This 1979 sequel to the landmark miniseries adapted from Alex Haley's bestselling book was produced on a much grander scale and featured an all-star cast, but it doesn't pack quite the emotional wallop of its predecessor. Similarly broad in scope, Roots: The Next Generations picks up where the original left off, following the travails of Tom Harvey (Georg Stanford Brown, who also directed one of the seven installments) and his family in the turbulent years following the Emancipation Proclamation in an episodic storyline that progresses through the late 19th and 20th centuries, tracking the progress of Tom's descendants over the course of five wars and during the Civil Rights movement. Author Haley, played as a youth by Damon Evans and as a middle-aged man by James Earl Jones, figures prominently towards the close as he attempts to trace his lineage. Mainstream Old Hollywood stars Marlon Brando, Henry Fonda, and Olivia de Havilland are among a powerhouse cast that also includes such distinguished African-American actors as Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Diahann Carroll, Pam Grier, Bernie Casey, and Debbie Allen. Some installments are better than others, with the later episodes having particular resonance today for their focus on the Civil Rights movement. DVD extras are disappointingly limited to an eight-minute behind-the-scenes featurette, but this is definitely recommended. (E. Hulse)
Roots: The Next Generations
Warner, 4 discs, 688 min., not rated, DVD: $59.98 Volume 23, Issue 1
Roots: The Next Generations
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