492: Jon Erwin—Young Washington
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What is the new film “Young Washington” about and why is it timed for Independence Day?
Boy, did I enjoy the conversation you're about to hear right now? It's with a fellow named John Irwin who uh directed a film called Young Washington. And this of course is the way I heard it, and I can't think of a more appropriate topic or guest. that rhymes with the title of this podcast or the whole reason it sort of evolved from the very beginning than this film and this guy.
Yeah, first of all, he's a great director and he's done a lot of great movies and TV shows. He did um House of David on Prime, which was a big hit. And uh this movie is coming out just in time for Independence Day.
Yeah, it'll be all over the country in theaters on July third. Correct. So we got him in just under the wire, and I'm so glad we did because, you know, there's not much to say about George Washington that you haven't heard, because most of what there is to say about him kind of starts around the revolution.
Yeah.
and goes forward, and then the rest is rooted in mythology, and you know, cherry trees and cannot tell a lie and all that nonsense. Um this is a movie about The man who came of age very quickly, thanks to his role in the French and Indian War and uh in the Seven Years War. And of course in the Revolutionary War. And what the film really does is what I tried to do in all my little stories once upon a time, which is tell you something you didn't know about somebody you do. Right. And walk his significance in history back to a couple of moments that really inform the man long before anybody knew who he was. And man, not only does this film do justice to that, but the conversation about the film is exactly what's fun to do after you get a peek through the portal.
Back into time.
Absolutely. And he knows his stuff. He spent ten years making this movie.
Yeah. Ten years. Well, it's one of the first things I ask him is, you know, can you describe what it feels like to be a director to live with a thing for a decade and now really just right on the verge of seeing it come out? I'm so relieved to tell you that it's a good movie. Yeah. You know, because there are a lot of movies that I respect and that I really, really, really wanna like. And, you know, they're okay. And they're worth recommending and they're worth watching for those reasons. But when it's straight up legit like oh man This is so relevant and so captivating. And for once when the movie ended, I wanted to see more.
Yes, yes. And it's perfect for the semi quincentennial. Yeah. This is everything that leads up to the Revolutionary War. This is how the father of our country became the general of the army. You see what happened in his life to give him the medal to do what he had to do to win the Revolutionary War.
And by metal you mean met metal. Two Ts.
Yes.
Yeah. For sure. He was forged in fire. Oh, I see what you did there. Different kind of metal. Yes.
How did Jon Erwin spend ten years making the movie and what production hurdles did he encounter?
But um look, this thing we call the American Revolution, it kind of lives in portraits and illustrations, and we're taught it so often through days and dates and documents, and it all just feels so dusty and old.
Yeah, not this.
No, no, this really frames it for what it was. You know, the American Revolution was in fact really the first modern world war. It was huge. And it starts really with a little fort called Necessity that Washington built. out in the Ohio Valley and it was a botched, horribly failed attempt. No spoiler alerts. No, it happened hundreds of years ago, dude. I'm not spoiling anything. Бонью сі When you see the impact and the success of the father of our country through the lens of one of the most colossal failures of his life, things fall into place. It hits different, as the kids say.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah. It's a terrific film. It was made possible not just by John Irwin, but uh and I say this credit where it's due, 'cause look, you know, if you wanna see more movies that you really like, you gotta kinda follow the money back and really like who who made this happen? So uh the Wonder Project is a terrific bunch of people who are making great content and that was founded by John, who you're about to meet.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the new film “Young Washington” about and why is it timed for Independence Day?
0:04–3:18
2
How did Jon Erwin spend ten years making the movie and what production hurdles did he encounter?
3:18–13:40
3
Why does the film focus on Washington’s early failures and how does storytelling uncover hidden history?
13:40–25:17
4
What was the significance of Fort Necessity and the “shot heard around the world” in Washington’s early career?
25:17–57:34
5
Why does Jon talk about redesigning a room as a way to control the uncontrollable?
57:34–58:46
6
How does the conversation shift to Washington’s obsession with symmetry and what it reveals about his personality?
58:46–1:05:32
7
What is the story behind Jon’s grandfather’s Medal of Honor and how did it shape his family’s legacy?
1:05:32–1:37:45
8
How does Jon wrap up the episode with a call to action for viewers and listeners?
1:37:45–1:45:57