"AWI: I Wish They Would Make a Movie About..." Topic

Which person or topic set during the American Revolution would you like to see turned into a major motion picture?

want to see the one about how aliens were giving George Washington and Benjamin Franklin ideas. It was featured in an episode of "Ancient Aliens" so it must be good material for a full two hour historical movie.

I just read a recent biography of Ethan Allen. The man was…unique…and deserves to be better known.

The war in the Mohawk Valley … Oh … Never mind, they already did!

rmaker;
What was the movie about the war in the Mohawk Valley?
Regards,
Hitman

Saratoga campaign, Cowpens/Guildford Courthouse. The Revolutionary War in the Hackensack Valley

Benedict Arnold's Mach across Maine

"Drums Along the Mohawk" – 1939 – starring Henry Fonda & Claudette Colbert in the lead roles. Directed by John Ford.

Benedict Arnold's March across Maine.

Good choice.

In fact, a nice 10 part HBO miniseries about the rise and fall of Ben.

And, troll that Commie Howard Fast's HUGE pile of novels on the AWI. Some excellent adaptations were "The Crossing" and "April Morning".

Another multi part miniseries could be made from Fischer's "Washington's Crossing". Very dramatic, with the first two episodes the epitome of despair. He crosses the Delaware to Pennsylvania, thoughtfully stealing all the boats up and down the river.
Two episodes devoted to Trenton.
He escapes back. But wait! There's more!
Devote an episode to Washington pleading with his men, offering Ten Whole Dollars as a bonus!
They cross back.
Barely escape when a suddenly professional light infantry force professionally delays Cornwalis (remember that name!) to save the army.
Episode 9 is the army slipping and sneaking away, to Princeton.
Three victories! The Revolution is saved! And Mercer heroically dies.

Of course, all the parts will be played by Brits, taking jobs that Americans won't do.
John Bradley, who plays Samwell Tarley on Game of Thrones, would be perfect as Knox.

Oh, who are we kidding. "The Patriot" was advertised as the "most accurate" blah blah blah evah! And we all know it's a steaming pile.
So when it got laughed out of the theatres (although it probably made a nice pile of bucks), the powers that be probably noticed the criticism and sniffed "Well. See if we make another accurate movie."

Can we give the Wyoming Massacre a happy ending? No? Never mind.

George Washington, Vampire Hunter.

Kings Mountain…an all American movie!

The history of Black soldiers in the war.

So, $200 USD + million in the theaters for 110 days is now considered "laughed out"? Well, okay, it was 2000 and top movies in 2016 make a lot more but can stay for much less time. Seriously!

Accurate? A movie? Really? Please list ten truly accurate movies of history that you've really enjoyed – and neither documentaries or doc-dramas count. Come on now, it must be a simple thing.

Back on topic, a Nathaniel Greene focused movie – or mini-series, seems to have considerably more than enough material to sustain a movie or two, in combination with Dan Morgan, of course.

Or, the whole Saratoga campaign could work.

The big challenge is to give it relevance and to secure financing for a period costume drama. Hard to do.

But I'd love to see several additions to the AWI movie canon.

79th PA has a good one, perhaps a focus on the sad aftermath for those who thought they were fighting for freedom but were sold back into slavery, with retrospectives looking back into the actual fighting.

Relevance schmellavance. It made a pike and was a pile. Rotten Tomatos 61%.

The guy who takes his girl to the movie needs assurance that it will put her in the mood so he gets laid that night. That's what makes a successful movie.
AWI nerds on their 60s will fill the theatres!
You need first of all something that Tom Hanks will produce.

We all want to see what we want to see.
I'm actually dumb enough to think that my ideas will make money.
When I win Powerball, I'll throw it all away on Bankrolling "Washington's Crossing", and like a babe in the woods, Horrywood will cheat me blind. But a good movie (or miniseries) may come out of it, and besides. It's only money.

I'm waiting for the pornos:

George Washington Slept Here!

How He Became the Father of Our Country

etc.

Battle of "Long Island"/Brooklyn done right…

Or "supposed" building and attack of the "Turtle" on the British fleet in NY Harbor.

Raising Regiments in the British Isles/the German Principalities…

French Court intrigue in supporting the rebels…

Prison Ship escapes…

Sepoy "stuff"… French v. Brit…

(I know… pretty lame list with little actual "Battle" action – except for Brooklyn and India – But somethings a lil' "different.)

I'm not fussy about the details, but in the interests of accuracy, it should be…

…an all-French production.

Ben Franklin in Paris. "Poor Richard" indeed.
That would be fun, and we haven't had a good movie full of fops in years.

I'd like to see a Band of Brothers style, high budget mini series. But then I'd like to see that for WW1, the Napoleonic Wars, ACW etc etc etc

I doubt a film could be made of the AWI/American revolution without offending someone!

I would be hopeful about any film which had no contribution from Mel Gibson though!

some original characters should appeal – such as the evil, arrogant English villain officer and the humble American libertarian hero!

Or "supposed" building and attack of the "Turtle" on the British fleet in NY Harbor.

I second that!

I doubt a film could be made of the AWI/American revolution without offending someone!

Unfortunately, that seems to be the case nowadays. "PC", "diversity", and….well, never mind. I won't go there.

I'm surprised no one's mentioned Bunker Hill yet. Or how about the battles of Trenton and Princeton, Germantown, or Yorktown? I'd also like to see a film where the protagonist becomes a part of one of the Continental Dragoons, a subject that always seems to be overlooked when discussing American Revolution military history.

GREAT topic, Bill! Thanks!

I actually enjoyed Mel Gibson's movie "The Patriot". Some of my British friends rib me about it though.

"Turn" and "John Adams" plus "The Crossing" have satiated me quite a bit on that.

I always thought a movie about Cowpens would be great. Tom Berenger could play Morgan and maybe Daniel Radcliffe or Tom Felton could play Tarleton.

I would love a 10-15 part miniseries (band of brother style and budget) based on Fusiliers by Mark Urban.

Francis Swamp Fox Marion. Yes I know the Patriot was roughly based on some parts, but the war in SC was really brutal.

Accurate? A movie? Really? Please list ten truly accurate movies of history that you've really enjoyed – and neither documentaries or doc-dramas count. Come on now, it must be a simple thing.

There is a wide ocean of difference between truly accurate and American revisionist proganda.

Benedict Arnold…got everything, heroism, deceit, things exploding, betrayal, sex, violence, more sex, mayhem…what is there not to like.

Disney did a miniseries on the Swamp Fox back in the 50s. It's available if you care to look it up.
That handsome dashing dog Leslie Nielsen played Tarleton.

"American revisionist propaganda". Really? That was a cheap shot, Gunfreak.

I'm sure American Revisionist Propaganda is no worse than everyone else's Revisionist Propaganda…..

Guilford courthouse or cowpens done without CGI. All reenactors.

Cowpens and Guildford Courthouse.

There was also a Benedict Armold miniseries a few years ago.

"American revisionist propaganda". Really? That was a cheap shot, Gunfreak.

How else would you describe a movie that white washes almost all bad things from the American side. Then shows British reenact nazi war crimes.

The fact is lots of people have no real connection to the AWI except that movie almost all they know comes from that movie. Not only the "history" buft the warfare i come across lots of people from all over the world that believes that how people fought in the revolution/18th century.

Very few movies gets so much so wrong.
You could just say John Wayne's alamo was about the revolution and it would be just as right.
And while you should never assume malice when ineptitude can explain it. Given Mel Gibson involvement. I say malice.

George Rogers Clark's campaigns in the "west." The undertaking of his forces, in the winter, through marshy and flooded terrain, could be visually impressive.

Someone needs to do a biopic of James Wilkinson, one of the most outrageous scoundrels to ever be a US general. :)

"Daniel Radcliffe as Tarleton"??

Oh, how we laughed here in Beaulieu.

Tom Hardy, perhaps

Winston, try again!

Leslie Nielson WAS the "Swamp Fox"--Francis Marion--not that blackguard, Tarleton!

"Swamp Fox, Swamp Fox,
Tail on his hat,
Nobody knows where the Swamp Fox at!"

TVAG

The Northwest Indian War, Shay's Rebellion, and the Whiskey Rebellion. Participants in those events might argue that the AWI wasn't over in 1783 …

Egad, Patrick!
I was wrong!
When's the last time that happened?!?!?!

Btw, you can catch it on YouTube.

How else would you describe a movie that white washes almost all bad things from the American side. Then shows British reenact nazi war crimes.

That isn't American revisionist propoganda. That's Original American propoganda.

It's not the story I want to see, but I think John Paul Jones has the potential to make a decent movie (or two).

A movie that acknowledges that loyalists and German mercenaries existed?

American revisionist propaganda? Oh, really? How do you think we won that war over here? Twas propaganda sure and the birth of Madison Avenue, to boot. But I must agree that revisionist propaganda is not an American exclusive, why, not even a USA exclusive – there being more than one United States in the western hemisphere if official national titles are consulted. (or so I recall from jr. high social studies – though that lovely lass that taught the class was rather distracting so I might be wrong. Though not as beguiling as the art instructor)

Actually, the battle I'd most like to see on screen is Eutaw Springs, perhaps the most even match of the war – and one of, if not the, bloodiest battles for the numbers engaged. And its got potato diggers! Just need to figure out a central figure to hand the story on and I can start working on the script.

A true reflection on the war, something along the lines of the British move into a town, murder every man woman and child, kick a few cute puppies and burn all the houses and perhaps finish off with a scene where an officer ( with a very sneery look and a ridiculous voice ) says something along the lines of "that will teach them, orf to the next one"

On threads like this I keep seeing "The Battle of (insert favorite battle here) would make a great movie.
No. It wouldn't. Hollywood would not touch it. You need a human interest story with the battle as a scene in the movie.
As an example, there was no "Battle of Gaugamela" movie. It was a well done scene in a dopey movie about Alexander.

Even "Midway" or "Pearl Harbor" had to have dopey romances thrown it, for the Ladies.

In other words, "Who will George Clooney play?" After all, it's his production company that's financing it.

Nathaniel Greene, played by Matt Damon, in his campaign that win the war.