The 37 Best Fourth of July Movies of All Time
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The word cloud of “America” is made of many names: history, war, politics, protests, oppression, opportunity, freedom, innovation, independence, Tom Hanks. But because July 4 is rapidly approaching, if you want to put on your patriot hat for one day of the year, we're here to help with that. No matter your definition of “American,” these 37 movies are perfect for an Independence Day spent on the couch...or post-4th of July party hangover binge watching. Red, white, and blue-vie marathon anyone?
‘War Horse’ (2011)
Okay, I know this seems like an unorthodox choice, because it follows a British soldier. But Steven Spielberg's horse movie is set before and during World War I, following a British teenager who raises a horse who is later bought by the British Army to use in battle across Europe. And Britain and the US were, in fact, allies in WWI. So...?
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‘The Deer Hunter’ (1978)
Boasting a shiny ensemble including Christopher Walken, Robert De Niro, and Meryl Streep, The Deer Hunter is another war epic, this time following three Slavic-American steelworkers caught up in the unrest of the Vietnam War. The film marks actor John Cazale’s final film role–that’s Fredo to your Godfather-heads.
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‘Full Metal Jacket’ (1987)
Another epic war film–aren’t they all?–Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket follows a platoon of young Marines through boot camp in South Carolina amid the Vietnam War. There, they meet a stereotypically abusive drill sergeant and the other joys that come along with the most intense physical and mental training in the country. In the second half of the film, the recruits are sent to the frontlines in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive, which you’ll remember from that one history lesson.
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‘Platoon’ (1986)‘
Written and directed by Oliver Stone, Platoon stars Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe, and Charlie Sheen as Army soldiers serving in the Vietnam War. The film is the first in a trilogy of war epics, followed by Born on the Fourth of July and Heaven & Earth. Stone wrote from experience, after serving as an infantryman in Vietnam before breaking into Hollywood.
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‘1917’ (2019)
A three-time Academy Award winning film, 1917, is set during World War I, following two British soldiers working to deliver a message which will call off an ill-timed offensive attack. Most of the flowers for this film go to the cinematography and editing, namely for its long takes which make the film appear as continuous shots–unheard of in the highly choreographed world of wartime movie making.
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‘From Here to Eternity’ (1953)
This 1953 film stars such famous figures as Montgomery Clift, Burt Lancaster, Donna Reed, Deborah Kerr, and Frank Sinatra–yes, Sinatra. From Here to Eternity follows three Army soldiers stationed in Hawaii ahead of the Pearl Harbor attack. In its year, it won 8 Academy Awards and has since been selected for preservation by the Library of Congress.
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‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ (2022)
The winner of four Academy Awards, All Quiet on the Western Front is an epic anti-war film based on a 1929 novel of the same name. A truly devastating watch for the empaths, the movie is set in World War I and follows a young German soldier who comes to understand the gruesome realities of war after eagerly enlisting into service in the name of heroism. Don’t let the “anti-war” plug scare you off, it’s “anti-war” in the sense that the violence and devastation of battle is something no human should have to endure, though the brave continue to do so.
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‘Saving Private Ryan’ (1998)
In this WWII epic, a team of United States Army Rangers led by Tom Hanks go behind enemy lines to find Private James Ryan (Matt Damon) and bring him home after his brothers were killed in action. The film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, taking home five.
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‘National Treasure’ (2004)
In this classic action flick, Nicolas Cage plays a historian racing to find a hidden collection of precious artifacts, aided by a secret coded map on the back of the Declaration of Independence (which he has to steal first).
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‘Hamilton’ (2020)
The only movie musical you’re allowed to watch on Independence Day is Lin Manuel Miranda’s masterpiece, Hamilton. What can we say about Hamilton that hasn’t already been said (by literally everyone)? Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, singing, dancing, etc.
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‘13th’ (2016)
13th, titled after the Thirteenth Amendment, explores race in America and how the legacy of slavery remains alive and well in our justice system across the country. While we celebrate freedom, it's important to remember that for many in this country, “freedom” comes with fine print.
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‘American Sniper’ (2014)
This biopic unpacks the story of Navy S.E.A.L sniper, Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper), who was a very accurate shot while serving a tour in Iraq. Kyle became the deadliest marksman in U.S. military history, and the film follows his career and the toll service took on his family life and mental health.
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‘The American President’ (1995)
Before there was Scandal, there was The American President. This film follows a fictional widowed U.S. president who falls in love with an environmental lobbyist while mounting a reelection campaign.
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‘Born On The Fourth Of July’ (1989)
This biographical anti-war film stars Tom Cruise as Ron Kovic, a Vietnam war veteran who was paralyzed on the front lines. After his injury leaves him discharged from the military, Ron becomes an anti-war activist. The New York Times describes the film as “the most ambitious non-documentary film yet made about the entire Vietnam experience.”
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‘Forrest Gump’ (1994)
While this film may not be specific to Independence Day, it’s totally tied up in American history. The film follows decades in the life of Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) who witnesses (and often influences) American history in the 20th century. Throughout the beloved film, Forrest gets drafted, meets JFK, becomes a ping pong diplomat, inspires John Lennon’s “Imagine,” and spills the tea on Watergate.
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‘Hidden Figures’ (2016)
Hidden Figures follows the true story of a group of Black women who excelled as NASA mathematicians in the 1960s. Played by Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe, Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson played a major role in the Space Race. You dreamt about being an astronaut because of these three women.
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‘Zero Dark Thirty’ (2012)
A war epic for the modern era, Zero Dark Thirty details the decade-long hunt for Osama bin Laden following the September 11th attacks. The al-Qaeda leader was killed at the hands of the Navy S.E.A.L.s Team 6 in 2011. Jessica Chastain won a Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of a fictional CIA intelligence analyst.
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‘Independence Day’ (1996)
Not *exactly* historical, Independence Day is a sci fiction action film starring Will Smith, Bill Pullman, and Jeff Goldblum. After an extraterrestrial race attacks the earth, the humans work together to launch a counterattack on the 4th of July. If you’re looking to commemorate the holiday but flunked out of U.S. History, this one's for you.
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‘Mr. Smith Goes To Washington’ (1939)
This vintage classic follows the story of a newly appointed U.S. Senator who works to fight the corrupt world of American politics. Pretty controversial for 1939, the film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and is considered one of the greatest of all time.
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‘Glory’ (1989)
This Civil War flick stars Denzel Washington and Matthew Broderick and tells the story of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, the first all-Black volunteer company of its time. The Academy loves a war film… Glory was nominated for five Oscars and took home three.
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‘Apollo 13’ (1995)
Another slam dunk for America’s sweetheart Tom Hanks! Apollo 13 tells the story of the aborted 1970 lunar mission which failed just two days into the mission to land on the moon. Under NASA’s direction, the crew traveled around the Moon and returned to earth six days after launch.
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‘Selma’ (2014)
Directed by Ava DuVernay (also the mind behind 13th), Selma follows the 1965 voting rights marches from Selma to Montgomery. Film critics said this one should be required watching for high school students across the country.
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‘Lincoln’ (2012)
Daniel Day-Lewis stars as none other than Honest Abe Lincoln, a struggling American president during the Civil War. This film takes viewers inside cabinet discussions to emancipate enslaved people across the country in 1865.
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‘Jaws’ (1975)
A killer shark on a beach on Long Island–what’s this got to do with Independence Day? The murderous shark in Jaws arrives to the beach over 4th of July weekend, and he’s not the only one; Crowds of summer travelers flock to the beach for the holiday, and chaos ensues.
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‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ (2011)
This 4th of July, enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is transformed into a super-soldier to stop the Red Skull amid World War II. We’ll say this one is 90 percent superhero drama, 10 percent historical fiction.
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‘A League Of Their Own’ (1992)
Sporty girls, assemble! A League Of Their Own tells the story of the IRL All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which was assembled during WWII when many men were drafted into service. Baseball, war, Tom Hanks–this one passes the Independence Day vibe check.
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‘Jackie’ (2016)
Starring Natalie Portman as Jackie Kennedy, Jackie follows the former first lady’s experience in the hours and days following the assassination of her husband, President John F. Kennedy. If you were a fan of K. Stew in Spencer, give this one a try, since both were directed by Pablo Larraín.
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‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ (1962)
The film adaptation of your favorite required reading from high school, To Kill A Mockingbird stars Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch, a Depression-era lawyer defending a falsely accused Black man facing a rape charge. A classic story of prejudice and injustice in America, TKAM never gets old.
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‘Vice’ (2018)
Some American politicians are heroes...more are slimy. Vice tells the story of Dick Cheney, who rose to prominence as vice president to George W. Bush, becoming one of the most powerful VPs in American history. If Tom Hanks has you feeling warm and fuzzy inside, Vice is a nice reminder of the flip side of modern American politics.
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'On the Basis of Sex' (2018)
A Fourth of July movie for the girls, On the Basis of Sex stars Felicity Jones as Ruth Bader Ginsberg, following her early life and career in law before rising to become the second woman to ever serve as a Supreme Court Justice. We won’t give too much away, but the film opens with a young Ruth attending both her and her husband’s law school classes while he battles testicular cancer.
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'Top Gun: Maverick' (2022)
The biggest film of 2022 has made it to streaming just in time for the year’s most patriotic holiday. In case you’re unfamiliar with this one, Top Gun: Maverick sees Tom Cruise reprise his original role from the 1986 film, Top Gun. Alongside Cruise, the film stars Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, and more.
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'Harriet' (2019)
This 2019 drama stars Cynthia Erivo, heretofore known as Elphaba, as the hero abolitionist Harriet Tubman. The film also stars Leslie Odom Jr., Joe Alwyn, and Janelle Monáe. It was a long time coming, with talks of a Tubman-inspired movie in the works for many years. History (and this film) will remind you that Tubman personally freed more than 70 slaves, and went on to assist Union soldiers in the release of more than 750 slaves during the Civil War.
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'The Music Man' (1962)
The Music Man is not exactly historic, but it bears an Americana aesthetic that pairs well with fireworks. The musical follows a con man who disguises himself as a band leader, selling instruments and uniforms to small town folks with the promise of music education, the knowledge of which he does not possess. One thing leads to another, the con man falls in love with a piano teacher, and the rest is history. The musical debuted on Broadway in 1957, winning 5 Tony Awards, and was revived in 2022 with Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster at the helm.
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'Da 5 Bloods' (2020)
This 2020 war drama comes from the great Spike Lee and stars a great ensemble, which notably includes Chadwick Boseman in one of his final film roles. The story follows four Vietnam War veterans who return to find the remains of their squad leader and the treasure they buried during their service.
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'Judas and the Black Messiah' (2021)
Less patriotic, but a lot more honest, Judas and the Black Messiah is a biopic following the life and murder of Fred Hampton, chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party in the late 1960s. Hampton is played by Daniel Kaluuya, who won an Oscar for this performance, alongside LaKeith Stanfield as FBI informant William O’Neal, who also received a nomination.
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'Apollo 13' (1995)
This 1995 drama stars Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, and Kevin Bacon as the astronauts aboard the aborted 1970 Apollo 13 lunar mission. The mission was intended to be the third to land on the moon, but while soaring through space, an explosion on board the aircraft deprived the men of oxygen and electrical power.
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'First Man' (2018)
Damien Chazelle’s 2018 drama stars Ryan Gosling as Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the Moon. The film also stars Claire Foy, Kyle Chandler, Corey Stoll, and more.
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