Customer Reviews

The Crossing

5 star:		(58)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

This is a wonderfully done made-for-cable movie about George Washington and his famous victory at the Battle of Trenton in the winter of 1776. Starring Jeff Daniels as General Washington, this film brings an important episode in American history vividly to life. We see the broken remnants of the Continental army as it races to avoid capture following their defeats in New York. The British, close on the heels of the retreating rebels, have written the Americans off as being on the verge of total surrender. Washington, tired and beaten, realizes that he must make one last attempt to achieve victory or all hope for the revolution will be lost. Against the judgement of his officers, Washington prepares to launch a desperate offensive against a large force of Hessian troops occupying the town of Trenton, just across the Delaware River in New Jersey. The future of the new United States hangs in the balance as the rag-tag army bets all or nothing on this dangerous gamble. Well written and with money well-spent, The Crossing is a dramatic telling of this important moment in American history, and one that I would recommend to teachers, students, and history enthusiasts alike.

A&E's The Crossing, starring Jeff Daniels as General George Washington, is one of the best historical productions I have ever seen. The movie tells of General George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River to attack the Hessians in Trenton, New Jersey on December 25th, 1776. This is a very important story for Americans to know. The American War of Independence was almost lost by the end of 1776. In The Crossing, Jeff Daniels with an excellent supporting cast, recreates that period of an American cause in dire straits. General Washington and his men with pure tenacity, win a critical battle that saved the American army from disintergration. The acting, atmosphere and music make this production inspirational and top notch.
One of the best historical presentations you will see!

In the last 10 years or so, Hollywood and cable TV has finally started to get it right when they make movies (Widescreen or TV) about historical events, and The Crossing is no exception.

This is a well acted account of one of the major events of the War of Independence. Jeff Daniels portrays a superb George Washington, who was at times very impatient and hot tempered. History seems to gloss over the imperfections and vulnerabilities of our nations beloved figures, however this movie shows Washington to be flawed and tired at times like the rest of his army was.

The uniforms,locations, and camp life were accurate as well as the filth and harsh existence the Continental Army had to go through. The movie did an excellent job of trying to film the famous battle, which definitely caught the Hessians by suprise.

Overall, a well acted, accurately portrayed Revolutionary War movie.

I think this film is great for its entertainment value. Jeff Daniels puts forth an excellent performance as General Washington, and the direction and editing do an excellent job of building suspense during the crossing of the Delaware River. Even though I knew the outcome, I found myself concerned about the ultimate success of the mission. That being said, the portrayal of Henry Knox does a diservice to the father of American artillery. While John Glover and his men did yeomens'work during the crossing, Knox commanded the operation. It was through his efforts as a leader, working in concert with Glover, that the Americans succeeded in their task. The movie disparages his achievement for comedic effect. Overall, I recommend this film, but watch it after reading David Hackett Fischer's "Washington's Crossing" or David McCullough's "1776".

As with all movies based on historical fact, the yardstick for this movie should be the accuracy presented regarding the battle of Trenton. Based on my somewhat limited reading (Richard Kethchum's "The Winter Soldiers"), this movie delivers reasonably well. More so, the most truly important aspect of history movies, in my opinion, is the context and how well this given period is presented...in essence, how deeply does the viewer feel involved? This is the issue that makes this movie stand out. Watching this, I felt all the emotions that Washington appeared to go through (desperation, frustration, exhileration upon smashing the Hessians at Trenton...) and just marveled at the "period" depiction. I really felt that this was what it was like in 1776 Pennsylvania and New Jersey (volunteers with no uniforms or warm clothes...some even without shoes in the dead of winter...). Washington's character was well played by Jeff Daniels as he portrayed the important leadership qualities that made him a legend and founding father. Daniels "playing" Washington also managed to come across as somewhat flawed (i.e. "human"...) while giving a semblance of Washington's major desperation. On the negative side, I'm not so sure that Colonel Glover's role was historically accurate, although it was also well acted. In summary, an excellent movie and one that should be viewed by anyone interested in the Revolution. Highest recommendation.

It is very difficult to translate history to modern audiences. People of the past do not speak the same cultural language as modern Americans, or, to be more precise, modern Americans have difficulty understanding the motivations of their countrymen of 50, or 100, or 200 years ago.

"The Crossing" is an excellent film. I mean that it excels in many respects, but not all. When I first heard that Jeff Daniels, of "Dumb and Dumber" infamy, was to play Washington, I slapped my forehead and groaned for history. Hollywood, once again, I thought, would fabricate history--replete with [standard] characters, stooges, faithful sidekicks and villainous bad guys (ala "The Patriot")--rather than make an honest attempt at what we know as the facts.

I was wrong. Howard Fast wrote the novel and the screenplay. He is the same fellow who gave us "April Morning" and "Citizen Tom Paine", among other fiction classics of America's early Revolutionary history. Fast became a socialist, but always revered the spirit and determination of the Founders, which, perhaps, is why he became a socialist. I do not agree with his later political leanings, but I share his respect for the revolutionaries who made America and know we would share a hatred of the tyranny they opposed.

Is this film flawed? It certainly is to the extent noted [....] The screenplay is not accurate in many particulars (Fast was not fastidious in this regard). However, it captures as few films have the spirit of the Revolution, the desperation of the times and the greatness of Washington. Daniels did a superb job, with the strong script, of showing why Washington was the leader he was.

This is an entertaining and informative film for adults, but I think its chief value is as an excellent introduction to America's first hero and the long odds against which the people who made America labored. Their success was a miracle.

If you are looking for a good film to excite your kids about America and her beginnings, pull out a map, show them the Delaware River and "Washington's Crossing" just north of Philadelphia and watch "The Crossing" with them.

It is December, 1776. Six months before you were in command of an army of 20,000 men. Now there are only 3,000, most of them unfit for duty, and the British Army is snapping at your heels. In front of the men you still command is the Delaware River, a treacherous river at the best of times and even more dangerous at this time of year. Behind you are the British, so confident of victory that they leave a token force of Hessien mercenaries in Trenton, New Jersey and return to New York for the winter. After all, once the river freezes over, the British Army will march across the ice and hand you the terms of surrender. Your men are ill. Two of your generals are missing, there is no food, no medicine and no shelter. The men's enlistments are over on the 31st of December. You must face reality; the revolution to separate the American colonies has failed. That is what General George Washington faced in December, 1776. Any reasonable man would have surrendered but, as Washington stated, "I am not a reasonable man." and, being unreasonable, he does what no one believes possible, he decides to attack the Hessians on Christmas day.

That is what we learn when we study American History. What we do not learn is the true character of the man known as the Father of His Country. A man who was racked with guilt, doubt, and the belief that it is his fault that the American revolution is failing. A man who swears at officers who stay inside and enjoy the warmth of a fire while their men wait in the snow for their turn to get into the boats which will ferry them across the Delaware to New Jersey. A man willing to risk it all to achieve his dream of an independant America.

Yes, there are some mistakes in historial accuracy. General Knox and General Nathanael (Yes,I spelled his name correctly) Greene are portrayed by men older than they were when this battle took place. The members of British Army, seen in the first few minutes of this two hour movie, are wearing the uniforms use in the French and Indian Wars rather than those worn during the American Revolution, and Colonel John Glover's New England accent could use some work but, in my opinion, these minor inaccuracies are just that, minor. The strong language used is accurate for the time period, a fact many Americans do not know. Washington's victory at Trenton turned the tide of history in the colonies and The Crossing shows how victory was pulled from the jaws of despair.

During the winter of 1776 members of the Continental Congress abandon Philadelphia and run for their lives as the American Revolution begins to unravel. The Continental Army has lost every battle in defence of its positions, and has never dared to attack the enemy. Now, a american general who is considered to be a buffoon by the British, and ineffective by many of his own officers, is about to lead a ragtag army of 2000 tired, hungry and sick men across an ice-filled river at night to attack the best trained and most feared soldiers in the world. Pulp fiction? Historical fact??

This little gem captures the essence of what many military historians believe to be the most daring battle strategy ever undertaken.
All the cast members deliver solid and convincing performances, especially Jeff Daniels as the brooding and short-tempered George Washington. Although, a couple of the scenes do contain minor historical flaws, even the purist cannot question the overall accuracy of the events unfolding. The sets, period costumes, and battle scenes are accurate even if some of the fight sequences are a bit exaggerated. Robert Harmon's direction is tight, and the photography by Rene Ohashi makes you feel that you are actually there. Gary Chang's music is also very effective in setting the mood for this non-epic film.
This movie is not your typical adulterated hollywood production that plays foot-loose with the facts. It stays on it's historical course as it tells the story of a near-miraculous event that was to become the turning-point of the American Revolution.
The Crossing is a must see for anyone who enjoys historically accurate entertainment.

This is truly a great movie and I highly recommend it to anyone. Whether you are a history fan or not. This movie depicts an event in American History that needed to be told in detail. Many people are familiar with Washington's infamous crossing of the Delaware River, but do not realize how important of a mission it was. And to what degree of deterioration Washington's army was by the end of 1776. It was literally "Victory or Death" for Washington in the final week of the year. His troops enlistment's were almost up, moral was low and Washington desperately needed a victory. So he decided to attack a group of German troops (hired by the British)stationed in Trenton NJ the day after Christmas. Needless to say, the mission was accomplished........

On Christmas Day every year, I always slip in a toast at the dinner table for Washington's success at Trenton NJ. Yes it sounds corny, but I am a corny guy and love to remind people of such events.......

My only complaint about The Crossing was that German leader Colonel Rall was given a message late in the evening on Christmas Day, warning him of the attack . Rall requested not to be disturbed and refused to read the message. He tucked the unread message in his coat pocket. The message was finally read the following day AFTER the attack. This incident was left out of the movie and really needed to be included. For if Rall had read the letter, he would have been prepared for Washington's attack. Most likely ending the American Revolution right there.

"The Crossing" is one of the finest TV movies ever made. The movie is superbly cast, and led by Jeff Daniels, who surprised me with his outstanding portrayal of George Washington. Why he wasn't asked to reprise the role in "Benedict Arnold," I'll never know! The crossing of the Delaware River and the Battle of Trenton are created with accuracy and excitement. This is a must-own movie for anyone who enjoys serious films! Grade: A+