Guess what made the "Top 10 Historically Inaccurate Films" list?

[slohairt]

Quick! Call my agent! I want Mel Gibson producing, Mel Brooks directing, and Tom Hanks for the lead!

Think of the prestige! The respect! The Oscar!

Let's see, must get sex into it somehow. Wait, I see the scene at the climax right now- There's this nude woman in a bath talking to the aliens. That's great, great, but we need a doctor, got to have a medical opinion. There's a nude woman in a bath with a doctor--that's too sexy. Put an archbishop there watching them, that'll take the curse off it. Now, we need children and animals. There's two kids admiring the lizard people, and a dog admiring the archbishop who's blessing the mastadons. Hmm… international flavor's missing … make the archbishop Greek Orthodox. Why not Archbishop Iakavos? No, no, he's dead … never mind, we'll get his brother, it'll be cheaper … So, there's this nude woman …

You'd better call your entertainment lawyer, too! I've already taken the ideas, formed a 300-page script, shopped it in Hollywood, and it is being backed by Walt Disney. I have also retained options for three sequels and two prequels. (all straight-to-video). I made some necessary changes: Uwe Boll to produce, Michael Bay to direct, and Pauly Shore to lead.

[mudd]

As the late Adlai Stevenson replied to the woman who said to him, that every "thinking American" was voting for him, "That's not enough, madam, we need a majority!".

T.

THAT is one of the best quotes I've ever seen! The first thing to make me laugh-out-loud in a long time. Thanks.

[mddock58]

In "The Patriot" the main character was a composite of three different people of which Francis Marion, was the main influence. This is mentioned in the documentary on making the movie. The character of Tarrington, was also a composite. The filmmakers were trying to give the FICTIONAL story historic accuracy (at least to some degree).

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

How much time do you have? Gettysburg had its moments, good and bad.

T.

Is that the one where Martin Sheen, dressed up like Robert E. Lee, did his impression of a talking Moon Pie?

[BoldHighlander]

In "The Patriot" the main character was a composite of three different people of which Francis Marion, was the main influence. This is mentioned in the documentary on making the movie. The character of Tarrington, was also a composite. The filmmakers were trying to give the FICTIONAL story historic accuracy (at least to some degree).

You are partially correct.

Benjamin Martin was a composite of five historical personalities, while Colonel William Tavington (not Tarrington) was based on one historical personality.

The following found on the Patriot Resource: http://www.patriotresource.com/film/index.html gives more background:

The character of Benjamin Martin was originally meant to be The Swamp Fox, Francis Marion, but for the sake of telling the best 'dramatic' story and perhaps avoiding some controversy, the filmmakers fictionalized the character and the story. They then added elements of the historic figures of Elijah Clarke, Brigadier General Daniel Morgan, Andrew Pickens and Thomas Sumter to the character of Benjamin Martin. Such a move also covered for the historical inaccuracies that always appear in films.
(None of which helped to avoid "controversy" or cover "historical inaccuracies" )

http://www.patriotresource.com/characters/benjamin.html

The repulsive and brutal character of Tavington was based on Lt. Colonel Banastre Tarleton. Tavington, like Tarleton, believed that civilians aiding and abetting the Patriots had chosen sides in the war and as a result, deserved to be treated as combatants or punished as spies.

http://www.patriotresource.com/chara...tavington.html

[mddock58]

Sorry, you are correct, I was making my comments from memory, ansd did not verify.

Yahoo Movies page was really criticizing the fact of the Benjamin Martin character as not historically accurate as the "Swamp Fox"

[BoldHighlander]

Sorry, you are correct, I was making my comments from memory, ansd did not verify.

No problem

Yahoo Movies page was really criticizing the fact of the Benjamin Martin character as not historically accurate as the "Swamp Fox"

You know, I'm glad that someone takes an interest in making "historical" pictures, and while I don't expect them to get the story 100% correct and present a "history lesson" (such things as 2 to 3 hour running time, etc, won't allow for it), you'd think with all the talent & budget involved they could get closer to the truth & make an entertaining picture to boot (sigh)

[mddock58]

What I think is that the entertainment "dumbs-down" too much thinking that the public only wants to see action and intimacy, and unfortunately we end up reinforcing this attitude.

I remember when 2001 came out, and the difference it made. you actually had to pay attention to try to understand, because there was not much "said".

War movies made in the 50's & 60's were more concerned about "story" than how many battle scenes can be shown within the movie.

We need to "re-learn" (or re-teach) what entertainment really is. Telling the story is really more important than what can be imaged on the screen, and sometimes our imagination is more vivid and intense than what the movie maker or special effects team dreams up.

[dowofbuchanan]

And they wonder why children these days have no clue about history. So many people, schools and parents would rather let "Hollywood" raise their children.

Frank

it is a shame but i think i show there is hope ... i am 20 and the product of dropping out of public school in the inner city, however i have never been able to satiate my need for knowledge or my love of history. i cant remember the last fictional book i had read. i generally only read books on history, politics, and how to books ... just finished one on distillation ... its got a long history with scots so we can call it research but history can be far more enjoyable than anything on cartoon network if only we could spark the first fire in a childs mind we would soon see an inferno we could not hope to contain

[dowofbuchanan]

oh and we could always cast the pterodactyl riders as irish conscripts ... saves budget on ships because the pterodactyls would be cgi and wire harnesses we do need brooks though