The Patriot is a 2000 American epic historical drama war film directed by Roland Emmerich and written by Robert Rodat. The film stars Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Joely Richardson, Jason Isaacs, Chris Cooper, and Tom Wilkinson. Set in Berkeley County, South Carolina, it follows Benjamin Martin (Gibson), an American colonist who is opposed to going to war with Great Britain but, along with his son Gabriel (Ledger), gets swept into the American Revolutionary War when his home life is disrupted, and one of his sons is murdered by a cruel British officer (Isaacs). Rodat has said Martin is a composite character based on four historical men: Andrew Pickens, Francis Marion, Daniel Morgan and Thomas Sumter.

The Patriot had its world premiere in Century City on June 27, 2000, and was theatrically released in the United States on June 30, 2000. It received positive reviews from critics and grossed $215.3 million against a $110 million budget. The film generated controversy due to themes of anti-British sentiment and was criticized by historians over its fictionalized portrayal of British figures and atrocities.