Product Details

• Actors: Henry Louis Gates Jr.
• Directors: John Maggio, Leslie Asako Gladsjo, Sue Williams, Stephen Ives, Amanda Pollak
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: PBS
• DVD Release Date: April 13, 2010
• Run Time: 240 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0033XUH9A
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,407 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Studio: Pbs Release Date: 04/13/2010 Run time: 240 minutes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and entertaining four-hour series on genealogy, April 6, 2010

By 

Steven I. Ramm "Steve Ramm "Anything Phon... (Phila, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Faces of America (DVD)

This four-part, four-hour series aired on PBS earlier this year. Co-executive produced and superbly by Henry Louis Gates Jr. - the Harvard professor who is one of the leading historians on African American culture and history - this show will keep you engaged from beginning to end. No, it's not a history of African Americans - though one of the 12 "well known" persons (I hate to call them celebrities) is back (poet Elizabeth Alexander).

What Gates and his team (note there is no "Director" listed on the main credits) did was find 12 folks you've probably heard of and traced their lineage back at least 4 generations - in some cases as far back as 15 generations. (One of them is a distant cousin of Charlemagne! I won't tell you which one though.) The diverse group includes skater Kristi Yamaguchi, chef Mario Batalli, comedian Stephen Colbert (you learn how his name pronounced), cellist Yo-Yo Ma (you'll learn where his name Yo-Yo came from), Director Mike Nichols, Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria (a true Tex-Mex woman as you'll see), actress Meryl Streep and even a real Queen (Queen Noor of Jordan!).

The stories are not told linearly and Gates - who not only meets with the subjects in their own home or workplace, but also travels the world - jumps back and forth. Batalli and Nichols show up in Episode One but don't come back until Episode Four. Streep seems to be in every one, as does Colbert. For much of the fourth episode the discussion turns to genealogy through DNA testing. Fascinating, but a bit more complicated than the physical research covered until that point.

Each of the subjects gets a unique surprise finding and I'll not spoil the fun for you by revealing any of them here. I found the Ma family history and Mike Nichols to be the most surprising.

The music - by Michael Bacon (Kevin's brother and half of The Bacon Brothers band) - sometimes gets in the way, but that's minor issue. The show is fascinating and I highly recommend it.

There are no bonus features - just scene selection.

Watching this may send you off to find your own family history. Unlike the dozen covered here, you won't have Gates and his huge team to help you though.

Steve Ramm
"Anything Phonographic"

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful and moving --, June 17, 2011

By 

JNagarya (Reality) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Faces of America (DVD)

I have a favorite story here -- that of Yo-Yo Ma -- but it doesn't stop there. Kristi Yamaguchi's story is also deeply moving.

And when it is revealed to Latina Tex-Mex actress Longoria that she and Yo-Yo Ma share an ancester, she leans forward and asks --

"He's Mexican!?"

Warm, and rich, it will stretch your imagination and understanding of the actual history of the US, and the complexities of the US's fabric. At the same time, this series is shows that we are all more alike than different. Kudos to Professor Gates for his wonderful generosity (see his gift to Yo-Yo Ma!), which is given not only to the celebrities upon whom he focuses but to all of us.

Don't miss this!

5.0 out of 5 stars Faces of America should be in every home, December 27, 2011

By 

Corneydog "Corney" (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Faces of America (DVD)

Faces of America is very interesting and educational. If you have children, watch it with them and see their eyes light up. It's not just genealogical, it's a history of the country as well. Can't recommend it too highly!