The following contains spoilers for Here, now playing in theatersHereincludes Benjamin Franklin’s son and recreates certain aspects of his life.Hereis an interesting experiment of a film, taking place across the course of history but remaining in a single static location. The timeline shifts centuries from scene to scene, exploring the lives of certain families who briefly live in the same space (and eventually the same house) within the United States.Here’s cast therefore features charactersfrom before the colonization of North America up through the modern day. This includes a few snapshots of the 18th century in the years surrounding the United States' war for independence.
These snapshots are largely focused on the Franklin family, including the iconic Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin. Specifically, the camera ends up directed towards a home owned by his wealthy son William, whose close connection with his father had festered into an open feud by the time depicted inHere.This is the film’s most overt historical connection, and does an interesting job of highlighting the film’s overarching themes while reflecting the true life story of Benjamin, his son William, and his grandson “Billy” Temple Franklin. Here ishow historically accurate the William Franklinsubplot inHereeventually proves to be.
William Franklin Was Benjamin Franklin’s Illegitimate Son In Real-Life
William Franklin Really Did Have A Falling Out With His Father
Benjamin Franklin and his illegitimate son William appear inHere, reflecting on their real strife.Heretakes place in a single setting, revealing all the people who live their lives in the same area across the course of time. One of the minor subplots introduced this way takes place in the era of the American Revolutionary War, focusing on the wealthy William Franklin. The wealthy landowner and his wife are quickly established as Loyalists, who dismiss the core ideals of the American war for independence and refer to Franklin as a “terrorist” for his decision to help lead this push.
At the time of writing, no official images of Benjamin Franklin and William Franklin fromHereare publicly available, asHereis still a new release in theaters. Images of Benjamin and William Franklin featured in this article are from other film and television adaptations of his life, including the Michael Douglas-ledFranklin.
William Franklin inHereis a fairly accurate reimagining of the real life figure. Born in Philadelphia, William was the son of Benjamin Franklin and an unknown woman. Raised by Franklin and his common-law wife Deborah Read, William spent years by his father’s side as his assistant and was even present forBenjamin Franklin’s immortal kite experiment. Eventually appointed Colonial Governor of New Jersey, William and Benjamin’s close relationship fell apart during the American War for Independence, as the two men found themselves on opposing sides of the conflict.This is the period the pair are seen in throughoutHere.
Did William Franklin & His Father Benjamin Franklin Really Hate Each Other?
InHere, William and Benjamin both bemoan the state of their relationship. At one point, William complains to his wife about his father and notes dryly that no one will remember the Benjamin in the long run (a sentiment that is comically contrasted by showing Richard and his brother dressed as Benjamin Franklin for a Halloween party centuries later). By contrast, Benjamin seems more somber about their relationship, speaking with William’s son Billy about how he wished their connection wasn’t so fraught. Both men weakly promise not to discuss politics, a reference to the nature of their real-life falling out.
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This somber state of their relationship inHerereflects the real-life history of the two, which was never repaired. William remained a Loyalist throughout the War of Independence, calling for the colonies to remain connected to England. His decision to actively lead the Loyalists further drove a wedge between him and his father, even while Billy remained by Benjamin’s side, with their meeting inHereimplied to be among their last in-person meetings. Although the pair tried to reconcile later in life, their feud extended beyond Benjamin’s death, as he left only worthless lands to his son in his will.
William & Benjamin Franklin’s Role In Here Explained
William & Benjamin Franklin Are Contrasted Against Al & Richard Young
William and Benjamin Franklin don’t factor into much ofHere, but they do serve as part of the movie’s thematic throughline about the common experiences and conflicts of family.William and Benjamin’s feud is directly contrasted with the more minor tensions that fester between Al and Richard Youngin the 20th century. At the same place where Benjamin and William complained about one another centuries prior, Al and Richard snarkily call one another out for their mistakes. Both sets of father and son are strikingly similar in their convictions, and both sons have a child who clearly adores their grandfather.
Notably though, the two men actually get the chance to reconcile in the 20th century, a far cry from Benjamin and William’s relationship. After the death of Richard’s mother Rose, Al moves back into the house with Richard. Although this further splinters his marriage with Margaret, Richard later sadly admits that he’s glad that he and Al were able to talk things out and find peace before Al passed away.This is a particularly tragic contrast to the final meetings of William and Benjamin, which were reportedly civil but ultimately unable to unite the two as they once had been.
How Accurate Here Is To William Franklin’s True Story
HereIs Fairly Honest About Benjamin Franklin’s Feud With His Son
William Franklin doesn’t feature into much ofHere, but his story does seem to be fairly accurate to the events of real life. Eventually forced to abandon his mansion, the woods near his former abode eventually becomes a camp for the revolutionary army before becoming a place of celebration after the war is won. William’s status as a wealthy figure in Colonial America and frustrations with the “treasonous” efforts of his fellow Americans seems consistent with how history recounts that era. William was a vocal critic of the fight for independence, making his personality inHereseem true to life.
For audiences curious about other stories of Benjamin Franklin’s life,shows likeFranklinare now streaming on Apple TV+.
While there does seem to be some natural dramatization to the story,Heredoes seem to be fairly accurate to the real life story of William and Franklin’s falling out. If anything,Herecould have been more focused on this relationship and underscore the divide (and eventual reconciliation) of between Al and Richard. Whereas the 20th century pair overcame their differences, Benjamin and William never did. However, this is somewhat historically accurate to not place it in America, as William departed North America after the war and never returned. Revisiting the Franklins' story might have brokenHere’s solitary visual focus.
Here
Cast
Here is an objective and formal description for the movie Here (2024): Directed by Robert Zemeckis, this film is an exploration of time and memory, unraveling the intertwined lives and stories of families across generations in a New England setting.
