Star-spangled cinema: Best movies to watch for the Fourth of July

For film fans looking for something fun to watch this weekend in between barbecues and fireworks, Entertainment Weekly’s recent issue includes a list of the top 25 most patriotic movies. The complete list includes films such as “Top Gun,” “Patton,” and “Stripes,” but I’ve highlighted a few of my personal favorites. This list also serves as a shameful reminder of the fact that I still haven’t watched “Saving Private Ryan.” Maybe that should be my Fourth of July movie this year!

Apollo 13

I’ve always loved reading about the NASA space program, and I remember geeking out as a kid when I got to do a report about the Apollo 11 moon landing for school. Ron Howard’s “Apollo 13” is one of my favorite space movies that doesn’t happen to be science fiction. Apollo 13 was supposed to be a routine lunar mission — until it wasn’t, and three astronauts had to trouble-shoot in space in order to survive, with the help of Mission Control back home. Even though I know from history how the story ends, it’s a nail biter for me every time. Entertainment Weekly calls it an “ode to a bygone era of space exploration and American optimism”; every time I watch it, I hope that humanity won’t give up on its quest to explore the stars.

Air Force One

Harrison Ford’s badass fictional president James Marshall is a politician everyone can agree on: when Air Force One is taken over by terrorists, he refuses to give in to their demands. He fights to regain control of the aircraft, saving lives and just generally being awesome. It’s a great action movie and tense thriller up until the final moments when Marshall (spoiler alert!) saves the day.

Independence Day

No Fourth of July movie list would be complete without “Independence Day,” right? “Independence Day” is the quintessential summer blockbuster, with Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum facing off against a fleet of aliens attacking Earth. Plus, Bill Pullman also co-stars as my personal favorite fictional president, Thomas J. Whitmore, who actually climbs on board a fighter jet and goes to war against the aliens himself. After making a totally epic speech, of course.

Captain America: The First Avenger

“Captain America: The First Avenger” was my first real introduction to “the star-spangled man with a plan,” who has now become one of my favorite superheroes. What makes Captain America such a powerful symbol is that he doesn’t begin his story as a beefed-up superhero with muscles or cool powers. Instead, he’s a man with a good heart and a sense of justice who is unafraid to stand up to bullies. Steve Rogers is the moral compass of the Marvel movies, and his next two films — “The Winter Soldier” and “Civil War” — are so fascinating because we see circumstances challenge his ideals. Yet he continues to hold to those ideals, even when it requires great personal sacrifice.

Gettysburg

Time for another confession — I’m not sure if I have watched “Gettysburg” all the way through, as I’ve seen it mostly in parts. It’s a long movie, but this American epic is worth a watch, memorializing one of the most violent and tragic periods in American history. Jeff Daniels’ Union commander Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain is the heart and soul of this movie; his idealism is an inspiration to the soldiers around him.

The Right Stuff

The U.S. achieved an important milestone by landing an astronaut on the moon in 1969, but the space program got off to a much rockier start. Delays and technical problems plagued the program. Yet there was plenty of determination in the early days of NASA, and “The Right Stuff” chronicles the cocky pilots who dared to become astronauts and risked their lives as brave explorers. They were made of the “right stuff,” indeed.

‘Hollywood goes to Washington’: My favorite political-themed films

Although lately it seems the behavior of politicians has been more cringe-inducing than commendable, Capitol Hill continues to serve as a very fruitful source of inspiration for Hollywood. The power struggles and clashes of ideals inherent in politics have made the perfect fuel for big-screen dramas since the beginning of movie-making. Hollywood has shown politicians at their best — such as James Stewart’s idealistic senator, Jefferson Smith, in the classic “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (1939) — and at their worst — see this year’s comedy/satire “The Campaign,” starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis.

While the upcoming November elections promise to provide plenty of real-life drama, 😉 here’s a few of my favorite fictional political-themed films:

“Air Force One” (1997)

President James Marshall, played by Harrison Ford, isn’t one to go down without a fight. When Air Force One is hijacked by terrorists, Marshall — a Vietnam vet and Medal of Honor recipient — refuses to surrender. He orders his staff back in Washington not to negotiate with the terrorists, even though he knows it may cost him his life, and he fights to regain control of the plane.

“Air Force One” is an intense, suspenseful thriller with a strong supporting cast that includes Gary Oldman, Glenn Close and William H. Macy. James Marshall may be just a fictional character, but I’d vote for him if he was actually running for office. 🙂

“The Ghost Writer” (2010)

In this film, Ewan McGregor plays an unnamed ghostwriter who is tasked with helping a former British prime minister (Pierce Brosnan) write a memoir, after the death of the book’s previous ghostwriter. What seems to be a straightforward writing project grows more sinister, and McGregor’s ghostwriter begins to uncover details certain officials would like to remain hidden. As he digs deeper, he realizes he must make a decision: Will he keep quiet and cash his paycheck, or will he reveal the dangerous secrets he’s uncovered, even if it may put his life in jeopardy?

“The Ghost Writer” didn’t seem to be a huge box office success in the United States, which is a shame, because it’s a very timely and thought-provoking film. It’s a slow-burning thriller; there are no high-speed car chases, no dramatic shoot-outs. However, the movie carefully builds up a sense of tension and suspense, and the film’s eerie soundtrack adds to the feeling of unease. I’d also highly recommend the book this movie is based on, written by Robert Harris.

“Independence Day” (1996)

It’s probably a stretch to call this a political film, but it does feature one of my favorite big-screen presidents. “Independence Day” isn’t a deep film, and it doesn’t pretend to be; it’s simply a fun summer blockbuster about the United States’ efforts to fight off an alien invasion.

The film spends a lot of time focusing on Bill Pullman’s character, Thomas J. Whitmore, the president at the time of the attacks. Pullman struggles to keep the country together as society threatens to collapse into a state of panic. He goes beyond just giving inspiring speeches, however — at the end of the film, he pilots one of the fighter jets targeting the alien ships. Is it realistic? Probably not. But it’s still pretty awesome for a commander-in-chief, if you ask me. 😉 He joins Harrison Ford’s President James Marshall on the list of Hollywood presidents you really don’t want to mess with.

“The State Within” (2006)

This excellent BBC miniseries is a study of both American and British politics, and how government ethics and foreign policy have been impacted by the war on terror. Jason Isaacs turns in a strong performance as Sir Mark Brydon, a British ambassador in Washington, D.C., who finds himself in the middle of a complex political conspiracy that could lead to a war. There is a sinister thread connecting seemingly unrelated events: a terrorist attack that causes a British airplane to crash on American soil; a man on death row who claims he is innocent; and the assassination of an important political figure. Brydon is not sure who he can trust, or what secrets are being hidden by top officials such as Lynne Warner (Sharon Gless), the American secretary of defense, or Nicholas Brocklehurst (Ben Daniels), an MI6 operative.

“The State Within” is now available for instant viewing on Netflix, and it’s well worth taking the time to watch. It doesn’t push an overt political agenda — it simply asks both the U.S. and the U.K. to take a look at how we’ve changed in the past decade, and what our governments have gained or lost in our post-9/11 world.

So, who is your favorite big-screen president? What is your favorite political-themed film?