Independence Day: 'Hidden Figures' to 'National Treasure', 10 movies to binge on this Fourth of July weekend
This year, the Fourth of July celebrations are not going to be like ever before. The pandemic has changed the normal way of life for the foreseeable future and if your family invites the neighborhood for barbecue complete with food and fireworks, this year, you are going to have to contain in your home. Abiding by the stay-at-home and social distancing norms mandated by authorities is going to facilitate a safe Fourth of July.
Staying at home through this celebratory weekend might not be everyone's cup of tea so here is a list of movies you can binge-watch to save yourself from boredom. Classic favorites such as 'Saving Private Ryan', Tom Cruise's 'Top Gun', 'Vice', 'Lincoln', Tom Hanks' 'Forrest Gump', 'Apollo 13', James Cagney's 1942 musical hit 'Yankee Doodle Dandy', 'Pearl Harbour', and 'Mr Smith Goes to Washington' aren't included in the list below but maintain their popularity as some of the most-watched movies on the day.
'Captain America: The First Avenger'
This comic book adaptation takes place in 1940s' New York, where superhero fans are introduced to Steve Rogers ( Chris Evans), a man who is eager to fight for his country but keeps getting rejected for his sickly body. All that changes when the US turns him into Captain America, a super-soldier, which helps him against the Nazis in the fictional portrayal of World War II.
The movie stars Chris Evans, who was nominated for the Best Superhero award for Scream Awards, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Dominic Cooper, Richard Armitage, and Stanley Tucci.
'Hidden Figures'
Starring Taraji P Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons and Mahershala Ali, 'Hidden Figures' is a brilliant adaptation of Margot Lee Shetterly's book of the same name about black female mathematicians who worked at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) during the Space Race.
The film was nominated for three Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress for Octavia Spencer and two Golden Globes and highlights the country's age-old struggle with racism.
'Glory'
This 1989 movie celebrates the first African-American regiment who risked their lives during the Civil War, from the formation of their regiment to their heroic actions at the Second Battle of Fort Wagner.
Starring Matthew Broderick as Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, the regiment's commanding officer and Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes, and Morgan Freeman as fictional members of the 54th, the movie was nominated for five Academy Awards and won three, including Best Supporting Actor for Washington.
'Born on the Fourth of July'
The 1989 Academy Award-winning movie starring Tom Cruise (filmed three years after 'Top Gun') in an unforgettable performance alongside Raymond J. Barry, Caroline Kava, Josh Evans, Anne Bobby and Tom Berenger is based on the eponymous autobiography of Ron Kovic, anti-war activist, writer, and former United States Marine Corps sergeant who was wounded and paralyzed in the Vietnam War. It continues to be one of the most favorites of movies to be watched on the Fourth of July weekend.
'Independence Day'
This 1996 film starring Bill Pullman, Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Randy Quaid, Judd Hirsch, Margaret Colin, and Vivica A. Fox is a classic for the Fourth of July weekend. Aliens are coming to destroy the Earth and a group of people must save humanity for doom. Who doesn't want to watch Smith punch an alien in the face?
The movie will be airing on July 4, 2020, 1 pm ET/PT onwards on AMC.
'Zero Dark Thirty'
Dramatizing the real-life events of the 2011 US military raid of Osama Bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, 'Zero Dark Thirty' keeps you on the edge of your seat as Jessica Chastain, playing the role of Maya, a fictional CIA intelligence analyst, races against time and hope to bring justice to America.
The movie stars Jason Clarke, Reda Kateb, Kyle Chandler, Jennifer Ehle and Harold Perrineau alongside Chastain.
'The Sandlot'
This coming-of-age comedy film starring Tom Guiry, Mike Vitar, Karen Allen, Denis Leary, and James Earl Jones is a cult classic nostalgia movie and perfect for the Fourth of July weekend watch with children.
'National Treasure'/ 'National Treasure: Book of Secrets'
Disney adventure movie stars Nicolas Cage as Benjamin Gates, a treasure hunter who uncovers hidden troves and secrets of US history. The movie was written by Jim Kouf and the Wibberleys and directed by Jon Turteltaub and features a treasure hunt where Cage steals the Declaration of Independence for clues.
'Team America: World Police'
The 2004 satire written by 'South Park's Pam Brady, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, who also directs the movie, is about the "popular Broadway actor Gary Johnston who is recruited by the elite counter-terrorism organization Team America: World Police." It focuses on big-budget action films and their stereotypes on the global implications of US politics.
'Olympus has Fallen'
What is not there to look forward to in the 2013 flick 'Olympus has Fallen'? Slow-motion tattered flag falling on to the White House lawn, the Secretary of defense reciting the pledge of allegiance as she is mercilessly beaten and a terrorist bludgeoned with a bust of Abe Lincoln - the movie yells Independence Day.
Starring Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Angela Bassett, Robert Forster, Cole Hauser, Ashley Judd, Melissa Leo, Dylan McDermott, Radha Mitchell, and Rick Yune, the movie depicts a North Korean-led guerrilla assault on the White House.