30 Best Movies to Watch on the Fourth of July
Celebrate with a movie marathon.
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Before you break out the decorations and whip up those red, white, and blue desserts on the 4th of July, kick back with a few classic patriotic movies that celebrate America's birthday, from family-friendly classics to films about the day itself.
For a one-of-a-kind exploration of the country's history, look no further than Hamilton, Lin Manuel Miranda's ground-breaking musical, currently streaming on Disney+. Using rap and hip-hop, Miranda and the ensemble cast make Alexander Hamilton's story—from his extraordinary accomplishments to his love triangle with the Schuyler sisters—come to life more than any textbook could.
If you prefer stellar soundtracks to actors doing the singing themselves, why not revisit Forrest Gump, which gives us a tour through the greatest hits of 20th century American history. Or, watch Hidden Figures, a celebration of the women who made the moon landing possible, and the family-friendly Moonrise Kingdom, which captures the feeling of summer in a film.There are even horror movies centered around the holiday. These movies are big on nostalgia and good old American spirit, and are available on to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Disney+.
Whatever type of festive film you're in the mood for, we've got on this list. There's something for everyone, no matter your interests. You might even find enough films to binge from now through Independence Day Weekend, so you might as well start clicking through this gallery and making a list!
Remember the Titans
Release date: September 29, 2000
Starring: Denzel Washington, Ryan Gosling
Prior knowledge of football is not required to thoroughly enjoy this inspirational sports movie, which is based on a true story. Set in 1971, the movie follows a football team at a newly integrated high school. Coach Herman Boone (Denzel Washington) has to teach his team how to, well, be a team.
Harriet
Release date: November 1, 2019
Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., Janelle Monáe, Joe Alwyn
Cynthia Erivo plays the abolitionist Harriet Tubman, who escaped slavery and then helped others do the same, in this biopic. (Erivo also sang an Oscar-nominated song in the end credits). After escaping a plantation in Maryland, Tubman returned to shepherd her family, and many others, to freedom. The Fourth of July celebrates the signing of the Declaration of Independence—and Harriet is a reminder that not all Americans were free at the time.
I Know What You Did Last Summer
Release Date: October 17, 1997
Starring: Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe and Freddie Prinze Jr.
I Know What You Did Last Summer takes place entirely on Independence Day. In the movie, a group of friends pay for a misdeed they committed the year before. Their secrets unfold amid a backdrop of Fourth of July parades and parties.
First Man
Release date: October 12, 2018
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler
Neil Armstrong famously said that the moon landing was "one small step for man, and one giant leap for mankind." This intimate movie shows all the work that went into making that "one small step." You'll finish the awe-inspiring movie with a renewed sense of amazement for the technology and bravery the mission required.
Hamilton
Release date: July 3, 2020
Starring: Lin Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, Daveed Diggs, Anthony Ramos, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Jonathan Groff, Christopher Jackson
Lin Manuel Miranda's famed hip-hop musical about founding father Alexander Hamilton garnered rave reviews when it premiered in 2015 on Broadway. As popular as Hamilton was, ticket prices and geography limited who could actually see the musical. This summer, that will change. On July 3, everyone will be able to catch Hamilton on Disney+, in a recording featuring the original cast.
Hidden Figures
Release date: December 25, 2016
Starring: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Kevin Costner, Kirsten Dunst, Jim Parsons, and Mahershala Ali
An adaption of Margot Lee Shetterly's book of the same name, Hidden Figures follows a group of Black female NASA mathematicians who aided in some of America's greatest 20th century space missions, including astronaut John Glenn's pioneering orbit into space.
Forrest Gump
Release date: July 6, 1994
Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Sally Field, Mykelti Williamson
This Oscar-winning classic takes a tour through American history, as the hapless Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks) constantly finds himself surrounded by figures of great importance. He meets Elvis, witnesses Watergate, and is interviewed alongside John Lennon—and that's just the start. He may have a front-row seat to history, but all Forrest wants is to be reunited with his childhood love, Jenny (Robin Wright).
Glory
Release date: December 15, 1989
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes, and Morgan Freeman
The contentious film paints a vivid portrait of what it was like for Black Union soldiers fighting on the frontlines against the Confederates during the Civil War. Glory humanized the war beyond casualties, showcasing how sacrifice aligns us all in a common fight against the enemy.
Independence Day
Release date: July 2, 1996
Starring: Bill Pullman, Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Randy Quaid, Judd Hirsch, Margaret Colin, and Vivica A. Fox
The name says it all. But instead of mankind coming together over fireworks, barbecues, and parades, they must first fight for their freedom from an alien attack.
Born on the Fourth of July
Release date: December 20, 1989
Starring: Tom Cruise, Raymond J. Barry, Caroline Kava, Josh Evans, Anne Bobby, and Tom Berenger
Based on Ron Kovic's autobiography of the same name, Cruise portrays Vietnam veteran Kovic in this real-life war drama. Cruise effortlessly transforms into Kovic, showing how drastically Kovic's opinions and idealogical beliefs changed after returning home injured and emotionally withdrawn.
Girls Trip
Release date: July 21, 2017
Starring: Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Tiffany Haddish, Larenz Tate, Mike Colter, and Kofi Siriboe
While this raunchy comedy doesn't have anything to do with patriotism, Ryan (Hall), Sasha (Latifah), Lisa (Pinkett Smith), and Dina (Haddish) embark on a wild getaway to the Essence Festival in New Orleans during Fourth of July weekend.
American Graffiti
Release date: August 1, 1973
Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Mackenzie Phillips, and Candy Clark
For four young high school graduates, the summer of 1962 marks a time for endings and new beginnings before they each head off to college. This George Lucas classic lands on our list because of it being an unapologetic all-American film about friendship, '60s music, drive-in movies, and carhops.
National Treasure
Release date: November 19, 2004
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Sean Bean, Jon Voight, and Christopher Plummer
This fun for the whole family adventure film follows a historian named Benjamin Franklin Gates (see what they did there?), who is on the hunt to find treasure. Benjamin believes the "X," where the treasure is hidden, is located on the back of one of the most important documents ever in American democracy: the Declaration of Independence.
A League of Their Own
Release date: July 1, 1992
Starring: Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Madonna, Rosie O'Donnell, Megan Cavanagh, Tracy Reiner, Bitty Schram, and Ann Cusack
In this inspiring 1992 sports drama, director Penny Marshall delivers a master class in feminism. A group of women shatter the glassc ceiling in the male-dominated league of baseball and manage to remain supportive of each other in the process.
Zero Dark Thirty
Release date: December 19, 2012
Starring: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Reda Kateb, Kyle Chandler, Jennifer Ehle, and Harold Perrineau
In this thriller, Chastain stars as tough-as-nails CIA agent Maya, who tracks down the infamous terrorist Osama Bin Laden. It dramatizes the real-life events of the famous U.S. military raid on Bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
Top Gun
Release date: May 12, 1986
Starring: Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, Kelly McGillis, Anthony Edwards, Tom Skerritt, and Michael Ironside
Cruise plays fighter pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a pilot trying to make a name for himself while training at a flying school in California. Unfortunately, he has some pretty big (and damning) shoes to fill that were left by his military veteran father, who was also a pilot in the Vietnam War. The long-awaited sequel Top Gun: Maverick recently arrived, just in time for back-to-back viewings on Fourth of July weekend.
The Patriot
Release date: June 27, 2000
Starring: Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Joely Richardson, Jason Isaacs, Chris Cooper
The Patriot tells the story of Benjamin Martin (Gibson), a man driven to fight in the War of Independence after his son Gabriel Martin (Ledger) is murdered at the hands of a British officer.
The Sandlot
Release date: April 1, 1993
Starring: Art LaFleur, Tom Guiry, Mike Vitar, Patrick Renna, Chauncey Leopardi, and Marty York
Probably one of the best Fourth of July scenes to take place in film occurs in this coming-of-age drama, which is great for the whole family. Watching the likes of Scotty (Guiry), Benjamin Franklin (Vitar), Squints (Leopardi), Ham (Renna), Yeah-Yeah (York), and the rest of the boy gang tee up as the fireworks light up the night sky will definitely make you feel proud to be American.
Air Force One
Release date: July 25, 1997
Starring: Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, William H. Macy, and Glenn Close
A group of Communist terrorists attempt to hijack Air Force One with the First Family aboard in this action film. President James Marshall (Ford) keeps the passengers safe, while Close's character Vice President Kathryn Bennett hatches a plan from the Oval Office to take down the terrorist organization.
The Music Man
Release date: June 19, 1962
Starring: Robert Preston, Shirley Jones, Buddy Hackett, Hermione Gingold, and Paul Ford
Based on the eponymous 1957 Broadway musical, The Music Man involves a con man named Harold Hill (Preston) who tries to deceive Iowan residents into thinking he's a traveling band instructor. He hopes to collect money for instruments and uniforms, but the townspeople, fortunately, aren't falling for his act.
Michelle is the Culture & News Writer for OprahMag.com, where she writes about celebrities (she considers herself an expert on Beyoncé and Reese Witherspoon), plus the latest in pop-culture news, binge-worthy TV shows, and movies. The transplanted Southerner turned ambitious New Yorker lives her best life by listening to hip-hop and Pod Save America, watching The Office on repeat, quoting Oprah-isms, eating dessert before dinner, and avoiding avocado. Seriously, she doesn’t get the hype.
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Jane Burnett is an Assistant Editor at Oprah Daily, where she writes a variety of lifestyle content for the editorial team. She's a journalist with a pop culture sweet tooth—when she isn't catching up on celebrity news, she's usually listening to a podcast! Jane was previously an on-air reporter in local news, and worked at Thrive Global, Ladders News, and Reuters. She also interned at CNBC through the Emma Bowen Foundation, and is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ).
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