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Eleanor Franklin - The Early Years
Actors: Jane Alexander, Edward Herrmann, Rosemary Murphy, Pamela Franklin, David Huffman
Director: Daniel Petrie
Genres: Drama

NR 2005 4hr 0min

This first part of Eleanor and Franklin: The Early Years, the critically acclaimed 1976 television miniseries, focuses on the early lives of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt, concluding on their wedding day. The story is mos... more »tly told in flashback, as the first lady receives word of the death of President Roosevelt and, while making funeral preparations, reflects on her life with him. Distant relatives in the wealthy and sprawling Roosevelt family of New York, young Franklin and Eleanor met several times during their childhood, and much of the action in this installment of the drama utilizes young actors, including Mackenzie Phillips, who plays Eleanor at the age of 14. Playing the main characters as young adults, Edward Herrmann and Jane Alexander are brilliant in portraying the great American love story, as the privileged yet socially awkward Franklin finds himself completely captivated by the brainy and conscientious Eleanor. The miniseries was based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning book by historian Joseph P. Lash, and interspersed with the human drama are vignettes out of American history, such as cameo appearances by Eleanor's uncle Teddy, whose enormous personality suits his job as president of the United States. The second and concluding part of the miniseries focuses on Franklin D. Roosevelt's early career and the major role his wife played in overcoming profound difficulties in their marriage. Told mostly in flashback, the film features Edward Herrmann and Jane Alexander, whose performances in the title roles are uncanny. During World War I, the Roosevelts moved to Washington, D.C., where young Franklin, while serving in the Wilson administration, began having an affair with Lucy Mercer, his wife Eleanor's social secretary. Deeply wounded when she discovers his betrayal, Eleanor nonetheless stays with Franklin. And she would be at his side when, during a summer vacation with their five children, he was stricken with polio and paralyzed. Urged to take a more public role during his recuperation in the early 1920s, Eleanor touchingly admits, "I'll never be any good at public speaking." In a scene in which Eleanor drives a roadster down a country road while rehearsing the speech she's on her way to give in rural New York State, Alexander beautifully captures Eleanor's determination to overcome her own shyness and become a champion of progressive politics. Eleanor and Franklin: The Early Years won 11 Emmy Awards, and its intelligent screenplay and fine acting have aged very well. It's a great love story as well as a great political story, an engaging drama made all the better by its historical resonance. --Robert J. McNamara

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Movie Details

Actors: Jane Alexander, Edward Herrmann, Rosemary Murphy, Pamela Franklin, David Huffman
Director: Daniel Petrie
Creators: Edward R. Brown, Paul Lohmann, Audrey Maas, David Susskind, Harry R. Sherman, James Costigan, Joseph P. Lash
Genres: Drama
Sub-Genres: Love & Romance, Family Life
Studio: Hbo Home Video
Format: DVD - Color - Closed-captioned
DVD Release Date: 08/30/2005
Original Release Date: 01/11/1976
Theatrical Release Date: 01/11/1976
Release Year: 2005
Run Time: 4hr 0min
Screens: Color
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Total Copies: 0
Members Wishing: 2
MPAA Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Languages: English

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Movie Reviews

An overlooked masterpiece

Candace Scott | Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA | 08/02/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was just a kid when this TV movie originally aired but it made an enormous impression on me. The acting was absolutely first rate, the sets well done and the music unforgettable. For years I looked for it on VHS format and more recently, DVD. I'm overjoyed that this wonderfully underrated film is finally available on DVD. Hip Hip Hooray!

So many made-for-TV historical films are pure garbage in terms of accurate history. This movie does not make that mistake. The main characters are portrayed accurately, warts and all. Edward Herrman makes a great Roosevelt, perhaps the best fictional FDR we've ever experienced, including Ralph Bellamy. And Jane Alexander's Eleanor is flawless. She is cold, insecure and formal, yet possessing a hidden warmth and neediness exemplified by the actual Mrs. Roosevelt.

For anyone interested in Presidential history or the relationship between FDR and Eleanor, this is essential viewing. Thank God it's available again so everyone can see it."

A definite "yes"

Jot and Tittle | Texas, USA | 04/22/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This mini-series is well worth a look. I watched this DVD after reading the Lash biography that formed the basis of the series. I found the book good but slow going: it's densely-documented and scholarly. The video version does an excellent, accurate job of dramatizing the essential events of the story.

Besides being well-told history, the series is also a pleasure to watch. The acting is great, the settings are lush, and the costuming is magnificent. The series is both good history and good entertainment. I highly recommend it."

Eleanor & Franklin - The Early Years

Eileen | 02/28/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Excellent dvd about the early years of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. I found their stories compelling and dramatic. I also loved the musical score, perfect for the storyline!"