has hollywood gone too far in the patriot? The Patriot, the American 1775-1781 War of Independence epic starring Mel Gibson, is the subject of much controversy worldwide. So what is all the fuss about? Everyone loves Mel, right? Spike Lee hates it and many Britons are taking issue with it. It's a big-budget, summer smash-hit, blockbuster war epic. So why is The Patriot provoking such venom? The Patriot is a big, big movie with a …showed first 75 words of 789 total…

…showed last 75 words of 789 total…The Sunday Times. "This is not historically accurate. In the broad strokes, yes - on other levels, it is sheer fantasy. It's a movie. It's a good thing that historians are going to harangue this and say, 'It's not accurate.' Good. It'll make somebody pick up a book.'' It's a pity someone didn't pick up a book before making The Patriot. But this is Hollywood, and here truth is secondary to the dollar.