The Patriot (1998)

Director:

Dean Semler

Writers (WGA):

William Heine (novel)
M. Sussman (screen story)

Release Date:

10 July 1998 (Spain)

Genre:

Action | Thriller

Tagline:

Every second counts.

Plot:

A respected doctor must race against time to find a cure for a lethal virus, unleashed by a paramilitary militia leader.

Plot Keywords:

Doctor | Montana | Militia | Virus | Immunologist

Cast

Steven Seagal	...	Dr. Wesley McClaren
Gailard Sartain	...	Floyd Chisolm
L.Q. Jones	...	Frank
Silas Weir Mitchell	...	Pogue
Camilla Belle	...	Holly McClaren
Dan Beene	...	Richard Bach
Damon Collazo	...	Lt. Johnson
Whitney Yellow Robe	...	Dr. Ann White Cloud
Brad Leland	...	Big Bob
Molly McClure	...	Molly
Philip Winchester	...	Young Miltiaman
Douglas Sebern	...	Judge Tomkins
Ross Loney	...	Clem
Bernard O'Connor	...	Dr. Tom Hergot
Leonard Mountain Chief	...	Grandpa

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence and language.

Runtime:

90 min | Argentina:94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Philippines:PG-13 | Iceland:16 | Sweden:15 | Finland:K-15 (DVD version) | Netherlands:12 (TV rating) | Netherlands:16 | South Korea:15 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Finland:K-16 (video premiere) | Germany:18 | Norway:15 (video premiere) | Portugal:M/16 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:18 | USA:R | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Montana, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

Dr Wesley McClaren’s assistant in his clinic is played by Steven Seagal's real-life daughter, Ayako Fujitani.

Goofs:

Continuity: Wesley McClaren breaks the stem off an empty wine glass to defend himself, but in previous shots it was full.

Quotes:

Dr. Wesley McClaren: [to Holly while entering the reception room at the hospital] Get your homework done and if there are any guys in here no flirting. No dating until you are 40.

Soundtrack:

You'll Never See Me Cry

Low on action, high on Seagal's sermonising

Wesley McClaren leaves the biological division of the CIA to become a small town doctor. When a group of American terrorists release a toxin into the air, it mutates and the vaccine becomes useless. McClaren becomes trapped in the town with the terrorists in a race to find a new vaccine. However when his daughter seems to be beating the toxin the terrorists decide to use her blood as a vaccine and McClaren is forced to protect her while seeking an alternative cure.

This is yet another Seagal film where he preaches about his beliefs and promotes Native American culture etc. The down side of this is that it tends to overpower the action scenes - for example the last 10 minutes of `On Deadly Ground' was Seagal giving a lecture on big businesses impact on the environment. Here Seagal is battling a virus, so there's even less action - they wheel the terrorists in in an attempt to give Seagal some real people to fight. However there are no really good action scenes - which are the only thing Seagal can do well. In the place of action we have Seagal telling off scientists for storing diseases, telling everyone about the benefits of Native American ways etc. This makes the film feel very dull and wordy and I really wanted more action - but there just wasn't the chance for fights.

Seagal isn't very good. He's looking old and podgy and less suited to the all round action man. The huge amount of talking scenes highlights Seagal's weaknesses as an actor. The terrorist leader is poor, but it is interesting to see LQ Jones (A Boy and His Dog) as Frank. However Seagal is really stretched.

Overall this is poor - the threat of biological warfare is an interesting, emotive subject, but here it's hard to be interested due to Seagal forcing it down out throats. And the ending is hard to swallow and typical of Seagal's blind love for all things Native American.