The Patriot
May 15 / 7:30 pm & May 17 / 2:00 pm
Starring Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, and Joely Richardson
Peaceful farmer Benjamin Martin is driven to lead the Colonial Militia during the American Revolution when a sadistic British officer murders his son.
The historical accuracy of the costumes and settings were overseen by the Smithsonian Institution. It’s the first time the Institution ever worked directly on the production of a movie.
The scene where Benjamin Martin (Mel Gibson) returns the dogs to General Cornwallis (Tom Wilkinson) may be based on a similar story told about General George Washington. During the Revolutionary War, Washington reportedly noticed the terrier of a British General wandering the battlefield. He subsequently negotiated a cease-fire, and both sides stopped firing until the dog was returned to the British commander.
When teaching Mel Gibson and Heath Ledger how to shoot a muzzle-loading rifle, technical advisor Mark Baker gave them the advice to “aim small, miss small,” meaning that if you aim at a man and miss, you miss the man, while if you aim at a button (for instance) and miss, you still hit the man. Gibson liked this bit of advice so much, he incorporated it into the movie, just prior to the ambush scene.
In addition to Francis Marion, a.k.a. The Swamp Fox, Mel Gibson’s character is also based on the life of South Carolina militia leader General Andrew Pickens. Pickens had his estate torched, and lost a son, before he went back into action and led the militia forces at Cowpens.
The Patriot
Friday, May 15th, 7:30PM
Sunday, May 17th, 2:00PM
2000 | Rated ‘R’ | Under 17 not admitted without accompanying parent or guardian. Sorry, no exceptions | 2 Hr. 45 Min.