Hemingway

Mark Lasswell

• Published on March 24, 2021 • Last modified on August 17, 2021

Hemingway, A Film by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick

The Man. The Myth. The Writer Revealed.

Most Americans have encountered Ernest Hemingway in one way or another. Hemingway, the new documentary premiering April 5 at 7 p.m. on WTVP, is a chance for anyone who has read The Old Man and the Sea or A Farewell to Arms (willingly or under orders from a lit teacher) and anyone who has still not had the pleasure, to separate fact from fiction in the life of the larger-than-life American author.

Who better to take on the monumental personality of “Papa” Hemingway than filmmakers Ken Burns and Lynn Novick? Their three-part, six-hour series studies the events of the Oak Park, Illinois native whose writings are the outward expressions of a complicated man whose life and struggles are often overshadowed by myth. Featured interviews include celebrated writers and Hemingway’s son, Patrick, along with voice acting by Jeff Bridges as Hemingway, and Meryl Streep, Keri Russell, Mary Louise Parker and Patricia Clarkson as his four wives.

“While many of us studied Ernest Hemingway in school, the true significance of his work was perhaps never fully appreciated. This extraordinary film sheds new light on the contributions and complexity of one of America’s most influential writers,” says Paula Kerger, President and CEO of PBS.

BROADCAST SPONSORS:

DUST OFF AND REVISIT THE SOURCE MATERIAL:

NOVELS:

The Old Man and the Sea
The Sun Also Rises
For Whom the Bell Tolls
A Farewell to Arms

SHORT STORIES:

The Snows of Kilimanjaro
The Hills Like White Elephants
Big Two-Hearted River

NONFICTION:

A Moveable Feast
Death in the Afternoon

Episodes

Episode 1 – A Writer

Hemingway, yearning for adventure, volunteers for the Red Cross during World War I. He marries Hadley Richardson and moves to Paris, publishes The Sun Also Rises and finds critical and commercial success with his second novel, A Farewell to Arms.

WTVP-HD 47.1 – Mon, 04/05/2021 @ 7 PM
WTVP-HD 47.1 – Mon, 04/05/2021 @ 9 PM
WTVP-HD 47.1 – Tue, 04/06/2021 @ 12 AM
WTVP-WORLD 47.3 – Sat, 04/10/2021 @ 12 AM
WTVP-WORLD 47.3 – Sat, 04/10/2021 @ 8 AM

Hemingway - A Look Ahead

0:30

Published:

Rating: NR

Ken Burns and Lynn Novick explore the writer and his enduring influence. Coming April 2021

Official Trailer

0:30

Published:

Rating: NR

Ken Burns and Lynn Novick explore the writer and his enduring influence. Coming April 2021

Episode 2 – The Avatar

Hemingway, having achieved a level of fame rarely seen in the literary world, settles in Key West with Pauline Pfeiffer but can’t stay put for long. He reports on the Spanish Civil War and begins a tempestuous romance with Martha Gellhorn.

WTVP-HD 47.1 – Tue, 04/06/2021 @ 7 PM
WTVP-HD 47.1 – Tue, 04/06/2021 @ 9 PM
WTVP-HD 47.1 – Wed, 04/07/2021 @ 12 AM
WTVP-WORLD 47.3 – Sat, 04/17/2021 @ 12 AM
WTVP-WORLD 47.3 – Sat, 04/17/2021 @ 8 AM

Episode 3 – The Blank Page

Hemingway follows the Army as they advance through Europe. Afterwards, he tries to start a life with Mary Welsh, but is beset with tragedies. He publishes The Old Man and the Sea to acclaim but is overcome by his declining mental condition.

WTVP-HD 47.1 – Wed, 04/07/2021 @ 7 PM
WTVP-HD 47.1 – Wed, 04/07/2021 @ 9 PM
WTVP-HD 47.1 – Thu, 04/08/2021 @ 12 AM
WTVP-WORLD 47.3 – Sat, 04/24/2021 @ 12 AM
WTVP-WORLD 47.3 – Sat, 04/24/2021 @ 8 AM

Trailer #2: A Portrait

0:30

Published:

Ken Burns and Lynn Novick explore the writer and his enduring influence. Coming April 2021

Conversations on Hemingway | A Virtual Series

In this virtual event series, filmmakers and special guests explore the writer’s art and legacy. Conversations on Hemingway was presented by WETA and Georgetown University.