Adam Cooper (Chad Lowe) is a teenager growing up in Colonial Massachusetts.  His father, Moses Cooper (Tommy Lee Jones), is a stern man who believes that rights come from men and not God and who, despite believing in negotiating instead of fighting, is willing to take arms against the British if necessary.  Adam has a pretty girlfriend (Meredith Salenger) and tries to please both his religious mother (Susan Blakely) and his agnostic father.  When Paul Revere makes his famous ride, both Adam and Moses are thrust into the Battle of Lexington and, over the course of one long night, Adam is forced to grow up and become the man of the house.

Based on the classic novel by Howard Fast, April Morning was made for television and first aired in 1988.  The novel and the movie provide a look at the American Revolution through the eyes of the people who actually fought in the battles.  The movie emphasizes the coming-of-age aspect of Fast’s novel and downplays the political subtext.  The novel presented a much more complex view of both war and religion while the film definitely simplifies things.  Chad Lowe comes across as being too contemporary to be totally believable as someone growing up in the 1700s but Tommy Lee Jones is the perfect choice for Moses Cooper and, even though her role is small, Meredith Salenger once again demonstrates that she was one of the best young actresses of the era.  In the film, Rip Torn plays the man who fires the first shot of the battle and it’s hard to think of a better actor for the role.

At its best, the movie recreates the confusion of being in battle.  Even though the Battle of Lexington was the start of the American Revolution and April 19th, 1776 was one of the most important dates in American history, Adam Cooper just wants to survive the night so that he can return home.  War may sometimes be necessary but it’s never easy.