What happens when a kid from the Netherlands grows up to write the origin story of America's first president?

In this episode, screenwriter Diederik Hoogstraten joins Ben to talk about Young Washington — the Wonder Project film releasing July 3rd to mark America's 250th — and why an immigrant might be uniquely positioned to remind us what this country actually is.

We get into:

- Growing up progressive in 1980s Holland and how Family Ties (yes, really) planted the seeds
- Becoming a U.S. citizen in 2019 and what most Americans miss about their own country
- The Wonder Project, House of David, and building a studio for the audience Hollywood forgot
- Writing George Washington from age 11 to 22 — the failures, the loss, the overbearing mother
- Why failure shaped Washington's character (and what that means for the rest of us)
- A Native American chief, a battlefield, and the moment Washington's purpose became clear

A conversation about country, craft, and the kind of leader formed in the quiet years.

Young Washington hits theaters July 3rd.

CHAPTERS:
00:48 Welcome & guest intro
02:18 Why an immigrant celebrates America 250
03:51 Family Ties and discovering America
06:28 World Cup as a unifying moment
12:48 What the Wonder Project is
17:15 Faith-based or family-friendly?
22:19 The loneliness of screenwriting
27:10 Why focus on young Washington
30:34 Balancing history with creative license
36:36 How failure shapes leaders
43:05 What viewers should take away
48:09 How the project changed him