Braveheart

Braveheart
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Mel Gibson
Written by	Randall Wallace
Produced by	Mel Gibson Alan Ladd Jr. Bruce Davey
Starring	Mel Gibson Sophie Marceau Patrick McGoohan Catherine McCormack
Cinematography	John Toll
Edited by	Steven Rosenblum
Music by	James Horner
Production companies	Icon Productions The Ladd Company
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures (United States and Canada) 20th Century Fox (International)
Release dates	May 18, 1995 (1995-05-18) (Seattle) May 24, 1995 (1995-05-24) (United States)
Running time	178 minutes
Country	United States[1]
Language	English
Budget	$53–72 million
Box office	$209 million

Braveheart is a 1995 American epic fictionalised historical drama film directed and produced by Mel Gibson, who portrays Scottish warrior William Wallace in the First War of Scottish Independence against King Edward I of England. The film also stars Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, Catherine McCormack and Angus Macfadyen. The story is inspired by Blind Harry's 15th century epic poem The Actes and Deidis of the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir William Wallace and was adapted for the screen by Randall Wallace.

Development on the film initially started at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) when producer Alan Ladd Jr. picked up the project from Wallace, but when MGM was going through new management, Ladd left the studio and took the project with him. Despite initially declining, Gibson eventually decided to direct the film, and to star as Wallace. Braveheart was filmed in Scotland and Ireland from June to October 1994. The film, which was produced by Gibson's Icon Productions and The Ladd Company, was distributed by Paramount Pictures in North America and by 20th Century Fox internationally.

Released on May 24, 1995, Braveheart received generally positive reviews, with praise for its action scenes and score, and was a critical and commercial success, though it was criticized for its historical inaccuracies. At the 68th Academy Awards, the film was nominated for ten Academy Awards and won five, including Best Picture and Best Director for Gibson. A legacy sequel, Robert the Bruce, was released in 2019.