Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union: Season 1

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 7 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 15 Ratings

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2.6

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2.6	Your Score
2.6	User Score Generally unfavorable reviews based on 15 Ratings

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Obama: In Pursuit Of A More Perfect Union

Now Playing: Obama: In Pursuit Of A More Perfect Union

Season Details & Credits

HBO | Season Premiere Date: August 3, 2021

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

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

Season 1 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

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Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Lorraine Ali

Aug 3, 2021

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

“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

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

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

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

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

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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2.6

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User Reviews

Kuggz

Aug 5, 2021

Finally Obama has come back to HBO! Pretty good early, missing something late. Solid overall and a good teaching tool. Will obviously trigger racists but anything now does. Most of them can’t afford HBO so don’t take their review seriously

1 of 6 users found this helpful15

Sonnyjunk

Oct 30, 2021

I went into this with an open mind but quickly realized that the do nothing except bail out my buddies joke that is Obama is nothing more than hot garbage..they keep trying to blow smoke up our asses and hope we don't notice. Much like the MSM..the people who made this obviously think weI went into this with an open mind but quickly realized that the do nothing except bail out my buddies joke that is Obama is nothing more than hot garbage..they keep trying to blow smoke up our asses and hope we don't notice. Much like the MSM..the people who made this obviously think we are all stupid because its hard to watch the knob coddling and flat out lies that this crap spews out..this person is not a good man and this confirms it..watch if you want a good chuckle i guess....Let's go Brandon… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

BlowsFXP

Aug 5, 2021

I love all the lies they try to input with this kind of self promoting documentard, when you know all the lies, its easy to spot a liar. keep reading, keep geting more culture , and these punks won't be able to fool the people anymore.

4 of 6 users found this helpful42

Thelog32

Aug 13, 2021

More self-flagellation by the corporate DNC. The most telling moment of Obama's presidency is when he lied to the people of Flint Michigan telling them that their water was "safe to drink". THIS is who Obama is. A liar, a war-hawk, a neoliberal plant, and Deporter in Chief. He bailed out theMore self-flagellation by the corporate DNC. The most telling moment of Obama's presidency is when he lied to the people of Flint Michigan telling them that their water was "safe to drink". THIS is who Obama is. A liar, a war-hawk, a neoliberal plant, and Deporter in Chief. He bailed out the banks and led the American people into the hands of the Sackler family after having their homes yanked away from them. Obama's governance left us with Trump and QAnon, and Biden will leave office with even worse waiting in the wings.… Expand

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

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