'The Plot Against America': Release date, plot, cast, trailer and everything else about the HBO show
'The Plot Against America' is an HBO limited series based on the novel of the same name by Philip Roth. The show is executive produced and created by the same team behind 'The Wire' -- David Simon and Ed Burns.
Release date:
'The Plot Against America' will premiere on HBO on March 16 at 9 pm ET.
Plot:
The show portrays an alternate American history told through the eyes of a working-class Jewish family that settled in the U.S. It shows how an entire country seems to root for a presidential candidate who is anti-Semitic and the show will portray how things change for the Jewish family in the run towards the election. The official synopsis of the show describes 'The Plot Against America' as "a limited series based on the acclaimed Philip Roth novel of the same name, imagines an alternate American history during World War II, told through the eyes of a working-class Jewish family in New Jersey as they endure the political rise of Charles Lindbergh, an aviator-hero and xenophobic populist, who captures the presidency and turns the nation toward fascism."
Cast:
Zoe Kazan as Elizabeth "Bess" Levin
Zoe Kazan plays the role of Bess in the show. Bess is a mother who is worried about the future of her children and wants to ensure that they do not experience the same fear that their parents experienced. The official character bio is that Bess is "an insightful mother and homemaker who fears for the future as she tries to protect her family amid the escalating political climate."
Morgan Spector as Herman Levin
Morgan Spector plays the role of Herman in the show and he is married to Bess. While Bess is worried, Morgan tries hard to push all of that away because he believes that people will see the presidential candidate Lindberg for what he is. His official character bio is that Morgan is "her (Bess') proud and opinionated husband who works as an insurance agent and tries to maintain normalcy and assert himself as an American citizen even as his country seems to be slipping into fascism, anti-Semitism and xenophobic isolationism."
Winona Ryder as Evelyn Finkel
Winona Ryder, as Evelyn Finkel, plays the role of Bess' sister in the show. She will be seen heartbroken initially after her affair with a married man goes wrong, but is soon enthralled by Rabbi Lionel Bengelsdorf. Her official character bio is that she is "the unmarried, older sister to Bess whose own plans were arrested by years of caring for her infirm mother and is hungry to find her own place in life."
John Turturro as Rabbi Lionel Bengelsdorf
Actor John Turturro will portray the role of Rabbi Lionel Bengelsdorf, a man who is looking forward to playing a key role in the Lindberg administration. He is also the same man who has captured Evelyn's attention. His official character bio is that he is "a politically conservative rabbi transplanted from Charleston, S.C. who seizes the reins of history to become a key figure in the emergent Lindbergh administration."
Other cast members include Anthony Boyle as Alvin Levin, Azhy Robertson as Phillip Levin, Caleb Malis as Sandy Levin, David Krumholtz as Monty Levin, Michael Kostroff as Shepsie Tirschwell and Jacob Laval as Seldon Wishnow.
Creator:
The show is created by David Simon and Ed Burns based on the novel by Philip Roth. The first three episodes of the limited series are directed by Minkie Spiro.
Trailer:
The trailer of the show centers on the horror of how a country can turn against its people so quickly when one of its heroes who is xenophobic does not just compete in an election, but also wins. The video begins by introducing Charles Lindberg as the presidential candidate and ends with the announcement of who has been elected as the 38th president of the United States. In the meanwhile, we also see how Elizabeth "Bess" Levin ask her husband Herman "What if he wins?" and he responds, "Everyone sees what he is." But does everyone really?
We see a number of people try to convince Bess at different times that Lindberg is a good man, that he is not anti-Semitic. However, the rising hatred against Jews and if that white robe (Ku Klux Klan) in the trailer is any indication, then against the black population in the country, proves otherwise. How will this Jewish family, who have come to consider America their country deal with the hatred that they face?
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