The New World

The family and I went to see the movie, The New World.

"Was that film historically accurate," my son asked me.

"Pretty much," I told him. "The Powhatan women did not wear shirts, the children wore less, and the corn was modern. Corn at that time was about half the size it is today. The romance of Smith and Pocahontas was probably all in Smith's mind -- he was a great self-promoter ."

"It would have been better if it had been more historically accurate," the teenager said.

It took me a minute to realize he wasn't talking about the corn or Smith.

"The movies need more nudity," he said with a grin.

But it was very, very accurate. I loved it, but it is not for everyone.

When the 3 hour movie was over, people got up and left in almost complete silence. Occasionally there was a yawn or a deep sigh of exhaustion.

Part of this appeal for me is that the characters of this film were some of my ancestors. John Rolfe, who married Matoaka/Rebecca/Pocahontas, was my 11th Great Grandfather.

The more you know of the history, the more you will enjoy the film and all its subtleties.