National Treasure (2004)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
A historian and his team must race against a criminal mastermind to uncover a legendary treasure hidden within the secrets of American history.
The story
In 1974, a child named Benjamin Franklin Gates is told by his grandfather about a fabled treasure hidden in America, passed down through generations of the Gates family. Thirty years later, Ben is an American historian and treasure hunter. Along with his friend Riley Poole and archivist Abigail Chase, he joins an expedition funded by a wealthy Englishman, Ian Howe, to find the 'Charlotte'—a ship in the Arctic. Upon finding a clue within the ship, the group discovers that the treasure's map is hidden on the back of the United States Declaration of Independence. When Ian reveals his criminal intentions, Ben must decide how to protect the document while pursuing the truth.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After the group splits, Ben and Riley report Ian's plans to the authorities, but they are not believed. Ben decides to steal the Declaration of Independence from the National Archives to protect it before Ian can. During the heist, he is joined by Abigail Chase. They are pursued by the FBI, led by Agent Peter Sadusky. The trio eventually discovers a book cipher leading to a hidden key in a bell tower in Philadelphia. They obtain a pair of spectacles that reveal a path to Trinity Church. Ian, who has also tracked the clues, eventually captures the group. However, Ben and his father, Patrick, manage to outsmart Ian's trap by leading him to a decoy location. Ben eventually finds the treasure room using a meerschaum pipe as a key. He strikes a deal with Agent Sadusky to turn the treasure over to museums in exchange for clearing his name. The film ends with Ben and Abigail starting a relationship, while the treasure is secured and the criminals are apprehended.
- First release year
- 2004
- Runtime (minutes)
- 131
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Jon Turteltaub
- Writers
- Jim Kouf · screenplay; Cormac Wibberley · screenplay; Marianne Wibberley · screenplay; Jim Kouf · story; Oren Aviv · story; Charles Segars · story
- Cast and characters
- Nicolas Cage · Benjamin Franklin Gates; Harvey Keitel · Agent Peter Sadusky; Jon Voight · Patrick Henry Gates; Diane Kruger · Dr. Abigail Chase; Sean Bean · Ian Howe; Justin Bartha · Riley Poole; Christopher Plummer · John Adams Gates
- Genres
- action-adventure; heist
- Themes
- American history; conspiracy; legacy
- Tone and mood
- adventure; suspenseful
- Premise and plot tags
- treasure hunt; historical mystery; heist
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics but was noted for being a fun ride despite its improbable plot.
- Production trivia
- The film's depiction of the Declaration of Independence's ink is historically inaccurate.; The film was the first for Disney in November to be surpassed by Chicken Little in 2005.; The film's budget was $100 million.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…