The Century: America's Time, Vol. 2 - Full Cast & Crew
1999
2 hr 0 mins
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Something about the millennium makes documentarians wax nostalgic. ABC is no exception. With the rollover of the year, decade, and century, summations are in order. The Century: America's Time is one such wrap-up, albeit a mighty ambitious one. Peter Jennings narrates this look back at the last 100 years. From a strictly American point of view, the video starts at the turn of the century, with the birth of the common man, and moves all the way to present-day technology, with the computer leading the way. The presentation is divided onto six tapes. Each program tramples through a dense history with Jennings providing the transitions. Beginning with the great melting pot, a timeline of occurrences highlights each video: the invention of the automobile, the suffrage movement, both world wars, and Vietnam. The video covers the "hippie" movement, the Red Scare, and the undeniable AIDS epidemic. At times, the stories are told by American icons, including Oliver Stone and Eudora Welty. Other moments are described by photographs alone. This collection is an exercise in textbook description with little analysis assigned to the events. However, for the history buff, The Century: America's Time is a gold mine. Century: America's Time, Vol. 2 focuses on the Great Depression. Prosperity is almost unattainable for a quarter of the population. Next, the build-up to World War II captivates America's attention; as the nation struggles to remain uninvolved, Europe falls into greater strife. Episodes included are: Century: America's Time - 1929-1936 Stormy Weather and Century: AMerica's Time -1936-1941 Over the Edge.