Young Washington Parent Guide

We think we know George Washington. The democratic visionary who freed Americans from British rule. The indomitable general who held on through the bitter winter at Valley Forge. The president who rejected the trappings of monarchy and refused to serve more than two terms in office. But what do we know about his life prior to 1776?

George Washington (William Franklyn-Miller) comes of age in colonial Virginia, as pressures rise for settlement in the Ohio Valley. Great Britain claims the region, but it is also contested by the French and the local indigenous people. Washington, unable to achieve his dream of becoming a British officer, is hired as a surveyor in 1754 and is assigned to provide accurate maps of the Ohio Valley. But there is no safe space in this contentious region and Washington finds himself caught up in the very beginnings of the conflict that will soon erupt into the French and Indian War, which will be one theater of the global Seven Years’ War. 

Young Washington does a fine job of introducing the strategic goals of the major players: the British, determined to hold the land they have claimed; the American colonial elites, pursuing greater land holdings over the mountain ranges and cementing their wealth and class status; the French, extending their possessions southward; and the Seneca and other indigenous peoples desperate to maintain their ancestral homelands. There is no extended exposition but audiences are given enough information to figure out what’s going on.

Within that historical context, this is Washington’s film. We see his drive to learn, his ambition to succeed, his fierce work ethic, and his physical courage. We also see how his ambitions are thwarted by existing class barriers and how that ambition nearly destroys both him and his cause. It’s a story of arrogance, rigidity, failure, growth, self-assessment, and humility, and provides an illuminating look at the events that shaped the man who would lead his fellow colonists in a rebellion twenty years later.

I am greatly relieved that Young Washington isn’t a kitschy biopic with a Disney Hall of Presidents vibe. Aside from the inclusion of a cringe-y scene involving the “Indian Prophecy”, which is of dubious historicity, the production offers a warts-and-all portrait of a man who literally changed the world. British actor William Franklyn-Miller does a reasonably good job of portraying George Washington: occasional wooden moments can be blamed on dialogue too often sprinkled with portentous aphorisms. The rest of the cast shine: Ben Kingsley as Virginia’s Lieutenant-Governor, Andy Serkis as General Braddock, and Kelsey Grammar as Virginia landowner Lord Fairfax, all bring stateliness, snobbery, and a sense of entitlement to power that ground the film in its era.

Young Washington does come with a few downsides. Parents should be aware that there are numerous battle scenes, featuring people killed and injured by firearms, cannons, bayonets, and hatchets. Some of the deaths take place on screen, but the more gruesome killings (particularly one involving a man being hacked to death with hatchets) often take place below screen or off to the side. There is also a brief but horrible mention of torture and cannibalism that could disturb audiences. To credit director Jon Erwin, the violence is not gratuitous and we see the bare minimum required to tell the story. It’s impossible to depict history – and particularly battles - without blood and death but I appreciate the effort taken to avoid a slasher fest. On a thematic level, the film raises but fails to dig into complex issues like slavery or indigenous land rights – but, to be fair, that could be too big a challenge for a two-hour film. 

Overall Young Washington isn’t perfect but it’s a solid introduction to the backstory behind America’s first president. If you want to learn something new about America’s most famous Founding Father or if you simply want to find something meaningful to watch on July 4^th, this film is a decent choice.