Movies for Your July Fourth Celebration!
What’s Hot and What’s Not
The Fourth of July, also known as Independence Day, is a big deal holiday here in America; not like the Super Bowl is a holiday but an actual honest to goodness, legally recognized federal holiday in which Americans are encouraged to purchase and detonate little bits of explosives known as ‘fireworks.’ This activity is illegal the other three hundred sixty-four days of the year, and in a post 9-11 world highly frowned upon by Homeland Security.
Every year on July fourth Americans celebrate the day our Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence back in 1776, an act officially telling King George of England we were no longer his royal, loyal subjects. I imagine there was some sort of brunch or buffet style meal served afterwards and over the years it evolved into a day-long celebration of family and friends gathering to attend parades, backyard barbecues, and watching firework displays at night. Baseball games, carnivals, concerts, picnics and political who-ha’s are also held throughout the country as well as one-day only sales at all the respectable chain stores.
But what if you’re like me, an in-doorsy sort of gal who is not into crowds in any venue, likes to shop on-line, and would rather eat food prepared and cooked indoors where flies cannot land on it and lay their eggs? The answer is easy: you stay in the climate-controlled great indoors as much as possible and watch a bunch of Fourth of July-ie movies. Here are a few I recommend you watch this July Fourth from the cool, comfortable, insect, and crowd free location of your living room.
Admittedly there are not a lot of movies where Independence Day is the central theme of the movie, except for the movie “Independence Day.” Billed as an action film starring Will Smith and a shockingly buff Jeff Goldblum, ID4 actually has a lot of positive, pro-America ideals woven throughout the plot. Yes, I said plot because it has one. IMDB (International Movie Data Base) gave this movie a solid six out of ten stars and although I usually think they are too liberal in this instance I don’t agree. “Independence Day” (1996) is a very enjoyable watch with lots of memorable scenes and good dialogue. If you watch only one movie this holiday let it be “Independence Day.”
Although not focused on the holiday I dare say you would be hard pressed to find a movie with more red-white-and-blue pin striping and star fields than you would in “Rocky 4” (1985). Also known as “Rocky versus Russia,” our hero, boxer Rocky Balboa decides to fight Ivan Drago, the uber Russian boxer extraordinaire after the commie killed fellow American boxer Apollo Creed with a one-two punch combo. IMDB also gave this movie a six, and it’s well deserved as the story is painfully contrived and contains more than the usual number of musical montages, even for an 80s flick. That being said, I promise you by the time Rocky defeats Ivan Drago not only is all of Russia cheering for the boy from Philly, you will never be so proud to be an American as when Balboa delivers an impassioned and slightly articulate short speech on world peace.
I know he’s a bit crazy and a racist but gosh darn it all, I like Mel Gibson movies. Normally I have a hard time separating actors from their politics but there is something about this guy-maybe because his movies are great, “Apocalypto” (2006) notwithstanding. My favorite Gibson movie and a film I watch about twice a year since it came out is “The Patriot” (2000). The movie is a very Hollywood type re-telling of the events leading up to the battle of Guildford County Courthouse, arguably the most decisive and important battle in the American Revolutionary War. Again IMDB gives this movie a six but I cannot see why. The acting is very good, it has the late great Heath Ledger as a co-star, the plot is solid, and the story is well told. You hate the bad guys, love the good guys, and cry like a sissy-pants when your favorite secondary characters die. It’s a war movie, one in which characters die and not in a Semper-Fi blaze of glory. True, the heroes are fighting for what they believe in and are willing to die for the cause but not everyone gets the honor of a hero’s death. I love this movie and fortunately I live near Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, a place I visit at least once a year.
Apparently I like movies IMDB rate at a six, because six is exactly how many stars it gave the 1984 movie “Red Dawn.” In short the movie explores what would happen if the Russians with the assistance of the Mexican military, actually managed to invade Middle America and not only take land, but hold it. The movie never bothers to explain how it happenes and in truth, you never need the explanation as dearly departed “Dirty Dancing” Patrick Swayze points out. Once the monkey poop hits the fan (about four minutes into the movie) you are running breathless with the characters, scrambling to survive, and getting a little of your own back. Watch “Red Dawn” and see if you don’t find yourself hollering “Wolverines!” through eyes filled with patriotic tears of pride.
On the list of patriotic themed movies to be considered for celebratory July Fourth viewing there are a few I would suggest avoiding. Not because these movies are “bad,” quite the contrary in a few cases, but I feel they are just not “Independence Day-feeling” enough.
First of all, let me start by saying I do not care for Tom Hanks; there is not a single movie of his I have watched and enjoyed, and “Saving Private Ryan” (1998) is no exception. When a writer takes an old movie and brings it up to date it so a modern audience can relate I have no problem with that whatsoever. What annoys me is when a classic, such as the Jimmy Stewart movie “The Shop Around the Corner” (1940) is re-written, called “You Got Mail” (1998), and goes on to win an Oscar for “Best Original Script.” What! Really? I say “Shenanigans!” I feel the 1944 super patriotic movie “The Fighting Sullivans” (1944) is not only better than “Saving Private Ryan” but it actually inspired folks to buy war bonds, join the military, and be a better all-around person.
But I digress.
“Born on the 4th of July” (1998) is just too darn depressing and will not leave you with a warm-fuzzy “Go Team USA” feeling. This movie tells the story of Ron Kovic (played by Tom Cruise), a paralyzed Vietnam War vet who becomes an anti-war and pro-human rights political activist.
Another Tom Cruise movie to avoid this July fourth is the 1986 flick “Top Gun.” I feel there is too much stock footage of planes flying about doing aerobatics and not enough volleyball playing on the beach. The thin story of competitive fighter pilots is just filler in-between Val Kilmer and Cruise showing off to one another.
“The Devil’s Disciple” (1959) is long, convoluted, encourages lying, and has a contrived ending. It’s so dogged it’s not even rated or reviewed by IMDB. This flick features a preacher and a rebel leader; wackiness ensues when they change places during the Revolutionary War.
The TV mini-series “John Adams” could have been better, to say the least. I figured it would have been fairly easy to write a decent script about one of the country’s founding fathers, second president, and war hero, but I have been wrong before. IMDB scores it as an eight but I don’t think they really watched it.
“Drums Along the Mohawk” (1939) was a fantastic book and a meh movie. Not Happy Fourth of July appropriate as this film focuses on the horrors and hardships of war; the hero really just tries to avoid the war and is hoping to break even by the end of the flick. Any other time of the year this is a seven, but for Independence Day merriment and laughs, I’d give it a two.
So there you have it, a few good movies to rekindle your sense of American Pride and a laundry list to avoid if you’d rather not be weepy and sad on the day we commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
QtR - Theresa Bane
Vampirologist and p.s. “Jaws” also takes place over the Fourth of July holiday weekend
