The Century: America's Time (NR, 1998)

Originally shown on television, THE CENTURY consists of 14 episodes. Arranged chronologically, they offer a political, social, and cultural portrait of America in the 20th Century. Segments consist of documentary footage as well as interviews. The series opens with America at the turn of the 19th Century, when the population of 76 million people was swelling with immigrants from Europe. The origins of World War I are discussed in order to explain America's eventual entry into that war. Between wars, the series looks at such other significant events as Prohibition (and the resulting increase in crime), the Great Depression, the economic boom that followed the end of World War II, and the social upheavals of the 1960s. The last episode follows century-long threads such as the role of the federal government in people's lives, racism, and our national fixation with scandals.

At the beginning of The Century: America's Time, host Peter Jennings explains that this series will look at recent history not as historians usually do--in terms of rulers and political leaders--but rather as the common man experienced the century. This bottom-up approach means that younger viewers will be able to empathize with events much more than they might otherwise. Teens should have no trouble following the ebb and flow of events. Preteens may not initially see how all of these pieces fit into the context of modern history, but will enjoy it a bit at a time. (With a few exceptions, most notably WWII, events are not discussed any great length.)

The Century is a wonderful learning tool because it whets the appetite for more information about the events it describes. The segments are provocative and will spark conversations that can cross the gap between children and parents. Viewers young and old will be amazed at the variety of scenes and the skill of the filmmakers. We get to see the Panama Canal being dug, Manhattan in the 1900s, and soldiers in the trenches in WWI. The footage is all beautifully restored--no eyestrain here from watching grainy old newsreels.

Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Cast: Eudora Welty, Oliver Stone, Peter Jennings
Genre: Documentary
Run time: 700 minutes
Theatrical release: January 1, 1998
DVD release: September 28, 2000
MPAA Rating: NR