Mention the name George Washington and a stark, consistent image comes to mind.
Old. Regal. Consequential.
Fatherly.
The nation’s first president was all of those things, but how did he get to that vital place in history? What was he like as a younger man, someone who didn’t have all the answers but knew the society he wanted to flourish in the colonies?
“Young Washington” fills in the blanks, and then some. This rousing biopic, brimming with smart dialogue and kinetic action sequences, is the film we need right now.
Happy Birthday, America!
An impressive William Franklyn-Miller stars as George Washington, a man with immense ambition but few family connections. He dreams of rising up the ranks in the British military and proving his mettle, and he understands he’ll have to face immense danger to do so.
His arrogance is nearly as large as his professional appetites.
He convinces a curious Lieutenant Governor Robert Dinwiddie (Ben Kingsley, as solid as ever) to make him a “Major,” and send him on a mission to stop the French from usurping the King’s territory. It’s a foolhardly quest, one seemingly doomed to fail.
That won’t stop George, nor will his lack of experience and unchecked hubris. He soon learns the realities of life, war and death, and along the way, the germ of greatness starts to grow.
“Young Washington” leans on familiar faces to flesh out the cast – Kelsey Grammer, Mary Louise-Parker, Andy Serkis and Kingsley – but the rest of the ensemble more than holds its own.
That’s especially true of the film’s lead performer.
Franklyn-Miller is stellar from start to finish, willing to show George’s flaws as well as his historic potential. We know the latter through high school history class, but it’s the journey that makes the story so engaging.
A sweet subplot finds George attempting to woo a socialite (Mia Rodgers), eager to prove he’s worthy of her love. Not so fast. The era’s culture didn’t look kindly on someone like George shmoozing above his station.
That courtship, and inevitable heartbreak, is one of the film’s many pleasures.
“Young Washington” could have stitched together historical cliches to show the title character’s growth. Some lines of dialogue land a little too hard, but screenwriters Jon Erwin, Tom Provost and Diederik Hoogstraten otherwise defy expectations and deliver something profound.
Their lines evoke the birth of a noble experiment, the vision George had for himself first, and later the colonies. At times, the lines are flat-out beautiful, propelling the story forward without feeling like a Sunday school sermon.
“Young Washington” is also a war movie.
The story brims with battle sequences, the kind you expect from a large-scale movie house. Angel Studios may be young, but its creative growth is nothing less than stunning. Credit Jon Erwin (“Jesus Revolution”) for finding the right approach in scene after scene.
The hand-to-hand combat, as well as the more traditional gun battles, pop with clarity and vigor. There’s nothing to indicate a diminished budget or second-tier experience.
This is the vision of a young George Washington the legend deserved.
The smaller sequences connect just as well as the epic-sized moments. Think George’s mother (Louise-Parker) gently steering her son toward a better path after a series of considerable missteps. It’s a short, gentle sequence, but it lingers for the rest of the film.
Or a humane Grammer, embodying the period’s aristocracy, looking past George’s modest station to see something special.
“Young Washington” would be a welcome arrival at any time or date. Debuting on the nation’s 250th birthday is almost too perfect, even for the movies.
HiT or Miss: “Young Washington” is every bit the biopic the nation’s Father deserves, representing the best film yet from Angel Studios and Wonder Project.
Just came home from cinema. Dare I besmirch? Pacing throughout was confusing (so now we’re at the family home again?) The battle scenes were stellar. I need to read about these battles. The lead was awesome/his thinness made his look frail.
I’ve been to all of the historic sites in the film that remain – Fort Necessity, Williamsburg and Mt. Vernon.
The movie is largely historically accurate. The only flaw probably done for the drama were the large cannon the French had at fort Necessity, they were not present at the battle. The real battle was the French sniping from the woods until a lack of supplies and being surrounded resulted in Washington’s surrender (his only one of his career). But the battle shown was far more dramatic.
As someone who has read considerably about Washington and the French & Indian War (aka 7 years war), the movie was surprisingly accurate. Washington kept the notebook of quotes, was self educated, inherited Mt. Vernon, surveyed the Ohio Territory, discovered the French Fort, delivered the diplomatic messages……. The skirmish that started the world war was amazingly well done, historians still do not know who fired the first shot (just like the battle of Lexington Green).
The movie is superb. I encourage readers to see it.
This is one film I am looking forward to. The review sounds terrific.
But does he chop down a cherry tree?