"Which AWI movie needs to be made?" Topic

Watched The Patriot this afternoon and was fascinated by the Cowpens/Guilford Courthouse scene. We definitely need more AWI movies with battle scenes this good. I think the battle that deserves to come to screen would be Monmouth, due to the epic nature of it. Maybe Brandywine as well. I'm a bit biased because these are my favourite battles of the war. Can you think of any battle or person from the war a movie should be made on?

"Drums Along the Mohawk" desperately needs a more realisitc remake.

Kings Mountain and the story behind it.

I found the battle scenes from " The Patriot" most disappointing and unrealistic. It looked like two opposing lines of troops charging at each other in open ground(Braveheart with firearms). From my readings neither Guilford Courthouse or Cowpens looked anything remotely like the scene in the movie. The movie "Revolution" had a much better/believable scene depicting the battle of Brooklyn Heights.

An epic movie could be made of the Saratoga campaign.

I'd love to see Trenton/Princeton done at the level of Fischer's Washington's Crossing.

But let's face it,we're talking about our dream movies here--Hollywood would ignore the facts,and film the myths.

We are doomed to disappointment,whatever happens.

Yes,I'm jaded.

Cowpens

Any movie. There are so few abut the Revolution. About the only production with a remote connection to realism is 1776.Von Schlockenberg has expressed it correctly.

What the heck, as long as we're dreaming, how about a full blown 24 episode Masterpiece theater production which follows the historical issues from the Rebellion of Pontiac through to the battle of the Saints, and delves for example into the dilemma of he Howe Brothers in really being sympathetic to the Americans versus Lord Germain and others, and what the heck as long as we're making out wish list for Santa, an episode or three on the Hessians. Contrast the Howe's approach to the war with Washington's dilemma of having his subordinates wanting to replace him. Call it "Hope and Treason."

An HBO miniseries based on Kenneth Roberts' "Oliver Wiswell".
It's a grand large novel from a Loyalist viewpoint.
Since it essentially goes against the traditional pov that sees our Revolution as bring heroic, Horrywood should love it.

The Patriot was just entertainment. It captured the flavor of the war and campaigns. What more do you want out of a 3 hour movie? Was there a character similar to Gibson's in history? Yes, Francis Marion and others mixed in. Was Tarleton a scoundrel? Yes, the phrase "Tarleton's quarter" is testimony to that. Did both sides commit war crimes? Yes, and the movie showed that…although burning civvies in the church was a little much. Was there a Frenchman famous for his service with the rebels, and did the French fleet bottle up Cornwallis? Yep. The battles were pretty good and had some nice touches of realism to them. Far better than most Hollywood fare.

Could it have been better? I guess, but it entertains me…and I love studying history. There were muskets, cannonballs, good period uniforms and an effort to show formations. The typical Gibson plot, but oh well…

By all means though, keep hating on Hollywood history. We surely need more comic book heroes, chick flicks and Fast and Furious part 12.

Not AWI -- BUT-- the life and times of Sir William Johnson.

Regards
Russ Dunaway

Was Tarleton a scoundrel? Yes, the phrase "Tarleton's quarter" is testimony to that.

Er, no he wasn't actually. The phrase is based on a lie made up about the battle of Waxhaws (and used as an excuse to murder Loyalists, whether bearing arms or not). After the war, Tarleton hosted numerous former enemies at his home; he was a tough soldier, but – unlike, say, Light Horse Harry Lee – he never massacred prisoners or helpless enemy combatants.

"Oatmeal for the foxhounds" was (I think it has disappeared from the web now) a website run by an American doctor named Marg Baskin, who exposed the myth of the Waxhaws "massacre" using just Continental accounts of the battle.

"We definitely need more AWI movies with battle scenes this good"

I have just spluttered a mouthful of coffee over my keyboard afer reading that.

The scenes had spectacle I'll give them that, but that's all.

Hey Bren, I'm reading the Gilbert's book on Cowpens and there is a quote from a British soldiers that goes on to say that Tarleton ordered "no quarter and no prisoners" at Cowpens.

I can find chapter and verse if necessary.

Something showing the plight of the tories.
Showing the way half the population would have happily done without a war.
Shown slaves, esp with the freedom fighters.
Not one sided post patriot propaganda.
It was a civil war.

Saratoga campaign. Turning point of the war. Brought France and ultimately other European nations into the war (lots of grudges against UK at the time).

Saratoga or perhaps a mini series involving the foraging in New Jersey.

Movies that cost enough to represent the scale of something that's historically impressive tend to be risky and usually turn out like "The Patriot". There's little chance that movie could have been different than it was as it was made by a big studio with a big star attached.
Much better hope would lie with today's long-form TV productions, which would allow more space for a nuanced story to be told. Many of these productions are better than most movies these days, I'm thinking of the likes of John Adams, Boardwalk Empire, Man in the High Castle etc.

At one point HBO were looking into turning David McCullough's "1776" into a series. Now that would have been the Holy Grail of AWI media, but doesn't look like its happening now.

Bernard Cornwell's The Fort on the Penobscot campaign – but then unlikely to get financed as it put Paul Revere military leadership in a bad light and one of the heroes is a young Sir John Moore of Corunna fame.

Second, third, fourth(?) the idea of the Saratoga campaign. You've got lots of personalities interacting, combat, important women, etc. Just present it from both sides.

@jedburgh: I love "The Fort." Great historic fiction that had me pulling my hair out at the stupidity of the rebel leadership. Wargame potential there too.

link

link

"Drums Along the Mohawk" desperately needs a more realisitc remake.

Huh? "Drums along the Mohawk" is a movie version of Edmonds' novel. This is like saying that "The Three Musketeers" or "A Tale of Two Cities" or "A Walk in the Sun" needs a more realistic remake.

An HBO miniseries based on Kenneth Roberts' "Oliver Wiswell".

Hear! Hear!

I think the AWI career of Marinus Willett would make a good movie.

The Battle of Valcour Island; would be a twist to see Arnold as the hero he originally was, and have a losing battle acknowledged as an immense strategic victory.

Heck, do a whole series on Arnold's life and actions, ending with his initial contact with Andre. Sort of a lead-in to the excellent production that explored his final act of treason.

Yawn

Life of Daniel Morgan. Or realistic Francis Marion movie. Or Harry Lee?

Arnold movie would be great if done well.

None.

The Battle of Valcour Island; would be a twist to see Arnold as the hero he originally was, and have a losing battle acknowledged as an immense strategic victory.

Better still, why not tell the real story – of how Arnold's overly aggressive nature wasted a valuable resource to no purpose, having already "won" the strategic victory simply by existing. It was the mere presence of his fleet – and the requirement for the Royal Navy to match it – that stopped Carleton invading three months earlier, not the mere 24-hour delay caused by having to mop up Arnold's force. His lust for glory pitched a force of barely-trained landlubbers against the leading navy of its day, in a battle they could never win. Had he waited through the winter, he could have hidden in the various bays and inlets and carried out a guerilla war against the British forces the following spring, ambushing them as they came down the lake.

I don't know why Americans persist in thinking that a mere 24-hour delay halted the British advance and stopped them seizing Crown Point and Fort Ticonderoga in late 1776.

I'm reading the Gilbert's book on Cowpens and there is a quote from a British soldiers that goes on to say that Tarleton ordered "no quarter and no prisoners" at Cowpens.

I'm not that impressed by the Gilberts' work; I'd like to see the quote, but it could just be that by that stage he was so pissed off with "Tarleton's Quarter" being used as an excuse to murder Loyalists, that he may have decided to respond in kind.

The only movies that "need to be made" are those that will make money for their Chinese investors.
I doubt very much that the AWI will inspire such an investment.

A movie I would like to see is a different matter altogether.

Any love for another telling of Francis Marion?

Doug

Agreed on the Swamp Fox

Perhaps the battle of Springfield and monmouth

Swamp Fox:

youtu.be/ADesK3Wa_D0

I would vote for Francis Marion, I wanted to name my son after him but my wife said no.

Does it have to be big budget? I seem to recall"The Crossing" was a decent flick,and if I recall correctly,it was on tv.

Paoli

"AWI movies with battle scenes this good"

This good? That battle scene was just awful. If has little to do with the real battles of Guilford Court and Cowpens.

I thought The Patriot aka Lethal Musket was going to be about Marion…but he wasn't PC enough, so that seems to have gone by the wayside.

A Thomas Brown movie could be interesting.

+1 on Oliver Wiswell.

But then (as stated) just about anything would be a good subject, provided it wasn't destroyed the way Lethal Musket was.

Sweet Liberty was more fun to watch and more accurate, especially when it comes to what Hollywood does with history.

Saratoga Campaign.

This good? That battle scene was just awful. If has little to do with the real battles of Guilford Court and Cowpens.

It has nothing to do with any battle anywhere. No time ever in history has battles been fought like they were in that movie. Total fantasy from start to find finish.

+1 Sweet Liberty

Paoli

PAOLI TAVERN-

just sayin'

A good one please.

A movie that covers Paoli and Stony Point would be cool--sort of a full circle kinda thing.

The only movies that "need to be made" are those that will make money for their Chinese investors.
I doubt very much that the AWI will inspire such an investment.

Some are a labor of love.

YouTube link

Cowpens done truthfully, not the abortion that was "The Patriot". One could do an epic movie just by following the battles that the Delaware and Maryland Continentals were in. Would really like to see someone get the formations right and not the clumps of company sized formations representing an entire battalion.

I agree with Jedburgh!

Something about the life of Peter Francisco. Hollywood would have to love that. Chris Hemsworth could be the lead and just play the character as Thor. ;-)

I'm holding out hope for the movie based on "Bunker Hill: A City, A Siege, A Revolution". This one stands a good chance of getting made.

link