Williamsburg: The Story of a Patriot

I was just a kid that last time I saw The Patriot at Williamsburg thirty some years ago. I recently revisited and saw the film again with my kids. It's well made, but its 50s cinematic style is a little difficult to take. Nicely shot, the acting plays a little pretentious and pious by today's standards-- the patriot's son's stiff performance draws laughs from the audience. No doubt this is a remarkable story about people in and an extraordinary situation. I'd love to see a updated version where it isn't presented quite so piously -- a story about regular people rising to the challenges of extraordinary circumstances and succeeding. Now that truly would be inspiring-- something we could all identify with. Having said that however, the costume work and actual settings definately makes The Patriot worth watching.

My husband and I have season passes to Colonial Williamsburg for the second consecutive year. You may want to know why we would want to spend so much time viewing something that won't and can't change...but it does. It continues to add flavor to our heritage, with ever-changing new additions to view and to participate in...including the award winning movie...The Story Of A Patriot.

This is the story of John Fry, starring Jack Lord who played on Hawaii Five-O for several years. John Fry is a fictional character, but his acquaintances and the things that happened during his time, are right out of our history books.

John and his family are part of the Revolutionary War. This is the war that freed America and made us what and who we are today. It's a very moving story and the end will bring tears to your eyes...tears of joy.

If you get a chance to visit Colonial Williamsburg, see this movie. It's short and it's located in the Visitor's Center.

You can also purchase it in VHS or DVD wide screen. I personally had to settle for the VHS, since I don't care for the wide screen borders that cut the screen on the top and bottom. But if you have a wide screen TV it will do fine :-)

I lived in Williamsburg at the time of the filming of The Patriot. I was five years old and my family lived in the restored Carter-Saunders house next to the Governor's Palace. My school-mates and one of my brothers were extras in the film, so my perspective and review are undoubtedly biased to the positive side. I won't, however, recuse myself from writing this.

The Patriot should not be judged and compared to full-length theater films. It has none of the usual attractions--musket or sword battles, major drama between characters. It has one major character development--John Fry's growing transformation into a colonial rebel. It was intended as an introduction to Colonial Williamsburg's history, the reason for Winthrop Rockefeller's dream of restoring the original capital of the thirteen colonies to its earlier glory. Seen in that regard, the film is highly successful.

As a child I watched hundreds of people daily view a thirty-seven minute film and see Williamsburg come to life in 1775. I would play checkers with the projectionists once the film was rolling, always aware that our game needed to be finished within a half hour. So, I watched the film hundreds of times and saw thousands of people from dozens of countries become immersed in colonial history. Quotes from the script still return to me in my septuagenerian decade. That is the mark of a classic. As mentioned, I am aware of my tendency to the positive here, but to this day the camera-work, the opening scene coming through the brush into John Fry's plantation return. Viewed this way, this film is a classic and should be seen by everyone.

Having been born and raised in Portsmouth, Va, about 50 miles from Williamsburg, I had many opportunities to view this movie while on school field trips when I was young. It has always been an inspiration and I have made sure my children have seen this movie. After having been in the U.S. Air Force and college and moving around the country, my family and I now live in Williamsburg, VA and enjoy the restored colonial town regularly. The movie is a great way to introduce the thoughts and ideas that were spawning just prior to the revolution and to convey the sacrifices that would have to be made by those who supported breaking with England. The films production is first class and the restored film is even easier to view and hear.

I have seen the "Story of a Patriot" over two dozen times dating back to 1958 for the first time at the Colonial Williamsburg Visitors Center. It continues to be an inspiration to me and my family for strength and conviction in the sight of imposing odds. This is a "must see" for all Americans and a lesson for all the World. The only fault I have with "The Story of a Patriot" is that there was never a sequel using Jack Lord and the original cast perhaps during and after the American Revolution. Every time we revisit Colonial Williamsburg, the very first thing we do after getting our tickets is to see "The Story of a Patriot" on one of the big screens. It always gives me chills for the Freedom which our forefathers bestowed upon us at great sacrifice to their own well being. I also have a VHS tape, but now desire a much improved version on DVD. Even so, I will still begin every visit I make to Colonial Williamsburg by watching "The Story of a Patriot" again.