A glorious triumph... Roland Emmerich's masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (1 July 2000)

PATRIOT is easily my all-time favorite Mel Gibson movie (yes, I like it even better than Braveheart, even though they're both really wonderful and spectacular)... PATRIOT has more noble passion, heart, soul, honor, emotion, loyalty, character, warmth, drama, faith, romance, blood, tragedy, sacrifice, honor, dignity, and glory than Hollywood's released in years, perhaps the entire past decade. While it is not perfect, PATRIOT is a cinematic showcase of everything movies should be!
PATRIOT is always going to remain controversial; many people will love it, and far too many snobs will hate it (even refusing to see it!) Congratulations to PATRIOT's makers for having the courage to make this precious movie, especially considering how much their deluded & elite Hollywood neighbors will bash them with hatred and malice.
The acting is phenomenal...everybody from Heath Ledger to the precious little daughters deliver stellar performances. The feeling and tone are mesmerizing....stirring sensory poetry. Cinematography too beautiful for words.
If you liked Titanic, Last of the Mohicans, Glory, Braveheart, Forrest Gump, Clear & Present Danger, First Knight, and you're a fan of soap operas or historical romances, PATRIOT's right up your alley!
Screenwriter Robert Rodat, Director Roland Emmerich, Producer Dean Devlin, and star Mel Gibson each top their previous career achievements here... PATRIOT may lack the financial success of their previous works, but this is a movie they can be most proud of...an accomplishment of such pure heart and soul that future generations will cherish this on video forever. I only wish I had paid MORE money for my ticket, to help PATRIOT's Summer 2000 box-office coffers approach the levels of its certain eventual video popularity.
For all of PATRIOT'S minor artistic flaws (all of which are expected for a movie - after all it is just a movie - including the hysterically snotty elitist bigotry of DH's totalitarian-fascist ranting, which hypocritically engages in revisionism and hate-filled stereotypes of its own), this movie is more genuinely heroic and emotionally sincere than I ever expected out of this Tinseltown bunch.
Roland, I love ya babe! Don't let your snobby industry rivals get you down - keep up the good work. Millions of Americans are honored to have you as a friend, neighbor, and fellow soulmate. No matter what certain critics may say to hurt your feelings, you have nothing to be ashamed of... and this movie easily amends any previous blemishes. You and Dean have awesome talent and I look forward to much, much more of your careers. Thank you both for this fantastic heart-warming movie.