Movies That Celebrate the Fourth of July
People all over the nation are gearing up for an annual celebration of fireworks, freedom, and family.
As we prepare for America’s Independence Day, we're reminded of how Hollywood has documented the federal holiday. From alien invasions to fight or fright nights, the holiday has played both small and large roles in many movies, adding that special American stamp to the film. Here are the most memorable flicks that celebrate the Fourth of July.
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To Kill A Mocking Bird (1962)
Atticus Finch, a Depression-era Southern attorney, fearlessly defends a black man accused of raping a white woman.
Jaws (1975)
A giant great, white shark arrives on the shores of a New England beach resort and wreaks havoc with bloody attacks on swimmers until a part-time sheriff teams up with a marine biologist and an old seafarer to hunt the monster down.
Rocky (1976)
A slightly dimwitted, amateur boxer from a tough Philadelphia neighborhood gets a surprise shot at fighting for the heavyweight championship, while simultaneously finding love in the arms of a shy, reclusive girl who works in the local pet store.
The Shining (1980)
Frustrated writer Jack Torrance takes a job as a winter caretaker at the ominous, mountain-locked Overlook Hotel so that he can write in peace. When he arrives with his wife and son, they learn that the previous caretaker had gone mad. Slowly Jack becomes possessed by the evil, demonic presence in the hotel.
Glory (1989)
Robert Gould Shaw leads the US Civil War's first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices of both his own Union army and the Confederates.
The Sandlot (1993)
Scotty Smalls moves to a new neighborhood with his mom and stepdad, and wants to learn to play baseball. The neighborhood baseball guru Rodriquez takes Smalls under his wing, and soon he's part of the local baseball buddies. They fall into adventures involving baseball, treehouse sleep-ins, the desirous lifeguard at the local pool, the snooty rival ball team, and the traveling fair. Beyond the fence at the back of the sandlot menaces a legendary ball-eating dog called The Beast, and the kids inevitably must deal with him.
Forrest Gump (1994)
Forrest Gump, while not intelligent, has accidentally been present at many historic moments, but his true love, Jenny Curran, eludes him.
Independence Day (1996)
The aliens are coming and their goal is to invade and destroy. Fighting superior technology, Man's best weapon is the will to survive.
Miracle (2004)
Miracle is a 2004 American sports docudrama about the United States men's hockey team, led by head coach Herb Brooks, that won the gold medal in the 1980 Winter Olympics.
Zodiac (2007)
A San Francisco cartoonist becomes an amateur detective obsessed with tracking down the Zodiac killer.
Lincoln (2012)
As the Civil War continues to rage, America's president struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield and as he fights with many inside his own cabinet on the decision to emancipate the slaves.
