Nonureva Really Surprised!

Greenes Please don't spend money on this.

ThrillMessage There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.

Bluebell Alcock Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

csgollum America is a huge country and would take years to cover, even if one were to only spend a day in each major city or town. I'm sure there are people who have travelled nomad-style throughout the length and breadth of the country, but I am yet to hear of anybody who has done that and documented his/her experiences for others to watch. Fry does cover a few places which are renowned for some particular reason, but as he repeats in a few episodes, what he is after is the "heart" of the city or state, not the parts that have been popularised by Hollywood. This could mean a particular geographical or man-made landmark, food, occupation, or a native who has made it big.As one reviewer puts it, the series covers "voodoo in New Orleans, witchcraft in Massachusetts, and homelessness in St. Louis", all quirks or shortcomings. But that is exactly how people around the world picture these places. For example, India is still portrayed in Europe and the West in general as a land of cow worshippers, snake charmers, and spicy curry. But Stephen Fry covers not just these well known spots but also less well known places and he does it in his trademark witty bantering style.Finally, to me, a bookworm who has only read about and seen America in movies and TV shows, this series is a fascinating peek into the country, which in a short period of time (when compared to countries like India, home to ancient civilizations) has achieved so much.

davethemathtutor I get the feeling I'm supposed to know who this Stephen Fry guy is. But to me he's just some pudgy English fellow who somehow managed to land this gig driving around the U.S. from state to state, pausing long enough in each to deliver some remarkably unremarkable observations about American life. His "uber-smart charm" is touted on the DVD package, but comments like "Americans often identify a place by its being east or west of the Mississippi River" strike me as pretty banal, and when he expresses amazement (in Wisconsin) that a water bottle left out overnight in sub-zero temperatures is frozen hard by morning, that seems downright dumb.Some of the things he omits to mention are pretty startling too. When he passes through Clarksdale, Mississippi, he waxes rhapsodic about the astonishing number of great blues musicians who hailed from there— and neglects to name a single one of them. (Wikipedia says that John Lee Hooker, Earl Hooker, Son House, Sam Cooke, Junior Parker, and Ike Turner were born there; W.C. Handy, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, and Howlin' Wolf all either lived or worked there at some time in their lives; and Bessie Smith died there.) No state escapes without some shallow, superficial commentary.Not only is Fry superficial, he's supercilious as well, dismissing the great majority of what he encounters with a superior air and an endless stream of subtle and not-so-subtle put-downs. In New Orleans at Mardi Gras, while everyone around him is partying like mad and having a blast, he remarks that "fun" is a word that "makes me shiver with revulsion." In another state, when a couple who have invited him into their home give him an impromptu homemade serenade with a guitar and a recorder, he says (out of their hearing, of course) that it is the type of event that "makes my blood run cold." If those are examples of his charm, I'd hate to see him when he's being an obnoxious twit.All in all: Fry goes some interesting places, sees some interesting scenery, meets some interesting people, does some interesting things, and makes a lot of uninteresting remarks about all of it.

Steve McLaughlin Thought this was a very honest view of America, the good, the bad, the ugly and the majestic. I'm sure people will complain their state wasn't portrayed correctly, especially in the upper Mid West, that they decided to visit their region in January. Fry has some great lines throughout adding humor along the way as well as candid conversations on more serious subjects. Only wish they went slower and had more episodes. And also a summary at the end with his opinions concerning his visit.Fry a great comedian could have poked fun at everything he saw, but didn't, just an honest portrayal of how a visitor views America driving around in his black cab. 10/10

pfarley_99_1999 Wonderful series. I enjoyed everything about it with the exception of the study of cadavers - I skipped over that chapter. Mr. Fry was witty and well spoken and educational to boot. I laughed at the part when he was driving next to a cemetery and said that this 'must be the dead center of town'. I recommend this series for the whole family with the exception of the cadaver study - please skip over that (hit the next chapter button) - yuk - celebrate life please. It seems odd to me that a man with such wit and intelligence does not enjoy dancing, skiing, or 'fun' as he stated it. Mr. Fry must of been raised in a serious home. I give it a 8 out of ten. Thank you so much Mr. Fry!