Want to watch some patriotic movies this July 4th?

Ah, the Fourth of July weekend is almost upon us. And while many of us will take to the beaches, lakes, parks and other wonderful outdoor locales to celebrate American independence with friends and family, some of us might get stuck with that buzz kill of all July 4th buzz kills: rain. Hey, it happens, and despite putting a damper on the big fireworks shows, it does offer up a chance to catch some nice holiday-themed movies.

Now, when it comes to actual films that portray the 4th of July, well, that's only a handful. Some of these movies are just simply wonderful, patriotic movies that I happen to really like. I suspect I'm not alone in loving, for example, 1989's Glory. Last night, my spouse (who dutifully watches nearly every movie I suggest) informed me that he's never seen this classic movie about the first all-black volunteer company in the Civil War. The forecast for our July 4th calls for a good chance of rain, so guess what we'll be watching? Glory is the film that put Denzel Washington on everyone's radar instantly, when he won the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award in 1990, by the way. If you haven't seen Glory, you should.

I'm having a hard time limiting myself as I write, because all kinds of excellent films keep popping into my head. One that always comes to mind when I think of a truly patriotic, non-military film is Apollo 13. This is, in my opinion, director Ron Howard's best film. Nothing else even comes close, as far as I'm concerned, to this epic film about the 1970 lunar space mission crisis. Even if you know what happens, it doesn't matter - you are still on the edge of your seat, and the water works flow freely. I realize this is perhaps an unconventional choice when it comes to great movies to watch on the Fourth of July, but hey, I really can't get this out of my head right now.

Finally, yes, I'm going to recommend one of my favorite action movies of all time: Independence Day. I remember seeing this movie when it opened over the July 4th weekend in 1996. This, to me, is still Will Smith's best film and it remains the only Roland Emmerich-directed movie I actually love (and no, I haven't seen White House Down yet but there's no way it compares to Independence Day). If you haven't seen Independence Day in a while, there's never a bad time to revisit it.

I could go on and on with honorable mentions, but I won't, except to say other great movie choices that sprang to mind include Saving Private Ryan, Patton and The Patriot. Again though, there are so many more worth mentioning.

Okay everyone, let's hear it: What are your favorite patriotic and/or July 4th-themed movies?

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