The 23 Best Movies to Watch on the Fourth of July
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."
The Fourth of July is right around the corner, which means it’s time to celebrate America in all its glory. This year, after you’ve grilled some hot dogs and taken a dip in the pool, why not curl up on the couch and turn on a movie? It’s the American way. And there are plenty of patriotic films to choose from, whether you want an action-packed adventure like Top Gun or a family-friendly flick like The Sandlot. If you aren’t feeling particularly patriotic this year, you can use the holiday to pay your respects to unsung American heroes, like the Black female scientists in Hidden Figures or the Black military regiment in Glory. Either way, you’ll be celebrating the American experience.
Below, we’ve rounded up 23 of the best Fourth of July movies. Prepare to see some surprises, like Us (it counts!) and Final Destination (also counts!), along with all-American classics like 1776, and Forrest Gump. It’s all here, folks.
Top Gun
In Top Gun, Tom Cruise stars as Maverick, a cocky fighter pilot who’s sent to train at the Top Gun Naval Fighter Weapons School. He may think he’s the best, but so is everyone else at Top Gun. As Maverick navigates his new surroundings, he learns about teamwork and precision—all while earning the attention of his attractive instructor, Charlotte Blackwood.
See the original post on Youtube
An American Tail
In An American Tail, a mouse named Fievel Mousekewitz (voiced by Phillip Glasser) immigrates from Russia to the U.S. (In case you were wondering, his family’s house is destroyed by... cats.) During their journey, a storm separates Fievel from his family. When he arrives in New York, he meets Bridget (Cathianne Blore), an Irish mouse, Tony (Pat Musick), an Italian mouse, and Tiger, a friendly cat. Together, the motley crew searches for Fievel’s family and learns about the American dream.
See the original post on Youtube
Final Destination 3
Final Destination might not come to mind when you think about Fourth of July movies—but this sequel ends with a patriotic explosion. As usual, the film follows a group of young adults trying to outsmart death. Instead they create a death trap as Final Destination 3 combines horror with America’s birthday.
See the original post on Youtube
1776
Speaking of America’s birthday, 1776 explores the origins of Independence Day. Based on the popular Broadway musical, it stars William Daniels, Ken Howard, and Howard da Silva as three of our founding fathers, bonded by their determination to free the colonies from British rule while singing some mighty catchy show tunes.
American Pie
Warning: This film is for adults only, even though it’s a coming-of-age classic. When a group of friends realize they’re all virgins, they set out on a mission to change that. Of course, it ends up being much harder than they think.
See the original post on Youtube
Lincoln
A Steven Spielberg film featuring one of Daniel Day-Lewis’s last (?) 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.
The Sandlot
Not only does this lovable crew play a baseball game on the Fourth of July, but The Sandlot is arguably 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.
The Music Man
A fast-talking salesman comes to town and promises everyone musical instruments and a big parade—perfect for the Fourth of July, right? A musical set in Iowa in 1912, The Music Man features barbershop quartets, songs about trombones, and, naturally, a big parade.
Jaws
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.
Saving Private Ryan
This Tom Hanks/Matt Damon 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.
Us
Oh, does this one not make any sense? Well, that whole Hands Across America thing was a real event in the ’80s, with Americans, you know, holding hands across America. Us, of course, is the twisted imaginary backstory and a haunting allegory of race in our country, so hell yeah, this is a Fourth of July movie.
Glory
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 despite discrimination.
Selma
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.
Hidden Figures
The combined star power of Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, and Taraji P. Henson is enough to recommend Hidden Figures, but the story itself is even more remarkable. In this moving and enlightening historical drama, we learn about the brilliant Black women of NASA who were behind one of the greatest successes in American history: the first manned orbit of the Earth, by astronaut John Glenn.
National Treasure
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.
Independence Day
Sure, an alien invasion is an international event in one of the greatest blockbusters of the ’90s, but it takes American heroes like the ones played by Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum to defeat the extraterrestrial monsters determined to destroy our planet. Bonus points for one of the most stirring presidential speeches of all time.
Team America: World Police
South Park’s Trey Parker and Matt Stone send up post-9/11 Bush-era international politics in a way only the comic duo can: with a kick-ass paramilitary police force made up entirely of marionettes. Oh, and there’s a lot of puppet sex.
Patton
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?
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.
Born on the Fourth of July
Ron Kovic (played by Tom Cruise) 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.
Young Mr. Lincoln
John Ford’s classic drama stars the acclaimed Henry Fonda as perhaps our most acclaimed leader. This biopic looks at Lincoln’s early years, before he was tasked with trying to hold the country together, but it’s a moving portrait of a young man who was destined for greatness.
Red Dawn
Remember in the ’80s when Russia was the country we feared the most? In this alternate-timeline action movie, Russia invades the United States and takes over. Who’s left to save us? A pack of teens led by Patrick Swayze, of course.
Captain America: The First Avenger
Sure, the Avengers are now trying to save humanity from alien foes, but in the early days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, our hero Cap was doing the most patriotic work imaginable: punching Nazis.
You Might Also Like
