By George, I think this bio-pic has got it

     Before Martha, the wooden teeth and all that “father of our country” business, there was “Young Washington.”  We’re talking George Washington from ages 11 to 23, roughly the time between assaulting a cherry tree (never happened, BTW) and his Spider-Man-like heroism in a losing effort at the Battle of the Monongahela. And, you know what?  Jon Erwin’s chronicling of it ain’t half bad. Even stirring at times.

    Two reasons for that: William Franklyn-Miller, smashing as the lad who could not tell a lie, and co-writer-director Jon Erwin, who jazzes up a potentially boring history lesson by presenting it in the form of a superhero-origin story predicated on the theory of “with great power comes great responsibility.” There’s even a sliver of romance in which Spidey, er, George, falls for a lass in Sally Cary (Mia Rodgers) far outside his league.

    She’s basically the tale’s Gwen Stacy, half of a star-crossed union that was not meant to be, but integral in the formation of an iconic legend. Sally is hardly George’s only setback. In fact, there is an almost cruel succession of disappointments, beginning with the death of his father when George was 11, followed by his being ineligible to attend school due to his low, tenant farmer status. A strait that also prevented him from becoming a full-fledged officer in the same British Army he would famously conquer some two decades later.

     Heck, he even flubbed his first command as a major in the Virginia Militia, a rag-tag bunch of volunteers who suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the French and their Native allies at Fort Necessity in July 1754. It marked the low point in an otherwise blessed life, and one Washington never truly recovered from. Yet, it instilled humility in the brash, peach-fuzzed leader, whose overconfidence was in danger of becoming his downfall.

     As the American Fabius, Franklyn-Miller is excellent at finding the ideal blend of bravado and doubt in a man who never put himself ahead of his regimen but also foolishly didn’t heed their warnings about erecting Fort Necessity in a location that would spell doom for his unit. But Erwin’s film also reveals a self-taught scholar and gentleman who knew how to learn from his mistakes and own up to them. Qualities you sadly seldom see in modern times.

      Franklyn-Miller also mimics Washington in physical stature, standing lofty, lean and handsome, with a warm smile that can disarm his character’s most cunning enemies. But it’s the lovely Sally Cary who brings out his charm. Their witty, Austen-tacious flirtations are as enchanting as they are heartbreaking once George learns the truth that his love has been betrothed to the son of one of Washington’s most enthusiastic benefactors, the filthy rich Lord Fairfax.

    He’s played with Frasier-like pomposity by Frasier himself, Kelsey Grammer, suitable in what amounts to a cameo. When George crashes one of Fairfax’s lavish parties, the lord of Belvoir Estate isn’t angered. He admires the kid’s moxie and ambition, as well as his ability to relate to the rank and file, particularly his close friend, Christopher Gist (Leo Hanna), as effortlessly as he matches wits with the aristocrats. The same can be said for Virginia governor Robert Dinwiddie, portrayed by the film’s other marquee star, Ben Kingsley. He’s not nearly as strong as Grammer, often struggling with a Scottish burr. But he comes across as authoritative in his brusque appreciation for Washington’s gutsiness and unbridled integrity.

     The likes of Emmy-winner Mary-Louise Parker (“Weeds”) as George’s fretting, less-than-supportive mother, Mary, and Andy Sirkus as the ill-fated Gen. Edward Braddock, leader of the disastrous Battle of the Monongahela, are pretty much wasted in disappointingly stock roles. But the battle scenes are first-rate, featuring impressive acrobatics by hatchet-wielding Natives employing guerrilla tactics that George would later draw on as the leader of a vastly overmatched Continental Army. 

     I also admired the level of realism, at least until Erwin goes overboard in the climactic Battle of the Monongahela. It’s pure corn on the cob, reminiscent of an old-fashioned melodrama, as George staggers from his sick bed, hops on a horse and almost single-handedly slaughters the enemy to save his mates in the Virginia Militia. Like a true superhero, George dodges and weaves through heavy artillery to fell multitudes of French and Indian troops while sustaining nary a scratch.

    It’s ridiculous, but damned if it isn’t rousing. It’s all very Marvel, but executed with far more chutzpah and verve. And through it all, Franklyn-Miller stands tall (more than 6 feet) and brave, leaving both the men and women folk swooning. Sure, the dialogue is often clunky and the production values and plotting – by Erwin, Tom Provost and Diederik Hoogstraten – are barely akin to a “Killing Lincoln.”

    But overall, I had a great time and learned a lot about the flaws in what I thought was a flawless man. And what better way to spend our nation’s 250th birthday than getting back in touch with America’s OG? So, forget about the Benjamins and go with the one on the One.

Movie review

Young Washington

Rated: PG-13 for some bloody images and strong war violence

Cast: William Franklyn-Miller, Kelsey Grammer, Ben Kingsley, Mary-Louise Parker, Andy Serkis and Mia Rodgers

Director: Jon Erwin

Writer: Jon Erwin, Tom Provost and Diederik Hoogstraten

Runtime: 121 minutes

Where: In theaters July 3

Grade: B-