The Alamo is a 2004 American war historical drama about the Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution. The film was directed by John Lee Hancock, produced by Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, and Mark Johnson, distributed by Buena Vista Pictures (through its Touchstone Pictures banner), and starring Dennis Quaid as Sam Houston, Billy Bob Thornton as Davy Crockett, Jason Patric as Jim Bowie, and Patrick Wilson as William B. Travis. The screenplay is credited to Hancock, Stephen Gaghan, and Leslie Bohem.
The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics and was a box office bomb, losing the studio over $146 million.
Plot
At a party in 1835, while trying to persuade people to migrate to Texas, Sam Houston encounters David Crockett, recently defeated in his bid for re-election to Congress. In San Felipe, the Texas provisional government is meeting to discuss what action to take after their capture of the Alamo and the town of San Antonio de Bexar in the recent fighting. Texas has rebelled against Mexico, and its dictatorial president Santa Anna is personally leading one wing of his army to retake San Antonio, then invade the settlements and put an end to the rebellion. Various members of the Texan War Party call for the Texas army to depart Bexar, cross into Mexico and capture the town of Matamoros. The Opposition Party seeks to rebuild the Texan army and establish a permanent government.
The provisional government votes out Sam Houston as commander of the Texas army; a disgusted Houston tells Jim Bowie to go to San Antonio, destroy the fortifications (including the Alamo) and retreat eastward. The Texas government then orders William Barret Travis to Bexar, where Col. Neil, the Alamo's commander, gives Travis command of the post as Neil must leave to take care of a family emergency before returning with reinforcements. Travis, knowing that the Alamo's small force cannot withstand the Mexican Army, sends couriers with pleas for reinforcements. As small groups of Texans arrive, Travis oversees defense preparations, hoping that enough reinforcements will arrive before the inevitable final assault.
Crockett, coming to Texas to revive his political career, arrives in San Antonio and is surprised to learn that the fighting isn't over, and that Santa Anna and his army aren't expected until perhaps mid-March. But after a grueling forced march, Santa Anna unexpectedly arrives on Feb. 23, forcing the Texans to hurriedly retire to the Alamo compound. Despite its vulnerability, the Texans resume fortifying it as best they can. Travis continues to send for reinforcements, but few men arrive.
Santa Anna's troops surround the fort, and the siege begins. Bowie meets with Mexican General Manuel Castrillón to talk things over, but Travis stubbornly fires a cannon at the Mexican camp, abruptly ending their conversation. Bowie returns to tell Travis that Santa Anna has offered the opportunity to surrender, but the defenders decide to stay and fight. With his hopes of an easy victory foiled, Santa Anna settles in for a siege but orders that no quarter be given to the Alamo defenders. Bowie's ongoing illness renders him bedridden, and Travis assumes full command.
On Sunday, March 6, Mexican troops assault the Alamo in a pre-dawn attack. Despite heavy casualties, they breach the walls and most of the Texans, including Travis and Bowie, are slain. Crockett, the last survivor, is taken prisoner, and in a final act of defiance he mockingly offers to safely lead Santa Anna to Sam Houston if he will surrender. Santa Anna angrily orders Crockett to be executed.
Days later, after hearing that the Alamo has fallen, Houston, now in full command of all Texan troops, orders a general retreat eastward. They are pursued by the victorious Mexican Army, led by the over-confident Santa Anna. In an attempt to catch the retreating Texans, and against the advice of his officers, Santa Anna divides his forces, taking a smaller, fast-moving force with him to chase Houston and the fleeing Texas government. A few weeks later, Houston halts his retreat near the San Jacinto River, where he decides to risk everything in a sudden attack when he learns of Santa Anna's presence. With the support of two cannons and a group of Juan Seguin's mounted Tejanos, Houston surprises Santa Anna's army during its afternoon siesta, and in the ensuing rout the vengeful Texans massacre at least seven hundred Mexican soldiers. Santa Anna is captured, and in exchange for his life he agrees to order all Mexican troops to withdraw from Texas and accept Texan independence. The film ends with an eerie scene where Crockett is standing on the walls of the Alamo, playing his fiddle.