Courage, New Hampshire

Our early history as a nation is so ripe with stories to be told and "Courage, New Hampshire: The Travail of Sarah Pine" does not disappoint. The characters are vividly brought to "candlelight" by a gifted group of actors and a script that immediately draws us in and holds our interest. The costuming and sets are true to the period and cinematography is remarkable. The musical score is extraordinary for an independent film.

It is a story of a time gone by and of the simple trusting faith of Sarah and the redemption brought by her faith. The political intrigue of the story also offers a powerful missive… Human behavior has not changed in the last 240 years. Individuals and governments still use and abuse power to gain their own ends and desires without thought of the consequence to others.

Sarah Pine teaches us, that in spite of this fallen estate, a simple humble faith, held resolutely in the face of adversity and travail, has the power to lift us and deliver us.

Stilted dialog, incomprehensible plot and wildly-varying, inconsistent accents combine to fuse inaccurate historical matter with inchoate political viewpoints. Contrast this with the Emmy-nominated miniseries of "The Kennedy's" which was also made from a non-Hollywood viewpoint but without the underlying vitriol and a stellar script.

John Waters would love the amateurish élan of this Corky St. Clair-lacking production. About on par with "Red, White, and Blaine" "I'ma... I'm going to fight for my country! To fight... and yes, perhaps die... so that young men from here to Timbuktu can feel the wind of freedom blowing' through their hair!"

Just finished...Really good! It's always important to go back and see what brought this country to where it is now...see the failures and attempt to correct them. The use of 'writ' precepts and principles is the crux of everything our founding fathers eventually 'Declared' and 'Constituted'. Sara's new husband had the conviction and common sense to use this and what is written on his heart as a measuring stick. One not need a Bible to even listen to this...however a Bible can just reaffirm what the heart is tormented with. When you strip away all the technology and media distractions of today, you have nothing else left but a Creator, You, and a Conscience. Movie critics will be left with differing accents but will fail to find fault with character building, plot, and plausibility...esp. plausibility given the simple message here is not just historical fact, but who can say human needs unmet are worthy of criticism? The first episode leaves you with a plethora of open doors as our founding fathers and the Constitution have yet to be 'writ'ten. With our Constitution being challenged at its peak right now, its easy to see what they are building up to and I can't wait. This series is not just worthy as an educational tool for teachers, but for parents to discuss with their children as they are forming their moral. First episodes are a challenge for new actors as they become acclimated with their peers' skills and demeanor. It will only get better. Time is ticking and I hope they can jump quickly to 1776 during this election year!.

The photography was excellent, the locations quite charming, the music fitting, the storyline a bit contrived but all right. What spoiled it for me was the dull, quiet, uninvolved delivery of the Squire, who is also the director! He needs to make himself speak up, show some passion! He's being overshadowed by his other actors!

Historically, so much of the American Revolution and the lead-up to it is shown in films as having happened only in the cities of Boston, Philadelphia, Charleston, etc., leaving out the more rural people and their involvement and fears. I applaud "Courage, New Hampshire" for helping to fill that hole! Keep the episodes coming!

Colony Bay Productions, an independent acting group, is taking up the story of early America with a passion some well-known commentators might think no longer exists. Lead by James Riley, a reenactor of Patrick Henry and owner of Riley's Farm, this group is producing an ambitious DVD series called Courage, New Hampshire. It's goal is to tell the story leading up to our independence, season by season for the remainder of the decade. They started in the winter of 1770 with the story Sarah Pine, an unmarried, young woman who gave birth to a child she claims to be by a British soldier named Bob Wheedle. The story primarily introduces the characters and the small town of Courage. No appearances from Ben Franklin or Paul Revere. The Boston Massacre occurs during the time of this story (March 5, 1770) and is the only reference given to the world beyond their border.

There are two episodes available today; the third is coming in several weeks. My wife and I watched the first one, "The Travail of Sarah Pine," and loved it. The music by Rotem Moav is perfect. I love the authentic sound of the many references to the Bible in the dialogue. Costuming and setting all look beautiful and genuine, though at one point I thought they should have aged a man's clothing to take the straight from the catalog look away.

There is a community theater aspect to Courage. Some of the acting isn't as polished as I'd like, because in the end, viewers want to enjoy the story and not think about the last few lines sounding off a bit. Some of the actors are fairly new or untrained in their art, but many of the cast have experience with Shakespearean plays, movies and TV, and some famous people play a part here and there, like Andrew Breitbart in episode two.

I can't discern a political agenda in this story, unless stories about colonial America without touching on select hot spots makes a story politically incorrect. I look forward to seeing the big historical names, if they ever get out to Courage or if the story ever goes to Boston. I see that episode three has a much lesser-known figure, a black soldier named Caesar, who fought in the continental army.

You can buy a DVD or steam the episodes through their site. If you like period drama, this is worth your time.