I am optimistic that "The Jacksons: An American Dream" will be re- released in Blu Ray format as a 25th anniversary edition in 2017 with hopefully several hours of special features and with the Jackson 5 performing on historical footage. I just watched this TV movie for the second time after a 25 year absence and I was amazed at how this TV biography reminded me of the difficulty that the entire Jackson family had in making it to the top of the music charts. There are some great performances by the Jackson parents Joe (Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs) and Katherine (Angela Bassett) who struggled their entire lives just so that they could keep that dim light flickering at even the slightest of chance of stardom and financial wealth beyond their wildest dreams. Joe Jackson always envisioned his families success and living in California.
I appreciated that this biography provided sufficient footage to the early romantic relationship between Joe and Katherine Jackson and Joe's strong belief in not relying on contraceptives which resulted in the Jacksons family continually expanding during the 1950's and 1960's to a brood of nine (9) children. One child Brandon died shortly after birth which made ten (10) Jackson children in total. The Jackson biography depicts a disciplinarian father in Joe who regularly used a tree branch to beat his children with but he was also a very hard worker who somehow kept his nine (9) children under one roof with his wife when many fathers would have found it easier to simply walk away from their responsibilities. I was quite impressed with Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs performance whose earlier claim to fame was playing high school student Freddie "Boom Boom" Washington in the 1975 TV sitcom Welcome Back Kotter. Angela Bassett is a very versatile actress and her portrayal as Katherine Jackson, the mother of this large and talented family who had to cook, clean and find employment just to sustain the household bills in Gary Indiana as their family continued to grow is a great example for all mothers to hang in there and remember why you chose to have a family and young children in the first place.
The Jackson children all had talent to which their parents encouraged that talent to blossom, but the film also portrays that the children's synchronized dance steps which they used to win amateur talent shows in their early years required them to practise, practise, and more practise, leaving absolutely no time to build any neighborhood friendships or develop any other skills or hobbies other than singing and dancing as the Jackson brothers.
I must say that I was disappointed that sufficient credit was not given to Berry Gordy (Billy Dee Williams) who was the company founder and CEO of the very successful Motown records. I believe as talented as the Jackson 5 are/were, without the bench strength, music savvy, and industry connections of Berry Gordy and Motown records the Jackson 5 would have quickly fallen into obscurity and not reached the pinnacle of successes that the entire family had, including that latter stardom of Janet Jackson a decade after the Jackson 5 fell from the top of the charts.
This biography did focus on the early years of the Jackson 5 development and their early struggles financially, emotionally, and musically. In the latter half it reflects Michael Jackson's kick off of his solo career and I was okay that minimal time was spent on just how huge Michael Jackson's solo career became without the Jackson 5 as he purchased his Neverland property with all the exotic animals he maintained on his property. The Jacksons: An American Dream is a must see biography for any music and/or movie fan, especially for fans of the Jackson 5 catalogue of top hits on the Motown record label.
I truly hope the producers consider a re-release in the current Blu Ray format and enrich our movie experience with hours of extra historical footage of the many magical moments on stage of the Jackson 5, especially of the Jackson 5's appearance on the Motown 25th anniversary special and Michael Jackson's solo appearance on the same TV special when he introduced his moonwalk dance whilst singing Billy Jean.
A special congratulations to Janet Jackson and her husband Wissam Al Mana on Janet's birth to her first child a son named Eissa Al Mana. Janet, your mother, father, brothers and sisters should/would be very proud that the Jackson family name continues to grow and the Jackson legacy will continue for a new generation.
I appreciated that this biography provided sufficient footage to the early romantic relationship between Joe and Katherine Jackson and Joe's strong belief in not relying on contraceptives which resulted in the Jacksons family continually expanding during the 1950's and 1960's to a brood of nine (9) children. One child Brandon died shortly after birth which made ten (10) Jackson children in total. The Jackson biography depicts a disciplinarian father in Joe who regularly used a tree branch to beat his children with but he was also a very hard worker who somehow kept his nine (9) children under one roof with his wife when many fathers would have found it easier to simply walk away from their responsibilities. I was quite impressed with Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs performance whose earlier claim to fame was playing high school student Freddie "Boom Boom" Washington in the 1975 TV sitcom Welcome Back Kotter. Angela Bassett is a very versatile actress and her portrayal as Katherine Jackson, the mother of this large and talented family who had to cook, clean and find employment just to sustain the household bills in Gary Indiana as their family continued to grow is a great example for all mothers to hang in there and remember why you chose to have a family and young children in the first place.
The Jackson children all had talent to which their parents encouraged that talent to blossom, but the film also portrays that the children's synchronized dance steps which they used to win amateur talent shows in their early years required them to practise, practise, and more practise, leaving absolutely no time to build any neighborhood friendships or develop any other skills or hobbies other than singing and dancing as the Jackson brothers.
I must say that I was disappointed that sufficient credit was not given to Berry Gordy (Billy Dee Williams) who was the company founder and CEO of the very successful Motown records. I believe as talented as the Jackson 5 are/were, without the bench strength, music savvy, and industry connections of Berry Gordy and Motown records the Jackson 5 would have quickly fallen into obscurity and not reached the pinnacle of successes that the entire family had, including that latter stardom of Janet Jackson a decade after the Jackson 5 fell from the top of the charts.
This biography did focus on the early years of the Jackson 5 development and their early struggles financially, emotionally, and musically. In the latter half it reflects Michael Jackson's kick off of his solo career and I was okay that minimal time was spent on just how huge Michael Jackson's solo career became without the Jackson 5 as he purchased his Neverland property with all the exotic animals he maintained on his property. The Jacksons: An American Dream is a must see biography for any music and/or movie fan, especially for fans of the Jackson 5 catalogue of top hits on the Motown record label.
I truly hope the producers consider a re-release in the current Blu Ray format and enrich our movie experience with hours of extra historical footage of the many magical moments on stage of the Jackson 5, especially of the Jackson 5's appearance on the Motown 25th anniversary special and Michael Jackson's solo appearance on the same TV special when he introduced his moonwalk dance whilst singing Billy Jean.
A special congratulations to Janet Jackson and her husband Wissam Al Mana on Janet's birth to her first child a son named Eissa Al Mana. Janet, your mother, father, brothers and sisters should/would be very proud that the Jackson family name continues to grow and the Jackson legacy will continue for a new generation.