The Patriot (2000)

Peaceful farmer Benjamin Martin is driven to lead the Colonial Militia during the American Revolution when a sadistic British officer murders his son.

Director:

Roland Emmerich

Writer:

Robert Rodat

Stars:

Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Joely Richardson

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mel Gibson	...	Benjamin Martin
Heath Ledger	...	Gabriel Martin
Joely Richardson	...	Charlotte Selton
Jason Isaacs	...	Col. William Tavington
Chris Cooper	...	Col. Harry Burwell
Tchéky Karyo	...	Jean Villeneuve
Rene Auberjonois	...	Reverend Oliver
Lisa Brenner	...	Anne Howard
Tom Wilkinson	...	Gen. Lord Charles Cornwallis
Donal Logue	...	Dan Scott
Leon Rippy	...	John Billings
Adam Baldwin	...	Capt. Wilkins
Jay Arlen Jones	...	Occam
Joey D. Vieira	...	Peter Howard
Gregory Smith	...	Thomas Martin

Storyline

It is 1776 in colonial South Carolina. Benjamin Martin, a French-Indian war hero who is haunted by his past, now wants nothing more than to live peacefully on his small plantation, and wants no part of a war with the most powerful nation in the world, Great Britain. Meanwhile, his two eldest sons, Gabriel and Thomas, can't wait to enlist in the newly formed "Continental Army." When South Carolina decides to join the rebellion against England, Gabriel immediately signs up to fight...without his father's permission. But when Colonel William Tavington, British dragoon, infamous for his brutal tactics, comes and burns the Martin Plantation to the ground, tragedy strikes. Benjamin quickly finds himself torn between protecting his family, and seeking revenge along with being a part of the birth of a new, young, and ambitious nation.

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Plot Keywords:

american revolution | hero | standoff | father son relationship | george washington character | 

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Taglines:

Some things are worth fighting for.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | History | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong war violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 June 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Patriot

Filming Locations:

Stratford Hall Plantation, Westmoreland County, Virginia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$110,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$22,413,710, 2 July 2000, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$113,330,342

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$215,294,342

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures, Centropolis Entertainment, Mutual Film Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

165 min 175 min (extended) 142 min (workprint)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

DIRECTOR_TRADEMARK(Roland Emmerich): [44]: Seen in the tavern where Martin recruits for his militia, also seen on a wine bottle label.

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Goofs

On the wanted poster for "The Ghost" the bottom of the flyer bears the seal of "Her Majesty's State Paper Office" which is incorrect. That office did not exist at the time. In fact the original name of the office was "Her Majesty's Stationary Office" and was not established until 5 April 1786 almost 8 years after this poster was supposedly created. Additionally, King George III was still the reigning monarch at the time and the correct title would have been "His Majesty's State Paper Office" had the office actually existed at the time of printing.

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Quotes

[first lines]
[repeated line]
Benjamin Martin: I have long feared that my sins would return to visit me, and the cost is more than I can bear.

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Alternate Versions

In the theatrical version, right after Benjamin 'The Ghost' Martin gets his orders to go start a militia he gives Gabriel a lecture about how he must call him Sir or Colonel and not to call him dad. This does not appear in the cable version.

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Connections

Referenced in How a Patriot Loses His Head (2000)

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Soundtracks

Boney
Traditional
Performed by Marquetta L. Goodwine and the Gullah Cunneckshun

User Reviews

Good but ........

The Patriot is technically a good movie. Nicely made with good characters, good acting, a strong storyline and fabulous cinematography.

But, to say this movie distorts history would be an understatement. And that is extremely sad in a movie that sells itself as an accurate portrayal of events during the revolution. The Patriot, unfortunately, crosses the line and try's to portray as 'actual fact' a film which is predominantly fictional. Hence, the 'real life' equivalent of Benjamin Martin actually used to scalp Native Americans in his spare time (a fact neatly overlooked by the director).

This 'rose tinted' view of history is at its worst during the church-burning scene where a British Army officer ordered the murder of many innocent civilians by locking them in a church and setting it alight. This event never took place and yet, thanks to The Patriot, a whole generation of Americans will believe that the British Army actually committed this horrendous act in South Carolina -- when in fact history shows that it was not the British Army that burned a church full of people in 1776 but the Nazis that did during WW2.

As a Brit, I don't so much mind Hollywood always portraying us as the 'bad guys' -- after all it is American money making these films -- I'm more concerned that some Americans actually believe what they watch. This is especially true in movies like The Patriot which 'pretend' to be real.

It's a shame that in such a technically competent movie, which pays such attention to minutiae detail like the costumes, that something as significant as the accuracy of the screenplay could have been so grotesquely overlooked.