The Good Lord Bird (miniseries)

Last updated

The Good Lord Bird
The Good Lord Bird Miniseries Poster.jpg
Official poster
Genre
Created by
Based on The Good Lord Bird
by James McBride
Starring
Opening theme"Come on Children, Let's Sing" by Mahalia Jackson [3]
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes7
Production
Executive producers
  • Jason Blum
  • Ethan Hawke
  • Mark Richard
  • Padraic McKinley
  • Albert Hughes
  • Jeremy Gold
  • Marci Wiseman
  • James McBride [4]
  • Brian Taylor
  • Ryan Hawke
  • David Schiff
  • Marshall Persinger
Production location Richmond, Virginia
Running time46–57 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network Showtime
ReleaseOctober 4 (2020-10-04) –
November 15, 2020 (2020-11-15)

The Good Lord Bird is a 2020 American historical drama television miniseries, based on the 2013 novel of the same name by James McBride. Focusing on John Brown's attack on American slavery, the series was created and executive produced by Ethan Hawke and Mark Richard. Produced by Jason Blum, through Blumhouse Television, it premiered on October 4, 2020, on Showtime. [5]

Contents

Premise

The series is told from the point of view of Henry "Onion" Shackleford (Joshua Caleb Johnson), a fictional enslaved boy, who is part of John Brown 's (Ethan Hawke) motley crew of abolitionist soldiers during the time of Bleeding Kansas, eventually participating in the famous 1859 raid on the Federal Armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia (since 1863, West Virginia). Brown's raid failed to initiate a slave revolt as he intended, but it was one of the events that started the American Civil War. [6]

It is not just the story of Brown but that of those that accompanied him. According to Hawke, "If you really study this character, he asks a lot of you philosophically. He challenges why so many of us accept the unacceptable". Author James McBride was involved in the production and according to him, "John Brown is a real hero to me and to many Black people who are no longer alive. John Brown gave his life and two of his sons' lives to the cause of freedom for Black people, and he started the Civil War. They buried this man's story for a long time....". [7]

Cast

Main

Recurring

Guest

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release dateU.S. viewers
(millions)
1"Meet the Lord" Albert Hughes Mark Richard & Ethan Hawke October 4, 2020 (2020-10-04)0.251 [10]
In 1858 territorial Kansas, young slave Henry Shackleford is taken on the run by fanatical abolitionist John Brown after his father is killed. Mistaking Henry for a girl and nicknaming him Onion, Brown adopts "her" into his ragtag band of soldiers, killing pro-slavery settlers in his crusade to liberate all slaves. Onion befriends Brown's son Frederick, who believes in the omen of the "Good Lord bird", and fellow runaway slave Bob joins Brown's men. When two of his sons are captured, Brown takes pro-slavery red shirts prisoner at the Battle of Black Jack, exchanging them with Army First Lieutenant J. E. B. Stuart for the return of his sons. After Frederick is shot in cold blood, his brothers are unwilling to continue the fight, and Brown rides off alone.
2"A Wicked Plot" Kevin Hooks Erika L. Johnson & Mark RichardOctober 11, 2020 (2020-10-11)0.254 [11]
Burying Frederick, his brothers plan to ride for Tabor, Iowa. Onion and Bob set off for Tabor themselves, but red shirts mistake Onion for a mixed-race woman and escort them to a hotel in Pikesville, Missouri instead. Bob is sent to a sawmill, while Onion becomes enamored with Pie, a prostitute who puts him to work cleaning floors in exchange for secretly teaching her to read. Brown's son Owen promises to return for Onion, and Pie betrays her fellow slaves for planning an insurrection. Their leader, Sibonia, is questioned by her preacher, who renounces the town as Sibonia and eight other slaves are hanged. Brown and his men storm the town, and Onion frees the slaves as he, Bob, and fellow slave Broadnax are rescued.
3"Mister Fred" Darnell Martin Erika L. Johnson & Jeff AugustinOctober 18, 2020 (2020-10-18)0.182 [12]
Stuart urges Brown to surrender, revealing a government bounty on his head. Brown informs a compatriot's widow that her husband has been killed, and Brown's men sign his Declaration of Liberty against slavery. Onion, still posing as a girl, travels with Brown by train to Rochester, New York, where Frederick Douglass delivers his July 4th speech and invites them to his home, which he shares with his Black wife, Anna, and his White lover, Ottilie. Douglass fears Brown's plan of action is too radical, while Onion has acquired a taste for liquor, and nearly runs away via the Underground Railroad, but changes his mind after meeting Douglass's associate Emperor, an escaped slave.
4"Smells Like Bear"Kevin HooksMark Richard & Kristen SaBerreOctober 25, 2020 (2020-10-25)0.235 [13]
Hunted by federal agents, Brown delivers a series of speeches, raising money and support for the abolitionist cause. He gives Hugh Forbes, a mercenary who claims to have fought with Giuseppe Garibaldi, a large payment to train his men, but Forbes leaves town with the money. Forced to reach Canada on foot, Onion is frustrated at still being made to follow a White man's orders. An understanding Brown leaves Onion with his grandmother's Bible and the chance for a free life, before making an impassioned call to arms in Chatham, Ontario. The audience is supportive, but questions Brown's yet-to-be-announced plan, until Harriet Tubman urges them to put their faith in Brown. He enlists several willing recruits, including Onion, and Brown reveals his plan to his men: raiding the federal armory at Harpers Ferry, Virginia and launching a guerrilla campaign not only to free nearby slaves, but start a civil war.
5"Hiving the Bees" Haifaa al-Mansour Mark Richard & Lauren SignorinoNovember 1, 2020 (2020-11-01)0.206 [14]
Onion and Cook, a new recruit, arrive in Maryland, where Cook rents a farmhouse as a base of operations, but his womanizing draws the attention of a neighbor, Mrs. Hoffmaster. Forced to pose as Cook's female servant, Onion tries to enlist slaves from Colonel Louis Washington's plantation, and Heyward Shepherd, a free Black railroad worker, agrees to bring reinforcements by train. Brown and his men arrive with his pregnant daughter-in-law Martha and his daughter Annie. Onion is smitten with Annie, while Douglass refuses to support Brown's plan, declaring it a suicide mission, but Emperor joins instead. Mrs. Hoffmaster's suspicions force Brown to launch the attack earlier than planned, and Onion is sent away to safety with Annie and Martha. Realizing he forgot to give Shepherd's password to Brown, Onion reveals he is a boy before kissing Annie and racing to warn the others.
6"Jesus Is Walkin'" Kate Woods Mark Richard & Erika L. JohnsonNovember 8, 2020 (2020-11-08)0.190 [15]
Brown and his men raid the armory in the night, taking hostages and preparing to seize thousands of rifles, which Owen and Bob wait at the farmhouse to receive. Onion arrives too late, as Brown's son Jason stops Heyward's train but, confronted without the password, he shoots and kills Heyward. The raiders realize the wave of supporters Brown hopes to rally to their side are not coming, but he remains certain of divine victory. By morning, the raid is discovered, as Brown, Onion, and the others barricade themselves in the armory's fire engine house. Brown releases an elderly hostage, followed by another in exchange for breakfast, but a deadly gunfight soon erupts. Onion, Bob, and Cook escape to the nearby plantation, where Washington's slave Jim takes his master as another hostage. They rejoin the others, and the mayor of Harpers Ferry is killed attempting to negotiate with an increasingly erratic Brown. Federal troops surround the armory, and Brown's son Oliver dies in his arms.
7"Last Words" Michael Nankin Mark Richard & Ethan HawkeNovember 15, 2020 (2020-11-15)0.317 [16]
Narration from Douglass suggests the failed raid at Harpers Ferry helped ignite the Civil War, ultimately securing the end of slavery. Stuart gives the raiders until dawn to surrender, but they are resigned to their fate, Black and White alike. While Brown and his men make their last stand, Onion escapes with the hostages. Unsure if Stuart recognizes him, Onion is returned to Bob and Owen, revealing himself as a boy, and they learn Brown has been taken prisoner. Owen departs for his family's farm, and Bob sets off for a job to buy his own family out of slavery. Onion arranges to visit Brown on the eve of his execution, praying together in his cell and sharing a heartfelt goodbye. Asked why he never questioned Onion's disguise, Brown reassures him that he loved him all the same. Living as a young Black man again, Onion is turned away from Brown's hanging, but imagines his final words to be, "What a beautiful country."

Music

Music in the miniseries is composed of Black musical genres: gospel, blues, and spirituals. Most is performed by Black artists or groups, with the theme song "Come On Children, Let's Sing", a gospel song, sung by Mahalia Jackson. Songs featured in the series include:

  1. The Zion Travelers, "Am I a Soldier of the Lord?"
  2. Elmore James, "Shake Your Money Maker"
  3. The Zion Travelers, "The Blood"
  4. Mahalia Jackson, "I'm On My Way to Canaan"
  1. Nina Simone, "I Shall Be Released"
  2. Shuggie Otis, "Sweet Thang"
  1. Brother Joe May and the Bye & Bye, "Afterwhile"
  2. Shuggie Otis, "Sweet Thang"
  3. The Redemption Harmonizers, "Amazing Grace"
  1. Elvis Presley, "Where Could I Go but to the Lord"
  2. Taj Mahal, "She Caught the Katy and Left Me the Mule to Ride"
  1. The Ragged Jubilee, "In the Valley II"
  2. Joe and Eddie and the Les Braxter Chorus, "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore"
  1. Mahalia Jackson, "Trouble of the World"
  1. Spirit of Memphis Quartet, "Walking with Jesus"
  2. Cast, "Wayfaring Stranger"

Production

Development

Ethan Hawke and Jason Blum adapted the 2013 novel, The Good Lord Bird , for a limited series that premiered on October 4, 2020, on Showtime. [17] The series was created and executive produced by Hawke and Mark Richard. Jason Blum, via Blumhouse Television, served as a production partner on the miniseries. [18] [19] Albert Hughes, Kevin Hooks, Darnell Martin, and Haifaa al-Mansour, Michael Nankin, and Kate Woods each directed an episode. [20]

Casting

In August 2019, Daveed Diggs and Wyatt Russell signed on to portray Frederick Douglass and First Lieutenant J. E. B. Stuart. [21] [22] [23] In July 2019, Joshua Caleb Johnson and Rafael Casal joined the cast as Henry "Onion" Shackleford and John Cook. [24]

Filming

Principal photography for the series began in July 2019, in Powhatan, Virginia, near Richmond. [25] [26]

Reception

Critical response

For the series, review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 98% based on 52 reviews, with an average rating of 8.5/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Ethan Hawke dazzles in The Good Lord Bird, an epically irreverent adaptation that does right by its source material's good word." [27] On Metacritic, the series has a weighted average score of 84 out of 100 based on reviews from 25 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". [28]

In response to John Lahr's profile of Ethan Hawke, [29] The New Yorker published a letter to the editor, [30] written by Marty Brown, a descendant of John Brown. In the letter, Marty Brown welcomes the effort to bring John Brown's story to a wider audience but notes that his characterization in the series does not reflect the work of Brown's historians and biographers. [31]

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryNomineesResultRef.
2021 Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or TV Movie Daveed Diggs Nominated [32]
Joshua Caleb Johnson Nominated
Golden Globe Awards Best Actor – Limited Series or Television Film Ethan Hawke Nominated [33]
Gotham Awards Breakthrough Series – Long Format The Good Lord BirdNominated [34] [35]
Outstanding Performance in a New Series Ethan HawkeWon
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series Erika L. Johnson & Mark Richard (for "A Wicked Plot")Nominated [36]
Peabody Awards Entertainment honoreesShowtime Presents Blumhouse Television, Mark 924 Entertainment, Under the Influence ProductionsWon [37]
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Main Title Design Efrain Montanez, Eduardo Guisandes, and Abigail FairfaxWon [38]
Satellite Awards Best Miniseries & Limited Series The Good Lord BirdWon [39]
Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Film Ethan HawkeWon
Best Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film Joshua Caleb JohnsonNominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series Ethan HawkeNominated [40]
Television Critics Association Awards Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials The Good Lord BirdNominated [41]
Individual Achievement in Drama Ethan HawkeNominated
Writers Guild of America Awards Long Form – Adapted Jeff Augustin, Ethan Hawke, Erika L. Johnson, Mark Richard, Kristen SaBerre, and Lauren Signorino; Based on the novel by James McBride Nominated [42]

References

  1. ↑ "Is 'The Good Lord Bird' A White Savior Story, or Something Different?". NPR . October 14, 2020. Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  2. ↑ Rivera, Joshua (October 9, 2020). "'The Good Lord Bird' is a timely reminder that Americans aren't usually fans of progress". The Verge. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  3. ↑ Landekic, Lola (October 6, 2020). "The Good Lord Bird (2020)". Art of the Title . Archived from the original on April 5, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  4. ↑ Thorne, Will (March 11, 2019). "Ethan Hawke to Star in Showtime Limited Series 'Good Lord Bird'". Variety . Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on February 27, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  5. ↑ White, Peter (June 24, 2020). "Showtime Pushes Back Abolitionist Miniseries 'The Good Lord Bird', Picks Up British Drama 'We Hunt Together' To Fill Slot". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on October 7, 2020. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  6. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 13, 2020). "Ethan Hawke On Playing The Complexities In Showtime's 'The Good Lord Bird'". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on October 7, 2020. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
  7. ↑ "'Good Lord Bird' recognizes history's unnamed 'others'". St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, Missouri). October 2, 2020. p. G20 – via newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ Franklin, Garth (August 3, 2019). "Diggs, Russell Join Hawke's "Good Lord Bird"". Dark Horizons . Archived from the original on August 4, 2019. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
  9. ↑ Onion, Rebecca (October 5, 2020). "What's Fact and What's Fiction in 'The Good Lord Bird'". Slate . The Slate Group. Archived from the original on October 5, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  10. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (October 6, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.4.2020". Showbuzz Daily . Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  11. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (October 13, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.11.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on November 13, 2020. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  12. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (October 20, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.18.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
  13. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (October 27, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.25.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  14. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (November 3, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.1.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  15. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (November 10, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.8.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  16. ↑ Metcalf, Mitch (November 17, 2020). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.15.2020". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on November 17, 2020. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  17. ↑ Sepinwall, Alan (September 25, 2020). "The Gospel According to Ethan Hawke". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on October 14, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
  18. ↑ Lang, Brent (June 11, 2018). "Ethan Hawke, Jason Blum Adapting 'The Good Lord Bird' for TV". Variety . Archived from the original on June 13, 2018. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  19. ↑ "Academy Award(R) Nominee Ethan Hawke to Executive Produce and Star in Showtime(R) Limited Series "Good Lord Bird"". The Futon Critic . March 11, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  20. ↑ Petski, Denise (August 2, 2019). "Daveed Diggs & Wyatt Russell Join 'The Good Lord Bird' For Showtime - TCA". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  21. ↑ "Showtime Taps Tony Winner Daveed Diggs and Wyatt Russell in "The Good Lord Bird"". The Futon Critic . August 2, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  22. ↑ Sippell, Margeaux (August 2, 2019). "Daveed Diggs to Play Frederick Douglass in Ethan Hawke's Showtime Limited Series 'The Good Lord Bird'". TheWrap . Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  23. ↑ Bell, Breanna (August 2, 2019). "TV News Roundup: Daveed Diggs, Wyatt Russell Join Ethan Hawke Showtime Series". Variety . Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on December 6, 2019. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  24. ↑ Petski, Denise (November 8, 2019). "'The Good Lord Bird': Rafael Casal To Recur In Showtime Limited Series". Deadline Hollywood . Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on November 9, 2019. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  25. ↑ Evans, Chris (September 17, 2019). "Showtime's 'The Good Lord Bird' Filming in Virginia". KFTV-DT . Univision Communications. Archived from the original on December 3, 2019. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  26. ↑ Curran, Colleen (September 11, 2019). "On set of 'The Good Lord Bird' with Virginia showrunner Mark Richard and Ethan Hawke". Richmond Times-Dispatch . Lee Enterprises. Archived from the original on December 3, 2019. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  27. ↑ "The Good Lord Bird: Season 1 (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media. Archived from the original on December 25, 2020. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  28. ↑ "The Good Lord Bird (2020) Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  29. ↑ Lahr, John (September 14, 2020). "The Many Faces of Ethan Hawke". The New Yorker . Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  30. ↑ "The Mail October 19, 2020 Issue". The New Yorker . October 12, 2020. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  31. ↑ "John Brown: one of the most clear-sighted and courageous patriots our nation has ever produced". Hard Crackers. October 30, 2020. Archived from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  32. ↑ Schneider, Michael (January 18, 2021). "'Ozark,' 'The Crown' and Netflix Lead 26th Annual Critics' Choice Awards TV Nominations". Variety. Archived from the original on January 18, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2021.
  33. ↑ Oganesyan, Natalie; Moreau, Jordan (February 3, 2021). "Golden Globes 2021: The Complete Nominations List". Variety. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  34. ↑ Lattanzio, Ryan (November 30, 2021). "Gotham Awards: 'The Lost Daughter' Wins Top Prize — See the Full List of Winners". IndieWire. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  35. ↑ Sharf, Zack (October 21, 2021). "Gotham Awards 2021 Nominations: 'Pig,' 'Green Knight,' 'Passing' Compete for Best Feature". IndieWire . Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  36. ↑ Del Rosario, Alexandra (February 2, 2021). "NAACP Image Awards Nominations: Netflix Tops List With 'Bridgerton', 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' & 'Da 5 Bloods'". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on March 26, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  37. ↑ "The Good Lord Bird". Peabody Awards . June 22, 2021. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  38. ↑ "The Good Lord Bird". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences . Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  39. ↑ Van Blaricom, Mirjana (February 1, 2021). "25th Satellite Awards Nominees for Motion Pictures and Television Announced". International Press Academy . Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  40. ↑ "SAG Awards 2021 nominees". SAG Awards. February 4, 2021. Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  41. ↑ Turchiano, Danielle (July 15, 2021). "'Ted Lasso' Scores the Most 2021 TCA Awards Nominations". Variety . Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  42. ↑ Lewis, Hilary (February 3, 2021). "WGA Awards: 'Better Call Saul' Scores Leading 5 Nominations in TV, New Media, News Categories". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2021.

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