On Saturday I watched a movie I have wanted to see for a long time called "April Morning" about Lexington and Concord and the American Revolution from the perspective a 15 year old boy who stands with his father and other "Minute Men" at Lexington Green and witness "the shot heard around the world." The "Hallmark Hall of Fame" movie from 1988 is one of a handful of movies about the American Revolution. Unlike a similar movie made by Walt Disney called "Johnny Tremain" this movie is more realistic in the sense of "The Red Badge of Courage." You feel the terror of standing there with fellow farmers with old hunting rifles as they hear the drums of "the best army in the world" long before it marches into view. As the British Army marches into view in their fancy red uniforms in perfect formation you can feel the farmers and small town men ask themselves .....why am I here? When told to "disperse" they want to run but hold firm. When the British office orders his men to "FIX BAYONETS" the Minute Men know what they have gotten themselves into. You know the rest.
The movie is based upon a Howard Fast historical novel. One of the reason I really wanted to see the movie, other than it's subject, is that it was one of the last movies Director John Ford wanted to make before he became ill and died. He wanted John Wayne to play the father of the 15 year old. The father stands in the first rank of the Minute Men and his son in the second. Ford viewed making the movie as an early gift for the American Bicentennial. Wayne also wanted to make the movie but also died before he was able. A few years after both were dead the movie was made as a Hallmark Hall of Fame made for TV movie. For a TV movie it has good production values and the music is especially good. I found the movie on Netflix. It was only available for "streaming" and not for rental through the mail.
The cast includes :Chad Lowe,(15 year old "Minute Man") Tommy Lee Jones,(His father) Robert Urich,(Fathers friend)Susan Blakely,(Mother) Rip Torn,(Yankee Agitator)
BTW one of the first things the British tell the Minute Men is to drop their arms. There is a reason we have the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. the Constitution.
