Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union

Name: Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union
Genre: Movie/Mini-Series, Documentary
Released: August 3, 2021
Rating: 72

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 7 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 7 Ratings

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3.1	User Score Generally unfavorable reviews based on 7 Ratings

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Obama: In Pursuit Of A More Perfect Union

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Series Details & Credits

HBO | Release Date: August 3, 2021

Summary: The three-part documentary miniseries directed by Peter Kunhardt features interviews with friends, colleagues, journalists, activists as well as archival footage about Obama's challenges to become the first Black president of the United States.

Genre(s): Movie/Mini-Series, Documentary

Recent Episodes

tbd
S1:E3. Part Three
Air Date: August 5, 2021
tbd
S1:E2. Part Two
Air Date: August 4, 2021
tbd
S1:E1. Part One
Air Date: August 3, 2021

See all Seasons and Episodes

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Lorraine Ali

Aug 3, 2021

Season 1 Review: It ultimately sets itself apart by taking a deeper look at the multitude of issues that surfaced after America finally chose its first Black president. ... Using Obama’s legacy as a prism to look at the myriad ways his presidency forced the country to grapple with its painful history, the series thus offers a fresh look at how Obama did and didn’t fit into the country’s prevailing political narratives. Read full review

Daniel D'Addario

Jul 27, 2021

Season 1 Review: “Obama” is at its strongest early on, in recounting the events leading to the publication of Obama’s first memoir, “Dreams From My Father.” Kunhardt has a careful eye for moments of revelation drawn from archival footage. ... If Obama is represented here as doubly symbolically important, the substance of his presidency is somewhat less amply investigated. ... This film plays up the generative imagination of Obama so much that one hits the end of episode three missing the relative simplicity of his moment. Read full review

Brian Lowry

Aug 3, 2021

Season 1 Review: At its best, this HBO production weds the soaring rhetoric and lofty expectations to the challenge of realizing that "more perfect union," both then and now. Read full review

Richard Roeper

Aug 3, 2021

Season 1 Review: Director Peter Kunhardt delivers a solid, straightforward, mostly linear work. ... More provocative are the new interviews with some key figures who didn’t always see eye-to-eye with Obama, either during his presidency or while his star was ascending. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Nick Allen

Aug 4, 2021

Season 1 Review: Kunhardt's docuseries is of a school of thought we need more from, that criticism can enrich one's honest appreciation of a political figure, and that a total, unquestioning allegiance creates a false relationship. Actual patriotism thrives with this nuance; so too does documentary filmmaking. Read full review

Joel Keller

Aug 4, 2021

Season 1 Review: While Obama: In Pursuit Of A More Perfect Union is likely more reverent than most people might like, it’s still an effective portrait of a president whose desire was to unite instead of divide. Read full review

Daniel Fienberg

Jul 30, 2021

Season 1 Review: Half a provocative and complicated exploration of the role of race in Obama’s political career and half a poorly sourced, by-the-numbers, generic biography. Read full review

User Score

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User Reviews

Royintexas

Aug 24, 2021

Obama did nothing to find a more perfect Union instead he created division and problems and was pathetic as a leader

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

ashaman01

Aug 4, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Spoiler, second worst president ever. He couldn't run his house let alone a country.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Seasons & Episodes

72

Series Overview
Season 1

72
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: August 3, 2021
- tbd
  S1:E3. Part Three
  Air Date: August 5, 2021
- tbd
  S1:E2. Part Two
  Air Date: August 4, 2021
- tbd
  S1:E1. Part One
  Air Date: August 3, 2021