Hutchinson-Patriot Games

The idea of “family” drives the plot of Patriot Games, and presents itself in many forms: Jack Ryan’s family, which is threatened by Sean Miller; Sean Miller’s brother, who was shot by Jack Ryan; the relatives of the Royal Family, who Sean Miller tried to assassinate; and the IRA, whose members may not be blood related, but no less have a bond so strong as to be called family. There are three families that are the main focus of the movie: the Ryans, the brothers Miller, and the IRA. The Miller family is abruptly cut from two to one when Jack Ryan shoots Sean’s brother, Patty. It is this incident which causes Sean miller to go on a quest for revenge against Jack Ryan. Because Ryan took Miller’s family, Miller decides that the only fair thing to do would be to return the favor, and take Ryan’s family and send them to their final resting place. Miller’s goal really persists throughout the whole movie and forces it along – it is the main plot, overshadowing the political implications of the IRA. Because of Miller’s threat, Ryan is forced to reunite with his old, non-nuclear family, the CIA, in order to ensure the safety of his wife and daughter. All of the families of the movie are inter-connected, like the six degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon thing. This connection causes a domino effect which ends up affecting more than just Jack Ryan and his family. The thing about family is, you mess with one, you mess with them all.

It is not wise to ignore the underlying cause for the chain of events that takes place in the movie: the extremist sect of the IRA, of which Sean Miller is a key player, has set all of this in motion by trying to attack the Lord and his family. The political problems between England and Ireland have forced the IRA to exist. Along the way, the IRA became too political, causing a split in the group into peaceful diplomats and radical extremists. The extremists attacked the royals, right in front of Jack Ryan’s family. This made him spring into action. Patty Miller shot at Jack, who then shot back, killing him. This death sparked an even deeper rage in Sean Miller, causing him to go on a vendetta for his brother. Familial ties are strong, and they cause people to do crazy, irrational things, just to ensure the safety of the family.