Braveheart (1995)

When his secret bride is executed for assaulting an English soldier who tried to rape her, William Wallace begins a revolt against King Edward I of England.

Director:

Mel Gibson

Writer:

Randall Wallace

Stars:

Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan

Top Rated Movies #76 | Won 5 Oscars. Another 26 wins & 29 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Robinson	...	Young William
Sean Lawlor	...	Malcolm Wallace
Sandy Nelson	...	John Wallace
James Cosmo	...	Campbell
Sean McGinley	...	MacClannough
Alan Tall	...	Elder Stewart
Andrew Weir	...	Young Hamish
Gerda Stevenson	...	Mother MacClannough
Ralph Riach	...	Priest No. 1
Mhairi Calvey	...	Young Murron
Brian Cox	...	Argyle Wallace
Patrick McGoohan	...	Longshanks - King Edward I
Peter Hanly	...	Prince Edward
Sophie Marceau	...	Princess Isabelle
Stephen Billington	...	Phillip

Storyline

William Wallace is a Scottish rebel who leads an uprising against the cruel English ruler Edward the Longshanks, who wishes to inherit the crown of Scotland for himself. When he was a young boy, William Wallace's father and brother, along with many others, lost their lives trying to free Scotland. Once he loses another of his loved ones, William Wallace begins his long quest to make Scotland free once and for all, along with the assistance of Robert the Bruce.

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Plot Keywords:

scotland | 14th century | tyranny | revolt | legend | 

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Taglines:

What kind of man would defy a king?

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for brutal medieval warfare

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Latin Scottish Gaelic

Release Date:

24 May 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Braveheart

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$72,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$75,600,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Icon Entertainment International, Ladd Company, The, B.H. Finance C.V.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

178 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director/producer Mel Gibson was investigated by an animal welfare organization, who were convinced that the fake horses used were real. Only when one of his assistants provided some videotaped footage of the location shooting were they convinced otherwise.

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Goofs

The film depicts a longstanding English occupation of Scotland, implying that it existed since at least Wallace's childhood. However, the English occupation began only the year before Wallace's rebellion.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: I shall tell you of William Wallace. Historians from England will say I am a liar, but history is written by those who have hanged heroes. The king of Scotland had died without a son, and the king of England, a cruel pagan known as Edward the Longshanks, claimed the throne of Scotland for himself. Scotland's nobles fought him, and fought each other, over the crown. So Longshanks invited them to talks of truce - no weapons, one page only. Among the farmers of that shire was Malcolm ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

On USA prints, the Paramount Pictures logo has a gray tint, while on international prints, the 20th Century Fox logo fanfare is muted.

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Connections

Referenced in The Flynns Journey to Ireland (2004)

User Reviews

Je-ne-sais-quoi-ly great!

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to watch Braveheart till 2003 when it was on TV. However, the lack of theatrical effects never stopped me from being mesmerized by this epic for one moment. So mesmerized, I literally sat motionlessly on the couch for two minutes after the movie. Any normal audience would likely to cast his/her sense of reality away and be captivated by this distant Celtic saga.

Beside proving himself as a brilliant director, Mel Gibson more importantly gave life to a historical hero whose superb gallantry, vivid character and magnificent spirit shall never be history. Along with the unforgettable 'Alba gu bragh!' and the unprecedentedly heart-stopping 'Freeeeedom', Braveheart unquestionably is one of the greatest movies ever made.