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- 2021
- HBO
- 2021
- HBO
Summary The three-part documentary miniseries directed by Peter Kunhardt features interviews with friends, colleagues, journalists, activists as well as archival footage about Obama's challenges to become the first Black president of the United States.
- 2021
- HBO
- 2021
- HBO
Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union
Season 1 Premiere: Aug 3, 2021
72
2.8
Where to Watch
Summary The three-part documentary miniseries directed by Peter Kunhardt features interviews with friends, colleagues, journalists, activists as well as archival footage about Obama's challenges to become the first Black president of the United States.
Where to Watch
All Seasons
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 7 Critic Reviews
72
86% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
14% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 7 Critic Reviews
72
86% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
14% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
It ultimately sets itself apart by taking a deeper look at the multitude of issues that surfaced after America finally chose its first Black president. ... Using Obama’s legacy as a prism to look at the myriad ways his presidency forced the country to grapple with its painful history, the series thus offers a fresh look at how Obama did and didn’t fit into the country’s prevailing political narratives.
At its best, this HBO production weds the soaring rhetoric and lofty expectations to the challenge of realizing that "more perfect union," both then and now.
“Obama” is at its strongest early on, in recounting the events leading to the publication of Obama’s first memoir, “Dreams From My Father.” Kunhardt has a careful eye for moments of revelation drawn from archival footage. ... If Obama is represented here as doubly symbolically important, the substance of his presidency is somewhat less amply investigated. ... This film plays up the generative imagination of Obama so much that one hits the end of episode three missing the relative simplicity of his moment.
Kunhardt's docuseries is of a school of thought we need more from, that criticism can enrich one's honest appreciation of a political figure, and that a total, unquestioning allegiance creates a false relationship. Actual patriotism thrives with this nuance; so too does documentary filmmaking.
Director Peter Kunhardt delivers a solid, straightforward, mostly linear work. ... More provocative are the new interviews with some key figures who didn’t always see eye-to-eye with Obama, either during his presidency or while his star was ascending.
While Obama: In Pursuit Of A More Perfect Union is likely more reverent than most people might like, it’s still an effective portrait of a president whose desire was to unite instead of divide.
Half a provocative and complicated exploration of the role of race in Obama’s political career and half a poorly sourced, by-the-numbers, generic biography.
User Score
Generally Unfavorable
Based on 22 User Ratings
2.8
27% Positive
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
73% Negative
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
User Score
Generally Unfavorable
Based on 22 User Ratings
2.8
27% Positive
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
73% Negative
16 Ratings
16 Ratings
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Production Company:
- HBO Documentary Films
- Kunhardt Films
Initial Release Date: Aug 3, 2021
Number of seasons: 1 Season
Genres:
Awards
News & Documentary Emmy Awards
• 2 Nominations