July 4th is upon us, and people across the good ol’ U.S. of A. are gearing up to celebrate. Some of us plan to cook outside with our families and watch a dazzling fireworks display. Others might crack open a beer and some cracker jacks at their favorite baseball team’s diamond. Many will visit memorials for the men who fought for America’s independence. You know, the standard stuff. But there’s another 4th of July tradition that shouldn’t be forgotten: watching patriotic movies. For a lot of people, Independence Day is an annual excuse to turn on a great movie about our great country and appreciate the land where we live.
I’ve been thinking about which movies tug my American heartstrings the most. The first that came to mind were the sports classics: Rocky, Miracle, and Remember the Titans. American audiences love an underdog story — after all, America was the underdog at one time — so when Rocky Balboa fights on against Apollo Creed, when the U.S. hockey team overcomes the Soviets, and when the united T.C. Williams High School football team takes the state championship, I can’t help but cheer.
The next movie I thought of was less dramatic, but equally awesome: Independence Day, Will Smith’s iconic action movie. In the best moment of the film, with the world under a massive alien attack, President Thomas Whitmore (Bill Pullman) delivers an undeniably exhilarating motivational speech to the U.S. fighter pilots: “We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We’re going to live on! We’re going to survive! Today, we celebrate Independence Day!” Is it cheesy? Absolutely. But, man, do I love American cheese.
There were other patriotic movies that ran through my head, too: To Kill A Mockingbird (overcoming racism), Forrest Gump (pure Americana), Apollo 13 (perseverance through chaos), An American Tail (don’t judge), and while all of the films I’ve named are great, none of them make me feel as authentically proud to be an American as Saving Private Ryan. Steven Spielberg’s epic World War II film fleshes out the unbelievable level of sacrifice that thousands of American soldiers endured on D-Day and throughout every war in American history. Saving Private Ryan reminds you that the United States has always had to fight to preserve freedom and life within its borders, and I don’t know about you, but that makes me proud to be an American.
But there are also a slew of movies that make me a little less proud. Satires like Team America: World Police, comedies like The Waterboy, and even blockbusters like Avatar often reinforce stereotypes that Americans are stupid, selfish, destructive, completely uncultured, and obsessively consumerist. While there may be some truth in those implications, they don’t exactly leave me singing “God Bless The U.S.A.” as I walk out of the theater.
Now it’s time to exercise your freedom of speech, PopWatchers. What movie makes you proudest to be an American? Which makes you feel a little ashamed? Sound off in the comments below!
One of my favorites is A Walk In The Sun. It’s from the 1940′s but it holds up.
Twilight makes me the least proud. A nation of idiots.
Team America: World Police rocks! Teabaggers could learn something by watching it.
Um, and staunch anti-war liberals can learn something from it too. Or have you forgotten about the depiction of the “Film Actors Guild” in the film, and the final speech at the end?
The movie is great because it lampoons EVERYONE. And that makes me proud to be an American, because our freedom of speech allows for films like this.
Well said Anne. Even though the film is pretty liberal, It smacks them across the face at the same time. Gotta love it.
Matt Damon!
Team America makes me proud to be an American. Just like the South Park where Cartmen goes back in time to 1776, to see that the founding fathers did not always agree about everything but were able to say what they felt about any subject. That was what made them Americans. Peace loving tree huggers and War mongering rednecks. They need each other. Oh yeah, and Team America taught us that Michael Bay has not business making movies about US History. *cough* Perl Harbor.
Pleasantville- It can pretty much represent any social conflict America has faced in the past and present. I think it’s an amazing and underrated movie. Plus I get the “America” from its 1950′s theme.
Liberals do learn, adjust and adapt. Teabaggers are still stuck in the 1950s.
@LOL–You don’t deserve to have seen Team America. You obviously did not comprehend what you were watching. You probably only watched it because you heard that there was a puppet sex scene. I’m replaying the entire movie in my head and I just can’t get why you’d think that “teabaggers” can learn from it. Unless you meant actual teabaggers. If so, then yes, they probably could.
I agree… the teabaggers are suspect. Why didn’t they get motivated during the last administration, the one that actually put us in debt by starting two wars, spending recklessly, and allowing the fat cats to pillage the working class? Hmmm, I think the Teabaggers are motivated more by racism than anything else… just look at the make up of their rallies.
It’s only outdated, incorrect thinking that says liberals (or moderates, or independants) are anti-war. I hope what it means is that they are against *stupid* war, of which we are in the middle of two. I’m shocked Obama is letting Bush’s CYA war continue as long as he has.
AgelessMeet
who cares!!! My boyfriend thinks the same with me. He is eight years older than me, lol. We met online at agelessmeet.com a nice and free place for younger women and older men, or older women and younger men, to interact with each other. Maybe you wanna check out or tell your friends.
Poor NicWin. Didn’t understand ‘Team America?’ Amazing. Go watch Glenn Beck. He’s probably more your speed.
Quit talking politics you uneducated buffoons. It makes my political science-majored mind BROOD. “Wah, wah, wah, then don’t read that there here first amendment rights and bring your nonsense here. We’re not rednecks, swears it!” stfu you over-politicized self-righteously indignant tulips!
Tarc- because Afghanistan was where we were actually attacked from, even though Iraq was the true proverbial prize (in Bush’s mind- think Tonkin Gulf). Leaving without a basic foundation in Afghanistan, an accord with Pakistan AND the reasonable Taliban (those that joined purely to for xenophobic reasons), would only set the stage for a future war or devastating terrorist attack, probably in reversed order, and possibly with a dirty nuclear bomb. I’m a Democrat, voted Obama, and I tell you it IS a war of necessity. Like many others who have actually been over there, interacted with intelligence officials, etc, I ask you, what gives you the right to pass judgment and mental mandates from the safe confines of your home in middle America? What you SHOULD be doing, if you actually want to incite change, is stop using tech that uses oil so that we don’t have to fight proxy-like wars to secure Saudi Arabia and America’s lifeblood. This is not overpoliticized, I’m not citing and using political talking points to prove my point. I’m speaking the truth, and dealing with cold hard facts that are very inconvenient to people with closed eyes, such as yourself.
Saving Private Ryan is war porn. I’ll take Team American anyday.
AMERICA! F*** YEAH!
Anne, my Dad was a staunch Republican officer in the Army who fought in WWII and in the Air Force in Korea. He was totally against Viet Nam and explained that he fought to “keep our boys out of anymore wars”. He’s in favor of Afghanistan but completely against Iraq. Stop being a right wing name caller.
Proud:
Miracle
Forest Gump
Independence Day
Saving Private Ryan
Not Proud:
The New World
Dances With Wolves
Milk
(I love all of these movies, but they make me so ashamed of our past, and, sadly, our present)
Umm your prouds are good but your not prouds arent. Milk shows that in America everyone has freedom, even if someone wants to bring you down. The New World is pretty bad, so yea. And Dance With Wolves? I dont remember anything really bad in that movie. I thought Costner helps the Indians, which is good.
I can understand the inclusion of Dances with Wolves in the least proud category. The US army persecuted the native americans, and when Kevin Costner’s character was caught helping them, he was arrested for desertion. This movie depicts a sad chapter of our American history.
The fact that MILK is in your “not proud” list makes me sad. It celebrates the life of a man who fought for human rights in the face of overwhelming odds. If that doesn’t make you proud then you kinda don’t deserve the rights you have.
I wept at my white American shame as I left seeing “Dances With Wolves.” Our forefathers were ignorant, racist murderers. We need to own our dreadful sin, as we hail our defense against those who acted the same way (Nazi Germans in WWII) as seen in Sav. Pvt. Ryan.
The New World should make you feel ashamed of the actions of early European colonists, but is not anti-American in the sense that it takes place hundreds of years before the United States was even a country. It demonstrates the brutality of Europeans on a continent that would eventually become America. Therefore, I would exclude it from your list.
I think Milk was included on her “not proud” list b/c it depicts how badly homosexuals were treated in America in recent history. A note on the context of the movie, not the main character.
Milk should be on everyone’s PROUD list. Harvey Milk was a great American hero, certainly as much as Martin Luther King.
Looks like a lot of commenters neglected to read the last part of the post.
oops.
Milk shows the bigotry that still exists today. I am not proud of that bigotry. However, I am a fan of Harvey Milk and his accomplishments.
ShowGirls!!! Makes me proud to be from the USA!!!
HAHA awesome
The Best Years of Our Lives
Westward The Women
Stars and Stripes Forever
when are they ever gonna bring westward the women out on dvd. when i was a kid my mother and i would watch that all the time. i can’t remember the big burly womans name that was in it but i loved it.
Field of Deams
What evokes the American Dream better than “If you build it, they will come?” The scenes about fatherhood, redemption and following your dreams evoke the romantic spirit of America better than any movie I’ve seen.
Some others that get my patriotic spirit going are Sergeant York, The Longest Day and , don’t sneer, National Treasure.
No sneering here. I LOVE NATIONAL TREASURE. So much fun.
I love National Treasure, too. In addition to being really fun, there’s also the unashamed love and appreciation for history. Nicolas Cage’s “to high treason” speech is perfect for quoting on the 4th:
“To high treason. That’s what these men were committing when they signed the Declaration. Had we lost the war, they would have been hanged, beheaded, drawn and quartered… So here’s to the men who did what was considered wrong, in order to do what they knew was right.”
National Treasure IS a good movie, a great example of a popcorn flick. I expected it to be terrible, discovered that it was very enjoyable.
Agreed Stormy, I love National Treasure.
Most Proud–> Forrest Gump
Most Ashamed–> Any Twilight Movie
I love Forrest Gump.
Proudest:
Citizen Kane
Saving Private Ryan
Shawshank Redemption
American Beauty
The Hurt Locker
Least Proud:
All twilight movies
Gigli
Transformers 2
Anything starring Miley Cyrus
Aww, how American of you to jump on the Twilight-hater bandwagon, having probably never cracked one of the books or seen one of the movies!
Wrong. Read the dreadful books. Saw the atrocious movies online.
Having scratched and clawed my way through two books and three movies, I am still 100% able to say this series (or, more accurately, its wild success) is cause for some serious pride lack.
Cracked the first book, saw how lame Bella was, end of story.
Read the first book… was disgusted by the message that it’s sending to “young adults” or rather to girls aged 12-20…that you are nothing without a man and you should just turn your back on your family and friends and completely give up your life as you know it, just to be with some guy that you met for 5 minutes. Great messages to send to impressionable, self-conscious young girls.
Citizen Kane? A movie that criticizes politicians, greedy corporations, the press, and celebrities, and whose main message is that we can never truly understand the powerful individuals who dominate our society, makes you proud to be an American? Just asking.
(You seemed to be just listing your favorite ‘All American’ movies, which is fine, but the question is which movies have the themes/plots/characters that instill pride in the U.S.?)
@maddie: Yeah, I was definitely just listing my favorite all American movies, instead of movies that make me feel patriotic. I realized what the article was asking after reading some of the other comments.
Saving Private Ryan and Forrest Gump are probably the only ones that would remain.
@Natalie…yes, what a horrible message Twilight sends to girls–that waiting to have sex until you’re in love is a good thing.
@Kay Waiting to have sex until marriage = good thing.
Being forced to wait to have sex by your emotionally and physically abusive and controlling boyfriend and then threatening to have an emotional breakdown and stop functioning as a normal person because you want to have sex with him = bad thing. The horrible message Twilight sends to girls is “You, as a woman, cannot function in society as a normal person without a big strong man to come save you any time you get in the smallest bit of danger”
And yes, i’ve read all the books and seen 2 of the movies. Don’t plan on seeing Eclipse or Breaking Dawn.
Oh man, I love Shawshank Redemption. Also, throwing my name in for Twilight – least proud (and before people start in, I’ve read the books, seen the movies).
Read the second book/watch the second movie, and you will know why this book is a poor example for teenage girls.
haha totally.
How can you not be proud of Team America: World Police?
AMERICA!!! F%&$ YEAH!
Sooooo true! Best comedy ever! Yeah, it makes fun of America….and everybody else! Please don’t lump this work of art in with the pompous, over-blown, cliche’d Avatar! Remember, freedom costs a buck o’ five.
And if you don’t kick in your buck o five, who will?
Team America World Police was awesomeness itself. Just the vomit scene alone was worth the price of admission. And it was superb satire. Wait, it was satire wasn’t it?
movies that make me feel pstriotic: Forrest Gump, and Hairspray (over comming racism and its about fat people!
)
movies that don’t: Twilight (because its soo cheesy) and Love Actually (because it makes me want to be British when Hugh Grant gives his “why England is awsome” speech!)
Agree with you on Love Actually. Hugh Grant’s speech about how America is bullying England always makes me wish I were a little less Yank.
I love Love Actually. I always feel so jealous during Hugh’s speech, because he’s so right and England has Harry Potter AND LOTR AND His Dark Materials.
And England has Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, and all those other amazing actors from Love Actually.
most proud: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967)
Forrest Gump
Miracle
The Blind Side and Remember the Titans
Milk…the movie starring Sean Penn…
least proud: The casting choices for “The Last Airbender”
Oh my… Yes! Remember the Titans (one of my favorite Denzel Washington films) is absolutely a great patriotic movie! Also, the television show American Dreams (1st season) made me feel quite patriotic.
Movies (and television shows) that make me feel (a bit) ashamed to be American are Wall Street and Gossip Girl.
Armageddon. I know its unrealistic and like a 2 hour long montage of clips like a commercial–Michael Bay’s finest; but I love the scene when Bruce Willis says “is this the best the US gov’t can do; the best NASA can do?” Then he volunteers to go with his team. I love it!
Agreed! this movie has the cheesy Americana scenes of the kids playing baseball and small towns and such, but Bruce Willis and his team as rough and tough down home Americans saving the world as all the other countries watch and are unified? awesome.
I’m not a huge Michael Bay fan, but he is excellent at creating classic Americana images. He did this really well in Pearl Harbor too!
Any classic movie about baseball makes me feel all patriotic, like The Natural and Field of Dreams. Least proud has got to be Pretty Woman, which teaches girls all around the world that prostitution is a glamorous and fulfilling career choice.
TOTALLY agree about The Natural. It incorporates old-school Americana with a timeless tale of dreams overcoming adversity… plus Robert Redford is easy on the eyes, which always helps.
Totally agree about Pretty Woman.
I’m not American, I’m Canadian but Clint Eastwood’s Flags of our Fathers… tearjerker!!!!
Also Gran Tarino, Changeling, and Million Dollar Baby
Drama: Probably Flags of Our Fathers
Comedy: Team America: World Police
Least proud: Tie: Smokey and the Bandit 3 and Gili. *Feh!*
I was living abroad when Sin City was released, and posters for it were all over Europe and the UK. At every other bus stop, on billboards, everywhere! But they didn’t reveal anything about the movie itself. When I finally saw the movie, a few years later, I was horrified at what it was really about. The useless violence and the depiction of women… I was ashamed. Totally ashamed that THIS is what America is proudly exporting and selling around the world. Women’s heads are mounted on the wall like animals! Absolutely horrifying imagery, all coming from the U.S. Say what you want about its artistic merits (I was a film student, I get it), but Sin City makes me least proud.
Most proud, Remember the Titans.
Really? You must have been a TERRIBLE film student. Sin City is an amazing series of comics, and a pretty darn good movie to boot.
Interestingly, not a terrible film student at all. One opinion on one film, believe it or not, does not determine the quality of my academics or art.
Least proud: Jackass
Least Proud:
Platoon: Even the opening credits make me cry.
Born on the Fourth of July: Bad, bad memories of the pro v. anti war schism of the Sixties.
Most Proud: any Pixar or Steven Speilberg movie
Least Proud: any Paris Hilton or Twilight movie
Oh Pixar is the bomb. I love everything they do.
I would say most proud: Saving Private Ryan. one of the best war films ever
least proud- I agree with A.R. I think Sin City is a disgrace and a horrible representation of what some Americans believe is ‘art’.
I would not say it’s art. I’d say that it is just fantasy and besides it was staying true to how dark and violent the graphic novel was. At least it was not as dumb as The Spirit.
Most Proud-Gettysburg, Glory, Sergeant York, Pork Chop Hill, Heartbreak Ridge, United 93.
Least Proud-Who Killed the Electric Car?, Cheyenne Autumn, Almost any film about slavery in the USA before the Civil War and the racism that was legal until the 1960s.
Then why, praytell, does Glory make you proud? It’s a film about a group of black soldiers who were treated poorly and callously by white Americans, yet you say the movies you’re least proud of are all about mistreatment of black Americans.
Glory is not just about the mistreatment of black soldiers, its about men fighting and dying for their country in spite of it. Being patriotic is also when people band together, despite their differences, for a common cause. Glory is also one of my favorites.
Glory makes me proud, because it shows the ignorance of racism and how when people are given a chance to be treated as equals, they prove their worth as human beings in a way that will be remembered for all time.
Least Proud- Birth of a Nation
Superly agreed!!! That and Bio-Dome are the least proud for me.
Among my least proud would be Walt Disney’s Song of the South which is so guilty of stereotyping that Disney won’t release it here, despite some good songs and stories.
America may never fully recover from the disaster of the Bush years. Truly a dark time in our history.
@LOL heaven help America if we survive the O years. P.S. don’t take it the wrong way. I’m not speaking as a D or an R I’m speaking as an american woman who is concerned about her country.
@Jello, yeah sure you are. If we survived Bush for 8 and Carter for 4 when I was a kid, we can survive any president. You’re another one of these people probably yelling we’re going commie or sometehing. Get a grip.