Backdrop

Henry David Thoreau

IMDb 1.0 2026 • 55 min • Documentary

Director

Ken Burns

Country

US

Plot Summary

Henry David Thoreau helped define modern environmentalism and nonviolent resistance, yet his life has been obscured by myth. The author of Walden and Civil Disobedience, he was brilliant but flawed, idealistic but opinionated. A writer, scientist and activist, his words resonate urgently with today’s challenges as humanity looks for ways to live in harmony with nature—and each other.

Top Cast

George Clooney
George Clooney Self – Narrator (voice)
Jeff Goldblum
Jeff Goldblum Henry David Thoreau (voice)
Ted Danson
Ted Danson Ralph Waldo Emerson (voice)
Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep Various Characters (voice)