Patriotic Movies for Independence Day!
The Patriotic Movies Are Perfect Reminders of How Great America Can Be.
Let’s face it, America isn’t really in the best shape these days. We’ve been slowly backsliding in recent years and are transforming into something that we would have stood against once upon a time. Fake new, racism, bigotry, xenophobia, and a war on common sense have ravaged our sense of pride in this once pretty alright country. Fear not, because this Independence Day Stars & Popcorn has for you a few patriotic movies that will remind you of what once made this country great. These are movies that are guaranteed not only to make you feel a bit better about being an American but might even restore that good old fashioned “America! @&$% Yeah” spirit that we only see in high school dropouts in lifted trucks with plastic testicles hanging from the trailer hitch. I’m not saying that these are movies that will make you forget all the problems we might be facing, but they are ones that will help remind you that we’re a country that has managed to overcome a lot and more often than not our heart is in the right place. They’re movies that can be paired perfectly with a BBQ and a good old American beer (I’m talking a craft microbrew, people). So, before you set out to enjoy the rocket’s red glare this Fourth of July, enjoy these patriotic movies every American can cheer for!
Saving Private Ryan
It might seem like we’re stuck in a never-ending war these days, but once upon a time we fought in a war that had a very clear enemy. No matter what, I like to think most Americans can agree that Nazi’s are bad (and the ones who don’t kinda suck, so who needs them). Saving Private Ryan was a movie that took place during one of the biggest wars in the history of… Well, ever. In it, a team of soldiers puts their lives on the line to bring home a man from the horrors of the war after his brothers die in action. So, why is this one of the great patriotic movies? Because it’s a film that shows even in the middle of war, each life matters. Soldiers who serve this country would lay down their lives for each other and when the chips were down, Private Ryan got the support he needed from his brothers in arms. That comradery is something we should all take a bit of pride in.
Miracle
Maybe war isn’t really your thing. After all, there have been plenty of conscientious objectors and pacifists throughout American history and that doesn’t make them any less American. Not to worry friends, because there are plenty of patriotic movies that don’t involve us literally killing other people. Just take Miracle, the story of how the US Olympic hockey team managed to metaphorically kill the Russians in 1980. Considering that most of the USSR was a hellish frozen wasteland, it makes sense that they were fierce hockey players. So much so that they seemed completely unbeatable. Well, what does America do when it comes to unbeatable foes? We kick ‘em in the balls and push them to the ground, that’s what! Miracle is the tale of one of the greatest sports upsets in history that came at the time our country needed it the most. Whether your a hockey fan or not, Miracle is one of those patriotic movies that will make you stand up and cheer for the Red, White, and Blue.
Rocky IV
Nothing brought our country together better than the red menace. The threat of Mother Russia steamrolling the planet and encroaching on our precious capitalism was enough to unite us all against them. If you’re looking for a blend of the last two patriotic movies I mentioned, then Rocky IV is the film for you. It’s a sports movie like Miracle but offers up plenty of violence like Saving Private Ryan. In it, everyone’s favorite punch drunk boxer sets his eyes on avenging the death of his friend against the greatest boxer the Soviet Union ever (fictionally) produced. This genetically perfect superman is played by the Adonis, Dolph Lundgren, who seems as though he would be more than a match for Stallone. Ivan Drago is the greatest threat Rocky ever faced, but that’s nothing a quick training montage couldn’t help. The fight might have left him slurring his words a bit more than usual, but Rocky did America proud. Here’s hoping that Creed II accomplishes to be half as thrilling as this sports classic.
Independence Day
Beating up on other countries whether it’s in the ring or on the battlefield, doesn’t always prove that America is the best. However, not all patriotic movies feature America asserting its dominance over the rest of the world. Independence Day is one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time because it’s not just about aliens trying to take over the planet to milk us for our resources. No, this is a movie about humanity coming together to show that we will not go quietly into that good night. When the chips were down and things looked hopeless, America led the world in banning together to overcome insurmountable odds. The movie not only features one of the most inspiring speeches ever to appear on the silver screen, but it also has a President that would be a welcome alternative to the Great Pumpkin sitting in the White House right now. Independence Day shows us the America that should be, a leader that brings the world together for the better. Something we were so close to being at one point and something that we can be again one day.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Politics is exhausting. It used to be that the old white guys up on the hill would argue about policy, budgets, and things that actually mattered. Now they just sling mud and have old man dick measuring contests (it’s pretty gross up there these days). Once upon a time though, the dream of being a politician wasn’t so much about seizing power and compensating for lack of a personality. No, it was once about trying to help make this country better than it was yesterday. That’s why Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is probably one of the most important patriotic movies of all time. It’s not a rose-colored look at the political machine chewing up this country, but it’s one that gives us all hope that there are politicians out there who actually have the best interest of the people at heart. While it’s an amazing movie that shows the system can work as long as the people working it aren’t total scumbags, it also is a little depressing because it reminds us all that there are total scumbags working it right now. Still, everyone can stand up and cheer for the efforts of Mr. Smith and learn a valuable lesson about, well, values.
Sure there are a lot of other incredibly patriotic movies out there, but these five are ones that we can cheer for because they each remind us what can happen when Americans come together instead of pushing each other apart. They’re movies with an uplifting message to remind us what this country was once so close to being before things started to fall apart. Hopefully, you get as much out of these movies as I did. In the meantime, be sure to let me know what movie makes you proud to be an American (or proud of whatever country you might be from) in the comments below!
Oh, and have a safe and happy Independence day!