This movie surprised me. I rarely go to the movie theaters these days, but after my wife saw that tickets for this movie were being offered at a discount on Facebook, I reluctantly agreed to go.
I went in expecting a typical piece of media based on George Washington: a mythic film that works to only foreshadow his legendary role in founding the United States.
But what I got was something smarter and smaller: an actually well told story about the founding father’s early years and rapid rise to military command.
Surprisingly, Young Washington sidesteps every hazard that could have (and probably should have) made it into another flag-waving Washington story like so many before it. But instead, the movie shows a side of the American icon that I haven't seen before, while basing the narrative in historical accuracy, instead of just outsized folklore.
In a time when the popularity of superhero origin stories is in decline, the movie takes a piece of Washington's life that is often breezed over, and magnifies it to focus on how his early failures shaped him as a commander and leader.
What the movie showcases is a large amount of restraint. This is not a story about the American Revolution, slavery, 18th century colonial life or Native Americans. It's a war story about one young man’s pride and his desire to reach beyond what he was born to be in an era when name and pedigree heavily influenced how far you could go in life. The writers kept that narrative focus like a musket fixed on a target. Every time Washington is doubted or spat upon by British authorities, he must prove himself in the world of the 1750s, on the battlefield, in the blood of his allies and enemies to ultimately earn the respect of his men. There is no foretold prophecy of revolution to aid him. Washington is a subject of the British crown and has relatable setbacks, that most young people are familiar with: family drama, relationship turmoil, the desire to be someone great with no idea how to do it. These universal struggles are well-depicted in the story, and are what made it much more relatable.
Because often stories based on famous figures are too eager to frame their rise to greatness as inevitable. You often see this in superhero films. The movie constantly drops winks and lines like “oh just you wait, just you wait” (looking at you Hamilton). It's as if the character has this self-awareness of how their life will turn out. That cliche has become tired to many.
I understand why stories do this. After all most people know the great deeds of the subject, so why not just give the people what they want?
But Young Washington, like the young man himself, takes the harder road of providing a fresh take on his early experience in the French and Indian War. This chapter of American history is usually a footnote in the scope of Washington's other monumental achievements. So just by choosing to only cover that small period in the film was a bold storytelling choice.
Casting in this movie also surprised me. Big name actors like Ben Kingsley, Andy Serkis, and Kelsey Grammar are relegated to supporting characters, while younger actors get most of the screen time. That restraint paid off. William Franklyn-Miller brought an energetic performance to the lead role as Washington.
He's appropriately at home in a ballroom or on the battlefield, expertly showing a wide display of range for all the future president’s tumultuous life events. The rest of the characters were just as well-cast.
Additionally, the movie wasn't afraid to inject more than a fair amount of humor into the script. These lighted-hearted lines and character flourishes punctuated the heavier action and dramatic scenes. (General Braddock's “I’ve fought on three continents, and I will NOT be defeated by a tree” was a standout line)
Pacing also improved with these. At a little over 2 hours, this movie flew by for me, and by the time the climax arrived, I felt like it could have continued on another hour and I would have still enjoyed it.
Angel Studios has done something special here. Historical dramas, especially ones based on famous figures, often either turn into dry pedantic documentaries or contrived propaganda that works as myth reinforcement. Here they've carved out a much needed middle path. One where a world-recognized figure like George Washington could still be heroic, yet human and even interesting, at the same time. One where creative risk allowed them to show familiar name in unfamiliar light, without tarnishing or deconstructing his legacy. That's a refreshing signal for movies, a field badly in need of innovation at the moment.
Looks like several other well-balanced history-concerned films are on the horizon, and if Young Washington is any indication, they'll be great too. Angel is definitely a small studio to look out for in the near future.
