America's First D-Day: Washington's Crossing

Gr 9 Up—This film re-creates the moment when General George Washington crossed the Delaware River and turned the tide of the Revolutionary War. The film covers the time period of 1731–76 and takes place in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Viewers get to see Washington and British General Charles Cornwallis struggle with the question of how to win the war with the least number of casualties. Director Robert Child was motivated to make this film when he found out that the Washington Crossing State Park (NJ) was scheduled to close due to lack of government support. It was his hope that this film would spark interest in our country's history and increase the number of visitors to the site. The film includes reenactments and interviews with history experts Allen Guelzo, professor at Gettysburg College, and Greg Urwin of Temple University. Though informative, their dialogue is dryly intellectual. The action scenes, however, are very dramatic and moving, though interrupted by too much historical commentary. The film trailer, currently available on YouTube, makes this work seem far more exciting.