History
Biographical drama
The Birth of a Nation (2016): Cast, Ratings & Box Office
The Birth of a Nation is a 2016 biographical drama starring Aunjanue Ellis, Armie Hammer and Penelope Ann Miller. It runs 2 hours and earned $16.8 million worldwide on a $8.5 million budget. It earned 1 award nomination, including First-Time Feature Film at the DGA Awards 2017. Critics gave it 72% on Rotten Tomatoes and 69 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.5/10.
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- Released
- Runtime
- 2h (120 min)
- Original language
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English - Studio
- Fox Searchlight Pictures
- Budget
- $8.5M
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
The story
What Is The Birth of a Nation About?
The premise of The Birth of a Nation without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Nat Turner, an enslaved Baptist preacher, resides on a Virginia plantation under the ownership of Samuel Turner. Hoping to prevent unrest, a cleric persuades Samuel to have Nate preach to other enslaved people. However, witnessing the brutal mistreatment of his fellow man, Nat realizes preaching alone is not enough. Fueled by a desire for justice and freedom, he leads a violent and historic rebellion in Southampton County on August 21, 1831, forever changing the landscape of the South.
The Birth of a Nation Themes & Keywords
· 48 tags- preacher
- torture
- illiterate
- southern
- rebellion
- slave rebellion
- racism
- abuse
- gang rape
- rape
- force feeding
- starving child
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- starving
- slave uprising
- slavery
- preaching
- suffering
- death
- murder
- massacre
- period film
- poverty
- beating
- sexual assault
- starvation
- whipping
- slave master
- civil war
- based on true story
- literate
- south
- bible
- brother sister relationship
- father son relationship
- mother son relationship
- cotton
- farming
- thinness
- liberation theology
- confederate army
- confederate soldier
- union army
- union soldier
- propaganda
- agitprop
- 19th century
- rape and revenge
- african american slavery
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Cast & crew
The Birth of a Nation Cast
Aunjanue Ellis leads the cast, with Armie Hammer and Penelope Ann Miller.
Also Starring in The Birth of a Nation
· 3 more Ratings
The Birth of a Nation Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave The Birth of a Nation 72% on Rotten Tomatoes and 69 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.5/10.
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IMDb 6.5 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 72% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 71%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 69 Metascore
User score 5.5
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 66% User score
See on TMDB -
Letterboxd 3.1 /5
5 ratings
See on Letterboxd -
Movie Insider 2.9 /5
See on Movie Insider
Plot
The Birth of a Nation Plot Summary
What happens in The Birth of a Nation from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
The film begins with a vivid dream sequence featuring a young Nat Turner (Tony Espinosa), who is led into the woods to meet a native tribe. The tribe’s leader reveals that children with distinct birthmarks, like Nat’s three vertical scars on his chest, are destined for significant purposes.
Set in Southampton County, Virginia, in 1809, Nat lives in enslavement alongside his mother, Nancy (Aunjanue Ellis), father Isaac (Dwight Henry), and grandmother Bridget (Esther Scott). They serve the Turner family, where Nat often plays with their young son Samuel (Armie Hammer). One day, while his mother Elizabeth (Penelope Ann Miller) calls him inside, Nat notices a book resting on the porch’s rocking chair.
Full summary
The whole story of The Birth of a Nation, scene by scene
Box office
The Birth of a Nation Box Office & Budget
The Birth of a Nation grossed $16.8 million worldwide on a $8.5 million budget, 2.0 times what it cost. $15.9 million came from the US and Canada and $917,646 (5%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$16.8M
2.0× its budget
- US & Canada
- $15.9M
- International
- $917.6K
- Budget
- $8.5M
US & Canada 95%
Rest of the world 5%
Awards
The Birth of a Nation Awards & Nominations
The Birth of a Nation earned 1 award nomination, including First-Time Feature Film at the DGA Awards 2017.
1 nomination1 ceremony
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DGA Awards 2017 1 nomination- Nominated First-Time Feature Film – Nate Parker
Videos
The Birth of a Nation Trailers & Videos
The trailer of The Birth of a Nation.
Quiz
How Well Do You Know The Birth of a Nation?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What significant event leads to Nat's discovery of his reading abilities?
Cars
Cars in The Birth of a Nation
24 cars on screen, including the Grumman-Olson Kurb Side and the 1957 Triumph Tiger 100.
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Grumman-Olson Kurb Side Important role -
1957 Triumph Tiger 100 Important role -
1960 Cadillac Fleetwood 75 Minor role -
1961 Chevrolet Impala Minor role
Details
The Birth of a Nation Also Known As
27 alternative titles, including “O Nascimento de Uma Nação” and “El nacimiento de una nación”.
- Also known as
-
- O Nascimento de Uma Nação
- El nacimiento de una nación
- Narodziny narodu
- Рождение нации
- Bir Ulusun Dogusu
- Раждането на една нация
- La Naissance d'une nation
- הולדתה של אומה
- Naşterea unei naţiuni
- The Birth Of A Nation - Aufstand zur Freiheit
- Η γέννηση ενός έθνους
- לידתה של אומה
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- Zrození národa
- The Birth of a Nation - Il risveglio di un popolo
- 一个国家的诞生
- Zrodenie národa
- Народження нації
- 국가의 탄생
- Egy nemzet születése
- Bir Ulusun Doğuşu
- Рађање једне нације
- Nasterea unei natiuni
- Nācijas rašanās
- 國家的誕生
- Tautos gimimas
- El naixement d’una nació
- หัวใจทาส สงครามสร้างแผ่นดิน
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FAQ
The Birth of a Nation FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of The Birth of a Nation, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Birth of a Nation?
The Birth of a Nation runs 2 hours (120 minutes).
When was The Birth of a Nation released?
The Birth of a Nation was released on October 7, 2016.
Who is in the cast of The Birth of a Nation?
The Birth of a Nation stars Aunjanue Ellis, Armie Hammer and Penelope Ann Miller, among 7 credited actors.
How much did The Birth of a Nation make at the box office?
The Birth of a Nation grossed $16.8 million worldwide ($15.9 million domestic, $917,646 international) on a budget of $8.5 million.
How is The Birth of a Nation rated?
The Birth of a Nation has 6.5/10 on IMDb, 72% on Rotten Tomatoes, 69 on Metacritic and 66% on TMDB.
Was The Birth of a Nation nominated for any awards?
The Birth of a Nation received 1 nomination across 1 ceremony.
Does The Birth of a Nation have a post-credit scene?
No. The Birth of a Nation has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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