Aah, the Fourth of July. It’s the perfect weekend for barbecuing, enjoying your family… and watching Rambo rip a man’s Adam’s Apple out with his bare hands?
We have tons of Christmas movies, Halloween movies; hell, there’s even a “Groundhog’s Day” film. But what do we watch when we gather around the TV on Independence Day? To help solve the problem, here are the top 10 films we’d recommend as must-see holiday viewing.
“Rambo” series
Take your pick, folks. In a bizarre, twisted way, there are few things as patriotic as watching Sly Stallone blow up freedom-hating bad guys. Even if he were somehow eating a slice of apple pie while shooting those explosive-tipped arrows, it couldn’t be any more American.
“Born on the 4th of July”
Okay, the movie is kind of a bummer. It’s also hard to take Tom Cruise seriously as paralyzed Vietnam vet Ron Kovic now that we can all imagine him jumping out of that wheelchair and onto Oprah’s couch. Oliver Stone’s ode to the ignored, abused soldiers of a generation is more important now than ever, as we’re all reminded of why we need to respect the troops, even if we don’t respect the war they’re fighting in.
“Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”
“What was I doing here? What was the meaning of this trip? Was I just roaming around in a drug frenzy of some kind? Or had I really come out here to Las Vegas to work on a story? Who are these people, these faces?” Johnny Depp asks in this trippy adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s twisted take on the perversions of Americana. “They look like caricatures of used car dealers from Dallas - and sweet Jesus, there were a hell of a lot of them at 4:30 on a Sunday morning, still humping the American dream, that vision of the big winner somehow emerging from the last minute pre-dawn chaos of a stale Vegas casino.”
“Glory”
It’s a triple Oscar-winner, the movie that made Denzel Washington a star, and quite possibly the greatest war movie ever. On Independence Day, it’s important to remember our nation’s history consists of so many more colors than red, white and blue.
“The Best Years of Our Lives”
Starring Harold Russell, a real life veteran who lost both hands in 1944, won two Oscars for his role and then never made another high-profile film, “Lives” follows three WWII veterans returning home to small town America. There’s a scene near the end in a church which is a classic “call to action” moment in film. Released shortly after World War II in 1946, “Lives” instilled national pride at a time when America needed it badly.
“In America”
Jim Sheridan’s gorgeous film about an Irish immigrant family adjusting to life in the United States might just be the best portrayal of the American Dream in a decade. It’ll make you cry, it’ll make you laugh and, best of all, it’s family-friendly.
“Saving Private Ryan”
Steven Spielberg’s powerful portrayal of the sacrifices made by the Greatest Generation during World War II takes us onto the battlefield as no other film ever has. Can someone explain one more time how “Shakespeare in Love” got the Oscar that year?
“Live Free or Die Hard”
It’s the worst of the four “Die Hard” movies, and it has the most awkward title since “Honey, I Blew Up the Kid.” Still, John McClane (Bruce Willis) personifies the modern American cowboy, and it is set on July 4th.
“The Godfather II”
Talk about living the dream: Vito Andolini moves to America a poor man who doesn’t speak English. Re-dubbed Corleone, he goes from petty criminal to powerful mob boss in short order, commanding respect and striking fear in the hearts of his enemies. Watching “The Godfather II” on the 4th of July, or any other day for that matter… it’s an offer you can’t refuse.
“Independence Day”
If ever there was a way that aliens could make you feel patriotic, it was when Bill Pullman delivered his now-classic speech to rally the troops: “In less than an hour, aircraft from here will join others from around the world, and you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind… perhaps it’s fate that today is the Fourth of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom. Not from tyranny, oppression or persecution… but from annihilation. We are fighting for our right to live. To exist. And should we win the day, the Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day the world declared in one voice: We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We’re going to live on! We’re going to survive! Today, we celebrate our Independence Day!”
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