Patty Hearst is a biographical drama film, released in 1988, based on the true story of Patty Hearst, the granddaughter of newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst. In 1974, Patty was kidnapped from her apartment in Berkeley, California, by a left-wing terrorist group called the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA). The SLA demanded that the Hearst family donate millions of dollars to food programs for the poor. When the Hearst family refused to comply with their demands, Patty was held captive for over a year and subjected to physical and psychological abuse.
During her captivity, Patty was repeatedly brainwashed by the SLA to accept their ideology and even participated in their criminal activities, including bank robberies and bombings, acquiring the name "Tania" and changing her appearance to blend in with the group.
However, after a series of events, Patty was eventually arrested by the FBI, charged with bank robbery, convicted, and sentenced to 35 years in prison. Her defense was that she was coerced and manipulated by the SLA into committing the crimes, but her claim of "Stockholm Syndrome" was controversial and highly debated. She was eventually pardoned by President Bill Clinton in 2001.
The film explores Patty's transformation from a wealthy, privileged heiress to a committed revolutionary, and the complex moral and ethical questions that arise when an individual's loyalty and identity are challenged and manipulated. Directed by Paul Schrader, and starring Natasha Richardson as Patty Hearst, the film was well-received by critics for its nuanced portrayal of a controversial and divisive figure in American history.