One fourth, ten films
America is set to have quite a birthday bash this year. Not only do most of us get a full day off to celebrate its greatness, but this year’s Fourth of July falls on a Friday, setting the stage for a nice long three-day American weekend. In case you get bored with all the cookouts and fireworks, here are 10 movies to watch in honor of the land of the free.
If you love America and you love sports:
Field of Dreams (1989): What better way to celebrate our country than by watching a movie about its national pastime set deep in the heartland? Field of Dreams is baseball, a movie so adept at capturing the beauty of the game that the two now go hand-in-hand. Also, every single dad loves this movie. If you play it, they will come.
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Rocky IV (1985): This movie bleeds red, white and blue. The whole Rocky series is a great American success story, filled with hard work and the underdog storyline that has now become synonymous with the American way. But Rocky IV is purely an ode to this beautiful country, with the Italian Stallion taking on an evil Russian named Ivan Drago. What follows is a vaguely racist, extremely patriotic two hours of fun. By the end of the film, if you don’t find yourself draped in an American flag just like Sly Stallone, you did something wrong. (Side note: No joke, I watch the mountain training montage before taking on any sort of endeavor in my life.)
If you love America and hate cliches:
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War of the Worlds (2005): A lot of people think that because it’s Independence Day, they should watch the 1996 Will Smith classic of the same name, right? Wrong. If you like to go against the grain, switch things up and try a different alien movie, the extremely underrated adaptation of H.G. Wells’ classic novel. It may not be as America-centric as Independence Day, and it does star Tom Cruise instead of Smith, but this movie is just downright entertaining. It will not only make you proud to be an American; it will make you proud to be human.
Philadelphia (1993): Another popular movie to watch around July Fourth is the Tom Hanks classic Saving Private Ryan. So, again, I’m going to take this in a different direction and go as far away from a war story as I can while still maintaining that all-American Hanksiness. Philadelphia is an important American movie not only because it stars two of this country’s cinematic masters (Hanks and Denzel Washington), but also because it talks about a serious issue that plagues this country: the AIDS epidemic. It’s a movie about unity, diversity and loyalty — three values America is built upon.
If you love America and want to channel your inner child/have kids/are a child:
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The Incredibles (2004): America loves their heroes, that’s just a fact. This movie’s got plenty of them and in animated form to boot. Oh, also, they make up a heartwarming family, and they save the world. When Pixar created this movie in 2004, they should’ve called it What America Wants, the only downside being that people may mistake it as the bold sequel to What Women Want. The Incredibles is a movie that just feels good, feels American and you don’t know why. You don’t have to know why.
If you love America and wish you were a badass:
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First Blood (1982): You may be asking yourself: Why is Sly Stallone on this list of the most American movies twice? Now read that question again. Yeah, pretty self-explanatory. This one features our man in the woods with a gun. Safe to say, it makes Lady Liberty proud.
If you love America and you love blue-collar feel-goods:
Ladder 49 (2004): This drama, set around the flashbacks of a firefighter, captures two things that go unappreciated often times in our country: the strength, perseverance and humanity of our men in uniform, and the beauty of Baltimore, where a lot of this film was shot. The movie is a great mix of firefighter drama and the everyday domestic struggles of an American family, a double duty pulled off to perfection by Joaquin Phoenix. Several moments in the film pack an emotional punch, so only pop this one in the DVD player this weekend if you feel like shedding a few tears.
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006): Since I slightly dissed Will Smith earlier by leaving Independence Day off of the list, I had to include this underrated gem. Smith’s performance as a struggling salesman trying to make a life for himself and his son is subtly heartbreaking, a stark reminder that the American dream can occasionally turn into a nightmare. By telling this story of perseverance, of hard work, of a father and his son, Smith makes a movie that’s even more American than the one named after the Fourth of July.
If you love America and you’re not a fan of color:
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Manhattan (1979): This Woody Allen classic may not immediately strike you as an ode to this great nation, but rather an ode to New York City. And it is, no doubt, a love letter to the Big Apple. But Manhattan’s greatest strength is capturing the complex wonderment and beauty of the modern American city and portraying industry and construction as something on par with the beauty of nature. Quite simply, this movie is one of America’s greatest filmmakers proudly showing off the city he loves. That pride is what makes this film essential Americana.
If you love America and have plenty of time on your hands:
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Band of Brothers (2001): I may be cheating a bit by wrapping up the list with this beautiful HBO miniseries about Easy Company in the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division and its men’s experiences in World War II, but if I have to bend the rules to encourage you to watch the most American thing I’ve ever seen over Fourth of July weekend, then so be it. Featuring 10 one-hour episodes, the show is a visual feast, sharp and frightening as any good war movie should be. To watch every episode is to gain the tiniest possible understanding of what this July Fourth weekend means other than a three-day break from work. And though that small shock of perspective you might gain definitely isn’t much, it is surely the most you’ll manage without getting off the couch.
