"Young Washington" Is A Compellingly Good Movie

Perfect for The Fourth of July, the feature film, "Young Washington", is now showing in movie theaters nationwide. It is a compellingly good movie. While the film does have some French and Indian War era violence which gives it its PG-13 rating, it is overall suited for family viewing. As one young lad of 13 years of age put it while holding up his large cup of Coca Cola in the movie theater, "Young Washington" is a good movie, "even better than this Coke".

"Young Washington" focuses on the experiences that General George Washington had during his youth that inspired him to see through the irrational inequities of the British class system that was based solely on wealth and status with no room for individual worth. In the film, the eleven years of age George Washington, is devastated when his father passes away. He has excelled in school and wishes to continue going to school. But, as fate would have it, he is turned away from school after his father passes away since he no longer has the means to afford it. Seeing how earnestly George Washington desires to learn, his half-brother Lawrence loans him some books by Cato and other important authors with which to continue his studies.

With his older half-brother Lawrence receiving a Captain's commission in one of the Virginia companies that the British mustered during the War of Jenkins' Ear, George Washington is inspired as a young boy to follow in his half-brother's footsteps and join the British army. However, he is at a disadvantage. For he is a colonial with little formal education, insufficient funds to purchase a royal commission from the King's army, and not enough land to offer as collateral to purchase a royal commission, either. As is heavily pointed out in "Young Washington", even though Washington was of an upper-class Virginia family, he is looked down upon by the British as a worthless provincial colonial. With any officer of the colonial militia being automatically outranked by even the most junior, newly minted, regular British officer.

In an effort to improve himself, George Washington, also teaches himself the field of surveying. With Washington managing in the film to secure a position surveying the expansive Northern Neck Proprietary for Lord Fairfax by crashing a by-invitation-only party being held at the Fairfax's plantation of Belvoir. It is here where "Young Washington" takes some historical license. For the film has George Washington meeting Sally Fairfax before she is married, however, in real life, she was already married when they met. She is also portrayed in the film as having platinum blonde hair while in the historical record she is described as having auburn hair. Nevertheless, the plot line of how his half-brother Lawrence married into the Fairfax family by marrying Sally Fairfax's sister, Anne, is accurate.

One of the most powerful scenes in the film occurs when Lawrence is tutoring George Washington as a young boy. Lawrence senses that George Washington has ambition and while they are playing chess, Lawrence tells George, "Aristocracy is a game". To which George responds with a question, "And what are we?" Lawrence answers, "We are their pawns." However, as Lawrence Washington explains to the young George, never forget that even "a pawn can take a king".

Another impacting scene in the film occurs when George Washington returns home after his terrible defeat at Fort Necessity. Which in the film was George Washington's first command. While pondering his devastating failures, his mother, Mary Ball Washington, tells him that "Failure is the tutor sent by Providence. If one doesn't learn from failure, one fails twice. But, if one learns from failure, one gains wisdom." Even though, Mary Ball Washington expresses disapproval of his soldiering profession, in the film, she encourages Washington to learn from his mistake and return to the army in whatever capacity that he can.

While "Young Washington" does take historical liberties throughout the film, it includes a storyline that could sound fantastical, except it is indeed historically accurate. For the film brings out how the during the Battle of Monongahela in 1755 that took place during the French and Indian War, Washington had two horses shot out from under him and four bullet holes in his coat. No one can imagine how he survived such without getting killed. Even Washington believed it could be nothing short of Divine Providence. With the Native Americans who aimed right at him being convinced that he was protected by the Great Spirit.

The film climaxes with Washington being made the commander of all of the Virginia militia and provincial forces during the French and Indian War after the disastrous Braddock expedition. In the film he insists upon the uniform of the Virginia militia being blue instead of the typical British redcoat. The movie also shows George Washington telling his men that while he is not a titled British Gentleman, he is, much to their approval, a fellow, "Virginian".

One of the bright spots of the film is the background music that is featured. With the background music consisting of some beautiful clips of classical music from the era such as the "Minuet in G" by Bach. With the Minuet being one of the dances of the era that George Washington dances with Sally Fairfax in the movie.

There is also an Alabama connection to the movie. As the director of "Young Washington" is Jon Erwin. With Erwin having been born in Birmingham, Alabama where he grew up with his fellow filmmaking brother, Andrew Erwin. The Erwin brothers' father, Hank Erwin, was a former state senator of Alabama. Jon Erwin has stated that he directed "Young Washington" as his "love letter to America" in honor of the 250th anniversary of The Declaration of Independence this year.

William Franklyn-Miller is the British actor who portrays George Washington in the film. He was drawn to the role due to his obsession with hero stories. But, feared that his British heritage would block him from receiving the part. Nevertheless, Jon Erwin felt that Franklyn-Miller delivered the physical presence, Franklyn-Miller is 6'4" tall, and gravitas he wanted the lead actor to have in "Young Washington". Leading to William Franklyn-Miller delving into learning the mindset of the young George Washington to prepare for such an important acting role. With William Franklyn-Miller stating that "Learning that he led these missions and so many men at such a young age, I was thinking, at 21, I wouldn't be able to do that."

Franklyn-Miller isn't the first British man to express respect for George Washington. For even King George III of England during The American Revolution, when he found out that Washington was not going to declare himself king, stated that George Washington was, "the greatest man in the world."

Luisa Reyes is a Tuscaloosa attorney, piano instructor, vocalist, poet, reporter, and columnist who writes on politics, current affairs, and the arts.

Opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Alabama Gazette staff or publishers.