Young Washington (2026)
Directed by: Jon Erwin
Premise: Based on historical events, young George Washington (William Franklyn-Miller) volunteers to be part of the Virginia militia under British colonial rule. Washington finds himself in the middle of the French and Indian war.
What Works: Young Washington has been produced to coincide with America’s semiquincentennial and while it is designed to inspire patriotism, the filmmakers treat history with some nuance. Representations of America’s Founders have tended to polish and mythologize their lives. Young Washington is at its best when the film is grounded and credible. Washington is portrayed as a flawed human being who made mistakes and whose ambitions were greater than his abilities but who grew into a leader and demonstrated humility and courage. Young Washington’s naturalistic look puts the audience in this historical moment. The scenes set in the wilderness have a rawness that captures the physical difficulty of eighteenth-century life. The best moments of Young Washington are the title character’s scenes with his low-class colonial friends. Their camaraderie is the part of the movie that is emotionally affecting. The film also acknowledges the differences between the British military and the Virginian militia members. The officers see themselves as Englishmen temporarily stationed in another part of the world whereas the colonists see themselves as primarily Virginian. This adds a layer of complexity onto the action and the relationships while foreshadowing the American Revolution. The filmmakers also acknowledge the issue of colonialism and land ownership. Who owns the land and on what grounds is at the center of the conflict and native characters figure into the movie in a way that further complicates that question.
What Doesn’t: The critical flaw of Young Washington is its casting. Certain actors are not convincing in period pieces. Their look and affect are just too contemporary. This is the case of William Franklyn-Miller as George Washington and Mia Rodgers as Washington’s love interest Sally Cary. They don’t come across as people living in the eighteenth century and their presence consistently spoils the illusion. Some of the qualities that Young Washington does well are undone in the ending. Much of the film is raw and unpretentious but the conclusion shifts toward mythologizing Washington. He turns into a John Wick-like action hero, rising out of a coma and overcoming illness and injuries to fight the French. The very end of the picture suggests that Washington’s path was ordained by a higher power. This is silly. The idea comes out of nowhere and is inconsistent with the rest of the movie.
Bottom Line: Young Washington is hobbled by miscasting and the end succumbs to Hollywood action movie tropes but there is a lot in it to admire. Most of the movie is well crafted and thoughtfully dramatizes a specific period of American history.
Episode: #1107 (July 12, 2026)