Movie Review #34 - Roots - The Review

A decade under the influence

Roots 1977-

Shot of espresso is freshly downed, cracks knuckles, let’s go. Today your decade under the influence crew takes on the mini series Roots, which came into our living rooms for 8 nights starting on jan 23 1977.

I remember watching at least some of this with my parents and four sisters at the young age of 6, so I think it was probably mandatory family viewing, in mine and in most cool family homes.

It is a lil interesting to think how everyone read about this in their TV guides or in the newspapers, and adjusted their schedules to make eight nights of this, and get the complete story. I’m sure they talked about on the tv too, but this was of course before video stores or streaming so you really had to make n effort to plop down and absorb all that was put into bringing Alex Haley’s huge best selling story of his family history of surviving the slave trade.

A massively important thing for America to look at and talk about, so I’m very glad it was taken so seriously by all involved.

So much acting talent in here, and of course it all starts with chief engineer Geordie La Forge. This is LeVar Burton’s first acting gig right outta college, way before he got us all pumped about reading, or flew starships, he left such an impression in his portrayal of Kunte Kinte, that we all forget he is only in the first 2 episodes. Also starring in Roots we have Mary Tyler Moore’s boss Lou Grant as the reluctant slave boat owner. Ed Asner if were gettin technical. We have the mean baseball coach from bad news bears who died on the set of the movie the twilight zone, the guy from the rifleman, the guy from midnight express, the rad guy from iron eagle, the amazing Madge Sinclair, Olivia Cole, the kick ass Ben Vereen as chicken George (Fosse hands), and Commander Adama himself, to name just a few. Shit, don’t forget John Amos as older Kunta, also Mr. flipping Brady plays a real asshole in this. Many of these amazing actors lend their talents to play some of the worst people on the planet.

It really is a magnificent mini series with amazing music by Quincy Jones in the first episode, annnnnnnnnnnnnnd then the music does take a bit of a dive. There a few things that do remind us that this is a 70’s made for TV movie. As progressive and amazing it is, and the fact that they got it made and had amerika look it’s past right in the eye, and get a black eye back when they weren’t even teaching our racist true beginnings in the history books at school yet. It is still not 100 percent free of issues. One such thing is the recap narrator talking about the triumph of the American spirit n shit, but don’t worry cause we talk all about it, and seriously folks, as much as it is not, we would like this to be a conversion that continues, so. Thank you for listening, and if you like or don’t like what you hear, or if we missed something cool, or whatever, please write on the socials and let us know.