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• The Patriot is a 2000 American Revolutionary War film directed by Roland Emmerich.

• Fast Facts

  1. Release date: June 28, 2000
  2. Director: Roland Emmerich
  3. Writer: Robert Rodat
  4. Starring: Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Tom Wilkinson
  5. Distributor: Columbia Pictures
  6. Running time: 158 minutes
  7. MPAA rating: R
  8. Budget: $110 million USD
  9. Gross: $2 million USD
  10. A Redcoat floating face down in the river is a dummy of John Travolta
  11. Heath Ledger did his own stunts

• Plot

  Though America is in the midst of the Revolutionary War, farmer and French and Indian War veteran Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) wants no part of it. His eldest son, Gabriel (Heath Ledger), disobeys him and joins the fight.

  Two years later, Gabriel returns home wounded, just as British soldiers stop by. They burn the house down and take Gabriel prisoner. In attempt to help his older brother, Benjamin's younger son, Thomas (Gregory Smith), is killed by Colonel William Tavington (Jason Isaacs).

  With vengeance on his mind, Benjamin joins the war effort, and later gets his revenge on Tavington on the battlefield.

• Critical Response

  With its historical inaccuracies and flawed plot, The Patriot was released to mixed reviews. Though some critics found it entertaining, others were bored with its "melodrama" and "formulaic" narrative.

  Grossing only $2.3 at the box office, audiences did not seem too pleased or excited about the film either.

  The film currently has a 62% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Mel Gibson | Heath Ledger | Chris Cooper | South Carolina | Joely Richardson | Jason Isaacs | Tom Wilkinson | The Alamo | Brokeback Mountain

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