Films On The Fourth of July
I’m going to save you from scrolling through the tiles on your streaming platform with some recommendations for the holiday weekend.
Listen, there are only so many hot dogs to be eaten and fireworks to be watched. At some point over the long Fourth of July weekend, you are going to want to get out of the heat, kick back, and watch a movie.
Here are a few recommendations for some films that fit the holiday.
Independence Day
Let’s get this out of the way because it probably is to the Fourth of July what It’s a Wonderful Life is to Christmas. The thing is that it really earns the title. The speech that President Bill Pullman gives is a banger. It’s a crowd favorite, so if you put it on, everybody from Grandma to the kids can drop in and out while it’s on.
Armageddon
For my money, this is the better Fourth of July movie, if only by a hair. The speech by President Bill Pullman is great, but the one from this President is pretty dang good too.
More to the point, this film is about a group of ordinary Americans refusing to give into oblivion and giving their all to save the world. Oh, I’m sorry you don’t think it is very realistic for a group of oil drillers to go to space and drill into an asteroid so that they can blow it up? Well, you know what else was “unrealistic”? A group of ordinary citizens throwing off the shackles of oppression and starting a country.
Jaws
On the surface, this is a film about a shark and the damage it causes over the Fourth of July weekend. That’s the fin, so to speak. (I’m going to run with this, sorry.) Below the surface, this is a film about one good man challenging the powers that be to do the right thing. When they fail, he takes it upon himself to solve the problem.
It’s a reminder that politicians will never save us, it has and will always be on us.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Ferris Bueller either ends up in prison or as President of the United States. My money is on the latter. The idea of being a teenager is not exclusively an American thing, but there is definitely a distinct American way of being a teenager. Ferris Bueller defines a teenager that thumbs his nose at authority, is a good hang, and is liked by all. I think it is a little undervalued that the reason why he is liked by all is because he is cool to everybody. We only get a few scenes showing this, but when he is talking to the freshmen, you get the sense that he looks out for people.
While it appears that his whole day off is self-serving, it is an act of service. His buddy Cameron is depressed, and this day off is a way to get him out of it.
We are a country that is the strongest when we look after one another, and there is nothing wrong with having a little fun while we do it.
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is a story about some friends that lose their job, start their own company, have to fight onerous bureaucratic regulations, and eventually win people over by saving them from the end of the world.
This movie is a real lightning-in-a-bottle situation as everybody involved had a different take on it. Ivan Reitman making this a grounded film set in a real New York City gives this whole thing a distinct feeling of Americana.
Superman
I was born in the 1980s and missed the 1970s by a few years. I knew about the disco and bell bottoms, but I didn’t know about all the chaos. Seeing this film after all of that, plus Vietnam and Watergate, must have been a much-needed shot of hope. The more I read about the 70s, the more I’m convinced that this film is a transgressive action of truth, justice, and yes, the American Way.
Superman’s last line of the film before the John Williams score kicks in is “No, sir, don’t thank me, Warden. We’re all part of the same team.”
Yes we are.
Moneyball
What’s more American than baseball? Or, as it is said in the film, "How can you not be romantic about baseball?" At its core, Moneyball is a classic underdog story, which is a specialty of the sports genre. In this case it is the story of A’s Manager Billy Beane trying something that has never been done despite all the criticism of those in the establishment. Between being about America’s pastime, an underdog story, and having a rebellious streak in the main character it is a perfect movie for the holiday.
In the end, however, you spend this weekend and despite everything that is going on around us, try to take a minute to remind yourself what unites us as Americans is our common cause of freedom, equality, and justice for all. Take a step back and remember we have been through some very dark times and what got us through it was the unwavering commitment and courage to defy those oppressive forces in order to fulfill that common cause. It’s easy to be cynical. It does nothing as a result. Remember, this country is what we allow it to be, so enjoy your weekend and then next week let’s get to work.