Ken Burns: National Parks - America's Best Idea |  | Director: Ken Burns
Actors: Adam Arkin, Philip Bosco, Kevin Conway, Peter Coyote, Andy Garcia
Studio: PBS (DIRECT)
Category: DVD
List Price: $99.99
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Rating:  82 reviews
Sales Rank: 654
Format: Box set, Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Languages: English (Unknown), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Number Of Discs: 6
Running Time: 720 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 3.3 x 1
UPC: 841887009881
EAN: 0841887009881
ASIN: B002BO2R4K
Release Date: October 6, 2009
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
THE NATIONAL PARKS is the story of an idea as uniquely American as the Declaration of Independence: that the most special places in the nation should be preserved for everyone. The series traces the birth of the national park idea in the mid-1800s and follows its evolution for nearly 150 years, chronicling the addition of new parks through the stories of the people who helped create them.
This film is presented in "widescreen" format. Enchanced for 16x9 televisions.
Audio: English 5.1 Surround, English 2.0 Stereo, Spanish 2.0 Stereo, Described Video for the Visualy Impaired
Subtitles: English & Spanish
Region: NTSC 1
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 82
 A VISION REALIZED September 30, 2009
Randy Ingersoll
72 out of 78 found this review helpful
I live in Gardiner, Montana (location of the Roosevelt Arch) and work in Yellowstone, and I experienced firsthand the genuine passion and forthright efforts of Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan and their staff as they took their vision and turned it into a poetic masterpiece. Their years of hard work not only in Yellowstone but throughout the entire national park system have paid off, and we are the lucky beneficiaries of their skillful and spirited tenacity.
This film speaks gently and lovingly of the National Parks idea. The majestic vistas, the enlightening interviews, the background music -- woven together they demonstrate the power of "place", and fill us with a desire to further protect and honor these sacred sites.
We cannot live without the land, and we cannot live well without understanding our past. "The National Parks: America's Best Idea" is an authentic rendering of those very truths, and like all things good and beautiful, will be experienced and revered for ages to come, just as will the national parks themselves.
America's Best *IDEA* September 29, 2009
Jonathan L. Hicks
52 out of 56 found this review helpful
Not sure why people are complaining about not getting more geological data or wildlife info. This documentary is about the IDEA of our National Park systems which includes inspirations and motivations. As history lover's review says...its how (and why) our National Parks came to be. I'm sure Burns included the term "idea" for good reason. The idea that Burns goes after seems to be a philosophy against commercialism and greed which makes sense after seeing the first episode. Who cares if spirituality was one of the inspirations though? For many, appreciating nature is a spiritual or at least meditative experience regardless of what they do or don't believe. So far this documentary is organized much the same as Burns' other films. Nice music, nice scenery captured in nice camera work with nice photographs- all interwoven with Park Rangers, historians, writers and other experts on the people and places mentioned. So far so good! Leave it to Burns to use National Parks to provide another reminder that not everything in this country is money motivated. If the rest of the episodes are as good as what I've seen it'll be worth a purchase.
e: Now that the series is over I can say I really enjoyed it. I feel pretty much the same as my initial review above. I do agree with some of the other reviews that this series didn't feel as cohesive as some of Burns' other films but it was still a really good one. My only gripe was that although I enjoyed the music (especially the guitar-work) I wish there was more variety. I wish they had recorded more music for this specific film so that songs weren't reused as much. It didn't detract from the film all that much though. When it was all said and done, not only did I learn about interesting things about interesting people and places, this film inspired more appreciation for our National Parks from me. That's enough for me to say its worth a watch and worth owning. Recommended.
Brilliant October 1, 2009
C. E. Cassidy (Pacific, MO USA)
37 out of 40 found this review helpful
In reading some of the previous comments/reviews, it is apparent that it would behoove some people to look up the definition of 'documentary'. It just might be a revelation that they mainly consist of historical content. If an endless montage of pretty pictures is all it takes to satisfy you (or that is all you can handle), stick to the National Geographic channel. I am not knocking their content, but you won't find this kind of depth/detail there. This series has the perfect balance of beautiful landscapes and historical narration. The point of this documentary is not simply to show the wonderous beauty that the National Parks have to offer. Rather, it is about exploring the origin and necessity of the parks and the journey from a grand idea to magnificent fruition. Learning what it took and the obstacles faced to make the National Parks a reality is very interesting and truly awe-inspiring. We are blessed to have these amazing places that we can all call our own.
Beautiful and facinating September 30, 2009
M. F. Williams (Cleveland, OH)
24 out of 26 found this review helpful
I have watched other Ken Burns documentaries and while I found them all well done, while occasionally sleep-inducing, but none have intrigued me as much as this one. I am an avid lover of our local, state, and national parks; I am a frequent hiker, camper, and trail-maintenance volunteer. I had no idea, however, what a struggle it was to get the national parks started! It doesn't really surprise me that there would be so many people willing to exploit such beautiful places as Yosemite and the Grand Canyon for profit, but I can't imagine what it would be like if they had succeeded.
I personally have found this series to be thoroughly enlightening. Besides enjoying the cinematography, watching it has helped me appreciate even more something I already loved so much because of the struggle to establish it. If you want just pretty pictures, there are plenty of other documentaries to watch (Planet Earth, etc). If you want to understand the history behind the keeping the places in those pretty pictures pretty and accessible to all, I highly recommend this series.
Brilliant Narrative October 2, 2009
Scott Wieking (Davis, CA)
16 out of 17 found this review helpful
Ken Burns' presentation exceeds expectations! The story behind the creation of the National Parks is a story that must be told. The story reflects what is best about our nation -- people making sacrifice, sometimes at great personal cost, to do the right thing. The right thing in this case is the preservation of our nation's most remarkable wildlands for generations to come. Burns tells the story like an artist, carefully weaving scenery with the significant events that helped forge our park system. Knowing the story behind these precious wildlands magnifies the sense of pride and humble gratitude that we can take towards our National Parks.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 82
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