A More Perfect Union: America Becomes a Nation

I'm a hopeless history nerd but this one somehow managed to fly under my radar. I wish I had seen this film as a kid but better late than never. I stumbled across it on YouTube and was at first slightly perplexed by its origin. Apparently in 1989 the Mormon college Brigham Young University produced a two hour movie about the drafting and ratification of the Constitution. And it stars the guy from Brian De Palma's Body Double (of all movies) as James Madison. Huh...well okay then. But to my surprise "A More Perfect Union" not only works as a great educational tool - it's also a well made dramatization. It's an admirable example of the quality that can be found in films of high concept despite low budget. I watched the whole film in one sitting and I was glued to it. The United States truly had some stone cold geniuses as its architects. I was genuinely touched by how well "A More Perfect Union" tells the story of our nation in its becoming.

I read the first four reviews of this production. The first three seemed to be fair and measured. I don't really understand the fourth. It appears the reviewer had some other issues with the maker of the film rather than the film itself. In any event I thought it was a good representation of the events at the Constitutional Convention. I've read a number of books written on the subject and this film seems to be true to the events that took place. This was a docudrama and as good as any that I have seen on the History Channel or PBS. I recommend it to anyone interested in the founding of this nation and if you're interested in reading more on the topic one of the better books but by no means the only one on the subject is The Summer of 1787:The Men who Invented the Constitution. I especially recommend this book for pre- teens and teenagers. Bribe them if need be but they won't find this information in Jr. high or high school.

A Congress of the United States was never so well portrayed, was it? I wish there were more hours of this.

I am a fan of "The West Wing" and "1776" and in some senses, this film is even better. The acting is excellent. Documentary logic (the writing) and production values are too. Artistic sensibility -- same. Nuances: same, I think! The film was produced by a university film department while its actors are talented career actors.

The topic was so large that I think we must forgive the shortage of scenes with women because they were not delegates to the Constitutional Convention. It is a movie that can seem too long only if one does not take breaks to move around.

Among the high points of this film are portrayals of the delegates. The actor's so-so resemblance to George Washington is bridged by a successful portrayal how grave and lovable he was remembered to be. Benjamin Franklin and others are brought to life, it seems.

I really enjoyed this film and think they did a fantastic job given the budget and casting limitations. The bad rating appears to be related to people not being "properly" entertained (acting and directing issues). This is not a movie designed to entertain like a typical hollywood movie. It's an educational film. The wardrobe and set design was fantastic and even the plainness of the "room where it happened" was interesting. It wasn't a fancy place or a pleasant experience, just a room full of divided intelligent men with a mission to create a government that will provide stability for generations after they die.

I think it's a timeless message that still rings true today. Many times I sat there thinking, wow... we are having these same arguments in 2020, but the historical perspective gave me a whole lot to reflect on and learn from people who had visions of equality and compromise built into one powerful document.

I loved this film and it's worth watching if you want to experience a period piece with a government and policy based true story. No one knows exactly what happened in that room or how people behaved, but the film does a great job of researching what it might have looked like given what we know about the people from their journals and letters that they used to express their strong opinions.

A More Perfect Union examines the creation of the US Constitution from the perspective of chief author, James Madison. Beginning with trade war problems between states and Shay's Rebellion in Massachusetts, the film follows Federalist Madison's desperate attempts to enlist the aid and involvement of George Washington, the battles with states rights (anti-Federalist) advocates such as Roger Sherman and John Dickinson, his efforts to make both the Senate and the House elected by proportional representation, and his ultimate acceptance of the compromises which ultimately made the Constitution palatable to enough states to be ratified by 1788. For those unfamiliar with the history of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, this is an excellent way to be introduced to the politics and personalities that created the Constitution. Highly recommended for the classroom and the home.