Mel Gibson stars in this historical epic directed by Roland Emmerich. In South Carolina in 1776, Benjamin Martin (Gibson), a plantation owner and ex-soldier, refuses to join his countrymen in the battle for American independence. However, when one of his sons is killed and another is wounded, Benjamin is forced to enter the fray in order to protect those he loves. He is given a command by his old friend Colonel Harry Burwell (Chris Cooper) and begins to mount a campaign against the notorious British officer William Tavington (Jason Isaacs).