Young Washington captures the trials and character of the founding father

FCC Rating: PG-13
Reel Rating: 4 out of 5 reels

As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, I find it rather surprising that Young Washington is the only theatrical film focused on the history of the nation’s founding. Nonetheless, it’s a great birthday present, successfully portraying the early life of a founding father in a compelling but not overly hagiographical manner. The film is a perfect July outing for a wide audience, but especially young boys looking to better know and understand Washington’s early life and his personal character.

George Washington (William Franklyn-Miller) was born just on the edge of privilege. His father was a somewhat successful landowner, but his premature death when Washington was only twelve threw his situation into disarray. His widowed mother could no longer afford to send her son to school or a good military academy. Instead, the lad spent his early teens working the farm and desperately borrowing books from his neighbors to quench his thirst for knowledge.

He finally got his shot as a surveyor in the new Ohio territory. While mapping the forest, he came across a French fort deep in British land. Due to his knowledge of the area, he is given a small position in the British army, leading a meager team of his fellow colonials to “ask them to leave.” Thus began the unlikely career of the father of our nation.

Early in the film, Washington is told that “failure is the greatest teacher,” and, in fact, she becomes his main tutor. He fails at nearly everything he attempts.

He is denied a royal commission because he is an American despite his qualifications. His attempts to court a young aristocrat are undermined despite their mutual love. The French refuse to leave, and when he attacks, he loses terribly. Even the final battle at the end of the picture is a loss.

Yet, his bravery is so remarkable (including four bullet holes in his uniform), he becomes a legend. He is wrecked, thinking his life is meaningless despite all his efforts, but his wise mother says that it is all “Providence.” She’s right. For example, he notices that the Native Americans and French hide behind trees for surprise attacks rather than forming an orderly line like the British, a tactic he would use to great effect against his former employer decades later. As my wife frequently reminds me, “Just because you don’t know where you are going doesn’t mean you aren’t going somewhere.” God is shaping him slowly, deliberately, so when he does win, he makes it count.

The one quality that shines most brightly in Washington is his great character. Because he was deprived of so much, he had to earn his place in society, which gave him humility and respect for the good things when they finally arrived. He always chose the right path, even if it meant less for him. He respected all, and people respected him in return. As a leader, he always fought and worked with his men rather than above them.

This is not the first major theatrical hit for the fledgling Angel Studios, but it continues to cement its status as one of the best Christian media companies. Like PureFlix, it has learned the lesson that effective cinematic evangelization must be of great artistic quality and need not be explicitly Christian in every aspect to promote a Christian worldview.

Every aspect of Young Washington is well-crafted, but the cinematography was especially impressive. In a time when Hollywood is leaning more on CGI backgrounds and AI details, it was refreshing to see stunning real landscapes and vistas largely untouched by various manipulations. While the film never proclaims Christian beliefs overtly (Washington was both an Anglican and a Freemason), there are prayers at important moments and plenty of common expressions involving “Providence” or “the Lord’s will.”

Young Washington premiered the same weekend as the DCU’s Supergirl, and made more money despite having a far smaller budget than its superhero rival. Quite a few critics have made this into a David and Goliath story or even a cultural turning point, but I think our first president would be proud of the film on its own merits.

It’s a great biopic, especially as an inspiration for young boys saturated in digital mediocrity, and I hope there will not only be a sequel but more stories in this vein.