Entertainment NOW

Entertainment Now | May 23 - 29, 2020 By Kyla Brewer TV Media A s a presidential election looms before Americans, television dives into the past to tell the story of one of the nation's most influen- tial figures. Reenactments, expert commentary and archival imag- ery trace the life of a former presi- dent from humble beginnings to battlefield glory to the White House and beyond in this new television event. Justin Salinger ("Enduring Love," 2004) stars as Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th president of the United States, in the three-night presentation of the miniseries "Grant," beginning on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, and con - tinuing the following two eve- nings on History Channel. The six-hour program shines a spot- light on a man many experts feel has been largely forgotten, de- spite his achievements on the battlefield and in the White House. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ron Chernow, actor-producer Leonardo DiCaprio ("Titanic," 1997) and producer Jennifer Davis- son ("Orphan," 2009) serve as ex- ecutive producers for the epic from RadicalMedia, in association with Lionsgate. This new series follows the success of History Channel's re- cent miniseries "Washington," which told the story of the na- tion's first president, George Washington. When it premiered in February, "Washington" pulled in top ratings for History Channel, making it the No. 1 miniseries on cable in nearly three years, with more than 2.5 million viewers. Such shows are hallmarks of History Channel's traditional programming, and it looks as if the network is eager to continue its foray into historical presidencies. "Ulysses S. Grant is one of our most brilliant, yet misunderstood presidents, and History is commit- ted to telling the compelling sto- ries, like his, of those who have shaped our great nation," History Channel executive Eli Lehrer said. "This is an important part of Amer- ican history that deserves to be told, and we look forward to deliv- ering our latest premium core his- tory documentary series to our au- dience." While Grant, much like Wash- ington, was a famed general and politician, the new miniseries re- veals that many of his contribu- tions to American history have been underappreciated. He at- tended the United States Military Academy at West Point as a young man, where he established him- self as a proficient horseman. He soon rose through the military ranks and ended up saving the na- tion on more than one occasion. He served his country during the Civil War and also during Recon- struction as he tried to reconcile the North and the South. He judi- ciously defended the voting rights of millions of formerly enslaved people. Yet, according to an offi- cial news release for the minise- ries, his story has been "tarnished by a fog of myth, rumor and false- hood." In addition to Salinger's portray- al of the president during the show's dramatic segments, "Grant" also includes performanc- es by newcomer Dianne Simpson as his wife, first lady Julia Grant, and Carel Nel ("Hum," 2016) as the nation's 16th president, Abra- ham Lincoln. The miniseries is much more than a standard biopic. A variety of experts add credence to the program's claims with insight into the man behind the myth. A renowned journalist, historian and biographer, Chernow has written many award-winning books on historical figures, in- cluding one about Grant. The New York Times named Cher- now's acclaimed "Grant" one of the 10 Best Books of 2017. The author is interviewed through- out History's new miniseries, along with other experts, such as one-time CIA director and re- tired United States Army general David Petraeus. The program also features interviews with journalist and award-winning author Ta-Nehisi Coates, as well as West Point English professor Elizabeth Samet. In the show's trailer, Grant is called a plethora of contradicto- ry things: "the first modern American warrior," "a bloody butcher," "a corrupt president," "a belligerent drunk," "the greatest general of his time" and even "the unheroic hero of our greatest national epic." That's a lot of ground to cover, but luckily there are plenty of heavy hitters behind the scenes with experience telling such leg- endary stories. Most television viewers prob- ably recognize DiCaprio, the pro- ducer of the miniseries, from his big-screen film roles in such movies as "What's Eating Gil- bert Grape" (1993), "Titanic" (1997), "Catch Me If You Can" (2002) and "Inception" (2010). More recently, he hit the screen alongside Brad Pitt in Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" (2019), for which DiCaprio snagged another Oscar nomination. In recent years, he's been prov- ing himself a formidable force as a producer, too. He appears to have a particular affinity for his- torical tales, many of which he produces through his film pro- duction company Appian Way Productions, where fellow "Grant" executive producer Da- visson serves as president of pro- duction. Founded in 2004, the company has explored history in several of its films, beginning with "The Assassination of Rich- ard Nixon" in 2004. DiCaprio starred as Howard Hughes in Ap- pian's biopic "The Aviator" that same year. Other Appian Way works inspired by historical events include "Public Enemies" (2009), "The Wolf of Wall Street" (2013), "Richard Jewell" (2019) and "The Revenant" (2015) — the latter won DiCaprio his first Academy Award. Justin Salinger as seen in "Grant" War hero to White House: History Channel presents the story of President Ulysses S. Grant 2 | Cover story A/Grindstone Charlie's B/Norris Insurance 1 x 4" Moore's Home Health 5 x 2" 3833 S Lafountain 455-2700 www.NorrisInsurance.com Great insurance. Local Service. 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