There are many ways to celebrate the Fourth of July, but one of the most fitting is certainly to indulge in a beloved American pastime: watching a movie. Many films have been made about American history, from war epics to inspiring true stories, but we’ve curated a list of the best of the best, the most patriotic films that tackle America’s complex history in ways that are both grand and intimate, comedic and dramatic, awe-inspiring and inspiring.
Here are the best patriotic movies to watch on July 4th and where to stream each one.
Saving Private Ryan
Steven Spielberg’s 1998 film is widely considered one of the best World War II films ever made, and is a tribute to those who served. Set in Normandy in 1944, the story follows a group of soldiers on a mission to find a soldier (played by Matt Damon) whose brothers have all died in the war. The travelogue nature of the film allows Spielberg to show many different facets of World War II combat, from the opening invasion of Normandy (one of the most memorable sequences ever filmed) to the toll the war took on Allied soldiers and civilians. With a stellar cast led by Tom Hanks, Saving Private Ryan won five Academy Awards, including Best Director for Spielberg, but lost Best Picture to Shakespeare in Love in a shocking upset.
Where to stream: Prime Video, Paramount+
1776
If you like patriotism in musical form, “1776” is the movie for you. The 1972 film is based on the Broadway musical of the same name and follows the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. William Daniels plays John Adams and Ken Howard plays Thomas Jefferson. For two and a half hours, they tell the story while occasionally breaking into catchy songs by musician and lyricist Sherman Edwards. This movie is a delight.
Where to stream: Pipes
Glory
The 1989 film “Glory” tells the true story of one of the first all-black regiments in the Union Army during the Civil War, offering the kind of American story that is too rarely told in American history. Denzel Washington won his first Oscar for his supporting role as Private Silas Trip, but the ensemble cast is remarkable: Morgan Freeman, Andre Braugher, Matthew Broderick and Cary Elwes all star in this epic but intimate war drama from director Edward Zwick.
Where to stream: Philo
Mr. Smith goes to Washington
Filmmaker Frank Capra had the superpower of capturing the human spirit on screen in a way that didn’t seem cheesy or fake, and his 1939 film “Mr. Smith Goes Senate” is one of his best films. Jimmy Stewart plays a naive U.S. senator who arrives in Washington with a fresh face and finds himself fighting government corruption, culminating in a filibuster that remains one of the most iconic moments in cinema. Cynics will find the film naive, but it’s ambitious in the best sense of the word.
Where to stream: Prime Video
The Patriot
The 2000 film “The Patriot” didn’t win any awards for historical accuracy, but this American Revolution drama came at a time when Hollywood was spending lavishly on glossy epics, and in that respect it’s compelling to see this story told on such a grand scale. “Saving Private Ryan” screenwriter Robert Rodat wrote the story of a widower with seven children who finds himself in the grips of the British after suffering a devastating loss at the hands of a particularly evil British colonel played by Jason Isaacs. The cast is spectacular, with Heath Ledger delivering a terrific performance as Gibson’s eldest son, while Chris Cooper, Tom Wilkinson, Joely Richardson and Logan Lerman all appear.
Where to stream: Prime Video, Philo
Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick
When it comes to quintessentially American films, “Top Gun” is right up there. But the magnificent 2022 sequel, “Top Gun: Maverick,” is right up there, making it a perfect double bill for the Fourth of July. Director Tony Scott’s original “Top Gun” catapulted Tom Cruise to movie stardom with its story of pilots chosen to train in an elite program. Director Joseph Kosinski’s “Top Gun: Maverick” incredibly captures the magic of the original while ramping up the emotion as Miles Teller plays the son of Goose, played by Anthony Edwards in the first film. These movies are dynamite.
Where to stream “Top Gun”: Paramount+ and Pluto
Where to stream “Top Gun: Maverick”: Paramount+ and Prime Video
Independence Day
The movie is literally called “Independence Day”: what could be more patriotic? Roland Emmerich’s 1996 film made Will Smith a movie star, but it’s also a lot of fun to watch. The blockbuster imagines an alien invasion across the globe and the resistance—led by Bill Pullman, the president of the United States—gathering to fight back. Smith is a Navy pilot who has a close encounter with one of the creatures, and his exchanges with Jeff Goldblum’s satellite engineer are unforgettable. But what really seals the deal for this patriotic choice is Pullman’s iconic “We shall not go quietly into the night” speech. That’s what movies are made of.
Where to stream: Hulu
Lincoln
If “Saving Private Ryan” was Steven Spielberg’s tribute to U.S. military veterans, his 2012 film “Lincoln” was his love letter to American lawmakers. The long-in-the-making Abraham Lincoln movie finally hit its stride when he and screenwriter Tony Kushner decided to focus on the January 1865 effort to abolish slavery, told from Lincoln’s perspective (played by a stunning, Oscar-winning performance by Daniel Day-Lewis). But the film delves deep into the American legislative process — the messy, impassioned, and complicated path that Lincoln and his cronies took to pass the 13th Amendment. “Lincoln” doesn’t paint a rosy picture, either, as it portrays a conflicted man at a breaking point for our country. It’s also, admittedly, a hell of a funny movie.
Where to stream: Prime Video
Born on July 4th
Patriotism has many facets, and Oliver Stone’s “Born on the Fourth of July” is a searing take on the Vietnam War as seen through the eyes of a wounded veteran. Oscar-nominated Tom Cruise plays Ron Kovic, a man who becomes an anti-war activist after being wounded in Vietnam and returning home to find his country has abandoned him.
Where to stream: Netflix
