Drummer Boy, a Musical from Angel Studios

This film is directly inspired by a Christmas carol, but it is not really a Christmas movie (less so than Die Hard). Admittedly, it would not be inappropriate for the holiday season, but it best fits Independence Day. However, in 1776, most New Yorkers were opposed to independence from England, especially in Kingston. Young Benjamin Clem was an exception, but his older brother Jeremiah was not. At least, the elder sibling was unwilling to stand against prevailing sentiment. That means the two brothers could very well find each other on opposing sides of a battle in Ben & Joel David Smallbone’s movie-musical Drummer Boy, released by Angel Studios, which opens this Friday in theaters.

The Clems came to the Colonies with their father, the honorable Nathaniel Clem, who genuinely believed the New World offered the only opportunity for people to live free. Unfortunately, he died during the transatlantic passage, in a naval incident. His appointment was subsequently taken by the much less honorable Lord Balfour (not the future Prime Minister responsible for the Balfour Declaration). This Balfour is the father of Lady Elizabeth and the owner of household slave Emmaline, both of whom were childhood friends of Jeremiah.

Having reached adulthood, Jeremiiah reluctantly agrees to serve in the British Army, in order to preserve the economic viability of the Clem family’s mill. He also hopes to woo Lady Elizabeth, with his letters. Unfortunately, she has no interest in responding. Instead, Emmaline replies in her place, like an unrequested Cyrano, simply signing her letters “E.” Of course, as a slave, Emmaline is not supposed to be literate, but Jeremiah taught secretly taught her, during their pre-Colonial days.

Sadly, the brothers parted on bad terms. Jeremiah almost dared Benjamin to enlist with the Patriots, cruelly dismissing his brother’s potential as a soldier. The same incident that killed their father irreparably damaged Benjamin’s leg. Yet, he always worked hard. More importantly, young Clem can drum, a talent that holds more value for Maj. John Ambrose than mere musketry. He needs a drummer like Clem to signal charges and retreats and to keep their marching snappy.

Even though it is a traditional carol, “The Little Drummer Boy” became one of Christian pop group For King + Country’s signature hits, after adding it to their set-list for gigs during the holiday season. The Smallbones and screenwriter save the Christmas standard for a dramatic Christmas battlefield confrontation that is hugely manipulative, but also massively cinematic. Consequently, it quite stirringly expresses the film’s themes of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Aside from the semi-titular carol, the score is entirely contemporary, reflecting For King + Country’s style. Of course, there is ample such precedent when it comes to musicals. Frankly, viewers who dig Les Mis will most likely enjoy Drummer Boy, because they share a similarly passionate sweeping sensibility. Arguably, the biggest criticism of the Smallbones’ score applies equally to the majority of recent book musicals produced in recent years. That would be the songs’ uniformity of tone, making them sound more like movements of a single composition rather than discrete tunes in their own right.

However, Clem’s drumming interludes arguably provides some refreshing stylistic variety. Essentially, his martial percussion quickly segues into funky and flashy drumline-style breaks. Frankly, the drumming often sounds more “modern” than the songs.

Regardless, India Brown and Joel David Smallbone really nail the romantic yearning of their numbers. They also have likable chemistry, which duly stokes the audience’s frustration and outrage directed at the old social order, personified by the Balfours. Indeed, Drummer Boy is a timely corrective, establishing the largely anti-slavery sentiments of the Independent-minded Patriots, like Benjamin Clem. After all, it was the British (and other Europeans) who brought slavery to the Colonies and the British clearly favored the South during the Civil War.

Lucas Leach powerfully conveys Benjamin Clem’s guilt and anger, while also featuring prominently in some of the film’s best scenes, opposite Iain Glen, as the commanding yet compassionate Maj. Ambrose. Honestly, it is a shame Glen will not get the recognition he deserves for his portrayal of Ambrose, because of the film’s Christian themes.

You have to admire the Smallbones’ ambition to create a Revolutionary War-era movie musical. Young Washington better handles the history, but the film eloquently celebrates the faith, idealism, and familial dedication of the men who fought for independence. It all works as a musical much more successfully than many viewers will expect. Recommended for fans of the Smallbones’ music and faith-positive films, Drummer Boy releases this Friday (11/6) in theaters.