The 15 Best Movies to Watch on the Fourth of July
If you missed the big 50th-anniversary party for Jaws, it's not too late to celebrate Steven Spielberg's 1975 classic. You know the story by heart: It’s Fourth of July weekend, when everyone shows up to a New England beach town, only to find that a big ol’ shark is about to take a bite out of their fun. Just don't watch this if you're heading to the beach this weekend.
Yes, we're absolutely recommending another Steven Spielberg film to accompany fireworks this year. Featuring one of Daniel Day-Lewis’s final performances, Lincoln is a massive production befitting the massive impact of Abraham Lincoln on American history. Day-Lewis is, as usual, exceptional, embodying the president who navigated our country through the Civil War.
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Not only does this lovable crew play a baseball game on the Fourth of July, but The Sandlot is arguably one the most American film ever made. It’s about baseball, freedom, and an era when kids could pretty much go and do whatever they wanted in this country. It’s amazing to behold. Hell, it might even inspire you to pick up your old wiffle bat and take to the backyard this weekend.
Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, and Matthew Broderick star in this powerful story of an often overlooked aspect of Civil War history. Following the all-Black 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, Glory tells of the heroes often erased in textbooks—as well as their perseverant courage in the face of discrimination.
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Okay, we know: Another Spielberg joint. (We just ranked his entire filmography, so the man is fresh in our heads.) This Tom Hanks and Matt Damon-starring film was an instant classic. After a mother loses three sons in battle during World War II, Captain John Miller promises to bring back her last son, Private Ryan, who is trapped behind enemy lines. Among its many triumphs, Saving Private Ryan highlights the devastation and heroism of war.
Ava Duvernay’s Selma is the story of the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery marches for voting rights, led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis, among others. Nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture, it’s a powerful portrait of the American spirit and how far this country still has to go. It's also an urgent reminder of what American leadership should look like.
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When this taped production of the blockbuster Broadway musical, written by and starring Lin-Manuel Miranda, hit Disney+ on July 3, 2020, it instantly became a Fourth of July movie-night favorite. The Tony and Pulitzer-winning show tells the story of founding father Alexander Hamilton through an innovative blend of hip-hop and traditional storytelling.
If you're the type who watches It’s a Wonderful Life every year on Christmas, here’s another James Stewart holiday tradition you might consider. Frank Capra’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington tells the tale of a naive young man who is appointed to fill a Senate seat after its occupant’s death. As he navigates politics with idealism and patriotic zeal, he soon grows aware of the corruption in our government and takes a courageous stand for justice.
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One man’s conspiracy theory is another man’s comedy, and one man’s National Treasure is… well, another man’s National Treasure. (Albeit for different reasons.) This heist flick follows historian Benjamin Franklin Gates, played by Nicolas Cage, on his quest to steal the Declaration of Independence and decode the encrypted map hidden within the document, leading to a precious treasure.
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Is there a more iconic, more patriotic image in cinematic history than George C. Scott (who won an Oscar for this performance) standing in front of a massive American flag before delivering a stirring and empowering speech for the troops?
Is there a such thing as a bad time to revisit Forrest Gump? Tom Hanks won an Oscar for playing the baby-boomer everyman in this Zelig-style take on 20th-century American history, in which the lovable Forrest Gump mingles with cultural icons and presidents, serves in the Vietnam War, and becomes a national hero multiple times over.
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If the culmination of the Mission: Impossible series has you taking a tour down Tom Cruise's career, allow us to suggest Born on the Fourth of July. The film follows Ron Kovic (played by Cruise), who seeks to serve his country in Vietnam. Once he’s paralyzed in the war, however, he comes home to a nation he feels has betrayed him. Sometimes the most patriotic thing you can do is speak out when you witness something wrong.
If you're following our recommendations, you've already seen the 16th president in his final form in Lincoln. So, you should rewind to John Ford’s classic drama Young Mr. Lincoln, which stars the acclaimed Henry Fonda. This biopic looks at Lincoln’s early years, before he was tasked with trying to hold the country together. It’s a moving portrait of a young man who was destined for greatness.
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