A & E's made for TV movie, "The Crossing," made its debut last night. Every American schoolchild was brought up on the story of George Washington crossing the Delaware River. This excellent movie tells the story of the winter of 1776, when General Washington took his troops across the Delaware to escape the British Army, particularly the paid professional soldiers from Germany (the Hessians), and his subsequent raid on a Hessian encampment in Trenton, NJ.

Jeff Daniels did an excellent job of portraying General Washington, bringing the man behind the myth to life with respect and sensitivity. The entire supporting cast was wonderful as well. Without disrupting or denigrating the image of George Washington as the father of our country, Bridges portrayed him as a real live human being, faced with apparently insurmountable problems, recalcitrant staff members, and a Continental Congress on the run. So often these days it seems that we must dig up the "dirt" on the heroes of our history (i.e., Thomas Jefferson's relationships). This movie stirred long-lost patriotic feelings of the miracle that the American Revolution was. I can only hope that this is a harbinger of things to come--that we may once again address our history and our beginnings with the respect and awe the founders of America deserve. A & E has earned a stellar rating for this movie--I only hope they can continue with this quality of programming.



Recommended: Yes