George Washington

I was so fortunate to be in this historical drama on the life of George Washington with Barry Bostwick. The first time with Barry Bostwick was in the makeup trailer getting our faces and hair ready for the time period and then I played in the auction scene at Carter's Grove. Sally Fairfax was moving to England and George was buying a trinket (it might have been her pillow) of Sally's and I was behind him the whole time. I had so much fun in the making of this movie and being on set with John Mills, Jackie Smith and of course Barry Bostwick. A very special memory.

My husband and I saw this on cable years ago and fell in love with the history and life of George Washington. Barry Bostwick does a superb job as the main character and Patty Duke fits the role as his short wife, Martha. When we found it on VHS, we bought it and over time, our children have all watched it. When we found ourselves going to DC for vacation, we all watched it again to get a feel for the man and his life before visiting Mt. Vernon. Our children said the miniseries helped them understand what they saw and heard at Washington's home. Every history lover should have a copy of this classic miniseries.

History buffs, I urge you to rent the engrossing miniseries George Washington from 1984. Barry Bostwick plays the pre-presidential title character, and he shows great and hidden acting talents. Starting from his youth as he idolizes his half-brother and works on the family farm to support his disapproving mother, he ages decades and lives through love, death, wars, and a crisis of conscience until the end of the Revolutionary War. There was a sequel made two years later, so if you want to see his later years, you can find a copy of that one, too.

Barry was fantastic! He couldn't have been any better, and he managed to fill the great legend's shoes with an incredible presence and a full character. He didn't turn Washington into a caricature, and as the hours rolled by, we felt like we were really watching the general instead of an actor. I couldn't believe he wasn't nominated for an Emmy or Golden Globe - and yet Patty Duke was. Through the years, he grew in strength and character, and he carried his emotional experiences with him, rather than just living from scene to scene.

There's a huge supporting cast in this miniseries. Patty Duke plays the petite Martha Washington, Jaclyn Smith plays his one true love, David Dukes is Washington's dear friend and the obstacle to his heart's desire, and Hal Holbrook portrays John Adams. Lloyd Bridges gets to let his (long and wiggy) hair down as a pioneer and guide, and Philip Casnoff shows off his French as the Marquis de Lafayette. You'll see José Ferrer, James Mason, Kelsey Grammar, Anthony Zerbe, Jeremy Kempt, and Robert Stack on the battlefield; and Trevor Howard, Richard Kiley, Stephen Macht (as Benedict Arnold), and Rosemary Murphy, influence more of the personal scenes. Also, you'll see him in the cast list, but you probably won't recognize this young face unless you're really looking for him in his first role: Viggo Mortensen.

Every bit of the production was well crafted. The gorgeous, authentically designed costumes clothed on dozens of extras were a joy to look at, as were the beautiful countrysides and real historic landmarks used for filming locations. The age makeup was extremely realistic and detailed, from the crow's feet to soft jawlines. While Jaclyn Smith wore more makeup than respectable women in that time period, we can all excuse it because an unadorned face wouldn't convince audiences that George Washington fell in love with someone he shouldn't have.

Even coming from a political science background, there were tons of tidbits included that I didn't know about our first president. If you're in the mood to learn, you'll love this very informative teleplay. If you're knowledgeable on all things Washington, you'll be impressed by writers Jon Boothe and Richard Fielder. This isn't a silly biopic that shows him chopping down a cherry tree; this is a serious historical piece that deserves respect and attention.

To take that imposing figure come down to us from Gilbert Stuart's famous portrait and turn George Washington into a flesh and blood human being was quite the achievement. I watched this and the succeeding mini-series about Washington and came away thinking I actually knew the man.

I think the credit goes to two people. First the source of this mini- series is James Thomas Flexner's authoritative biography on Washington. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to know about our first president and what went into the shaping of his character. The book is eminently readable and Flexner writes so that even a non-historian can appreciate Washington.

The second is Barry Bostwick's performance as Washington. It's not easy to make someone who's attained near mythological status into a flesh and blood human being, but Bostwick succeeds brilliantly. His life and loves are told from early manhood through to the end of the American Revolution. Martha Washington is ably played by Patty Duke.

During our revolution at any number of given points the colonial army could have been snuffed out if British commanders had made different and better choices. Washington endured a few victories, some defeats, but he kept his army intact and in being until the advantage that made that final victory at Yorktown in 1781 presented themselves. He also had to endure a lot of criticism of his leadership from some elements of the Continental Congress.

In fact one should see this together with 1776 and get an idea about the American Revolution from both the military and civilian leadership perspectives.

In the supporting cast I enjoyed James Mason in one of his final roles as British General Braddock who Washington served under during the French and Indian War. It's there where Washington got his baptism of fire in the woods of western Pennsylvania. This is the 18th century equivalent of what the Indians did to General Custer. Washington was lucky to escape that day and Mason does in good job in portraying a very brave, but incredibly stupid general.

I would also single out Jaclyn Smith as Washington's first love, Lady Fairfax and Jose Ferrer as Virginia colonial Lieutenant Governor Robert Dinwiddie who gave Washington his first military command in the French and Indian War.

George Washington is good drama and good history. Anything you want to know about the first American president can be learned here.

10* Extremely well-done production with a very talented cast and excellent authenticity, yet entertaining and watchable. Based on the J. T. Flexner's book, "George Washington, The Indispensable Man" which is a great read. Highly recommend both!

The min-series has a very well done integration of adventure, drama, humor, and tragedy. The flow is similar to a roller coaster, with highs and lows for GW. There is sadness, frustration, anger, and exhaustion for GW. Yet, the director and actor manages to maintain a sense of determination and hope in despite some potentially soul-crushing challenges.