MovieChat Forums > The Patriot (2000) Discussion > The dumbest line I have ever heard...

The dumbest line I have ever heard...

posted 12 years ago by CorleoneFan
29 replies | jump to latest

I really liked this film, but this is one line that really irritates me. I'm not sure if this subject has already been discussed.

When Thomas is trying on the soldier uniform his father (Gibson) tells him "Not yet, 17." Thomas says "But father that's two years, its already been two, THE WAR COULD BE OVER BY THEN."

Gibson should have responded "THATS A GOOD THING YOU STUPID MORON."

I understand the boy is a patriot, but does he think of war as a fun event that cannot be missed? Even if the war is not over by then, what makes him think that ONLY HE can make that big of a difference? The war could be over?? YEAH GOD-WILLING

[–] ronfirv 12 years ago

You are entitled to say it was stupid, but very realistic.

There were many, many youths in the British Armed Forces in WWII who lied about their ages to enlist, saying they were 18 or 19 and were barely 16!

[–] Seriona1 12 years ago

Besides the kid could realistically wait one more years as the military was recruiting at 16 during the Revolution.

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] newfrontier45 12 years ago

Graveyards are filled with the bodies of young men who had a romantic view of war. Young, intemperate men are often hot & heavy to go to war until bullets (or balls in this case) start whizzing by. I think his character portrayed that youthful naivety very well. The harsh reality of a battlefield littered with bodies and body parts coupled with the smell of human flesh, urine and excrement is a brutal teacher. His father knew of this reality all too well and it is why he fought so strongly to shield them from it.

[–] imtokyojoeiknowtokyo 12 years ago

Adults declare war knowing the consequences - it's not a decision made lightly.

Unlike in your small castrated island, people in the US had a pioneering spirit and wanted to volunteer. Having women and children help out is normal in these cultures, something alien to you. Also, people were apprenticed at age 14 then, so being 17 made him an adult who could have gotten married and started a family, so why not volunteer?

After all, did you see the size of their farm? It's about 100 x bigger than most farms in your country, so in early US, Canada and Australia women and children helped out and people worked together to get stuff done instead of complaining bitterly about their neighbors.

Weird culture, isn't it?

Take care friend.

im tokyo joe and i know tokyo
http://www.tokyojoe.tk

[–] ronfirv 12 years ago

You have such a chip on your shoulder, I am heart sorry for you.
Get a Life!

[–] CorleoneFan 12 years ago

Response to imtokyojoe.

I guess your not sharp enough to see that there is some degree of comedy in my post. I understand the mentality of wanting to be a patriot and I understand that Thomas was eager to fight for and serve his country but my issue was (and this is not really a significant issue I guess) Thomas' concern that the war might be over by the time he is allowed by his father to enlist. So when Thomas says "The war could be over by then," his father rightfully says "God willing." I joked (although the joke does have a degree of seriousness) that Benjamin Martin should have said "thats a good thing you moron." Because war, by default, is a BAD THING. Not having a war, by default, is a GOOD THING. War is bad. But I do understand that it was realistic back then for young men to want to go to war, so the people firing back at my post should understand that my original post was meant to have some lightheartedness.

As far as my "small castrated island" and "my country," well, my country is America and I am an american citizen, so your false assumption sure made you look like the idiot that you are. And having women and children help out in these cultures is not alien to me, in fact, I admire and respect that idea.

I agree, you DO have a chip on your shoulder and you need to get a life.

YOU take care friend.

[–] imtokyojoeiknowtokyo 12 years ago

Friend, it's like this: When the adults make decision to go to war they understand the consequences for everyone including their families if they lose - it aint one made lightly. Whether the boy was of age or not is not relevant to a father such as his character - the boy was probably helping out on the farm since age 5 and knew about woodcraft, hunting and taking responsibility, at his age he could probably marry (he does, if I remember rightly). In those days a boy his age was like a full grown man. Sure it's not nice having him involved in the conflict, but if he is able to, helping pull weight is better than nothing at all and they could 1. win 2. win earlier 3. win at lesser cost which are all good things friends.

You come from England? Well, your farms were probably 1/100th to 1/1000th the size of these farms you see in the movie, so people helped - everyone. It's a strange culture to you isnt it?

For everyone else who doesnt understand, let me say that I understand the English well. The scale of their country, farms, food, and everything else is very different to us.

I lived among them from 1970-1971 their culture is greatly misunderstood.

Take care friend.

im tokyo joe and i know tokyo
http://www.tokyojoe.tk

[–] wears-alan 12 years ago

You lived among the English from 1970-71. Your opinion is 42 years out of date. At least it shows where you are coming from fool!!!

You are entitled to my opinion, whether you want it or not!!

[–] truekiwijoker 12 years ago

Don't let this noddy bother you. He's this possbily insane Australian with multiple troll accounts (this one where he's Tokyo Joe in that old black-and-white film). I doubt he has ever been out of Sydney. He mouths off his very astray and uninformed aussie-held-stereotype-based opinions as fact to get a raction because he's very insecure and has a deep-seated inferiority complex.

Oh, and he's also a Sci-Fi and Fantasy fan-nerd.

Why waste your time trying to debate him when you can just laugh at him?

[–] wears-alan 12 years ago

Thanks for the heads up True. Long time no see. How are you?

[–] truekiwijoker 12 years ago

I'm not the best thanks for asking. No need to thank me for the heads-up, I'm sure you would've started laughing at him sooner or later. I hope things are good with you.

[–] wears-alan 12 years ago

Yeah things are good with me. Sorry to hear you're not the best. Hope things pick up for you.

[–] imtokyojoeiknowtokyo 12 years ago

Friend you are quite the character, following me around every post? That aint polite friend, say, didn't your Ma teach you any manners? You have called me South African, Scottish, Australian, doctor, lawyer, photographer, pilot and you think this is polite? Yes. I have traveled to Australia many times many years ago, and NZ too, but friend, please stop your hatred. It aint welcome. Im Tokyo Joe. Please stop following me around before you get banned from IMDB. And friend, how about posting a reply to what I said instead of being so impolite. Take care friends.

im tokyo joe and i know tokyo
http://www.tokyojoe.tk

[–] truekiwijoker 12 years ago

Blah blah blah, you're just repeating what didn't work the first time.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] imtokyojoeiknowtokyo 11 years ago

Exactly right friend.

Adults declare war knowing the consequences - it's not a decision made lightly. And the boy wanted to help out.

im tokyo joe and i know tokyo
http://www.intokyotown.tk

[–] goodthingsjohn 11 years ago

This shows the difference between then and now. People could not wait to serve. And his father probably had a respect for it, even though he did not like it. He understood what his son was saying, even if he didn't want to fully admit it he probably agreed with him and thought, "yeah, I would be the same way at your age"

Liberalism is a mental illness, and it's the only one that's contagious.

[–] gilwood 11 years ago

"Liberalism is a mental illness, and it's the only one that's contagious."

This is a hilarious signature given the context of the movie. These people were the liberals of their time. George Washington, Ben Franklin, and the founding fathers were all free thinking liberals. The conservatives wanted the country to stay with England. Did you even watch the movie?

[–] goodthingsjohn 10 years ago

Conservatives stand for freedom. We broke away because of heavy TAXATION and government inclusion in our lives, and the final straw was trying to take away WEAPONS. Not to mention that Britain was against religious freedom, something our own government HATES.
Jeeze...you are really, really, uneducated. To say that George Washington was a liberal is just nonsense.. Utter, utter nonsense. Perhaps you should read some of the stuff he wrote and said and then get back to me on which side he would be on today. Wowwwww....

Liberalism is a mental illness, and it's the only one that's contagious.

[–] volkstraum 10 years ago

The Founding Fathers were classic liberals... they read Adam Smith. You know absolutely nothing.

"I can't help but notice that there are skulls all over everything. Are we the baddies?"

[–] jaynekranc 11 years ago

I am going to ignore all of the silliness that goes on later in the thread and comment on the original post. I subbed in a middle school today and the social studies teacher left this film for the kids to watch. I was very eager to see how these young teens and preteens related to Thomas.

Almost all of the boys were totally with Thomas about going off to fight at that point in the film. They were really into the whole thing about how much glory there could be in war and how lame it would be to just be home with your l8ittle sisters and brothers working on a plantation. And they thought he was awesome trying to stand up to his old man like that. They did think the war would be exciting and fun and they identified with Thomas totally. When the kid got shot and turned white and died in his father's arms, they were stunned to silence. And for a whole group of 7th and 8th graders, that takes a lot. They were really shaken up, and didn't get over it until the previously considered stodgy old dad takes the enemy down in the woods and then they began to like the film again. But they had a lot more respect for Benjamin's character at that point.

From what I understand from working at Civil War reenactments at a historical farm in the area, it hadn't changed much during the Civil War either. The young men in these farm areas couldn't wait to enlist and get into it before it was over. They thought the Yankees would run like rabbits once they got onto Southern soil and saw the gallant rebels.

Has anyone else seen this film with a large group of boys and girls that age? It's a trip, I tell you.

[–] jfd0210 11 years ago

When I read the orginal post, I thought of GONE WITH THE WIND immediately.
The book and film both open with The Tarleton Twins talking nothing of war; they can't wait for it to begin so they can enlist.
I know GONE WITH THE WIND was fiction, but Margaret Mitchell did exhaustive research on the subject, and grew up in the South, so I think this was the feeling at the time.
I don't think the line was "dumb," given the circumstances.

[–] BKimberley09 11 years ago

I understand how you feel, but to me the stupidest line in the film was when Benjamin asks
Charlotte if he could sit down and she says, 'It's a free country, or at least it will be'

I groaned out loud in the theatre....

[–] JR541 11 years ago

Agreed BKimberley09. I still cringe when I hear it. Whoever wrote that line was probably so proud of it too. They probably thought it was so clever. When I'm watching this on TV I often change the channel for a few seconds at that part so I don't have to hear it.

As for the original complaint about the "war might be over" line I'll say that it's actually very accurate. In this war and even more so the Civil War many young men thought about war in a glorified way. Once they got there they learned about the harsh realities.

He's taking the knife out of the Cheese!
Do you think he wants some cheese?

[–] Balberith 10 years ago

I remember that line in Gone with the Wind where Ashley Wilkes says, "when the wars were over nobody knew what they were about."

"A real man would rather bow down to a strong woman than dominate a weak one"