Director Jon Erwin
Starring William Franklyn-Miller, Mary-Louise Parker, Kelsey Grammer, Andy Serkis, Ben Kingsley
Rated M
Score 5/6
Long before he became the first President of the United States and the man forever remembered as the “Father of His Country”, George Washington was an ambitious young officer thrust into a brutal and uncertain world where every decision carried life-or-death consequences.
My 6000th post!!! It seems only fitting that it’s a movie review. I believe that Young Washington is the fourth Angel Studios movie that I have watched. It looks like that Young Washington is the first time that director Jon Erwin has directed an Angel Studios movie. I am also sure that more than a few of you are aware that while going to movies like Young Washington, when you leave the cinema you’re going to run the risk of overhearing a conversation of somebody lecturing their friends about how historically inaccurate the movie was. Personally, yes, I kind of understand overhearing the lecture about the authenticity of the actual historical events featured in the movie (even though we all know there are films out there that have taken creative licence with the history), but!! In certain circumstances, I believe that the wardrobe department is allowed a certain amount of leeway when it comes to truly authentic costumes. Supposedly Young Washington features AI-enhanced effects, though I do try to keep AI writing out of posts being written for The Movie Boards, I’m starting to see that AI can be an important creative tool for filmmaking. There were some stunning shots of the Ohio frontier. Going into Young Washington, I knew nothing about the life and career of George Washington (though I will admit a Simpsons reference might have crept into my head when The French burnt Fort Necessity) and perhaps yes, I was expecting a Big Loud Action Movie, perhaps something along the lines of the 2000 movie The Patriot. Was Young Washington a Big Loud Action Movie? No. Was I disappointed? No. Especially considering that the movie was more about George Washington, the man, rather than the battles he fought in. William Franklyn-Miller gave a good performance as Washington. I enjoyed Washington’s character arc, and there was a great scene towards the end of the movie between George Washington talking about destiny. Personally, I enjoyed Andy Serkis (in a seemingly rare non-motion capture role) as Edward Braddock, while Kelsey Grammer seemed to be channeling his iconic character Dr. Frasier Crane in his performance as Thomas Fairfax. I really enjoyed Mary-Louise Parker’s performance as Mary Ball Washington.
