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Is Braveheart a true story? What about The 300, The Patriot, or Gods and Generals? Are there elements of truth in the stories that provide an opportunity to learn something about history, or do creative period films stray too far from historical fact?

Produced in partnership with George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens, History Meets Hollywood discusses the positive and negative results of portraying historical figures and events through popular film.

The program features a panel of guests with backgrounds in historical study and the entertainment industry. The panelist discuss what students learn about history through popular film, how those films are used by teachers, and the merits of “dramatization” as a way to depict history. Moderated by television news anchor and host of MSNBC’s Hardball, Chris Matthews, panelists include Dr. Libby O’Connell, Chief Historian for the History Channel, actor Sebastian Roché, who portrayed George Washington in We Fight to Be Free, and representatives from the new Disney Pictures film, National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets.

Special features of this DVD include more interviews with Jerry Bruckheimer and Jon Turteltaub plus additional scenes from The Crossing and We Fight to be Free.

The DVD is provided free of charge by a generous partnership with George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens.

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Time: 45 minutes