Thirteen Movies To Celebrate on the Fourth

by Lauren Barbato | Published July 3, 2008

Each 4th of July, Americans gather with family and friends to barbecue, watch fireworks, frolic in the pool and celebrate their independence. But just in case you’re tired of the same old thing, MovieMaker is here to offer an alternative. Instead of boiling in direct sunlight during the day or braving thirsty mosquitos as night falls, spend some time inside with these American classics. Unabashedly patriotic, these 13 movies—one for each stripe on the country’s flag—will remind you exactly what it means to be an independent citizen… and maybe even an independent moviemaker.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
This Academy Award-winning drama follows naïve Jefferson Smith as he’s appointed to the United States Senate on a lark. Smith soon discovers the government’s shortcomings, yet refuses to succumb to the political corruption. A bold political statement back in the day, many believe Mr. Smith Goes to Washington can still be applicable today as a criticism on the United States government.

Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
Not only does the title ooze red, white and blue, Michael Curtiz’s biopic of renowned Broadway songwriter and performer George M. Cohan is bursting at the seams with patriotism. Consisting of the well-known tunes “Give My Regards to Broadway” and “Grand Old Flag,” it’ll be difficult to keep your toes from tapping when watching this flag-waving songfest that garnered James Cagney an Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role.

1776 (1972)
Though released nearly 200 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, this film adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name captures that boldly independent spirit of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin as they dance and sing through the halls of the Continental Congress and the streets of Philadelphia. While the real Adams may have been too refined to dance among his peers, most of the song lyrics are taken directly from the letters and memoirs of the actual Congressmen.

American Graffiti (1973)
Complete with cruisin’, drive-ins and rock ‘n’ roll, George Lucas’ classic, which stars Ron Howard and Richard Dreyfuss, encapsulates what it means to be a teenager coming of age in America. Though the film is set during the 1960s, that sense of freedom that arises on the verge of growing up is universal to every young American.

Jaws (1975)
The residents of Amity Island will never forget that 4th of July when a great white shark ravaged their quaint summer residence. This Steven Spielberg classic also caused some serious damage to the box office, drawing in more than $260 million in its initial U.S. release and thus claiming the title of First-Ever Summer Blockbuster.

SINGLE PAGE

1 of 2

CONTINUE STORY

SHARE THIS STORY Digg StumbleUpon Facebook Del.icio.us Reddit Yahoo

TAGS 1776 american graffiti amity island apollo 13 bill pullman born on the 4th of july dick fourth of july movies george lucas george m. cohan gregory smith independence day independence day movies james cagney jaws jeff goldblum jefferson smith july 4th movies kirsten dunst matt stone mel gibson michelle williams mr. smith goes to washington nam trilogy national treasure nicolas cage oliver stone randy quaid richard dreyfuss richard nixon ron howard south park steven spielberg team america: world police the bad news bears the patriot tom cruise trey parker will ferrell will smith yankee doodle dandy

COMMENTS | POST A COMMENT

POST A COMMENT

OUR PRIVACY POLICY | We will not publish or sell or share your email address or other personal information. Read more.

Name:
Email:
URL:

Type the word you see below:

Comment:

Remember my personal information

Notify me of follow-up comments?

SITE DELIVERY OPTIONS

Home | Latest Headlines
Screenwriting | Producing | Directing | Acting | Cinematography | Editing | Distribution | Education | Festivals | Locations
Listings | Archives | HOP Interviews | Blogs | Forums | Contests | Subscriptions | Advertising

About | Site Map | Privacy Policy | Contact

© 2008 MovieMaker Magazine

Web site design by Hop Studios