America's sassiest genius gets the Ken Burns treatment—prepare to be schooled by a dead guy.
Largely considered to be the greatest American author, Mark Twain is celebrated in this exhaustive documentary by filmmaker Ken Burns.
Direction
Burns' signature pan-and-zoom on rare Twain photos.
Writing
Twain's own words, brutal and beautiful.
Acting
Keith David's voice = liquid authority.
Director
Ken Burns
Keith David
Narrator (voice)
Kevin Conway
Mark Twain (voice)
Blythe Danner
Olivia "Livy" Langdon Clemens (voice)
Philip Bosco
(voice)
Carolyn McCormick
(voice)
Amy Madigan
(voice)
Cynthia Nixon
(voice)
Dick Gregory
Self (uncredited)
Hal Holbrook
Self (uncredited)
Arthur Miller
Self (uncredited)
Chuck Jones
Self (uncredited)
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Burns spent six years on this—longer than Twain spent writing Huck Finn. The man is COMMITTED.
This dropped when 'The West Wing' was peak prestige TV—Burns was basically the anti-Sorkin, letting silence speak.
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