Mel Gibson was eventually the man who played farmer-turned-revolutionary Benjamin Martin in 2000's The Patriot, although Harrison Ford was the actor first approached for the lead role in Roland Emmerich's movie. The part of the patriarch of the Martin clan was that of a wily war veteran who wanted no part of the American Revolutionary War, only to see himself dragged into the battle after the conflict took the life of one of his sons. Despite the heartfelt vigour and focus he could've brought to the role, Ford chose against doing The Patriot, citing that he wasn't a fan of the tone and feel of Robert Rodat's script. That said, Harrison wasn't the only one not keen on the script, for Rodat ended up submitting 17 drafts of the script before one was deemed up to scratch. Funnily enough, Rodat's screenwriting days have been few and far between since then.
