Millions of Americans spanning 50 states are preparing to spend one of the best weekends in history celebrating the best country in history. And nothing goes better with freedom, good food, and blowing things up than a late-night patriotic film fest with family and friends.
Whether you’re planning to fashion a makeshift drive-in movie screen in your backyard with bed sheets and a projector or gather in the living room because you can’t sleep over the sound of your neighbors’ semiquincentennial celebrations, here is your ultimate guide to distinctly American movies the whole family can enjoy for the 250th. (Obviously, the mandate to rewatch The Patriot and HBO’s John Adams miniseries is already implied.)
Old School Americana
Patriotism, traditional roles of the two sexes, clean comedy, chivalry, family, happy endings: Old movies from the American golden age not only have a way of inspiring me to embrace what is today too widely considered old-fashioned, but also help build up an intolerance for streaming services and AI slop. What better way to celebrate Independence Day than by observing and conserving American stories featuring the good, true, and beautiful (that is, actually artistic cinematography)?
Make sure you have the tissues for this one. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) follows a group of WWII veterans who return home from fighting overseas and must readjust to family and civilian life. The film portrays the hardships and permanent wounds faced by many veterans upon their return to the home front.
Holiday Inn (1942), starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, already made it into my Christmas-themed movie guide, but when the plot of a film literally centers around an inn open only on holidays, that means it’s appropriate all year round. Astaire’s famous firecracker tap-dance routine alone makes this movie an Independence Day must-watch.
For the Alfred Hitchcock fan, North by Northwest starring Cary Grant has it all — mistaken identity, romance, an airplane chase, and Mt. Rushmore! As IMDb summarizes it, the movie follows an advertising executive who “goes on the run after being mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies.” Fun fact: The movie features a foot chase across Mt. Rushmore, and Hitchcock said he had “wanted Cary Grant to hide in Lincoln’s nostril and then have a fit of sneezing.” Although such a scene is not in the final version of the movie, screenwriter Ernest Lehman titled his initial drafts “The Man in Lincoln’s Nose.”
I have yet to see Frank Capra’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), but the classic starring James Stewart comes highly recommended. The story centers on a “naive youth leader” who quickly encounters corruption and sabotage after being nominated to fill a U.S. Senate vacancy.
Speaking of James Stewart, he also plays Charles Lindbergh in The Spirit of St. Louis (1957), which captures the pilot’s historic transatlantic flight.
Don Knotts is an American treasure. He is most widely known for playing Deputy Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show, but he also stars in a variety of other classic films the whole family will love. While the Fourth of July is the perfect time to enjoy a Western, if you’re looking for something more family-friendly than Tombstone, The Shakiest Gun in the West (1968) and The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975) — both starring Knotts — are two comedies perfect for kids and parents alike. The former tells the story of a dentist from the East Coast who hops on a wagon train and unknowingly gets tied up in a plot to bust a group of smugglers. In the latter, Knotts and comedian Tim Conway play “the West’s worst bank robbers,” who attempt to get their hands on gold in the late 1870s. Be sure to check out the sequel, too.
Classic ’80s Summer
How would a patriotic movie list be complete without a section dedicated to one of the best decades in American history? Whether you’re looking for a John Hughes classic or a killer soundtrack, the ’80s called and they have what you need. (Note that most of these are probably a bit intense for younger viewers.)
The original Top Gun (1986), followed by the recent sequel. Need I say more?
If you’re looking for another movie featuring aeronautics and American grit, The Right Stuff (1983) comes highly rated by my male family members. The movie “chronicles the first 15 years of America’s space program,” and also highlights Chuck Yeager’s historic flight that broke the sound barrier in the Bell X-1. Note: If you live in the northern Virginia or D.C. area, you won’t regret making a trip to the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, where you can see Yeager’s Bell X-1, nicknamed the “Glamorous Glennis.”
The Rocky franchise is another that needs no introduction, but Rocky IV (1985) specifically would be perfect to put on this weekend. Amid our Marxist-ridden culture, Rocky Balboa’s Cold War fight against Soviet Union boxer Ivan Drago is a much-needed reminder that American exceptionalism will always be superior to communist conformity. And James Brown’s over-the-top performance of “Living in America” in the movie is, of course, an added bonus.
Speaking of fighting the commies, Red Dawn (1984), starring C. Thomas Howell and Patrick Swayze, follows a group of Western American teens as they band together to defend their hometown from invading Soviet forces.
Point Break (1991), also starring Swayze, follows an FBI agent attempting to bust a group of surfers he suspects to be an infamous bank-robbing gang known as “The Ex-Presidents.” This movie is not technically from the ’80s, but Ronald Reagan does make an appearance — sort of.
Looking for something a little more light-hearted? John Hughes’ The Great Outdoors (1988), starring John Candy, is a classic ’80s comedy, great for summertime viewing. A Back to the Future marathon or a few episodes of Magnum, P.I. are also fail-proof options for a dose of ’80s Americana.
Summer Sing-Alongs
Tired of the Hamilton soundtrack? So am I. Give these classic musicals a try instead.
You may have thought it an impossible task to turn the happenings of the Continental Congress into a comedic musical, but 1776 would prove you wrong. The musical numbers are pleasantly witty, humorous, historical, and genuinely creative — a stark contrast to many modern Broadway-esque movies and performances.
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is about a group of backwoods brothers in 19th-century Oregon who want to get married. So naturally, each brother kidnaps the woman he likes from the nearby town. The women, ultimately trapped at the brothers’ homestead for the winter thanks to an avalanche, greatly protest — but not for long. (Oklahoma! is also a good choice if you’re looking for another classic set in the pioneer days of America.)
Singin’ in the Rain (1952) and Good News (1947) are both set in 1920s America. The former is about a silent movie actor (Gene Kelley) and his changing career as Hollywood adjusts to “talking” films. The latter follows the drama among a group of college students, honing in on the story of a football star “who falls in love with his French tutor.”
Maybe you are looking for a break from screens this weekend, but still want to get into that ’76 spirit. Spotify has plenty of America-250-themed playlists. Or you could curate your own! Don’t skip on old faithfuls like Toby Keith and Lee Greenwood, but don’t be afraid to throw together artists ranging from Alan Jackson to Journey to Ambrosia for a dynamic intersection of American sounds.
