Ethan Hawke stars in a series based on the life of American abolitionist John Brown. Hawke plays the role of Brown in a series whose script is based on a highly acclaimed novel written by James McBride.
“The Good Lord Bird” is a Showtime product. The Predestination star is featured alongside Joshua Caleb Johnson, who plays the role of a slave adopted by the abolitionist.
Showtime has not been careful and meticulous with the story. The series had been made a year ago, but it has not been able to gather much attention despite the fact that one of the brilliant American actors is the prime feature of the series. It was due to arrive on February the 16th, but it was curiously postponed to August the 9th before being halted indefinitely. It has now finally made its way to the screens of Showtime and it premiered on Sunday, October the 4th, 2020.
The seven-part series is based on the events captured in the 2013 award-winning novel written by James McBride, who wrote an odd story of John Brown in the street smart, confident, and humorous tone. Ethan Hawke has delivered an Emmy worthy performance and has also played a central role in the adaption alongside scriptwriter Mark Richard.
The delay of the series has not been caused by the pandemic. It could be because of the Black Lives Matter movement, which gripped the nation in June, and the police brutality that was happening in February as well. The fact that it deals with elements of black slavery and shows the world of America in the pre-Civil War era must have made its creators nervous. It is also imperative to understand that the creators of the show are white, and they are relaying the story from a black man’s novel. It hasn’t certainly helped the popularity, and it will most likely force the series towards the domain of failure, considering the sentiments in the country and the peak demand for political correctness from the voices inside the industry.
However, if only somebody could see the entire series, they can understand that Hawke and Richard did anything but disrespected the racial community. They have remained honest with the events in the book, and that might be the reason that the series is a little boring in its latter half, but that does not mean that the series does not deserve any publicity. A theory that the duo has taken credit from the efforts of a black man is also slightly exaggerated. It’s true they could have been more careful in adding a racial face to the list of creators, but the fact that there are enough black people behind the scenes makes the accusation a little harsh.
The series at least deserves a tag of ‘worth a watch’ because of the epic tale of Brown’s final years told through the viewpoints of Joshua Caleb Johnson’s Henry if not for the flawless and inventive acting by Ethan Hawke. However, the script did require a more cinematic and an artistic touch for the series to be a more resounding adaptation, which sadly it lacked.