The Fourth of July is upon us once again, and while this holiday is traditionally reserved for BBQs and beach days, I m frankly still wiped from Pride. (As it turns out, going out every night for two weeks straight will take a toll once you pass the age of 19.) With that in mind, I m planning a massive movie marathon for this weekend, and I know I m not the only one; below, find a list of seven patriotism-adjacent movies that mostly refrain from veering into gross, jingoistic territory.
- The American President (1995)
Do I want to live in a version of America scripted by Aaron Sorkin? Not particularly, but that doesn t mean I don t rewatch The American President every time it s on TV. What can I say? Watching POTUS (Michael Douglas) wooing a plucky environmental lobbyist (Annette Bening) is my idea of pure romance.
- Forrest Gump
I hate to admit it, but I m a sucker for the bird s-eye view of American history that this film presents through the foibles of one young man named Forrest Gump. Side note: Does the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company in Times Square still exist?
- Maid in Manhattan (2002)
Granted, the political vibes of this movie are sort of suspect (the male protagonist, played by Ralph Fiennes, is a Republican senatorial candidate, and there s a lot of talk about Nixon), but it gets me saluting the TV screen anyway.
- A League of Their Own (1992)
Okay, fine, this one is tenuous, but you know...baseball! Feminism! America!
- 1776 (1972)
Long before Hamilton, there was this weird, fun little musical about the American Revolution, which was bold enough to portray many of the Founding Fathers as hot.
- Legally Blonde (2001)
I m no cheerleader for the U.S. justice system, but this film—in which certified hottie Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) gets into Harvard Law to win back her loser ex and ends up becoming a kick-ass lawyer in the process—always makes me want to go out and sign up for the New York bar exam. Yes, I know that real lawyers don t usually get to make grandstanding speeches in court with all of their family and friends watching, but let me dream!
- G.I. Jane (1997)
Boo to dramas that help prop up the military-industrial complex (looking at you, The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty), but yay to Demi Moore rocking a shaved head.
