July 4 is here again and with it a chance to run up the Stars and Stripes, pledge allegiance to the nearest barbecue and ponder the greatness of America – past, present, and, hopefully, future. And Hollywood is, once again, here to help. Tinseltown was born celebrating American virtues – resilience, courage, independence, ambition and occasionally putting one over the Russkies – and it’s remained true to that holy quest ever since.
Which means there are a plethora of movies to kick back to when the barbecuing is done and the fireworks have finally fallen silent. Here’s seven family-friendly classics to get started with.
Independence Day (1996)
How many votes would Bill Pullman’s ID4 President get in 2024? All of them? The dreamy POTUS delivers a rousing speech for the ages as he leads the fight back against a species of hi-tech alien species with major USB security issues. It might be a toughie for some Americans to witness this level of glint-eyed leadership this July 4, but with Will Smith’s fighter pilot doing the Top Gun thing and Jeff Goldblum’s tech wizard coming up with brainy solutions to Earth’s imminent extinction, Independence Day is the perfect escapist slice of American exceptionalism – all delivered with spectacular aplomb by the German Roland Emmerich.
Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
The title sounds hyper-nationalistic but this is no John Wayne romp. Tom Cruise is revelatory as disillusioned Vietnam veteran Ray Kovic, who returns home from the war paralysed and losing faith in the country he fought for. Written by the real Kovic and directed by Oliver Stone, a Vietnam vet himself, it’s a time capsule back into the thick of counter-cultural dissent and the antiwar movement with lots to say about America, then and now. If you’re looking for a more complex, nuanced and fanfare-free investigation of American patriotism this July 4, this anti-war drama is where to start.
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
Jimmy Cagney steps into the shoes of 1900s entertainer George M Cohan, a performer so American that his greatest hits are called things like ‘You’re A Grand Old Flag’ and ‘The Yankee Doodle Boy’, in this Oscar-winning toe-tapper. Casablanca’s Michael Curtiz delivers an endearing musical biopic that might overdo the red-white-and-blue gusto (even in black and white) but it was the perfect tonic for American moviegoers in the wake of Pearl Harbor and it’s still an effervescent old-school celebration of America’s can-do spirit now.
Rocky (1976)
Sylvester Stallone’s grafting boxer has the longest of journeys to realise his American Dream in this underdog classic – which makes Rocky all the sweeter to watch on July 4. Anything is possible if you work hard, dream big and punch the odd beef carcass – and who doesn’t need to hear that occasionally (apart from the cow). Foe-turned-friend Apollo Creed gives a more manufactured vision of patriotism, complete with the stars-and-stripes shorts, and a nice counterpoint to Rocky Balboa’s no-frills working-class hero. As he runs up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Bill Conti’s trumpet fanfare blasts out, we defy you not to feel a little optimistic about living in the Land of the Free.
Mr Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
Frank Capra’s evergreen ode to American idealism, Mr Smith Goes to Washington has James Stewart playing the titular protagonist, a righteous man who takes office to replace a dead senator. But with corruption oiling the political machine, Smith’s Washington detour proves to be a life-changing experience. In today’s era of polarisation, who wouldn’t give an arm and a leg for more political leaders like Jimmy Stewart’s filibustering hero?
National Treasure (2004)
For a man literally named after Benjamin Franklin, Nicolas Cage’s cryptologist theft of the Declaration of Independence sure comes as a surprise. But Benjamin Franklin Gates has his reasons – if not exactly an excuse – because clues as to the whereabouts of a Freemason treasure are etched on to the back of the document. If skimming through the history of the Founding Fathers is on your Fourth of July bingo card, National Treasure is an adventure-filled primer.
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
What can be more patriotic than watching a jacked-up super-soldier dressed up as the American flag and beating the living daylights out of some puny Nazis? Chris Evans’s first Captain America outing is more than just a superhero origin story, as it recreates the US war effort with a focus on basic training, propaganda campaigns, and one man’s quest to defend his country (no matter how many steroids he has to take). If you haven’t got time to watch the whole film between the barbecues and fireworks, just stick on its big song-and-dance number, ‘Star Spangled Man’, and feel the patriotism levels soar.
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