Constitution USA

In 1787, delegates gathered in Philadelphia at a Constitutional Convention in order to draft an "owner's manual for a new nation." In filmmaker Stephen Ives's PBS-aired documentary series, Peter Sagal (host of NPR's "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me!”) hops on a motorcycle, traveling the highways and back roads while exploring how the titular four-page document continues to influence our lives in the 21st century. A constitutional scholar calls the document's creation the "big bang" of American history; although the Revolution had been won, the country was struggling with questions over crippling debt, the power to tax, states rights vs. federal power, and the challenge of making divided government work. Some of the issues covered here include gun rights, setting boundaries on free speech, religious expression in the public square, press liberties, and the proper role of government. Sagal dashes from the Hoover Dam (symbol of government action for the public good), to the high school at Little Rock, AR, storm center of the 1950s integration crisis. Along the way, he interviews constitutional scholars, luminaries such as former Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O'Connor, a gay couple seeking the benefits of marriage, felons working to regain the right to vote, and even some constitution-toting good ol' boys with some sharp views on government power. The point made here is that the nation is and always has been a work in progress, advancing toward fairness and inclusion through the Constitution and its amendments as part of a "flawed, epic, spectacular conversation." Some of the segments are too brief, but this is a very entertaining and informative series on constitutional history, overall. DVD extras include behind-the scenes footage. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (S. Rees)