‘The Titanic’ miniseries on DVD

Category: Blu-ray's and DVD's


The 1996 TV miniseries The Titanic is a star-studded two-part event that depicts several characters as they sail on the disastrous ship Titanic. This is a well-made version of the epic story with Peter Gallagher, George C. Scott, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Eva Marie Saint, Tim Curry, and Marilu Henner.

There are several individual stories that play out during the film. It begins in London with a young thief (Mike Doyle) stealing a ticket on the great steamship, which is heading to NYC and a new life. On board he joins with a purser (Curry) to steal the jewels from the rich and famous. After all, John Jacob Astor IV (Scott Hylands) and his young wife Madeline (Janne Mortil) are on board, as is the vivacious and devil-may-care unsinkable Molly Brown (Henner).

With Captain Smith (Scott) at the helm, the ship is in good hands, until a confluence of mistakes takes the ship from unsinkable to very sinkable.

Meanwhile, Wynn Park (Gallagher) rekindles a long-ago relationship with the love of his life, Isabella Paradine (Zeta-Jones) who is also still in love with him even though she is married with a young daughter. Will they throw caution to the wind and run away together or will she return to her husband and daughter?

Also, there is young unstable woman taking care of the children of Bess Allison (Harley Jane Kozak) and her husband, who are completely unaware of her past and her mental instability.

Add to the passenger list is a snooty, snobby woman, Hazel Foley (Saint) who insisted on bringing her dog on board and even on the lifeboat when they women and children were being evacuated.

The individual stories and the combination of characters make this an enjoyable version of the story of the Titanic. April 14, 1912 was a day that is etched in history, and the passengers on this maiden voyage included some of the famous and some of the downtrodden people looking to make a new and better life in America.

While the rich crossed the Atlantic in style in First Class, the others were making the best of thing in steerage. But Jaimie Perse (Doyle) snuck up to First Class whenever he could manage.

The tapestry of individual stories along with the tragedy of the ship makes this a compelling and engrossing film. The first part lays the background of all the main characters while part two delves into the tragic events that led most of the passengers to their death.

There have been many films and documentaries made about the Titanic. This miniseries is one of the most enjoyable versions with a mix of colorful characters and the catastrophic ending of this great and mighty ship. It’s definitely a great fictional version of the story with a wonderful cast and a well-written script.

The DVD includes a Digital version as well. The Titanic: The Epic Miniseries Event is rated PG-13 for a scene of sexual assault and other violent areas. The miniseries won an Emmy for “Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Miniseries or a Special” and was nominated for many other awards that year.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County.

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