'Young Washington' Review: We Deserve a More Exciting Founding Father

It's the 250th birthday of the United States of America and what better way to celebrate than with a big-screen hagiography of America's first president, George Washington? “Young Washington” hits theaters just in time for the Fourth of July with a chiseled, handsome young actor in the lead role and the gloss of a prestige HBO drama, though the result isn't really a big-screen spectacle or appointment television. It feels more like something you might watch on audiovisual equipment in a high school social studies class. At least there won't be a quiz at the end.

But it could be, because the plot of “Young Washington” unfolds with all the excitement of a textbook chapter. It takes place primarily around 1753-55, with the advent of the French and Indian War. We open in medias res as 23-year-old Colonel Washington (William Franklyn-Miller) emerges from a dysentery-plagued nap straight into battle in the Pennsylvania woods, his battalion on the defensive, surrounded by blood and gunpowder. Another officer describes how dire the situation is as George ponders how to save his men and asks, “What could possibly be worth the risk?” Washington hardens his gaze and we go black. You can almost hear the cry of the eagles, the riff of the guitars and the revs of the engines.

“Young Washington” is produced and distributed by Angel Studios, the faith-based film studio that produces films based on true stories featuring freak accidents, strange illnesses or, more recently, unique stories from the past in which faith in God is a factor. Apparently, the founding of our nation also falls under this umbrella.

The film is directed by Jon Erwin, one of the internal pillars of Angel Studios, who also directed “Jesus Revolution”, “I Still Believe” and “I Can Only Imagine”. Erwin gives the whole project a kind of gritty, visceral approach, very “Game of Thrones” with red coats. It's violent, muddy, contrast is high, and too many drone shots soar over the forest treetops.

Although it begins with a bang, this 1755 battle framing device gives way to George's origin story, beginning with the death of his father 12 years earlier, when 11-year-old George is heartbroken at having to sacrifice his education to become a tenant farmer and support his family, including his mother, Mary (Mary-Louise Parker, with a strange accent).

His older half-brother, Lawrence (John Foss), takes him under his wing and teaches him, and young George grows into an intelligent, bright and ambitious young man, whose dreams of becoming a British officer are thwarted because he has no formal education, a chance marriage, or his own land. But he has dedicated himself to intelligence and, thanks to his knowledge and contacts, he becomes indispensable to the British, volunteering as a major to survey lands and negotiate treaties with native tribes and the French army. It's all a bunch of politicking and petty bickering until it turns into an all-out war thanks to a reckless ambush.

Sir Ben Kingsley, Kelsey Grammar (who starred in “Jesus Revolution”) and Andy Serkis play the British officers who grudgingly, at times, believe in George and his abilities, although much of the film is about a young man who is rejected by snobbish British officers.

He's the type of character who always makes the noble choice, does and says the right thing, and sees everyone as equal (including enslaved African men and Native American allies). He inspires his brother and others that the world can change and is inspired by his mother, who encourages him to continue his path and do so as a servant of God.

Unfortunately, this doesn't make him a complex or interesting character at all. Franklyn-Miller is certainly pretty and serves as a good face for this story, but the script (by Erwin, Diederik Hoogstraten and Tom Provost) flattens his character into a basic hero. The public, including high school social studies students, deserve better, more nuanced stories about this country and the values ​​on which it was built.

“Young Washington” is propaganda in the form of a history lesson wrapped in a summer blockbuster. If only it was a little entertaining, maybe they'll address that in the inevitable sequel.