The Best Model for Am Rev films

This is the best model for modern-day movies about the American Revolution. It outclasses The Patriot because it restrains from the Hollywood pomp. I know we still need to see our main heroes leading the charges, and belief me that can get me going too. And every so often we need a Darth Vader type of villain for the hero to pinpoint his vengeance on, by which I mean Colonel Tavington, played with rich nastiness by Jason Isaacs. But this film proves you don't need to overdux that to care about your characters or their mission, you don't need to trade sharp historical study for Hollywood romanticism to enrich and enliven the characters and the action. When the raggled and desperate American troops descend on the Trenton town in this movie and they show General Washington in a close-up shouting desperate orders, my heart was thumping, even crying for those guys. This film is not perfect, but it's pretty great in most elements. The rich, intelligent cast is led as excellently by Jeff Daniels as Washington led his troops on the Trenton campaign. The character definitions and developments are tangible and heartfelt. The drama is intense, the action is sharp. Sound and cinematography is good. Editing is fine enough. There's also a good frankness about warfare and soldiers, particularly that of the 18th Century.
Washington isn't depicted as a great monumental man, in fact he does come off as arrogant and short-tempered at time, but it works because Daniels shows his heart, his determination, and a restrained humility. And, this film opens audiences eyes to other historical figures who sometimes go unnoticed next to Washington: Nathaniel Greene, Alexander Hamilton, John Glover, Hugh Mercer, Henry Knox, John Sullivan, General Stirling, and in a particularly well-acted exchange, Horatio Gates.

"That's not crazy; that's Irish."
--Richard Harris (The Molly Maguires)