National Treasure is a 2004 adventure film from the Walt Disney Studios. It is the first film in the National Treasure Franchise. Nicolas Cage plays Benjamin Franklin Gates, a historian and amateur cryptologist searching for a lost treasure, once protected by the Knights Templar and hidden by the Freemasons during the early years of the United States. A coded map on the back of the Declaration of Independence points to the location of the "national treasure", but Gates isn't alone in his quest. Whoever can steal the Declaration and decode it first, will find the greatest treasure in history.
Plot[]
The Legend of the Treasure[]
- "You're not supposed to be here, looking at that."
"I just wanted to know." - ―John Adams Gates and Young Benjamin Franklin Gates[src]
At a stormy night in 1974, young Benjamin Franklin Gates is exploring in his grandfather's attic in Washington, D.C. Ben climbs up on a chair and finds an old book hidden up in the ceiling.
As Ben climbs down, suddenly his grandfather is standing in front of him. His grandfather confronts him about being in the attic, and Ben says he wants to "know to know the story." Grandfather says he guesses Ben is old enough to hear it.
Ben and Grandfather sit down, and Grandfather begins to tell the story.
In 1832, Charles Carroll, was hurriedly being driven to the White House by his stable boy, Thomas Gates, to see President Andrew Jackson. Charles needed to tell Jackson an important secret. However, Jackson wasn't there that night. So Charles told the only person he could, his stable boy, Thomas, who was Ben's ancestor. The secret was a treasure, a treasure beyond all imagining.
The story of the treasure starts at Egypt, where men are raiding and fighting over a pyramid that housed some of the treasure.
The story then jumps ahead about 1,000 years to when knights from the First Crusade discovered secrets vaults underneath Solomon's Temple that held the treasure. The knights brought the treasure back to Europe and took the names "Knights Templar." Over the next century, the Knights smuggled the treasure out of Europe bit-by-bit. They formed a new brotherhood called the Freemasons.
By the time of the American Revolution, the treasure had been hidden again. George Washington and others didn't want the treasure to fall into the hands of the British, so they made clues and maps that lead to the treasure's location. Over time, the clue had been either lost or forgotten, except one. That was the secret that Charles Carroll entrusted to Thomas Gates. It was a piece of paper, with the words "The Secret lies with Charlotte." But not even Mr. Carroll knew who Charlotte was.
As the grandfather finishes his story, he pulls out a dollar bill and shows Ben clues on the bill. Grandfather says that the clues are speaking to them.
- "Six generation of fools, searching after fool's gold"
- ―Patrick Henry Gates scoffs at his father's story[src]
Suddenly, Ben's father and Grandfather's son, Patrick Henry Gates, appears and scoffs at the story, saying that the dollar bill represents the Gates family fortune. They get into a fight; Grandfather saying it's not about the money. Patrick says to Ben that it is time to go.
After Patrick leaves, Ben wants to know if they are knights. Grandfather chuckles, and then asks if Ben would like to become one. Ben says yes, so Grandfather has him kneel and take a vow:
- "Benjamin Franklin Gates, you take upon yourself the duty of the Templars, the Freemasons, and the family Gates. Do you so swear?"
"I so swear!" - ―John Adams Gates knighting Benjamin Franklin Gates[src]
The Charlotte[]
- "It's extraordinary."
- ―Ian Howe on how magnificent the Arctic is.[src]
Many years have passed, and much older Ben is driving a vehicle through the snow and ice of Canadian Arctic with two other people in the vehicle, Ian Howe, and Riley Poole. Behind the first vehicle is a second, being driven by Shaw, and has two more people, Viktor Shippen and Powell.
Ben, Ian, and Riley discuss whether they are getting close to whatever they are looking for. Then they start to tease Riley, asking him if he "misses the windowless cubicle" they found him in. Suddenly, Riley's computer begins to beep, telling them they are very close to the mysterious object they are looking for.
The two vehicles pull up and stop and everyone gets out. They start using magnet devices and scan the ground, until Ben's device makes beeping noises. Ben begins to dig furiously in the snow, until he uncovers a metal plaque that reads Charlotte. A few hours later and the whole ship is uncovered.
Ben, Ian, Riley, and Shaw go unto the body of the ship, searching for the treasure. Riley begins looking at the crew's hammocks and discovers a body, frozen in it's hammock. Riley panics, but is soon calmed down. They begin searching again. They find the cargo hold, and pry the doors open. Ian and Ben are excited, thinking the long search has ended. But when they get into the hold, they realize all that is there is barrels. They investigate, and find nothing but gunpowder. But then Ben discovers that captain, frozen to death, but protecting a certain barrel. He opens the barrel and finds only more gunpowder. But as Ben digs further, a large package emerges.
Ben quickly uncovers the package. It is a box, and inside, a valuable and well-made meerschaum pipe. However, that is not the treasure. Ben immediately knows it is a clue, and he separates the pipe's stem. Ben cuts his finger with a knife, and rolls stem over the blood. Then he rolls the stem onto a piece of paper. There is another clue!
- "The legend writ.
The stain affected.
The key in Silence undetected
Fifty-five in iron pen.
Mr. Matlock can't offend." - ―Benjamin Franklin Gates reading the clue[src]
Ben read the clue aloud (see above quote). He figures is out to be an invisible map. An invisible map on the back of the Declaration of Independence! Ian is amazed and says they'll have to examine it. Ben says that no one is going to let them just waltz in a look at the back of the Declaration of Independence. Ian then suggests stealing it. Ben refuses. Ian then says that Ben and Riley will now only be a hindrance.
Suddenly, Shaw pulls out a gun and aims it at Ben. Ben states that if he is killed, all the other riddles won't be figured out. Ian says that if Ben doesn't tell them more clues, he will shoot Riley. All of a sudden, Ben reaches down and grabs a flare and lights it. He asks Ian to look where they are standing. Gunpowder. All over the floor. Ben says that if he is shot, the flare drops, and the ship explodes. Ian then asks what will happen when the flare burns down. Ben suddenly throws the flare toward the ground, but Ian intercepts in. But then Ian's coat sleeve catches fire and he drops the flare. The room goes up in flames, with the flames going toward the barrels of gunpowder. Shaw tries to fire some shots, but he misses. Ian and Shaw bolt from the room and lock Ben and Riley in the cargo hold.
Ben finds a smugglers hold and they both get in. As they are crawling away from the hold, the gunpowder reaches the barrels. Everything explodes. Ian and his men stop the vehicles and look back. Ian looks sad, as if he didn't want Ben and Riley to die. But then they go on. Ben and Riley discover they are still alive. Ben and Riley get out of the ship and start walking an Inuit village nine miles east.
Meeting with Dr. Chase[]
- "But anyone who can do anything is gonna think we're crazy. Anyone crazy enough to believe us isn't gonna want to help."
"We don't need someone crazy. But one step short of crazy, what do you get? "
"Obsessed?"
"Passionate." - ―Riley Poole and Benjamin Franklin Gates about who is going to believe the Declaration is going to be stolen.[src]
Ben and Riley are coming out of the J. Edgar Hoover FBI Building in Washington D.C. They tried to tell the FBI that someone would steal the Declaration of Independence, but no one listened.
They then went to National Archives. They are waiting to see a Dr. Chase. While Ben, using the name "Paul Brown" and Riley, using the name "Bill", are sitting in the waiting room, Ben picks up a flier about an Anniversary Gala at the Archives. Soon, they are led in Dr. Chase's office. Dr. Abigail Chase, a woman. They are introduced and Ben begins to talk about a collection of George Washington Campaign Buttons that Abigail has in the room. She is missing one, he says. Abigail agrees and then asks to get down to business.
- "Well, I'm gonna get straight to the point: Someone's gonna steal the Declaration of Independence."
- ―Benjamin Franklin Gates[src]
Ben tells Abigail that someone will steal the Declaration. She, of course, doesn't believe him. Ben says that is they could examine the document, they could tell whether it would be stolen or not. Abigail asks what they would find. Ben replies that they think there is a map on the back. Abigail still doesn't believe them, but she asks for proof. However, the proof, the pipe, was taken by Ian, and Ben doesn't have it. Abigail says that the meeting is over and Ben and Riley leave.
From her office, they go to see the Declaration. Finally, Ben makes up his mind that he is gonna steal the Declaration to protect it from Ian.
Riley is distraught. All he can think about is going to prison. Ben tell him that he cannot let Ian steal the Declaration, because Ian would just destroy it. Riley tries reasoning that it can't be done and takes Ben to the Library of Congress.
Making a Plan[]
- "Ok, Ben, pay attention. I've brought you to the Library of Congress. Why? Because it's the biggest library in the world. Over 20 million books. And they're all saying the exact same thing: Listen to Riley."
- ―Riley Poole[src]
Riley tries to convince Ben not to steal the Declaration. Riley says that the Declaration is surrounding by guards, a video cameras, and and little families on field trips, but Ben comes up with a plan amidst all of Riley's talking. They will steal the document while it is in the preservation room, during the National Archive Gala is the same time.
The Setup[]
- "This might be possible."
- ―Riley Poole[src]
Riley drives to a underground train station. There he goes into a utility room and sets up his computer and gadgets. He hacks into the security cameras and the National Archives and records the hallway and Preservation Room so he will be able to see the cameras on his computer.
Meanwhile, Ben is in his apartment making his own plans. He goes outside and starts taking photos. One of the photos happens to be of a National Archive worker's I.D. card. He goes back to the apartment and places his own picture in the I.D.
Riley is back in his van, testing a special light to make a thermometer's temperature rise.
Ben then mixes up a fluid that you can see under a special light, and dips a button into it, which he then sends to Abigail Chase. It is the 1789 George Washington Inaugural Campaign Button, the button she was missing. It comes with a letter: For the woman who has everything else...Thanks for listening. Paul Brown
We now go to Riley, who is using the special light to make the temperature gauge on the Declaration rise. It works, and Abigail gets a call saying that she needs to come and look over the Declaration.
- "Our evil plan in working!"
- ―Riley Poole watching through the Hallway video where the Declaration is being moved.[src]
Riley is now watching the workers carefully bringing the Declaration into the Preservation Room.
At the Watergate Complex, Ian and his henchmen are getting ready to steal the Declaration themselves. However, they plan on using much more severe methods: guns, explosives and more.
The Gala[]
It is night now at the National Archives and the guests are pouring into the Gala. Ben and Riley park near the Archives and Ben gets out, dressed like a worker. Riley stays in the car in order to keep an eye on the video cameras. Ben goes in the back way, gets through security, and goes to the bathroom. There, he takes off his worker's outfit, underneath it he had a tuxedo. He throws everything into the trash, except a screw driver.
Now the film goes to Ian and his men. They are getting guns ready. They park along a street and pull up a grating underneath their van. Ian, Shaw, Powell, and Phil, go underneath the ground.
- "It that that hot girl? How does she look?"
- ―Riley Poole[src]
Now back at the Gala, Ben runs into Abigail Chase and hands her a wine glass. They begin to talk, but Dr. Stan Herbert, comes up. Ben makes a toast, to high treason. He explains that was what the Founding Fathers did when they wrote the Declaration. Ben then drowns the glass, while Abigail and Stan look on in amazement/disgust. Ben then says goodbye to them, taking Abigail's wine glass with him.
By now, Ian and his men are still underground and breaking into part of the Archives. Shaw shoots a Taser at a guard and knocks him unconscious. They use his fingerprints to open a door.
Ben goes back to the bathroom and uses some special liquid to get Abigail's fingerprints off of her glass. He placed the fingerprint on rubber glove. He uses Abigail's fingerprints to get himself into the Hallway that lead to the Preservation Room. Ben needs to get Abigail's password and figures out it is "Valley Forge", a significant battle in the Revolutionary War. Ben gets in and starts to unscrew the case that the Declaration is in.
However, Ian and his men hack into the security cameras and turn them off. And guards and Riley can now see nothing on the cameras! Ben decides to take the Declaration and it's case into the elevator and take it out of there. But just as Ben leaves the Preservation Room, Ian and his men burst through a door at the end of the Hallway. Both Ben and Ian are surprised to see each other, but Shaw takes out a gun and starts shooting at Ben. Ben backs into the elevator and it closes, just in time.
- "He's got the bloody map!"
- ―Ian Howe[src]
Ben gets the Declaration out in the elevator and emerges with it under his suit coat. Meanwhile, Abigail finds out that Ben, or "Paul Brown, as she knows him, isn't on the guest list. She starts to look for him. Ben sees her coming his way and ducks into a gift shop. When he leaves, part of the Declaration is sticking out of his coat. A clerk thinks he is trying to steal it, because they had fake Declarations for sale. Ben ends up paying for it with a credit card, because he didn't have enough cash.
By now, a guard is finding evidence of Ian and his men breaking into the Archives. He calls for security.
Riley is still sitting in the car, waiting for Ben.
Getting Found Out[]
- "Ben...the, the mean Declaration lady is behind you."
- ―Riley Poole[src]
Ben walks out of the bookstore, but Abigail spots him and starts to follow. She follows him outside and to the van, where she confronts him and asks what he is doing.
Inside the Archives, guards runs into the Preservation Room to discover that the Declaration in gone. They lock down the entire building.
- "Oh my God!? You did not...?!"
- ―Abigail Chase when alarms start ringing[src]
Outside, alarms start going off. Abigail guesses what Ben did and starts to call security. Ben hands her the Declaration and jumps into the van. Ian and his men are getting into their van when Ian spots Abigail yelling. They drive over and kidnap her. Ben is horrified and tells Riley to follow. An exciting car chase follows. In the process, Abigail tries to escape Ian by opening the back door of the van, but the van is going to fast and she swings out with the door. Ben manages to grab her, but not before Ian yanks the Declaration out of Abigail's hands. He then tells Shaw to shoot them. Shaw misses. Ian opens the Document, but it turns out to be a fake! Ben bought a replica at the gift store, just in case! Ian is mad, but gives Ben credit for being smart.
Now back in Ben's van, he is trying to calm Abigail down. She thinks Ian has the real Declaration, but he says that was a fake and shows her the real one.
Back at the Archives, FBI and police are everywhere. FBI Agent Peter Sadusky, tells everyone to calm down and be patient. One agents finds bullet casings and Peter wants to know who was shooting, who were they shooting at, and why they weren't getting along.
- "You can't seriously intend to run chemical tests on the back of the Declaration of Independence in the back of a moving van!?!?"
- ―Abigail Chase[src]
Ben, Riley, and Abigail are still in the van, debating over what to do. Ben says that they can't go back to his house because he used a credit card to pay for the replica. Riley is horrified, knowing that now the FBI will be onto them. Ben says that they need the "letters".
"We Need Those Letters"[]
Ben, Riley, and Abigail pull over into a park, where Ben tries to figure out what to do. He tells Abigail that he has the original Silence Dogood letters. Abigail keeps pestering Ben with questions, so he finally lets her hold to Declaration, if she will only shut up. Abigail slowly begins to take her shoes off and then jumps up and begins to run. However, Ben catches her and takes the Declaration away from her and tells her to go. She says she isn't leaving without the Declaration. Ben refuses, but Abigail says she knows where he is going, so he has to let her come.
The FBI are now storming Ben's house, but he, of course, isn't there. They find copies of letters by a Silence Dogood, written in 1722.
- "Gentlemen...why is this word capitalized?"
"Because it's important?"
"Because it's a name." - ―Ian Howe and Viktor Shippen[src]
Ian and his men are back at the Watergate Complex, and Ian is reading over the clue found on the Charlotte. He see the word "Silence" is capitalized and realizes it is a name.
The FBI are now researching about Silence Dogood. It turns out that at 15 years old, Benjamin Franklin posed as a middle-aged widow named "Silence Dogood" and wrote letters to his brother's newspaper.
Ben and the others now pull up in front of Patrick Gates' house in Philadelphia. Ben is suspicious and tells Riley to park down the block.
The FBI are now finding out about Ben. He has a degree in American history from Georgetown, degree in Mechanical Engineering at MIT, Navy ROTC and Navel Diving and Salvage Training Center.
- "The treasure is a myth!"
"I refuse to believe that." - ―Patrick Henry Gates and Ben Gates[src]
Ben rings his father's doorbell, and Patrick opens it. Ben says they are in trouble and Patrick asks if Abigail is pregnant. Of course, she isn't. They all go in and Ben asks for the Letters. He tells Patrick that he found the Charlotte. Ben said there was another clue, so Patrick says he thinks the treasure is a myth, made up to keep the British busy searching during the Revolution. Ben says he doesn't believe that and wants to study the Declaration right now.
Examining the Document[]
They begin getting things ready to examine the Declaration. Patrick, who doesn't know what it is yet, asks how old it is and Ben says about 200 years. Then Riley asks how they would read invisible ink. Patrick says to throw it in the oven. Everyone says no. Patrick then explains the inks can only be brought out with heat. Ben and Abigail say they can't risk destroying the map. Ben starts to put lemon juice on the back, but Abigail stops him, saying that someone who is trained should do it, meaning her.
- "You can't do that."
"But it has to be done."
"Then someone who is trained to handle antique documents is gonna do it." - ―Abigail Chase and Benjamin Franklin Gates.[src]
Abigail starts to put the lemon juice on, but nothing appears. They are frustrated at first, until Patrick reminds them they need heat. So Ben and Abigail bends down and blow lightly on the back. A symbol appears, as well as numbers! It starts to fade, so Ben and Abigail get busy, Abigail using a hair dryer and Ben writing down the numbers. Abigail figures out that the numbers a part of an Ottendorf Cipher. Each number corresponds with a page, word, and letter in a particular writing, in this case, the letters. Ben asks for the letters, but Patrick says he gave them to the Franklin Institute. They get ready to go. Abigail says she still can't believe that a code was on the back. Patrick, who doesn't know it's the Declaration, lifts it up and then puts it down in shock. He can't believe that Ben stole it. Ben and the others leave.
The FBI now come up to Patrick's house. They ring the doorbell, and Patrick yells for them to come in. They come into his living room, and he is duck taped to a chair. He asks to be untied. Peter questions him about where Ben was going, but Patrick says he doesn't know.
Ben, Abigail, and Riley are now in Patrick's car, stolen by Ben. Ben also stole some money from his dad, because they need to buy some new clothes.
Philadelphia[]
- "Go get the last four letters. Go get 'em, Chief! Come on!"
- ―Riley Poole to the boy[src]
At the Benjamin Franklin Institute, where a young boy is looking at the Silence Dogood letters, and writing certain letters down. After getting five letters, he runs through the Institute, but bumps into someone. It is Ian. The boy runs outside and across a street to where Riley Poole is sitting. The boy gives Riley the five letters. Riley then gives the boy a dollar and tells him to get the last four letters.
The boy goes back in and starts getting the next four letters. However, Ian is standing there, looking at the letters as well. He becomes suspicious and when the boy leaves, he follows. Riley is back at the bench, trying to figure out the last four letters, "pass and ____". He looks up just as a bus stops and sees a picture of the Liberty Bell, which has the words "pass and stow" on it. Riley now knows the complete clue. He leaves.
By now, the boy has run across the street, but Riley is gone. Ian see him jumping up and down, looking for Riley. Shaw asks what is going on and Ian replies that he doesn't know.
At a store downtown. Ben and Abigail are in separate dressing rooms and putting on street clothes. Abigail asks why Patrick thought she was pregnant. Ben replies that his father thinks he has been to free in his personal life.
- ""The vision to see the treasured past comes as the timely shadow crosses in front of the house of Pass and Stow.""
- ―Riley Poole reading the next clue to Ben and Abigail[src]
Riley finds Ben paying for the clothes, and tells them about the clue. Ben says that the next clue will be found when a shadow crosses in front of Independence Hall. Abigail figures that "timely shadow" means a specific time. But what time? Ben gets an idea and goes back to the clerk and asks to see a one hundred dollar bill. She gives him one. Ben looks on the back and there is an etching of Independence Hall there. He looks at the clock in the etching and the clock reads 2:22. The clerk says that it is almost three. Ben and Abigail think they missed it. But Riley suddenly says they didn't. Ben gives him a puzzled look. Riley realizes this is one thing Ben doesn't know about history, and gloats until Abigail snaps at him. Riley then says that daylight savings time wasn't established until after WWI. So, when the $100 bill was made, everything was one hour behind. They realize they have just enough time to get to the Hall.
Back at the Benjamin Franklin Institute, Ian is questioning the museum boy about what he told Riley. Ian gives him $100 dollars for the last four letters the boy was about to give Riley. S-T-O-W. Powell does some research and figures out it is the Liberty Bell.
Ocular Device[]
At Independence Hall, Ben, Riley, and Abigail are taking a tour of the Hall. They sneak away and head upstairs, toward the Bell.
Meanwhile, Ian and Shaw are taking another tour outside the Hall. The guide says that the bell used to be in the tower at the Hall. Ian realizes his mistake and heads over toward the Hall.
Ben and the gang are now in the tower. Ben has one minute to find the clue. He heads back downstairs and goes out on the roof. When he reaches the wall, he sees the symbol of the Masons on one of the bricks.
By now, Ian and Shaw are heading upstairs and into the tower, when Ben was just a few moments ago. Ben is now digging at the brick. It comes out and he sees that it is hollow. Inside is a pair of odd glasses.
Back downstairs, Ben shows Riley and Abigail the glasses. They unroll the Declaration, Ben puts on the glasses and sees the words Heere at the wall.
- "We don't want them to have the Declaration or the glasses, but we especially don't want them to have them both together."
- ―Benjamin Franklin Gates[src]
As Abigail take a look, Ben sees Powell and Phil walking toward the Hall. They then decide to split up. Abigail and Riley take the Declaration, while Ben takes the glasses and the case that the Declaration should be in.
Ben walks outside right past Powell and Phil. They start to follow. Then Abigail and Riley come out. Ian sees them from the tower and Shaw runs down to follow. He calls Shippen and tells him to meet him and Fifth and Chestnut.
Meanwhile, Ben starts to cross a busy street. Powell and Phil can't follow him immediately. A bus blocks their view, and when it passes, they see that Ben has started running. They chase after him.
Abigail and Riley are having the same trouble. They duck into a shopping center, but get split up. Abigail sees Shaw looking for her and jumps behind a butcher counter. She tells the butcher lady she is hiding from her ex-husband (a.k.a. Shaw!) The woman sees Shaw and gets him to go away.
Ben is now truly running-for-his-life! He runs into a graveyard and Phil starts shooting at him. Ben runs around a corner and when Powell follows, Ben hits him with the Declaration's case! Phil continues to chase him.
Riley finds Abigail and they run outside, only to be spotted by Shaw. He and Shippen start to chase them.
Ben ends up on a roof with Phil aiming at him. Ben throws the case toward the gutter and while Phil is distracted, Ben gets away. Phil discovers that the case is empty.
Riley and Abigail are still being chased. Riley gets stuck in a crowd, while Abigail starts to run across a street, only to discover she is in the path of an on-coming truck. Fortunately, Riley pulls her out of the way. The declaration, however, is in the middle of the road.
Ian has the Map[]
- "We've got it."
- ―Ian Howe[src]
Ian calmly walks over and picks it up. They are forced to run away without it.
At the Benjamin Franklin Institute, the FBI are asking if anyone has seen Ben. No one has. Agent Hendricks tells another agent they found Ben's car.
Ben gets a phone call from Riley saying they lost the Declaration. He heads towards his car, only to caught by the FBI. Riley and Abigail witness the arrest and quickly run away.
Riley and Abigail go to a park, very depressed. Abigail asks if they can get in touch with Ian.
- "Is there a door that doesn't lead to prison?"
- ―Benjamin Franklin Gates[src]
At FBI headquarters, Ben has just told the whole story to Peter Sadusky. Peter says that Ben will either go to jail for a very long time, or Ben helps them find the Declaration and he still goes to prison for a very long time. Peter starts asking what the glasses are for. Ben explains.
Then Ben's phone rings. The FBI listen in. It is Ian. He wants Ben to meet him on the flight deck of the USS Intrepid and to bring the glasses. Peter nods to tell Ben to go ahead. Ian then adds that there shouldn't be any FBI.
USS Intrepid[]
- "Gates? Are you with me?"
- ―Peter Sadusky[src]
The next day, Ben is at the USS Intrepid. FBI agents are carefully positioned. An unknown helicopter flies in, distracting some of the agents. They try to find out who is flying it.
Powell suddenly appears and aims something at Ben. It is a device that disrupts the FBI's communications.
Shaw then comes next to Ben with a video camera, pretending to video something. The helicopter fly in closer and makes everyone panic. Shaw yells above the noise for Ben to go to the starboard observation point, and what to do next.
The agents don't know if anyone spoke to Ben, but they see him start to walk to the observation point. They don't know what he is going to do. Ben tells Peter there is a way out of going to jail. Peter realizes what Ben is up to and tells the agents to move it. It is too late though, Ben jumps over the rail and into the harbor.
Underwater, Ben is given a breathing apparatus and they then use a propulsion device to swim to New Jersey. Ben is driven to Ian, and he talks to Abigail on the phone while on route. Abigail made a deal with Ian to rescue Ben, in exchange they promised Ian could get the treasure.
Trinity Church[]
Once Ben arrives, Ian reveals that he has kidnapped Ben's father. They then all enter the Trinity Church, where the use the Ocular Device to read the clues on the Declaration. Using difference color combinations the clue "Beneath Parkington Lane" is revealed. They search the basement of the church and find a tomb of Parkington Lane. In his tomb there is a pathway to underground stairwell.
The stairs are wooden and old, while traversing down a train passes by, which sends tremors through the area. Stairwell starts to collapse, and Shaw falls to his death. Ben and Abigail also fall but manage to save themselves and the Declaration. Ian and others managed to hop on a stable lift and they picked up Ben and Abigail and proceeded to traverse downward. At the bottom they find an empty room. Patrick Henry Gates comes up with a fake clue to direct Ian away, but Ian decides to leave Ben, Abigail, Riley, and Patrick down there and check out the clue on his own. Once left alone Ben uncovers another room thinking it to be the treasure room, but they are once again greeted with an empty room. Ben looses hope for a moment, but Patrick tells him that at least the treasure was real, even if it was moved. Looking for a passage out of the cave, Ben discovers a hole matching the shape of the Meerschaum Pipe. Using it opened a door to the real treasure room.
Once out of the caves, Ben contacted Peter Sadusky and told him everything and gave back the Declaration of Independence. Peter told him that someone still needs to go to prison for stealing it. Ben then proposed that person to be Ian, who was lead to the Old North Church with Patrick's fake clue.
The FBI set up an ambush for Ian, and once he broke into the Church he was arrested. Ian saw Ben overlooking this, and realized he was played and Ben had found the treasure.
Epilogue[]
Ben had decided to gave the treasure to several museums, and only accepted 1% of its value as finders fee. With it Ben bought an Estate Where Charles Carroll had met someone important, and settled there with Abigail. Riley was disappointed by the amount he got but spent some of it to buy Ferrari 360 Spider.
Cast[]
- Nicolas Cage as Ben Gates
- Diane Kruger as Abigail Chase
- Justin Bartha as Riley Poole
- Sean Bean as Ian Howe
- Jon Voight as Patrick Gates
- Harvey Keitel as Sadusky
- Christopher Plummer as John Adams Gates
- David Dayan Fisher as Shaw
- Stewart Finlay-McLennan as Powell
- Oleg Taktarov as Shippen
- Stephen A. Pope as Phil
- Annie Parisse as Agent Dawes
- Mark Pellegrino as Agent Johnson
- Armando Riesco as Agent Hendricks
- Erik King as Agent Colfax
- Don McManus as Dr. Stan Herbert
- Ron Canada as Guard Woodruff
- Hunter Gomez as Young Ben Gates
- Deborah Yates as Rebecca
- Arabella Field as Abigail's Secretary
- Sharon Wilkins as Butcher Lady
- Alexandra Balahoutis as Clothing Store Clerk
- Dior Raye as Gift Store Clerk
- Yves Michel-Beneche as Museum Kid
- Jason Earles as Thomas Gates
- Terrence Currier as Charles Carroll
- Ron McLachlan as Independence Hall Guide
- Elizabeth Greenberg as Liberty Bell Guide
- Jody Halse as Franklin Institute Guard
- Liam Nobel as Franklin Institute Security
- Joshua Biton as Technician
- Mike Russo as Popcorn Vendor
- Fern D. Baguidy Jr. as Gala Guard
- Thomas Q. Morris as Janitor
- Anthony Alda as Guard Ferguson
- John Travis as Guard Mike
Reception[]
The film received a mixed reaction from critics, some of whom lauded it as a fun, straightforward family adventure, while others ridiculed its numerous implausibilities and unbelievable plot twists. Roger Ebert gave National Treasure two stars (out of four), calling it "so silly that the Monty Python version could use the same screenplay, line for line." Academic David Bordwell has expressed a liking for the film, placing it in the tradition of 1950s Disney children's adventure movies, and using it as the basis for an essay on scene transitions in classical Hollywood cinema.
The film currently holds a 44% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Home video releases[]
Collector's Edition DVD[]
A special collector's edition, two-disc DVD set of the movie was released on December 18, 2007.
Blu-ray Disc[]
Disney released Blu-ray Disc versions of National Treasure and its sequel, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, on May 20, 2008.