The July 4th celebration in America is an opportunity to barbecue, enjoy fireworks, celebrate Independence Day, and then settle in to watch some great movies. The Independence Day holiday commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. That makes the films people watch feel very patriotic.

These July 4th movie marathons feature a diverse range of films, from science fiction thrillers and war movies to films about astronauts, musicals, and feel-good stories about living the American dream. The best thing that most movie fans can do is line up a diverse list of movies and watch a little of everything. There are many great films to choose from.

10

Independence Day (1996)

An Alien Invasion Rallies Americans To Fight Together

It is impossible to schedule a July 4th movie marathon without bringing in the film named after the holiday. Independence Day is a Roland Emmerich disaster flick about an alien invasion. After aliens attack Earth and destroy several iconic landmarks, including the White House, it is the U.S. President who rallies people to fight back.

Independence Day stars Will Smith as a Marine and an aspiring astronaut who is brought in to help battle the aliens head-on. Jeff Goldblum joins him as an MIT-educated scientist, Bill Pullman as the President of the United States, and Randy Quaid as an eccentric former fighter pilot from the Vietnam War who claims to have been abducted by aliens.

Independence Day is a perfect movie for the July 4th celebrations. It includes the very patriotic speech by Pullman’s president, as he rallies everyone to fight for the country’s freedom, and the visuals evoke an Independence Day feeling, from the fireworks to the fighter jets taking to the skies.

9

Glory (1989)

The Union Army’s Earliest African American Regiments In The Civil War

While not a story about the American Revolution, Glory is still a war movie that invokes what it means to be an American hero. The film features a great cast, including Cary Elwes, Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, and Andre Braugher.

Based on a true story, Glory follows one of the first Black regiments in the Union Army during the Civil War. Led by a white commanding officer named Col. Robert Shaw (Broderick), the unit was mainly composed of volunteers, but their actions during the war inspired thousands of Black men to volunteer and fight for the Union as well.

Denzel Washington won his first Oscar for this movie, and it remains one of the best Civil War films ever made, as well as one of Hollywood’s greatest war movies in general.

8

A League Of Their Own (1992)

The Women’s Baseball League That Formed During World War II

A League of Their Own is a movie about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which formed during World War II to allow people at home in America to enjoy baseball as a slight respite during the war. What resulted was one of the best sports movies of all time, with some incredible performances along the way.

Tom Hanks stars as Jimmy Dugan, a cynical former MLB player now down on his luck, as he manages the team. However, it’s the team that carries this movie, with Geena Davis, Madonna, Lori Petty, Rosie O’Donnell, and Anne Ramsay as the standout actors in the film.

The movie remains a beloved classic for baseball fans, and the story remains patriotic as these women stepped up to entertain Americans during one of the country’s most difficult times. The Library of Congress added it to the National Film Registry in 2012.

7

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939)

A Newly Appointed Senator Fights Government Corruption

Frank Capra is a master of making movies about Americana, and he directed one of the best Christmas movies ever made, It’s a Wonderful Life. He also directed a film that is perfect for a July 4th movie marathon with the same actor from his Christmas movie. James Stewart stars in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

Stewart stars as Jefferson Smith, a man appointed by the governor to fill a vacancy in the U.S. Senate following the death of the state’s senator. The governor chose him because he is naive about politics, and thereby can be easily manipulated. However, he is also a good man who decides he wants to make a difference.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington has a reputation as a film about a good man in politics who wants to help people, rather than only support the wealthy. The film was a huge success, garnering 10 Oscar nominations, but ultimately won only for Best Writing, Original Story. The Library of Congress added it to the National Film Registry.

6

Forrest Gump (1994)

A Man Runs Through U.S. History

Forrest Gump was a sensation when it was released because director Robert Zemeckis took Tom Hanks’ тιтular character and superimposed him into actual historical scenes and moments, featuring everyone from John F. Kennedy to Elvis Presley and John Lennon.

The movie follows the life of Forrest Gump. He fought in the war, played college football, and met U.S. Presidents. He also decides to start running and doesn’t stop, running from one end of the country to the other and getting involved in several historical moments. What resulted was a film that represented the American dream.

Forrest Gump beat out movies like Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption.

The film won six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor. It was a mᴀssive year in cinema, as Forrest Gump beat out movies like Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption for Best Picture. However, it remains a beloved film and is a perfect addition to any July 4th movie marathon.

5

Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

A Musical Patriotic Movie

Yankee Doodle Dandy is a 1942 biographical musical movie about George M. Cohan. Directed by Michael Curtiz (Casablanca), Yankee Doodle Dandy stars James Cagney, who made his name in gangster movies like The Public Enemy, The Roaring Twenties, and White Heat. This was a change, but it ultimately won him an Oscar.

Yankee Doodle Dandy is considered the first-ever jukebox musical, which takes popular songs and restructures them for a musical film. The story takes place in World War II when actor George M. Cohan (Cagney) comes out of retirement to play President Roosevelt in the musical I’d Rather Be Right.

Yankee Doodle Dandy earned three Oscar wins, including Best Picture. The film is a great July 4th movie, and it even ties into the holiday since Cohan always said he was born on July 4th.

4

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Quentin Tarantino’s Alternate History War Film

Quentin Tarantino released his war movie in 2009, and it shocked the world. This was due in part to an incredible script and a shocking twist ending that set the entire film in an alternate world where World War II ended in a completely different way. What resulted was a film that earned eight Oscar nominations.

The movie is divided into separate events during the war: a group of Nazi hunters led by Brad Pitt, a woman seeking revenge on the SS officer who killed her family, and an actor sent to infiltrate the Nazi party at the premiere of one of their propaganda films. What happens at the end is the brutal murder of Adolf Hitler and his main commanders.

The film is considered one of Tarantino’s best movies.

The film is considered one of Tarantino’s best movies, which speaks volumes considering his career. It is also a movie that is perfect for a July 4th movie marathon, thanks to its pro-American message and the idea of American and British soldiers winning a war much more quickly than it was accomplished in real life.

3

The Sandlot (1993)

A Coming-Of-Age Baseball Movie

The Sandlot is a movie that has a strong connection to Independence Day and the July 4th celebration, especially in ballparks across the United States. Directed by David Mickey Evans, The Sandlot tells the story of a group of pre-teen boys who love baseball and spend most of their time playing on the local neighborhood sandlot.

There is a straightforward tie-in to the Fourth of July, as the boys play a baseball game on that holiday with the light of fireworks in the background, to which they admit that “baseball was life” and that is the setup for these kids to figure out what they want to be in life and learn the importance of their friendship.

The movie is still played at ballparks across the nation, and many tie it into July 4th celebrations in their communities.

2

Apollo 13 (1995)

The Return Home Of The Iconic Spacecraft

One of the best films to watch during a July 4th movie marathon showcases the perseverance of the American spirit and the will to survive against even the greatest odds. Directed by Ron Howard, Apollo 13 tells the true-life story of the 1970 lunar mission and the difficulties the spacecraft faced in returning to Earth with the astronauts aboard.

Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Paxton play the astronauts, while Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, and Kathleen Quinlan play the people on Earth doing everything to help the stranded astronauts. Ron Howard worked hard to ensure accuracy by collaborating closely with NASA throughout the movie’s production.

Apollo 13 received nine Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, but only won two. However, in 2023, the Library of Congress added the film to the National Film Registry, and it remains a perfect movie to watch in any July 4th marathon to honor the American spirit.

1

Top Gun (1986)

An Action Movie Surrounding Young Fighter Pilots

Top Gun is a perfect movie for people looking for a pro-American patriotic military film to watch during a July 4th marathon. Directed by Tony Scott, who worked directly with the U.S. Navy while making the movie, Top Gun follows the lives of the Top Gun flight program, which trains the next generation of fighter pilots.

Tom Cruise is Maverick, a young H๏τsH๏τ with a lot to prove, who develops an instant rivalry with another great pilot named Iceman (Val Kilmer). However, Maverick suffers from setbacks, especially when his partner and best friend, Goose, dies in an accident while the two men were on a mission.

With that said, the big rock music soundtrack and the high-octane flight scenes make this one of the most exciting action movies from the 1980s. For any July 4th movie marathon, Top Gun might be the best film to end the day watching.