Fun Fridays–Movies for a Patriotic Weekend
There are certain movies I like to pull out to watch over Independence Day, and since it falls on a weekend this year, that means I can pull out even more of them.
- Starring William Daniels as John Adams, Ken Howard as Thomas Jefferson, and Howard De Silva as Benjamin Franklin. Also featuring Blythe Danner, John Cullum, and James Noble.
As the title suggests, this is a musical-theater version of the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. I’d never heard of it until two years ago when TCM played it right after The Music Man the weekend of Independence Day. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The movie released in 1972 (why not wait four more years until the Bicentennial???) and it’s one that remains relatively unknown.
- Starring Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, Buddy Hackett, and Little Ronnie Howard
As I mentioned two years ago, this is not only one of my favorite musicals, it’s one of the first movies I think of to watch on Independence Day—part of the action does happen on the Fourth of July.
- Starring Adam Baldwin, Jeff Goldblum, Judd Hirsch, Margaret Colin, Robert Loggia, Randy Quaid, Will Smith, Vivica A. Fox, Mary McDonnell, Brent Spiner, and Bill Pullman
Adam Baldwin, one of the most underappreciated actors of this age, doesn’t get to be in many major blockbuster movies, so this is, first and foremost, an “Adam Baldwin movie” for me. But it’s also a great movie to inspire patriotism for the Fourth of July. As President Whitmore, Bill Pullman delivers an inspiring and moving speech and it was for this reason, along with the kick-butt action, that I pulled this movie out to watch on a certain Tuesday evening in September 2001. (This was the only video I could find of just the speech, so please pardon the quality.)
- Starring Sam Shepard, Scott Glenn, Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid, Fred Ward, Barbara Hershey, Kathy Baker, and Jeff Goldblum
What’s not to love about a movie that chronicles the beginning of the space program in the U.S. The Right Stuff follows the lives of the original seven Mercury astronauts—what it took for them to make the perilous step from ground to outer space, and the toll that took on them and their families.
- Starring Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Ed Harris, Gary Sinise, and Kathleen Quinlan
You can’t watch The Right Stuff without following it up with Apollo 13.
- Starring Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Jason Isaacs, Joely Richardson, Chris Cooper, and ADAM BALDWIN 🙂
Did you truly think I’d make a list of movies to watch over Independence Day weekend and not mention this one? Sure, there’s a bit to be desired with the historical accuracy of this (I know that, and I’m ashamed at my woeful lack of knowledge about the Revolutionary War), but still, it’s a great reminder of the sacrifices our ancestors made so we could live in a free country.
Bonus video: 40 Inspirational Speeches in 2 Minutes
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KayeDacus.com 
Well, you pulled out some of my all-time favorite movies for this one! I found 1776 several years ago, and have watched it ever since. GOT to get that one on DVD….It really makes you look at the “founding fathers” differently. They were real guys, strangers for the most part, meeting in unairconditioned splendor, who had to made decisions that still affect us today. Wow. My favorite parts? “Sit Down, John” and the song between John and Abigail Adams where he wants her to make salt peter for the soldiers, and all she wants, since there are shortages of everything, is some PINS!
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I was really surprised to discover last night that it isn’t available to watch instantly on Netflix. Now that I don’t have TCM anymore, that means I won’t actually get to watch it this year. 😦
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I’ve seen quite a few of these and LOVE them. You know, at Christmas and Thanksgiving my family watches movies, but we never have for the 4th of July. I think we may be watching a movie this year!
Check out my blog today. Your name is all over my post. 😉
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You’re too funny. Glad you’re enjoying the writing series index.
I always thought I was weird because I wrote—but even weirder because I collected images of people and settings to go with what I wrote. I almost cried when, at my first writers’ conference, Yvonne Lehmann pulled out her storyboard (a poster) with images of her characters and settings and showed it to everyone in the Writing Romance class. Up until that point in time, I’d always thought there was something wrong with me because I did that.
I think that’s one of the reasons I like talking about writing—and all of my own personal idiosyncrasies—so much. Because I don’t want anyone feeling the way I did until I was thirty years old: that there was something wrong with me because of what I did instinctively when creating stories.
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I think many writers are creative by nature and lost all sorts of various forms of art. Many of us are visual and like to “see” our stories, whether it is with character photos, or a movie of them playing in our head.
And personally, I think anything we do that helps us to create vivid and believable stories is okay. Well, maybe not EVERYTHING. I suppose role playing wouldn’t be so good if you were writing like…say, a prostitute, or serial killer, or stripper. Yeah…that wouldn’t be appropriate. But anything else is okay. 🙂
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Love me some Independence Day. 🙂
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I’m surprised by how many people, who consider themselves Adam Baldwin fans, have contacted me in shock—Adam Baldwin was in that movie??? Who was he??? That was actually the first time I ever really noticed him, even though I know I’d seen him in stuff before that.
[FYI, everyone else—Adam Baldwin played Major Mitchell at Area 51. He’s one of the ones who shot the alien in the lab, and he’s the one who went in and pulled the tentacles off Brent Spiner’s neck and checked his pulse. AND he’s the one who shot the Coke can off the spaceship.]
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Dang, I didn’t recall Adam Baldwin in that movie either. Now I’m going to have to watch Independence Day again.
He’s one of my favorite actors. In the TV series Chuck, I laugh during just about every scene he’s in. I believe, in that show, he has developed grunting into an art form.
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Oh, that was fun! After that inspirational speech at the end…I’m ready to finish this work day! Or just go home and watch movies…that sounds better.
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Yep, watching movies sounds better. 😉
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I LOVE Independence Day! President Whitmore’s speech never fails to make me proud to be an American.
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I’ve been hearing lots of people talk about 1776 and how wonderful it is. I guess I’ll have to see if any of the libraries have it available. One film I like is actually the visitors’ center film in Williamsburg called Williamsburg: The Story of a Patriot. When my family went to Williamsburg several years ago we actually watched the film three times on our visit! It was created in the 1950’s using actor Jack Lord as the lead character. We now own it on video. The original film has been playing ever day since 1957 and is still being played at the visitors’ center even though it has been re-colored and restored.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049956/fullcredits#cast
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I usually don’t watch any movies for this day (with the exception of our home videos from Williamsburg, VA) and this:
It’s the best and most emotional version of this song i’ve heard anyone sing, so i’ve been keeping it on repeat.
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My favorite 4th of July film (and I’m watching it right now) is “Yankee Doodle Dandy” starring James Cagney! Love the music and the “flag-waving” patriotism!
I also love “Music Man” and have since a child. I have the movie and Broadway sountracks and enjoy singing along with them. That means nobody wants to watch it with me because I love singing and quoting right along with it! 🙂
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