‘Young Washington’ Is a Decent, Old-School Cinematic Throwback

Jon Erwin’s “Young Washington” is a well-made, conservative-minded, plain-dealing history saga about the French and Indian War struggles that enveloped the father of our country in his early twenties, around 1755. It’s a decent film that doesn’t offend or stumble or misstep; a flick that isn’t too crazy or eccentric and knows what it’s doing.I came to scoff because I don’t trust the film’s distributor, Angel Studios, which puts out “values-based” films with heavy religious themes. But I was mostly won over by the end. To top things off, at a screening I attended, a couple of oldies near the back row clapped as the closing credits rolled. “Young Washington” isn’t that good, but I understood their enthusiasm. For it’s the kind of mildly old-fashioned film that proves itself to be polite, sturdy and trustworthy early on. It’s a realistic, occasionally bloody and frequently muddy battle film — mixed in with political discussions between George and several haughty Brits — that deals straight, well-mannered cards. The film is like an HBO, Showtime or TNT flick that could’ve been shot 25 or 30 years ago. There’s nothing wrong with that and Ronald Reagan would’ve loved it.The intelligent screenplay, written by Mr. Erwin, Tom Provost, and Diederik Hoogstraten, unfolds crisply enough. Kristopher Kimlin’s strong widescreen, occasionally candlelit cinematography conveys a resplendent 18th Century vibe, even at times being almost on the painterly level of John Alcott’s lensing for Stanley Kubrick’s “Barry Lyndon.” The supporting cast, featuring the likes of Ben Kingsley, Mary-Louise Parker and Andy Serkis, more than holds its own. The subtly lighted interiors, powdered wigs, 18th century attire and colonial furnishings are highly authentic and evocative.The extremely hunky-looking William Franklyn-Miller delivers a mature, steady, pared-to-the-bone titular performance. He’s too hunky looking, being tall and pretty in a Jacob Elordi way and bearing zero resemblance to the George Washington we all know from the one-dollar bill and museum paintings. Mr. Franklyn-Miller will strongly appeal to any twenty or thirty-something female who, unlikely as it may seem, happens to buy a ticket.The picture’s conservative-leaning credentials are boosted by the presence of famously conservative Kelsey Grammer. Two years ago, Mr. Grammer produced a Fox Nation miniseries called “George: Rise of a Revolutionary,” which was also about young Mr. Washington (played by Quinn Moran, who’s not as good-looking as Mr. Franklyn-Miller). Here he portrays Thomas Fairfax, a rich Virginia landowner who adopted Washington as a protege. Mr. Grammer also delivers a special post-credits address, exhorting the audience to pay their enthusiasm forward.In defiance of the woke-presentism trend in some historical dramas, which has tended to result in dark-complexioned actors and actresses in significant supporting roles regardless of the era or whatever European location a film is set in, the speaking cast of “Young Washington” is nearly all pale-faced. Except for the guys who play the British-allied native Seneca population, of course. (Their leader is played by Ryan Begay.)The film more or less instructs that after suffering an anguished and dispiriting battlefield failure against the French, George Washington became one of those guys with a special halo around his head — an inspirational leader blessed with divine providence. It also dramatizes a chess lesson taught by George’s elder brother Lawrence, played by John Foss, which is that “even a pawn can take the king.”There’s an early scene in which the very young George is seen chopping away at a fairly slender tree, and right away you’re thinking, “Here it is…the cherry tree…” But it’s not, and you’re left disappointed.The film ends triumphantly or at least expectantly with George giving a rousing “let’s give the Brits hell, boys!” speech to a large company of musket-bearing Virginia militia men. Great things await.If the heaven-keeper from “Carousel” had decided to give George Washington’s spirit a special gift by sitting him down on a bouncy white couch and showing him “Young Washington,” the real George would take one look at William Franklyn-Miller and say, “Holy moley, if only I’d looked like that guy, I could’ve been a bigger ladies’ man than Benjamin Franklin.”But only for roughly four years, that is. For George married the 27-year-old Martha Dandridge Custis on January 6, 1759. Martha was a gracious and highly intelligent class act, and she knew how to manage an estate. She does not feature in “Young Washington,” since the events of the film predate her meeting the titular character, but the couple had a happy marriage.

‘Young Washington’ Is a Decent, Old-School Cinematic Throwback

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