The National Parks: America's Best Idea
The National Parks: America's Best Idea
| 27 September 2009 (USA)

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    Reviews
    Hellen

    I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

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    Iseerphia

    All that we are seeing on the screen is happening with real people, real action sequences in the background, forcing the eye to watch as if we were there.

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    Donald Seymour

    This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

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    Chantel Contreras

    It is both painfully honest and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.

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    imdbdood

    "The knapsack of custom falls off his back with the first step he makes into these precincts. Here is sanctity which shames our religions, and reality which discredits our heroes. Here we find nature to be the circumstance which dwarfs every other circumstance, and judges like a god all men that come to her."-A quote of Ralph Waldo Emerson in the movieWhile there is no comparison to actually being in nature, the ideas that are presented in this masterpiece of a documentary are so new and refreshingly different to the common non-nature-goer that it can't help but bring the viewer, thankfully, away from their usual rat race-like trance and rhythm to a realization of a greater good and majestic context of reality.What a beautiful and powerful reminder of what belongs to all us and what all of us, in turn, belong to!

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    anthony_retford

    I am watching this series and am currently viewing part 5. I have been transfixed by the film. I am not a new immigrant, having come here back in 1964, but I have only visited two Parks in all that time I am disgusted to report. I have seen the Redwoods and Crater Lake, but now I want to see much more before it is too late. I just have not paid any attention to the Parks in my backyard it seems. Now I will.I would quibble about the frequent references to religion but I understand it because most of the US was religious to some sort of degree. For instance, I did not feel the presence of some supernatural being standing among the redwoods or gazing at Crater Lake. I was impressed for sure but not awed.I am mindful of the constant struggle to maintain the Parks and think schools should show major portions of this series in their classrooms. Young people need to be aware of what a valuable and irreplaceable resource we all share. I am sure, given the history of the Park system, that greedy people will continue to try to eat away at it. Vigilance is needed for now and forever. Once this country becomes so crowded it will be most difficult to maintain these Parks. As in the Hetch Hetchy dam the question will always be: What is more important, some scenery or the rights of multitudes who need the resources contained within the Parks? I fear the answer will be the needs of people. I appreciate being able to see these videos and have my eyes opened, and tearing at times, many times. Thanks to Ken Burns for making this series.

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    ajm64

    The scenery on a big HD TV rates a "7", but the horrendous talking heads and the complete one-sidedness (John Muir is a God, Pinchot is the Devil) viewpoint of the program rates a "1".The pacing was just awful. Realizing that Yosemite and Yellowstone are, arguably, the most important National Parks, way too much time and footage was spent on these two spots and far too little was spent on parks such as Isle Royale and the Florida Everglades, to name two of many parks that were given the short shrift.Further, it was jarring to switch from the beautiful scenery to the awful, pedantic and hard to watch commentators. Particularly annoying was talking bobble head William Cronon, who's constant head shaking was reminiscent of the girl in the clip from Gumnaam that's at the beginning of Ghost World (check it out on youtube). Carl Pope of the Sierra Club, with his grating voice, did nothing to further his organization's cause. Revenge of the Nerds came to mind in watching these commentators.Also, the overly dramatic, painfully slow reading of many boring letters did little to help the narrative.I really wanted to like this. I believe that the National Parks are very important, but this dreadful waste of 12 hours did nothing for this viewer.

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    jkcanewton

    I knew very little about our National Parks, but Ken Burns has really opened my eyes. This was a spectacular piece of art. I started watching this because there was nothing else on. By the end of the week I couldn't wait to watch the next episode. The program inspired me to look more into the life of John Muir and I even joined the Sierra Club. The National Parks have a vivid history that can only be explained as intriguing and inspirational. The people that worked so hard to give America these beautiful places should be role models for all Americans. There are places I want to go around the world. Because of this program I now know that the world has some wonderful places to see, but America does also and I can't wait to see them. Good job Mr. Burns.

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