OK if you like this sort of thing.

Rating: Null/10 (14 July 2000)

First of all, even though I live in London I am not British. So I was not planning on going down the "this is just not accurate!" route. I am among the members of the movie going public who don't expect accuracy in movies unless they specifically claim they're documentaries.
As a movie it's OK. There is a (slightly obvious) story, some good acting, nice sets and costumes, and the whole thing moves along at a reasonable pace. Not a waste of money, but not really a classic either. Braveheart with Americans.
What is bothering me are the comments on this site from viewers who think this film is historically accurate. Several people have said things like it should be on the school curriculum, or that they have learned a lot about the War of Independence from this film. No, no, NO!!!!! This is a MOVIE. It is a dramatised version of events which is not, repeat not, borne out by even a cursory study of the time period in question. Some of the locations are real but the events sure aren't. And that is really the main grounds for any objection to this type of movie ... not that it isn't true, because we know that, but that people who don't know any better might think it is true.
Hollywood should be a little bit ashamed of itself, as should the otherwise excellent cast. The problem with movie depictions of history are that they form part of the collective unconscious and replace actual knowledge. If you enjoyed the film, great. Just don't think you could answer any questions about the War of Independence on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire".