This is a great history lesson in the forming of our Constitution of the United States. The re-enactments are superb and the actor who portrays George Washington (Michael Maguire) even resembles him! This program was either filmed at Independence Hall in Philadelphia or they sure came up with a fantastic re-creation of the Hall.

A large part of the conflict which arises is a disagreement over whether larger states such as Pennsylvania and New York should have more representation while the smaller states want it to be identical, one representative from each state, regardless of size. James Madison believes true democracy means the people are represented and he believes larger states need more than one representative so as to reflect the wishes of the people. The principles of democracy and liberty are debated, sometimes heatedly in the film. This DVD would make a wonderful tool to help school children learn about this country’s history.

There is one scene which prevents us from awarding our Dove Seal to the movie for all ages; we have chosen to award it for ages twelve plus. In the one scene, at 13:58 into the film, a man is shot and his face is pretty bloody. It is a brief scene but graphic. This is the only scene which reflects strong violence.

The Articles of Confederation, the government’s checks and balance system, consisting of the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches, and also the Congress and Senate are set up. In addition, the film features a debate on the importation of slaves and the realization of some that, although many agree that slavery is wrong, it will take time to abolish it. The right of freedom of religion is also featured in the movie.

This film had the potential to be a dry re-enactment, but I believe the filmmakers manage to capture an interesting re-enactment of this historical period, due to a good script, capable actors, and excellent direction. So, again, we award our Dove Seal to the movie for ages twelve and above. This great film features history in its making!