Patriotic Movies for July 4

In Lake Tahoe for the 4th. Posting will be light, as they say. So in honor of Independence Day, here are some movies I recommend:

The Patriot - I don't know if I'm imagining the scene where Mel Gibson impales someone with an American flag or not. The important thing is, in the world of this movie, it could happen. Written by Saving Private Ryan screenwriter Robert Rodat, this movie includes both quirky historical fidelity (the bundling bag sequence) and ridiculous historical simplification (the portrayal of certain groups invoked a firestorm of criticism by Spike Lee).

Glory - In this noble Civil War film, there is a shot of a man's head getting crushed by a cannon ball. It happens very quickly -- half a second. You wouldn't notice probably unless someone made a montage of it repeating again and again, like this Goth kid did in my highschool film class.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington - A civics lesson from Jimmy Stewart and Frank Capra, proving that all you need to stop "graft and corruption" is a filibuster-long guilt-trip.

Pearl Harbor - For the Japanese version of this Bay/Bruckheimer abomination, the entire back third involving the Doolittle bombing raids on Japan were cut. You'll wish they were cut for the American version too, after you've sat for two hours and realize there's another hour to go.

Citizen Kane - The orignal title was The American, which tells you what Orson Welles and screenwriter Joe Mankiewicz thought of the contradictions their polarizing protagonist embodied.

The Deer Hunter - From the long introductory wedding sequence to the climactic game of Russian roulette, Michael Cimino's Vietnam War epic provides an unflinching look into America's (and Christopher Walken's) heart of darkness.

Yankee Doodle Dandy - A biopic of dancer/songwriter George M. Cohen, played with Oscar-winning gusto by the Christopher Walken of his day, James Cagney, this story of hard work and American success ranked number 100 on the AFI's list of the 100 Greatest American Films.

Team America: World Police - In this Americanization of the British puppet t.v. show Thunderbirds, the theme song says it all. 'America, f*ck yeah!' You'll also be treated to the heart-warming ballad "I Love You Almost As Much As the Movie Pearl Harbor Sucked".

HONORABLE MENTION:
Angels in America
Independence Day
Lost in America
Miracle
The Americanization of Emily
Coming to America
Gangs of New York
American Graffiti

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