The Patriot (2000)
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A war veteran's peaceful life is shattered when his son is caught in the crossfire of the American Revolutionary War.
The story
Set in 1776, Benjamin Martin, a veteran of the French and Indian War, attempts to live a quiet life with his family in South Carolina. However, his peace is shattered when his eldest son, Gabriel, joins the Continental Army against his father's wishes. When a brutal British officer, Colonel William Tavington, arrives in their territory, the family is forced into the conflict of the American Revolutionary War. After a series of tragic events and the loss of family members, Benjamin is forced to take up arms to protect his remaining children and his land, leading him into a life of guerrilla warfare against the British forces.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1776, Benjamin Martin, a veteran of the French and Indian War, tries to avoid the American Revolutionary War. His peace is shattered when his son Gabriel joins the Continental Army. In 1780, during a British siege of Charleston, Gabriel is captured as a spy by the ruthless Colonel Tavington. After Tavington kills Gabriel's brother and burns their home, Benjamin leads his younger sons to rescue Gabriel from a British convoy. Benjamin eventually joins the war as a commander of a militia, utilizing guerrilla tactics to harass British supply lines. He faces off against Tavington in a series of escalating conflicts, including a tragic scene where Tavington burns a church full of civilians. After a final, climactic battle where Benjamin and Tavington engage in personal combat, Benjamin defeats Tavington and the British forces retreat. The film ends with Benjamin returning to his family to find his homestead being rebuilt in honor of Gabriel's dreams.
- First release year
- 2000
- Runtime (minutes)
- 165
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Roland Emmerich
- Writers
- Robert Rodat · writer
- Cast and characters
- Mel Gibson · Benjamin Martin; Heath Ledger · Gabriel; Joely Richardson · Anne; Jason Isaacs · Colonel William Tavington; Chris Cooper; Tom Wilkinson
- Genres
- epic; historical war; action drama
- Themes
- Patriotism; Family; War; Revenge; Sacrifice
- Tone and mood
- Epic; Dramatic; Action-packed
- Premise and plot tags
- Historical Fiction; War; Action; Period Piece
- Reception
- The film received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, with some praising the performances and scale while others criticized its historical inaccuracies and melodrama.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 62% · scale: percentage · review count: 138; Metacritic · score: 63 · scale: 100 · review count: 35
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Cinematography · Nominated; Academy Award · Best Original Score · Nominated; Academy Award · Best Sound · Nominated; American Society of Cinematographers award · Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography · Won; Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Award · Best Period Makeup and Best Period Hair Styling · Won
- Production trivia
- The film's score was composed by John Williams.; The script underwent seventeen drafts before being finalized.; The character of Benjamin Martin is a composite of several historical figures, including Francis Marion.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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