The Patriot Movie

The Patriot movie is an action war drama written by Robert Rodat and directed by Roland Emmerich filmed entirely in South Carolina between September 1999 and January 2000 for an estimated budget of $110,000,000 and released on June 28th, 2000. The Patriot movie grossed over $113,000,000 during its United States theatre run. The Patriot movie as a whole was nominated for 28 different awards and was honoured with 7 of them, including 1 for Mel Gibson, who portrayed the lead character Benjamin Martin, who won the Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actor in a Drama. Heath Ledger, who portrayed Gabriel Martin, was also honoured with his first ever award at the same event, for Favorite Male Newcomer. The Patriot movie was subsequently released on DVD on October 24th, 2000 with an extended cut released on April 25th, 2006 which contains an additional 10 minutes of footage edited back into the film.

The Patriot movie is a fictional account of Benjamin Martin, a war veteran so troubled by his previous wartime actions has become a pacifist, choosing to raise his seven children on a farm, with the hopes they would be sheltered from war and live in peace.

After South Carolina votes to go to war, Benjamin’s eldest son Gabriel joins the American forces and leaves home against his fathers’ wishes. Gabriel returns home two years later wounded after being ambushed during his most recent assignment as a messenger and still carrying the communications. When British troops learn of his location, they descend upon the house and set it a blaze and take Gabriel into custody. Gabriel’s brother Thomas, portrayed by Gregory Smith, tries to free Gabriel from the soldiers, but is shot and killed by Col. William Tavington, portrayed by Jason Isaacs.

This event is enough to convince Benjamin that there is indeed a time to fight and enlists two of his other sons Nathan, portrayed by Trevor Morgan, and Samuel, portrayed by Bryan Chafin, to recapture and free Gabriel. After successfully freeing Gabriel, Benjamin decides to join the American forces with his son and send the remaining children to live with there aunt Charlotte, portrayed by Joely Richardson. Upon reporting in and discovering that the colonials cannot hope to beat the well trained and armed British soldiers, Benjamin, with the blessing of Army Colonel Harry Burwell, portrayed by Chris Cooper, and with the assistance of French Officer Jean Villeneuve, portrayed by Tcheky Karyo decide to train the men in guerrilla warfare including surprise sneak attacks on soldiers and to supply lines.

These new tactics gain the notice of Cornwallis, portrayed by Tom Wilkinson, who orders Tavington to discover the whereabouts of Benjamin’s family. When Tavington locates them at Charlotte’s plantation, he burns it down, but Gabriel leads the family to safety. Furious over the escape, Tavington commits even more atrocities more directly related to Gabriel. When he learns of the acts, Gabriel confronts Tavington with a small militia, but is defeated. Benjamin uses the defeat of his son as a rally call and he, Colonel Harry Burwell and Jean Villeneuve along with the remaining militia attack the British troops with the hope that they can stall them long enough for there allies the French navy to arrive with 10,000 re-enforcement troops. During the epic battle Benjamin faces off directly with Tavington and a defeated Cornwallis sounds the retreat.