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Roots: The Next Generations (1979)
Rate:
10
Viewed:
8/21
8/21:
Roots: The Next Generations picks up where Roots left off and finishes at a very high note.
Although there are scores of thespians spread over seven episodes, there are six standouts: Henry Fonda, Georg
Stanford Brown, Stan Shaw, James Earl Jones, Al Freeman, Jr., and the Godfather himself: Marlon Brando.
It took over ten hours of waiting to see Brando, and when it's time for him to speak, he's brilliant, hence the Emmy win for Best
Supporting Actor. How Brando got cast is that, because of Roots'
success, he simply made a phone call out of the blue and asked for a small yet memorable part. It's certainly right on
the money for both counts.
Although the first three episodes are very good, the fourth slows everything down, and it has gotten to the
point of being a soap opera. But the seventh and final episode is the most powerful of them all: going back to what
Roots is truly about. I wouldn't have minded if the first three episodes were turned into a sequel and the last four
to be the next one in order to give the subplots proper development.
One part I'm surprised from episode six when Alex Haley was driving around the town for motel
accommodations is not showing The Negro Motorist Green Book. Not a lot of people today know about
this, but it was the go-to book for black travelers from 1936 to 1966. Many had to pack a week's worth of food and
cans of gasoline because thousands of towns refused to accommodate them, even for bathroom trips.
I've read the book The Autobiography of Malcolm X a couple of times which is how I knew of Alex Haley before
I got into this Roots stuff. Therefore, the coverage of what happened during episode seven is
extremely fascinating. On the other hand, I didn't know anything about Marlon Brando's real-life character; it's all news to me.
Easily the most disappointing aspect is the countless characters who have become quickly forgotten. Some get so much
attention that there's no follow-up to them in the long run. A good example is Jim Warner and his black wife (I'm
surprised by this because interracial marriage was illegal in Tennessee back then; it later turned out to be false).
Also, it's weird to see Chicken George be played by somebody else other than Ben Vereen.
Despite the ups and down, Roots: The Next Generations deserves a '10' from me. The writing is absolutely
terrific throughout, and Alex Haley's postscript is a bonus, reminding everybody the purpose of watching the entire saga.
Unfortunately, he made up a lot of stuff, having been charged with plagiarism which led to an out-of-court settlement.
All in all, Roots: The Next Generations is a fitting sequel to the best miniseries in television history.