Top Patriotic Movies to Watch This 4th of July
By Movieguide® Contributor
Independence Day is a perfect time to reflect on America’s freedom and the incredible stories that capture its spirit. Whether it’s a classic film like MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON, a gripping tale of perseverance like WE WERE SOLDIERS or the inspirational courage shown in THE PATRIOT, these movies remind us of the bravery and resilience that define our nation. These stories resonate across generations, with themes of resilience, faith, and those who fought to protect our freedoms. Some may require extreme cation for teenagers and even adults for graphic content.
SERGEANT YORK
SERGEANT YORK stars Gary Cooper in a movie based on the true story of a conscientious objector who became the greatest American hero in World War I. SERGEANT YORK is a profoundly Christian movie, with a brilliant performance by Gary Cooper. It powerfully explores the role Christians should play in times of war.
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*THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE
John Frankenheimer’s Cold War thriller about a Korean War prisoner of war who is brainwashed into becoming a coldly efficient assassin by his Communist captors. THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE is one of the best insights into the nefarious nature of evil and an incisive commentary on Communist conspiracies. For years, the movie was banned following the assassination of John F. Kennedy.
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DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK
The classic 1939 movie DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK is a tremendous movie about the American Revolution as experienced on the frontier. It has a profoundly Christian worldview, but there’s plenty of war violence and some comical scenes of drunkenness.
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YANKEE DOODLE DANDY
YANKEE DOODLE DANDY stars James Cagney in one of his signature roles as George M. Cohan, the patriotic musical playwright of the first half of the 20th Century, who loved his country and loved his family, a beloved group of performers known as the Four Cohans. YANKEE DOODLE DANDY is a stirring, endearing celebration of American patriotism and family in tandem with musical whimsy that will warm the viewers spirit.
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1776
The idea sounds atrocious, but a superb cast, helped along by a wonderful score with inspiring lyrics, pulls off this delightful, sometimes heartbreaking and often funny musical about the debates, the writing and the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The movie is also a love letter to the joys and strengths of traditional marriage. The political issues portrayed in this patriotic movie are still very much with us today. Best of all, perhaps, the movie presents a poignant, positive view of the American military, including its citizen soldiers, led by the greatest citizen soldier of them all, General George Washington.
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WE WERE SOLDIERS
WE WERE SOLDIERS is a true story starring Mel Gibson as Col. Hal Moore, who led the first American helicopter troops into battle against the Communist North Vietnamese in 1965. Despite some minor flaws and very strong, bloody combat scenes laced with some strong profanities, WE WERE SOLDIERS delivers a riveting drama with strong appeals to God in the Name of the Holy Christian Trinity.
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THE PATRIOT
THE PATRIOT stars Mel Gibson as a family man who wrestles with his desire for revenge and the just cause of the American War for Independence in the late 1700s. The violent battle scenes may concern older moviegoers, while younger moviegoers might chafe at the soul-searching, but at the heart of this movie is faith.
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GLORY
With a really good 1860's look, GLORY is a biblical moral lesson about overcoming racism through reconciliation, not rebellion or revenge, set in the context of history that we all need to see. GLORY is a great film for mature, discerning Christians.
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GETTYSBURG
Ron Maxwell's epic film GETTYSBURG, based on Michael Shaara's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel THE KILLER ANGELS, dramatically depicts the three most courageous days in American history when North and South were arrayed against each other in the decisive battle fought on the Gettysburg, Pennsylvania plains. GETTYSBURG is a magnificent movie that should be viewed by every American.
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GODS AND GENERALS
GODS AND GENERALS paints a brilliant portrait of the Christian lives of the great military leaders during the tumultuous years leading up to the Battle of Gettysburg in the American Civil War. GODS AND GENERALS recognizes the deep spiritual values of those involved in the Civil War; it is a monument of filmmaking which will be remembered as long as there are devices to watch such a magnificent historical epic.
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WORLD TRADE CENTER
WORLD TRADE CENTER tells the story of two New York City Port Authority officers on Sept. 11, who get trapped underneath the rubble of the World Trade Center, and the reactions of their families. WORLD TRADE CENTER is a stirring, suspenseful, patriotic, and ultimately inspiring portrayal of a sobering day in America's history. It contains a very strong Christian worldview with very strong morally uplifting, pro-family content, but its major drawback is too much foul language.
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FORREST GUMP
In the movie by the same name, Forrest Gump is an innocent in an America that slowly lost its innocence after World War II. Through the eyes of our dim-witted hero, we experience the fast-paced mayhem and madness of three rolling decades and witness Gump's accidental turn as star football player, war hero, athlete, millionaire, and lover. FORREST GUMP is an ingenious comic ride, one done with a sense of what is truly good in this world, but regrettably marred by vulgarities, implied sexual immorality and drug abuse.
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JOHNNY TREMAIN
JOHNNY TREMAIN is a classic Walt Disney historical drama movie about how the title character changes from an overconfident, selfish silversmith’s apprentice into a principled American patriot ready to lay down his life in the Revolutionary War. JOHNNY TREMAIN is a quintessential historical Walt Disney movie from the 1950s featuring patriotism, positive Christian themes, Bible quotes, prayer, a musical number, and battle scenes with no blood.
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