Twenty different movies to celebrate the Fourth of July
Twenty different movies to celebrate the Fourth of July
If it’s too hot to celebrate Independence Day outside, these 20 movies give you tons of different ways to honor America.
As the United States celebrates its independence, there will undoubtedly be plenty to do outside, from parades to picnics to cookouts to fireworks. But, if it’s too hot to leave the house, or you need a mid-afternoon break before heading back out for evening celebrations, the experts at The Streamable have put together a list of some of the best Fourth of July fare, regardless of what type of title you are looking for.
From iconically patriotic movies to nostalgic films about what it means to be American to musicals memorialzing the founding of our nation to horror flicks and satires warning against the country’s worst tendencies, we’ve come up with 20 different movies for Fourth of July viewing, and we are confident that there will be at least one (two or three or 20) titles included that you will be more than happy to sit inside and watch this Independence Day.
Fifteen movies to watch on the Fourth of July
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Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
October 19, 1939After the death of a United States Senator, the idealistic Jefferson Smith is appointed as his replacement in Washington. The naive and earnest new senator soon finds himself battling political corruption.
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Yankee Doodle Dandy
May 29, 1942A film of the life of the renowned musical composer, playwright, actor, dancer and singer George M. Cohan.
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Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
January 29, 1964After the insane General Jack D. Ripper initiates a nuclear strike on the Soviet Union, a war room full of politicians, generals and a Russian diplomat all frantically try to stop it.
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1776
November 9, 1972Colonial representatives gather in Philadelphia with the aim of establishing a set of governmental rules for the burgeoning United States. Benjamin Franklin and John Adams charge Thomas Jefferson with the task of writing a statement announcing the new country’s emancipation from British rule.
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All the President's Men
April 9, 1976During the 1972 elections, two reporters’ investigation sheds light on the controversial Watergate scandal that compels President Nixon to resign from his post.
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Stand by Me
August 8, 1986After learning that a boy their age has been accidentally killed near their rural homes, four boys decide to go see the body. Gordie, Vern, Chris, and Teddy encounter a mean junk man and a marsh full of leeches, but they also learn more about one another and their very different home lives. Just a lark at first, the boys’ adventure evolves into a defining event in their lives.
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Born on the Fourth of July
December 20, 1989The biography of Ron Kovic. Paralyzed in the Vietnam war, he becomes an anti-war and pro-human rights political activist after feeling betrayed by the country he fought for.
A potent combination of Oliver Stone and Tom Cruise makes this a must-see movie. Stone won the Oscar for Best Director for the story of a real-life veteran.
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A League of Their Own
July 1, 1992As America’s stock of athletic young men is depleted during World War II, a professional all-female baseball league springs up in the Midwest, funded by publicity-hungry candy maker Walter Harvey. Competitive sisters Dottie Hinson and Kit Keller spar with each other, scout Ernie Capadino and grumpy has-been coach Jimmy Dugan on their way to fame.
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The Sandlot
April 7, 1993During a summer of friendship and adventure, one boy becomes a part of the gang, nine boys become a team and their leader becomes a legend by confronting the terrifying mystery beyond the right field wall.
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Forrest Gump
June 23, 1994A man with a low IQ has accomplished great things in his life and been present during significant historic events—in each case, far exceeding what anyone imagined he could do. But despite all he has achieved, his one true love eludes him.
Tom Hanks leads a wonderful cast, including Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, and Sally Field. This Robert Zemeckis crowd-pleaser hauled in $678 million at the box office. “Forrest Gump” won six Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Hanks), and Best Adapted Screenplay.
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Apollo 13
June 30, 1995The true story of technical troubles that scuttle the Apollo 13 lunar mission in 1970, risking the lives of astronaut Jim Lovell and his crew, with the failed journey turning into a thrilling saga of heroism. Drifting more than 200,000 miles from Earth, the astronauts work furiously with the ground crew to avert tragedy.
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Independence Day
July 2, 1996Strange phenomena surface around the globe. The skies ignite. Terror races through the world’s major cities. As these extraordinary events unfold, it becomes increasingly clear that a force of incredible magnitude has arrived. Its mission: total annihilation over the Fourth of July weekend. The last hope to stop the destruction is an unlikely group of people united by fate and unimaginable circumstances.
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The Patriot
June 28, 2000After proving himself on the field of battle in the French and Indian War, Benjamin Martin wants nothing more to do with such things, preferring the simple life of a farmer. But when his son Gabriel enlists in the army to defend their new nation, America, against the British, Benjamin reluctantly returns to his old life to protect his son.
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Wet Hot American Summer
July 27, 2001It’s the last day of Camp Firewood’s season, but there’s still time for the big talent show, a little romance… and for everyone to be wiped out by the piece of NASA’s Skylab that’s hurtling toward Earth.
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National Treasure
November 19, 2004Modern treasure hunters, led by archaeologist Ben Gates, search for a chest of riches rumored to have been stashed away by George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin during the Revolutionary War. The chest’s whereabouts may lie in secret clues embedded in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, and Gates is in a race to find the gold before his enemies do.
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Good Night, and Good Luck.
September 16, 2005The story of journalist Edward R. Murrow’s stand against Senator Joseph McCarthy’s anti-communist witch-hunts in the early 1950s.
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Captain America: The First Avenger
July 22, 2011During World War II, Steve Rogers is a sickly man from Brooklyn who’s transformed into super-soldier Captain America to aid in the war effort. Rogers must stop the Red Skull – Adolf Hitler’s ruthless head of weaponry, and the leader of an organization that intends to use a mysterious device of untold powers for world domination.
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The Purge
May 31, 2013Given the country’s overcrowded prisons, the U.S. government begins to allow 12-hour periods of time in which all illegal activity is legal. During one of these free-for-alls, a family must protect themselves from a home invasion.
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Hidden Figures
December 10, 2016The untold story of Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson – brilliant African-American women working at NASA and serving as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history – the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit. The visionary trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big.
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Hamilton
September 5, 2025Presenting the tale of American founding father Alexander Hamilton, this filmed version of the original Broadway smash hit is the story of America then, told by America now.
