and Raines, as his Indian one, have flat, unenthusiastic voices and give bland performances. Mostly, though, the cast is strong, although several actors are forced, due to the longevity of their characters in the storyline, to endure some really obvious, even shoddy, age makeup. Sadly, some folks, such as former screen hunks Walker, Rivero and Williams, get short shrift and barely appear at all. Among the more memorable sequences are Harrison and Zimbalist's trouble-plagued trip west, Weaver's taxing and dangerous cattle drive, the scheming of actors Zerbe, Nettleton and McKeon and the love story between Redgrave and her ranch hand Atherton. In truth, the miniseries could have ended one night early, with the prophetic words of Redgrave to her grandson, but it did not and so a lengthy and somewhat dull finale included Griffith, Janssen and Gless chewing over environmental issues with shady Vaughn. Exciting and dramatic sequences of the earlier hours segue into watching a red Ford truck follow Griffith and Gless around a muddy construction site, as if the driver and his pal could hear anything anyway! This, paired with the needless and protracted flashbacks, leaves a mildly unpalatable taste in the mouth. However, the bulk of the series is terrific, capped off by some great musical scoring by John Addison. Somewhere in the mêlée of period St. Louis (actually a redressed Augusta, KY riverfront) is teenage George Clooney as an extra townsperson! And where else can one find Dr. Kildare, Dr. Joe Gannon, Dr. Gonzo Gates, Dr. Sam Loomis, Dr. Sam Quinn, Dr. Buck James, Dr. Richard Kimble and Dr. Bobby Caldwell all in the same program?!

Having read the book years ago, I readily agreed when a friend offered to loan me the entire box set of this wonderful mini-series. Much too long and ponderous for a movie, the mini-series venue is perfect for this rolling story.

Casting is primarily with TV actors, and is almost flawless. The only exceptions I noted were Sally Kellerman and, just maybe, Donald Pleasance. Kellerman seems too modern and odd looking for her role, and Pleasance doesn't quite seem the scroungy wagon master he's playing.

Other than that, these directors get the performances of lifetimes from their players. I was especially impressed with Robert Conrad as Pasquinel. After always thinking of Conrad as a lightweight, pleasant in light roles, here he shows a range and conviction I did not know he could muster. Chamberlain, a mini-series pro, shines as McKeag. Stephanie Zimbalist is a delight, as are Barbara Carrera and Christina Raines. Dalton is as properly dashing as Karras is properly lumbering. Crenna is as wildly evil as he can be. Almost all the players are great; a tribute to good direction.

I'd have given this series ten stars if not for the miscasting mentioned above and the matter of make-up. While the facial aging make-up is (barely) adequate, the character's bodies never age. All are just as trim and muscular in old age as in youth. Right up to his death McCeag is slim and wiry, as Everett is muscular and without paunch. The women's age is achieved by wardrobe merely covering their bodies, but the men look too young.

This is a great and intelligent series which thoughtfully treats all historical groups fairly. A must see!

James Michener was amazing. He wrote huge, sprawling epic novels fronted by inter-generational fictional-family sagas, that were also best-sellers. Whether people bought them to read, or to weigh down fasionable coffee tables to impress their friends, I don't know. I do know they were largely bores because I attempted many of them (a girl I dated--for a very short time--back in the 1980s when I was a history grad student, recommended POLAND. She must have wanted me to dump her).

I enjoyed "Centennial" when it first aired but I was in high school and didn't know much (if that's not redundant). But the mini-series form and I were both young and exciting.

CENTENNIAL the novel started with how the earth's crust formed in Colorado (whoopie) and then Michener had to evolve mankind in that area to have characters. Hey, that sounds like a great idea for a TV show. Filming the novel was probably to cash in (a little tardily) on the bicentennial craze, including the runaway success of John Jakes' Kent Family Chronicles, which aired around the same time.

So how did "Centennial" the show do? Well, they were able to blend in a lot of familiar TV faces and a few rising stars who later made good. I won't fault anyone on their acting chores. They all had a lot to memorize.

The first part, starring Richard Chamberlain and Robert Conrad is, strangely enough, the least enthralling even though it features the lovely Barbara Carrera as the beauty both men love. And though I grew up in a farm community and love farmers and wanted to be one as a kid, the growth of farms in Colorado hardly thrilled me.

However, "Centennial" has much to recommend."

The cat-and-mouse game between Anthony Zerbe, who kills a man, and Brian Keith as the sheriff out to nail him, is lots of fun and excitement.

So is the cattle war, headed by a pre-Bond Timothy Dalton as a cattle baron who could teach "Dallas" some lessons.

Also personally interesting to me was the cattle drive, showing how genuine cowboys worked--the sort of thing I loved about the TV show "Rawhide" until Geller took over and made it about social justice twaddle rather than cattle.

The miniseries also has a modern section with Andy Griffith as a professor doing research in the area, helped along or hindered by the likes of Sharon Gless, Robert Vaughn and David Janssen (who narrates, so you'd better like his voice).

I don't know if Michener did his own research or not. Or if mistakes were made on the script level. But in a few cases myths about the Indians, and relations between tribes, crept in that I didn't notice as a gullible teenager with a burgeoning interest in history that leap out at the now 60-year-old codger who has studied and read deeply in history for decades and already retired from thirty years at a University that shall remain nameless.

But this is a review and not a history lesson. There's much to like in "Centennial."

But whether it's "Centennial" or "The Kent Family Chronicles" Hollywood productions of history always remind me of the old joke, "Yes, but apart from that, how did you like the play, Mrs. Lincoln?"

The miniseries was made for entertainment. Don't get your history from Hollywood, whether it's in great movies like "Amadeus" and "Shakespeare in Love," or "Centennial." If you do, you'll remain misinformed.

Spoilers!

I was not as thrilled with this mini-series as the other reviewers. I love historical epics and had high hopes for this one. I missed Centennial when it came out so I was delighted to see all of the popular TV actors of my era again.

Unfortunately, I was very disappointed in this production. It went downhill from the intro when Michener walked out on stage to talk to the audience (ala Walt Disney).

The story was dry and plodded along so slowly, it was almost painful.

The only bright spots were the brilliant acting of Barbara Carrera and Michael Ansara. Richard Chamberlain was quite good as well.

Robert Conrad (French Canadian trader) was so blatantly overacting, it was embarrassing to watch; forced garish laughter and singing; simple dialogue over enunciated; forced phony bravado. If his acting hadn't been so awful, it would have been laughable.

Every major character's life was filled with tragedy from beginning to end; worse than any soap opera. Only the crooked, deceitful, or murderous characters ended up with long successful lives and natural deaths.

Every decent, honest character suffered endless tragic lives and died a senseless, depressing and wholly unnecessary death. The more honest and innocent the character… the more terrible fates which befell them.

The entire film was filled with depressing tragedy from beginning to end. Every storyline was filled with backstabbing, nasty crooks; none of which were held accountable for any crime they perpetrated. All of the crooks ended up as prominent citizens with long lives and natural deaths.

So basically, if you were a bad guy, you got a long, successful life with very little strife and a natural death. If you were a decent, honest person, then you had nothing but tragedy and a horrible, unnecessary death.

My opinion of the quality of production has nothing to do with Michener's message. I heartily agree regarding the intolerable brutalization and killing of our native Americans and the stealing of their lands; the destruction and extinction of so many species of wildlife; the hordes of murderous, thieving thugs and every kind of rotten lowlife imaginable descending upon the wilderness and prairies… looting, cheating and killing. Our ancestors should have been ashamed at how the native Americans and minorities were savagely brutalized, killed and robbed of their land and heritage by crooked politicians, crooked Laws and crooked soldiers. Unfortunately, we still have crooked politicians and rampant corruption today. No one should try to make light of the ugly truths in our history. Nor should it be whitewashed or squelched or suppressed by those with agenda's. We cannot learn from our mistakes if we don't first teach what mistakes were made.

Episodes skipped huge gaps in time and were poorly segued; causing enough confusion to make you wonder if you missed an episode. A terrible job of screen writing and directing.

Andy Griffith was awful. He was cocky and overacting even in his gait and overly animated head movements while talking.

Disk 4, began frequent repetitive flashbacks throughout the last 6 episodes. This was in addition to the narratives at the beginning of every episode catching us up on what had happened on previous episodes.

We also had to endure long credits of more than 50 actor's names at the beginning and end of every episode.

Even worse was the terrible music score. It was just irritating noise but we had to listen to it on the opening and closing credits of every episode. The DVD's were poorly indexed making it impossible to skip past the credits.

The makeup used in the aging process on the actors was flat and dingy like tempera or wall paint. Without sheen, the skin looked dead and fake. The aging appliances would have appeared quite believable if they had added a sheen and faded the skin coloring instead of darkening it.

The final episode suddenly jumped from 1930's dust bowl to a 1970's version of "Barnaby Jones" with Andy Griffith… court trials, newspaper reporters, a sinister intrigue with the "baddest" bad guy in town who's hiring thugs, killing and hiding skeletons, etc. This final episode jumped 40 years in the future and did not fit the movie. It really looked as it they had stuck an episode of "Barnaby Jones" on the end and added Sharon Gless as a reporter just like her role in "The Revenge of the Stepford Wives." This last episode did not even look like it belonged as part of the series.

The director also endeavored to make the huge cattle ranch look like the movie "Giant" where there is this enormous, grandiose mansion on a totally flat barren wasteland. People still think Texas looks like that stereotype.

They did do a good job depicting the dust bowl. While I had heard about the details, this was the best visual depiction I have ever seen.

Unfortunately, this movie was just poorly written, directed and poorly acted (which I believe is also due to the directing). It was nonstop crooks, thieves and killers preying on any decent person who set foot on the trails, wilderness and settlements. The story was presented so terribly lopsided, it was like a "how to do it" guide for crooks.

The mini-series "John Adams" dealt with similar negativity and strife concerning the events and individuals involved with the founding of our country. Yet it was a brilliantly written, produced, directed mini-series with top-notch acting.

Centennial does have some educational merit for depicting the settling of the west in a more realistic manner.