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Arriving a bit late to ride the fizzled momentum of the nation’s semiquincentennial, and a bit early for Christmas, patriotic musical “Drummer Boy” nonetheless should strike a chord with Christian audiences. It’s the first
feature for several collaborators since 2024’s “Unsung Hero,” one of the bigger “faith-based entertainment” hits in recent years, though this tale set at the outset of the Revolutionary War is a considerably different enterprise. “Hamilton,” it’s not. Still, for those seeking a more sentimentally earnest take on early U.S. history with a more vanilla contemporary-pop sound, the latest release from Angel Studios provides a confident, mostly pleasing throwback to original screen musicals of yore.
“Drummer Boy” will largely appeal to preexisting fans of Grammy-winning Christian music act For King + Country — comprising brothers Luke and Joel David Smallbone, the latter of whom both stars and co-directs with third Smallbone brother Ben. Viewers preferring wholly secular entertainment may find it on the hokey side, but should appreciate that religious messaging is relatively soft-pedaled here in favor of a more generalized plea for societal “forgiveness and reconciliation” — something arguably well-timed in the immediate wake of a contentious midterm election.
A 1762 prologue finds two families sailing from England to its colonies across the Atlantic. Their children are about the same age, but otherwise the groups are quite different: The Clems (led by Ioan Guffudd’s father Nathaniel) are humble folk hoping to “truly be free” in a new land hopefully void of class and other divisions. Whereas widowed Lord Balfour (Charles Esten) fully expects to carry his homeland’s aristocratic traditions abroad, complete with an apparent Black slave for his hoity-toity young daughter. Once in sight of land at last, the ship is attacked (by the French, as this is during the French and Indian War), with consequences falling hardest on the Clems.
Twelve years later, both clans have settled in Kingston, New York, that state’s eventual first capital. The Clems have established a grain mill, worked by mother Rachel (Melora Hardin) with now-grown sons Jeremiah (Joel David Smallbone) and Benjamin (Lucas Leach) — the latter still lamed by their fateful ocean crossing. Far above them in social station are the Balfours, who exert considerable political influence from a stately manse.
There, princessy only-child Elisabeth aka Lizzie (Beth Easdown) weighs her options as the region’s most sought-after debutante, while attended by servants including Emmaline (India Brown) and older Margaret (Beverley Knight). The latter pair hope one day to buy their liberty, Emmaline also pinning romantic hopes on Jeremiah, who once secretly taught her to read and write. For the time being, however, he only has eyes for pretty, fickle Lizzie. (An early scene in which she’s belle of a small ball provides the film’s sole major dance opportunity.)
Soon they’ve all got more pressing concerns, as excess taxation and other colonialist abuses from distant England’s rule trigger the War for Independence. Citizens are bitterly divided, rebel-friendly Ben’s big mouth getting the Clems branded as “traitors” by those loyal to the Crown. Lest that kill off the family business, Jeremiah makes amends by signing up as a British Army redcoat under Lord Balfour’s command. They’re soon sent off to fight, and in angry pique Ben too leaves home, fast landing in the company of Patriot colonist forces led by Scotsman Major Ambrose (Iain Glen). He’s rejected at first due to disability, then proves his value with an impromptu drum solo — back then, percussionists issued the “charge command” and other signals to troops when ordered.
Thus is set up a core, somewhat corny “brother versus brother” conflict, duly culminating in instances where the Clem brethren must face each other on the battlefield. Meanwhile back in town, Emmaline plays Cyrano — writing letters to Jeremiah that he assumes are from Lizzie, who in fact has already more or less forgotten him. This covert communication will lead to trouble, exacerbating racial inequities even as Lord Balfour eventually, foolishly brings the war back to his own doorstep.
“Drummer Boy” avoids staging full-scale battles, though its hectic skirmishes in forests and such are probably an accurate-enough reflection of how the war was really won. (The more formal, rule-bound British fighting style was famously ignored and undermined by Yanks’ guerrilla tactics.) But then this is not exactly a grittily realistic flashback, or one terribly concerned with details of historical timeline.
Indeed, the 18th century looks very scrubbed and pretty here, Cathal Watters’ handsome widescreen cinematography at times recalling the more idealizing 19th-century landscape painters. Never mind that these particular landscapes are sometimes rather obviously Ireland rather than upstate New York. (Angel Studios’ recent “Young Washington” was also shot in Ireland, where the past is better preserved.) Nadine Powell’s costumes and Chad Krowchuk’s production design likewise offer serviceable period fidelity while suggesting our nation’s birth came very freshly laundered.
The dramatics, too, are awfully neat, but they work well enough in an idiom of teen-friendly romance and apolitical strife. (It is all but suggested at the close here that the Revolutionary War ended because both sides realized war wasn’t nice.) This is a musical in a very mainstream pop mode of supple but almost juvenile high voices singing banal lyrics to catchy melodies with rather bombastic production. There are some attractive small-string-ensemble elements to the arrangements of both the songs by For King + Country and the backing score by Garrett P. Tyler ad Danny Lopez.
But otherwise “Drummer Boy” makes no attempt to sound “period,” and the anachronism squeaks by because the emotions milked are also very Millennial-and-beyond, with those songs mostly limning “Dear Diary”-type internal monologue sentiments of personal aspiration and pining. Even the major theme of interracial love is handled with such romanticized discretion, neither race nor slavery ever actually get mentioned. As far as religious content goes, it’s a given that everyone here is Christian, but Richard L. Ramsey’s efficient screenplay treats the central conflicts as matters of human morality (or lack thereof), rather than tests of faith.
The young leads make appealing impressions within the uncomplicated limits of the script and the ten songs (which include a few adaptions of traditional hymns), though one might wish the soldier-sidekicks the two brothers get were given more to do — a subplot or two wouldn’t have hurt. The older performers are largely wasted in one-dimensional roles, Glen faring best among them.
It is a tribute to the co-directors’ sincerity and polish that a heavily contrived, snowy Christmas climax on the field of battle stretches credulity to the breaking point, but somehow that doesn’t matter much. Not a movie for the cynical, “Drummer Boy” won’t convert anyone not already inclined towards the outputs of Angel Studios or For King + Country. But the previously converted should be highly gratified, and everyone else is likely to find this throwback pleasant, if a tad innocuous.
