Search - Biography - Eleanor Roosevelt: A Restless Spirit (A&E DVD Archives) on DVD

A TIRELESS FIRST LADY

Bonita L. Davis | 11/26/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Orphaned at an early age, rejected by relatives who thought she was ugly, and very shy, Eleanor Roosevelt's prospects for the future looked dim. Even her marriage to her distant cousin, Franklin, wasn't great. She was dominated by her mother-in-law and he was a womanizer. What could the future possibly hold for such a plain woman? Eleanor Roosevelt surprised them all! Biography gives a wonderful review of a woman coming into her own sense of self. Eleanor redefined the role of the First Lady. Her deep caring for people, love of politics and tireless energy made her the equal of her husband. The two formed an alliance which made them partners in politics but gave them seperate social lives. Eleanor served as Franklin's emissary as she traveled around the world explaining his programs and finding out the needs of the common person. Biography reveals the tensions in the marriage, their intimate lives with other people,Eleanor's emerging independence and her political awareness. She was more active in the political scene than any other First Lady. Although she was the representative of her husband, she also had her own ideas and concerns that moved beyond the political realm. Enjoy this film where you will see a woman who had a great impact on the political scene. Watch how she moved from a shy dominated woman to a self assured matron who was a force to be reckoned with in her own right."