Patty Hearst

Patty Hearst is a crime drama based on the real kidnapping of Patricia Hearst, the granddaughter of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. In February 1974, she was seized from her home by members of the Symbionese Liberation Army, a small revolutionary group that demanded the release of imprisoned members and a large food giveaway in exchange for her. Held captive, she was kept in isolation and subjected to the group's political indoctrination. She eventually adopted the name Tania, took part in the group's activities, including a bank robbery, and publicly sided with her captors, a turn that caused a national scandal and deeply affected her family.

The film is directed by Paul Schrader, the seventh of the 22 features he has directed, following Light of Day and preceding Light Sleeper. Nicholas Kazan wrote the screenplay, Marvin Worth produced, and Natasha Richardson plays Patricia Hearst. The cast also includes William Forsythe as Teko, Ving Rhames as Cinque, Frances Fisher as Yolanda, Olivia Barash as Fahizah and Dana Delany as Gelina, among 54 credited performers. The film draws on a story that became a widely discussed episode in American culture.

It runs 108 minutes and was released in September 1988. Its worldwide box office reached about one million dollars. On IMDb it holds a rating of 6.3 from around 2,800 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 5.7 from roughly 60 votes. A film critics' rating of 5.6 from 15 reviews places it slightly below the IMDb audience figure and close to the TMDB score.