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 9 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

Did You Know?

Trivia

The scene where the Martin family looks on as a battle encroaches on their backyard was cut from the script. The filmmakers only shot it because they got ahead of schedule.

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Goofs

In the American Revolution field artillery came in two forms; guns and howitzers. Only howitzers fired exploding shells. Guns fired solid shot or canister. However, in each major battle, guns are shown firing, followed by an explosion on the field. This is clear in the final battle. When the main American battle line opens fire, two howitzers fire, followed by some guns, with explosions occurring near the British (correct for the howitzers), but, two British guns fire back, followed by explosions (incorrect).

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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 extended edition, the "ambush" scene following the death of Thomas. In the original edited version of the film we soon observe the infamous Tavington interviewing a dying witness of the event in a battlefield tent hospital. It is in this scene that the witness compares who we know as Benjamin Martin to a ghost. The problem is, as far as we knew, there were no survivors. We had to accept at face value that perhaps one must have escaped. In this version of the film we now know the facts! You see, after Martin does his bloody hack job on a would-be escapee, the camera pans in on one particular Redcoat as he lays wounded in a nearby swamp. We then get a peek at what he sees through his one dying eye: an eerie glimpse of Martin flitting through the dim light of the heavily-wooded forest. Then the camera focuses again on the bloodied face of this dying witness. It is not long thereafter that we discover that this poor chap actually survives (he's the one in the hospital tent).

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Connections

References The Unforgiven (1960)

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Soundtracks

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

User Reviews

IF I DIE AT LEAST I WILL DIE WELL DRESSED

Very enjoyable movie that reminds me of MEL GIBSONS BRAVEHEART,BENJAMINE will fight no more not since a woman tamed him & gave him a family before she departed & now in honor of her memory he keeps his past suppressed,the colonies are at war with ENGLAND & are suffering severe losses at the behest of the infamous RED COATS,these farmers are no match for the well disciplined outfit who advance at any cost under general CORNWALLIS,a cry for help comes to town when the colonials plead for signatories but BENJAMINE will not answer even for an old friend,things take a dramatic turn when BENJAMINE is forced into the war indirectly by a crazed ENGLISH officer with no tolerance for the enemy,BENJAMINE is experienced & skilled with knowledge of the bush & trails something he will use to attack this army from a different angle & try to turn the advantage of this futile war....very well made movie,I couldn't care less if it was historically accurate or not to be honest...you get the picture THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE & I am sure that there were travesty's on both sides so why not just enjoy the movie as one possible story during this period of history...I thoroughly enjoyed it...highly recommended.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA Germany

Language:

English French

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

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 Digital SDDS Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1