The Patriot (2000)

Director:

Roland Emmerich

Writer (WGA):

Robert Rodat (written by)

Release Date:

28 June 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | War

Tagline:

What would you do if they destroyed your home, threatened your family. Where would you draw the line?

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

British | South Carolina | French | Revolution | American Revolution

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 17 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Nov. 22	8:00 PM	TNT
Sun. Nov. 22	11:00 PM	TNT

Cast

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

Also Known As:

Der Patriot (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong war violence.

Runtime:

165 min | 175 min (extended version)

Country:

Germany | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:Unrated (extended version) | Iceland:16 | Malaysia:U | Australia:MA | Canada:14A | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-14 | France:U | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R15 | Norway:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R (Certificate #37232)

Filming Locations:

Botany Bay Plantation - 7510 Botany Bay Road, Edisto Island, South Carolina, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Rocking chairs are not believed to have been common furniture before the early 19th century. While Col. Martin is waiting in Gen. Cornwalis' office, he notices and begins to specifically examine the rocking chair in the corner, finally going so far as to sit in it. (Though apocryphal, Benjamin Franklin is sometimes attributed with inventing the rocking chair.)

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Tavington is searching for the child hiding under the table his boots are clearly visible and certainly of the "Left-Right" variety. Boots were made on straight lasts until the 1800s.

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.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "HBO First Look: The Patriot (#7.10)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

Leanin' on de Lawd Side

While it's definitely no Braveheart, it's still a solid film.

It's very easy to label this film as a Braveheart rip off from the trailers (which is what I thought), but after watching it, it's actually a completely different film.

The basic plot involves Mel Gibson's character and his family's experiences surviving and fighting in the American Revolution in South Carolina.

The film really excels in it's cinematography and the beautiful locations. Almost every shot in the film is picturesque and dripping with detail and rich colors. The acting is also extremely well done with another rock solid performance by the dependable Mel Gibson. In fact, I really couldn't find a weak person in the cast.

Possibly the major flaw that I found was the film's running time of 165 minutes. There are some points where the film drags a bit and I think that with a bit more editing and fine tuning of scenes this film could have be a lean and mean 120 min. film.

Another complaint that I had was the battles. While technically well staged and choreographed, they also didn't quite get me involved like I thought they would. In fact, I thought that some of the quieter scenes in the film were some of the most successful.

Overall though, I enjoyed the film and while it has it's share of problems, it's still turned out much better than I was anticipating.

Rating:8