Pursuit of Honor: The Rise of George Washington

Pop quiz: was George Washington a wanna-be Brit or an American patriot? Was he a man of stern demeanor or was he known to flirt? Was he a warrior or was he fond of dancing? Was he a man of conscience or was he a slave owner? Answer: all of the above. Trying to understand the “Father of Our Country” (who, incidentally, fathered no children of his own) is a complex undertaking, but filmmaker Robert Matzen's feature-length Pursuit of Honor: The Rise of George Washington does an admirable job of examining how Washington's early years as a British officer and plantation owner shaped the man whom Americans would later follow in the Revolutionary War and then elect as their first President. Interviews with eminent scholars (including Martha Washington's biographer) are combined with costumed re-enactments filmed at Mount Vernon and Williamsburg (the narrative begins with the French and Indian War and then cuts back and forth in time, which might confuse young viewers, but should pose no problem for informed students and adult viewers). DVD extras include a “making-of” featurette, another on the historic Carlyle House, deleted scenes, bloopers, and a teacher's guide. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Reagan)