The Crossing (2000 film)

The Crossing
DVD cover
Directed by	Robert Harmon
Produced by	Robert W. Christiansen Delia Fine Rick Rosenberg (executive producers)
Written by	Howard Fast
Starring	Jeff Daniels Roger Rees Sebastian Roché Steven McCarthy
Music by	Gary Chang
Cinematography	Rene Ohashi
Editing by	Zach Staenberg
Distributed by	Arts and Entertainment Network
Release date(s)	10 January 2000 (television premiere)
Running time	89 min.
Country	United States
Language	English

The Crossing is a 2000 A&E film directed by Robert Harmon. Based on the novel of the same name by Howard Fast, it stars Jeff Daniels as George Washington. Also appearing in the film are Roger Rees as Hugh Mercer, Sebastian Roche as John Glover and Steven McCarthy as Alexander Hamilton. The Crossing won a Peabody Award for excellence in 2001.

Plot summary

The drama is about George Washington crossing the Delaware River and the Battle of Trenton during the American Revolutionary War. The film opens with the retreat of the Continental Army across New Jersey after repeated losses and defeats during the campaign of 1776.

After the army narrowly escapes across the river to the Pennsylvania shore, Washington, realizing that something must be done or the Revolution will collapse, conceives a plan to cross the river and conduct a surprise attack on the Hessian garrison at Trenton.

Despite their own fatigue and the winter weather, Washington manages to lift his weary soldiers' spirits, allowing the army to cross the river on Christmas night. The crossing is done in one night, allowing the troops to attack Trenton at eight o' clock on December 26, 1776, and gains a stunning victory, capturing almost all the Hessians to their own advantage.

Cast

• Jeff Daniels ... Gen. George Washington
• Roger Rees ... Gen. Hugh Mercer
• Sebastian Roché ... Col. John Glover
• Steven McCarthy ... Alexander Hamilton
• John Henry Canavan ... Gen. Henry Knox
• Ned Vukovic ... Gen. William Alexander, Lord Stirling
• David Ferry ... Gen. Nathaniel Greene
• Nigel Bennett ... Gen. Horatio Gates
• Karl Pruner ... Gen. Sullivan
• Duncan McLeod ... Williams
• Andrew Kraulis ... Billy
• Kelly Harms ... Tommy
• Jonathan Watton ... Cadman
• Kris Holden-Ried ... Capt. Heineman
• Chris Williamson ... Officer
• Paul Brogren ... Soldier #1
• Robert Persichini ... Soldier #2
• Peter Cockett ... Abe
• Michael Proudfoot ... Jacob (fisherman)
• Tim Post ... Ike (fisherman)
• Julian Richings ... McKenzie
• Shaun Austin-Olsen ... Barclay
• Paulette Sinclair ... Mrs. Barclay

See also

• List of American films of 2000
• Washington's crossing of the Delaware
• Fisher, David Hackett. Washington's Crossing. Oxford University Press USA, 2004, 576 pages. ISBN 0195170342
• Ketchum, Richard. The Winter Soldiers: The Battles for Trenton and Princeton. Owl Books, 1999, 448 pages. ISBN 0805060987

External links

• The Crossing at the Internet Movie Database
• The Crossing at AllRovi