Independence Day is the prime time to celebrate the country's birthday and celebrating freedom overall, with some fireworks thrown in. Before it gets too dark for July 4th fireworks, you might want to watch these films that portray America in a positive light, and these are the Top 10 Films to watch during America's Independence Day.
A recent report from the NY Daily News has revealed several films that one wants to think Pro-America after seeing, and I have also included my own suggestions on this Top 10 list.
10. A League of Their Own: What's more American than baseball? Sure, there are a lot of baseball movies like Major League, Bull Durham, The Natural, and others that I could have put here, but rooting for the underdog is central to any American sports movie, and this film with its women's team and support of the war effort drive a patriotic message home in subtle way. Also, there is no crying in baseball, which you could easily put under "Don't Tread on Me".
9. Forrest Gump: Nothing shows American history like Forrest, a character who represents the typical American soul. Even though he is not smart, he knows what love is, and his contribution to American history was both accidental and a product of destiny all at the same time.
8. American Sniper: This is clearly one of the darker ones on this list, but not as dark as American Psycho or American Beauty, as a lot of films with "American" in the title tend to be critical of American society. We have reported on Chris Kyle's faith before, and though his actions are not perfect and are, at best, questionable, it shows the plight of the American soldier out in the battlefield.
7. Rocky IV: In this one, Mr. Balboa has to go to Russia to fight Ivan Drego, the man who killed his best friend Apollo Creed in the ring. Rocky has to leave his fame and fortune behind and embrace his poor roots as he trains in Russia without the technological advances and steroids that his competitor has. Of course, Rocky ends up on top, and gives a speech at the end about how we should all get along. Not only is it pro-America, but it is pro-diversity as well.
6. Superman I and II: It is difficult to really separate these two films, as they were practically made together. Even though Batman is the hero that America deserves, Superman is the hero that we truly want. He's one color short of the American flag, and his Kansas upbringing leads him to reveal to Lois Lane that he fights for "Truth, Justice, and the American Way". Then ending of Superman II shows him flying a flag to the White House, and you just can't get more patriotic than that.
5. The Patriot: If you're willing to ignore what you know about Mel Gibson now, as well as the many historical inaccuracies in this film, then it becomes a story of a man and his children fighting the Revolution War while trying to remain a family together.
4. Apollo 13: For some reason, Tom Hanks films keep making this list. Perhaps there is something inherently American in this man. The story of three astronauts who almost didn't make it after a botched moon mission shows how Americans come together to help those in need, and is made even more profound by its true happy ending.
3. Saving Private Ryan: Violent, brutal, and giving its audience World War II without the glory, yet also showing how ordinary American men were willing to step up and give their lives for the sake of the mission. The scene where an old James Ryan tells his wife: "tell me I've lived a good life" brings me to tears just thinking about it.
2. Top Gun: Tom Cruise. Fighter pilots. Stopping the Russians during the Cold War. Feeling the Need for a Speed. Great Balls of Fire, do I need to talk about this classic any more?
1. Independence Day: Yeah, you probably knew this was going to top the list. The scene where the president Bill Pullman delivers the speech is a huge moment in the scene, showing how the underdogs with a handful of planes can defeat a massive army of aliens intent on wiping us out.
So enjoy your Independence Day celebration, and see if you have the time to watch these immortal American films before the fireworks begin.
