North and South (1985)
Every American needs to watch North and South. In case you couldn’t tell from the title, North and South is a Civil War story. Two young men bond during their time at Westpoint and vow to be lifelong friends, but when the War Between the States breaks out, there’s a problem: George Hazard is from Pennsylvania, and Orry Main is from South Carolina. Hence the title.
North and South is a true epic, and one of the only Civil War creations that isn’t compared to Gone with the Wind. There’s love, death, violence, and friendship. And it’s educational, too! I first watched this 23-hour miniseries during my eighth grade history class during the Civil War module. And I had a very thorough teacher (my mother) who didn’t want to scrimp on the details. This is a truly fantastic miniseries, one that joins the ranks of Roots and Centennial as essential American miniseries. The production values are wonderful, and the multiple storylines within the epic are suspenseful and heart wrenching. While James Reed, Patrick Swayze, Leslie-Anne Down, Kirstie Alley, Wendy Kilbourne, and Philip Casnoff make up the main cast, the rest of Hollywood came out in droves to be a part of the program. James Stewart, Gene Kelly, Robert Mitchum, Elizabeth Taylor, David Carradine, Hal Holbrook, Jean Simmons, and Jonathan Frakes are just a few of the familiar faces you’ll see during the fifteen episodes. It was filmed in three modules, Book I, Book II, and Book III. Make sure you watch all three so you can complete the journey!
Thirty years later, North and South stands the test of time incredibly well. You need to watch this incredible piece of American history.
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to some violence and sexual situations, I wouldn’t let my kids watch it until they were in high school. Also, there may or may not be rape scenes.
More Robert Mitchum movies here!
More Jean Simmons movies here!
More Elizabeth Taylor movies here!
North and South is a true epic, and one of the only Civil War creations that isn’t compared to Gone with the Wind. There’s love, death, violence, and friendship. And it’s educational, too! I first watched this 23-hour miniseries during my eighth grade history class during the Civil War module. And I had a very thorough teacher (my mother) who didn’t want to scrimp on the details. This is a truly fantastic miniseries, one that joins the ranks of Roots and Centennial as essential American miniseries. The production values are wonderful, and the multiple storylines within the epic are suspenseful and heart wrenching. While James Reed, Patrick Swayze, Leslie-Anne Down, Kirstie Alley, Wendy Kilbourne, and Philip Casnoff make up the main cast, the rest of Hollywood came out in droves to be a part of the program. James Stewart, Gene Kelly, Robert Mitchum, Elizabeth Taylor, David Carradine, Hal Holbrook, Jean Simmons, and Jonathan Frakes are just a few of the familiar faces you’ll see during the fifteen episodes. It was filmed in three modules, Book I, Book II, and Book III. Make sure you watch all three so you can complete the journey!
Thirty years later, North and South stands the test of time incredibly well. You need to watch this incredible piece of American history.
Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to some violence and sexual situations, I wouldn’t let my kids watch it until they were in high school. Also, there may or may not be rape scenes.
More Robert Mitchum movies here!
More Jean Simmons movies here!
More Elizabeth Taylor movies here!