'Faces of America'

Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. - who was in the headlines last year when he was arrested for trying to get into his own house - helps a number of familiar faces, from Meryl Streep and director Mike Nichols to Eva Longoria and figure-skating icon Kristi Yamaguchi, trace their genealogies in this documentary recently televised as a PBS miniseries.

Many of the featured personalities barely can disguise their surprise when they learn their heritage, the sort of puzzle Gates specializes in piecing together. **** (Not rated)

Buy 'Faces of America' on DVD.