I’ve always been a big fan of historical films. Even when they are a little fast and lose with the truth (Braveheart I’m talking to you) often they inspire me to do the actual research on the historical figures and that’s a fun experience to take part in. I particularly love American history especially in places I’ve been to and lived in. The latest example that is premiering at Tribeca Film Festival is Young Washington about the formative early years of our first president George Washington. Not only did this movie inspire me to learn more about Washington but I found it thoroughly entertaining as a piece of blockbuster filmmaking.
To be honest, I have actually seen Young Washington 3 times already because I ended up doing 3 interviews which will be coming closer to the wide release on Hallmarkies Podcast. I also was so inspired by the movie that I wanted to learn more and read Ron Chernow’s captivating book (ad) called Washington: A Life. I highly recommend this book and the movie too!
Young Washington is directed by Jon Erwin and starts with Washington as a child after the death of his father when he was 11 and follows him through the French and Indian war, the disaster at Fort Necessity and Washington’s courageous stand with the Virginia Regiment in 1758. This was all done extremely effectively in the film. It’s particularly impressive with the small budget ($20-$35 million is what I read) I was especially impressed with the Fort Necessity sequence which was as captivating as it was devastating.
The cast Erwin has assembled is also excellent. William Franklyn-Miller is endearing and easy to relate with as Washington and he is surrounded by talent such as Mary-Louise Parker as his mother, Kelsey Grammar as Thomas Fairfax and Andy Serkis as Edward Braddock. The movie does expand on the truth with the romance Washington had with Sally Fairfax who in real life was the wife of one of his friends but it’s a small part of the film so not a big problem.
After reading Chernow’s book I am even more impressed with the historical accuracy of many of the scenes in Young Washington. Like I said, they don’t expand upon much and it also doesn’t feel like American propaganda. Afterall, we are seeing Washington at his greatest failure, literally surrendering because of partly his failure of leadership. His other weaknesses are mainly foibles of youth in the film but if anything that makes him easier to relate with than if he was portrayed as some paragon of virtue.
This summer we have the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate such an event than watching Young Washington. Hopefully you’ll be as entertained by it as I was and it will also inspire you to learn more about Washington and other Founding Fathers. At the very least it’s a rousing reminder that even our greatest heroes start out as young men and women brimming with potential.
