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I know a lot of people are going to be hating on The Patriot tonight (for good and bad reasons) during #HATM and that's fine. But I am going to be enjoying myself. So in the words of Taylor Swift: haters gonna hate.
Or put another way #HATM
I am not saying people cannot criticize the movie for its problems (and boy, does it have them). I'm just saying people also enjoy things that are flawed and know are flawed. Historians can (and do) enjoy things that are historically inaccurate. #HATM
Now with an hour to go before we start #HATM, I have some interesting Australian context to give this movie, but also some American Revolution on the big screen stuff to share.
So the Patriot came out in 2000, which I would have been 11/12. I did not see until I was about 13-ish. I saw it at home with some mates on VHS. I remember us all really enjoying it. #HATM
What's interesting is I remember how big of a deal The Patriot was in Australia. There was a lot of buzz around it because it had two Australian leads. Gibson was well established and someone Aussies were always eager to support, but Ledger was up and coming. #HATM
A lot of girls had big crushes on Ledger. I remember my best female friend having a giant poster of him from 10 Things I Hate About You. But it was a really big deal seeing this guy who had been on an Australian soap-opera make it all the way to Hollywood. #HATM
Speaking of Ledger. If you need some movie recommendations during lockdown, I would suggest going through some of his filmography. If you like crime movies, go for Two Hands. I quite like Ned Kelly even with its flaws. Candy is heartbreaking and good. #HATM
Perhaps what is most striking about The Patriot is that it is a good movie... let me explain. Look at the director... Roland Emmerich. Emmerich's career has been hit and miss to say the least. #HATM
Actually, @patrickhwillems, studying Emmerich's career would be super interesting. #HATM
But onto Emmerich. A lot of his movies are simply garbage, but others are masterful blockbuster popcorn pleasing treats. It is clear that he knows how to make a movie look good but sometimes the execution isn't always done right. #HATM
Universal Soldier has some cheesy goodness. Independence Day is a lot of fun. I actually really enjoyed Anonymous. But I think it is safe to say that The Patriot is easily his best movie. Or at least, it's his finest film that balances action, comedy, and drama. #HATM
But my god, he has made some really bad movies. Godzilla, The Day After Tomorrow, 10000 BC, 2012, and Stonewall. Lord... #HATM
