Johnny Tremain

Walt Disney knew how to make a great movie and this one is no exception. This movie gives us Disney's perspective on the Revolution, nothing more or less. For people wanting to learn history by watching movies this may be a shocker: movies are meant to entertain us, not educate us. God deliver us from Preacher-Directors who use their director's chairs as pulpits. All historical movies have some inaccuracies and most have many; even the acclaimed John Adams miniseries had several. Even today's history textbooks are suspect. The best way to learn history is to read the biographies of those who made it. Read Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Franklin and others in their own words. You can learn a lot about people and events by reading good biographies and autobiographies.

If you love America and want to share and pass on that legacy to your children, then I would recommend this movie to you. There is an educational element, but I don't think that was ever the primary purpose of this picture. It was mainly meant to entertain and share a love for America and its founders.

My 7th grade reading students had read parts of this book (not in its entirety since time was running out at the end of school). With a short amount of time left, I showed the movie to my classes. Even though, as most movies, it was not faithful to the book, they were truly interested in it.

Great bit of historical fiction! Perfect for showing to youngsters learning about the American Revolution. Gives children a feel for what it was like to be a young person in the 1770's. Not too heavy with details. My fifth graders really liked it.

This is how the Tea Party movement started. A wonderful example of Disney's ability to to say so much without appearing political. The Socialist in the Democrat Party should be required to watch it....over and over again.

This Disney version is great for giving a 5th, 6th or 7th graders a peep into pre American Revolution times, but if re-done in the 21st century, special effects would easily replace map paintings. It is of little value in an English class, because it does not stick to the author's script. For example, omitted are Johnny's companion apprentices--Dove and Dusty, Lavinia Lyte, Dorcas, Isannah, Madge, Mr. Tweetie, etc. Consequently, themes such as envy, sloth, religion and blue sky laws, colonial life, death, fraud, greed, marriage, arrogance, and more are not presented for discussion. In fact any student depending upon this film for the total Johnny Tremain experience, would fail any test questions rooted in characters in the book, but not represented in the film.