Johnny Tremain

I want to talk about Johnny Tremain.  Johnny Tremain has been keeping my occupied when I’m not doing school during my time of not being on the internet/being sick.  I rented three movies from the Library prior to my time being grounded/sick.  I got, Revenge of the Sith *I needed it for a fanfic*, Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief, and Johnny Tremain.  I already loved Johnny Tremain the book, and was a bit nervous to see it in movie form. 

Disney did the Johnny Tremain movie, so I was a little less nervous, but then I remembered what happened with Swiss Family Robinson.  I had to read that for school, and then went to watch the movie after wards only to see that they TOTALLY changed EVERYTHING!  They left out one brother, and NONE of the events from the book happened, except maybe the very beginning and a part with the Sports Day.  That was like, IT.  I was pleasantly surprised with Johnny Tremain however.  I LOVED IT!!!!!! 

So I’m officially obsessed with Johnny Tremain.  The movie was Ah-Maze-Ing!!!!!!!  I thought the movie was better than the book!!!!!!  :D  I won’t give TOO many spoilers, but I SO loved it!!!!!  :D  If you haven’t read Johnny Tremain, I highly recommend it, but seriously, I thought the movie was great. 

First of all, the boy who played Johnny was SO CUTE!!!!!  :D

The boy who played Rab was also REALLY cute!!!!  :D

*this picture doesn't do him justice....I couldn't find a good one though! :(*

Plus, the girl who played Cilla was JUST like I saw her in my head when reading!!!!!  :D

Johnny’s character was done SUPER good, and so was Rab’s.  I thought Rab was better than in the book!  He wasn’t as quiet, and he was more sweet. ;)

I was so thrilled because in the book, *MAJOR SPOILER* Rab Dies! *END MAJOR SPOILER* and in the movie, *MAJOR SPOILER* Rab doesn’t die!!!!*END MAJOR SPOILER*  I was SO excited!!!!  :D  You’ve gotta see the movie.  It’s like an AU.  ;P  LOL, I already wrote two fanfics about the movie. 

The movie takes place during the Revolutionary War time period, a little bit before actually.  I’m learning about it in school, and this book and this movie were perfect for our History study.  Johnny took part in the Boston Tea Party and the battles of Lexington and Concord in the movie, but in the book he didn’t take part in Lexington and Concord.  It worked out better though if you ask me, it was more interesting and beyond more exciting.  J  I loved it!  I know that Amaranthine has read the book, and I highly recommend the movie Amaranthine!!!  :D  I’ve already watched it six times.  ;)

All the major characters were in, but they left out some more useless ones, like Miss Lavinia, Isanah, Madge, Dorcas, Dove, Dusty, The other Lytes, Mrs. Lorne, Rabbit, Pumpkin, Liutenent Stranger, and a few others.  Goblin the horse was in there, and I was really glad.  Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, Dr. Warren, Mr. Lyte, Mr. Lorne, and a few other Founding Fathers were in there too.  It was the same plot, which I liked, only Johnny got to see more action than he did in the book.  ;) 

One of the most important things that stuck with me from the movie and the book was James Otis.  I did a little research on James Otis and he was a pretty amazing guy.  He founded the Sons of Liberty.  He gave the same speech he did in the book in the movie, and it was very well done.  James Otis was injured on his head from some run-in with a redcoat (I think) and he sorta went a little mental.  He still had a few wits left, because he delievered a key turning point speech in the Observer's attic, which led Johnny to decide he needed to go to Lexington to help aid in the fight.  This is what he said, (book version)

"For what will we fight?"         

"To free Boston from these infernal redcoats and…"          "No," said Otis. "Boy, give me more punch. That's not enough reason for going into a war. Did any occupied city ever have better treatment than we've had from the British? Has one rebellious newspaper been stopped—one treasonable speech? Where are the firing squads, the jails jammed with political prisoners? What about the gallows for you, Sam Adams, and you John Hancock? It has never been set up. I hate those infernal British troops spread all over my town as much as you do. Can't move these days without stepping over a soldier. But we are not going off into civil war merely to get them out of Boston. Why are we going to fight? Why, why?          

There was an embarrassed silence. Sam Adams was the acknowledged ringleader. It was for him to speak now.          

"We will fight for the rights of Americans. England cannot take our money away by taxes."          

"No, no. For something more important than the pocketbooks of our American citizens."          

Rab said, "For the rights of Englishmen—everywhere."          

"Why stop with Englishmen?" Otis was warming up. He had a wide mouth, crooked and generous. He settled back in his chair and then he began to talk. It was such a talk as Johnny had never heard before. The words surged up through the big body, flowed out of the broad mouth. He never raised his voice, and he went on and on……..

"…For men and women and children all over the world," he said. "You were right, you tall, dark boy, for even as we shoot down the British soldiers we are fighting for rights such as they will be enjoying a hundred years from now…."            

"We are lucky men," he murmured, "for we have a cause worth dying for. This honor is not given to every generation."              

"It is all so much simpler than you think," he said. He lifted his hands and pushed against the rafters. "We give all we have, lives, property, safety, skills…we fight, we die, for one simple thing. Only that a man can stand up."  

"Hundreds would die, but not the thing they died for. 'A man can stand up…'"

Inspiring, isn't it?  He has a good point.  To me, when he said, "So a man can stand up," I think he meant that when they fought in the American Revolution, they were fighting for the rights to be able to stand up, and say what they think, and be able to have the freedom to think, speak and worship freely.  It's important to have a cause for the fighting.  A war with no purpose, no reason to fight, no real motivation to believe in the cause will just drone on forever and ever.  *cough: the clone war :cough*  Freedom is worth fighting for.  God is worth fighting for.  James Otis might've been crazy, but he seemed pretty sane that day..... ;)

(p.s. in the movie, Johnny said "for the rights of englishmen" not Rab)

This is the song they play (a few times) in the movie.  WARNING: SONG MAY BECOME STUCK IN HEAD!!!!!!!  I had this song in my head for three days straight.  :)  I've grown to love it.  ;)  I even wrote down the lyrics!

Visit this site for more insite on Johnny Tremain the movie: CLICK HERE

So that was my review-like post, and I promise, (if y’all like it) I can do more!  :D  Hope you liked it!!!  ;)

Lots of Love,

Jedi~Chick <3