A Great Awakening (PG-13)
19/06/26 14:52 Filed in: 2026
Starring: John Paul Sneed
April 2026
Warning! This is NOT a movie review. This is a critique of the film. Intended to initiate a dialogue, the following analysis explores various aspects of the film and may contain spoilers. For concerns over objectionable content, please first refer to one of the many parental movie guide websites. Ratings are based on a four star system. Happy reading!
A Great Awakening spotlights two famous men from America’s colonial period: George Whitefield (Jonathan Blair) and Benjamin Franklin (John Paul Sneed). The fiery evangelist and inventor/newspaper editor/statesman, respectively, struck up an unlikely friendship. It was a symbiotic relationship—Franklin used his printing press to help spread awareness of Whitefield and his message, and Whitefield provided sensational headlines for Franklin’s newspaper every time he traveled to Philadelphia.
Though their beliefs were completely different, both men were motivated by the pursuit of truth: Whitefield promulgated the Gospel of Truth; Franklin pursued journalistic truth. Whereas Whitefield used the spoken word to communicate with his audience, Franklin used the printed word to reach his. Both men were orators: Whitefield’s rousing words helped unify scores of Pre-Revolutionary War colonists; Franklin’s wise words helped unify quarreling delegates at the Continental Congress, the seething cauldron of viewpoints that eventually produced the Declaration of Independence.
The two men had opposite career paths—Whitefield trained to be an actor but ended up a preacher, while Franklin’s father wanted him to be a pastor, but he ended up a businessman. Also ironic is that Franklin, a deist, recommended congress should begin each day with a prayer…a practice that continues to this day.
One of the most memorable scenes in the movie is Whitefield’s first visit to the City of Brotherly Love, when he spoke to a large crowd from the courthouse balcony. Whitefield’s homily is electric and Franklin’s attempt at determining the size of the crowd (an estimated 30,000 people) is highly entertaining.
From candles to lightning rods, the movie is packed with symbols and metaphors. The film also offers some keen observations of human nature, like the brutal conditions of British coal mines of the period, and the indignance of staunch religious leaders who rejected Whitefield’s spirited, and often abrasive brand of preaching. Other insightful commentary comes from Franklin, who quips that whether soothing or stoking fears, both types of headlines sell papers.
As is often the case in life, a person’s greatest asset also can be their greatest liability. Whitefield’s ability to project his voice over large crowds eventually lead to respiratory issues—he died of asthma at age 55.
Another example of the greatest strength/greatest weakness paradox is the movie’s historical content. While it’s admirable that writers Jeff Bender, Jonathan Blair and Joshua Enck (who also directed the movie) have foregrounded the spiritual aspects of colonial America, the film’s accuracy is occasionally dubious. For instance, Whitefield’s relationship with John Wesley was far more contentious than what’s portrayed in the movie; the thorny doctrine of “predestination” significantly contributed to this rift.
Another drawback is that the accounts of Whitefield and Franklin are highly sanitized—Whitefield owned slaves and Franklin was a womanizer. Of course, this is a conservative flick, so we’re only allowed to see highly-idealized versions of these men, which diminishes the movie’s veracity and potential dramatic impact.
In the end, A Great Awakening is a well-made biopic that captures the flavor of the colonial period without fully immersing us in it. Still, it’s important for us (especially young people) to be reminded of the some of the leading figures and events of this pivotal period in our nation’s history.
The movie effectively raises awareness of how two prominent men of the past, despite different backgrounds and beliefs, forged a deep, enduring friendship. If only people of different backgrounds/beliefs/political parties could achieve the same today.
With the upcoming 250th Anniversary of our country on July 4th, the movie’s greatest success is its timing.
Rating: 2½ out of 4