Independence Day looks a little different in 2020. Big BBQs and fireworks displays are canceled due to COVID-19, while many are reckoning with how much work still needs to be done so that all of us might realize the American dream.
History buffs can choose from a wealth of documentaries about the American experience, from American Factory and 13th on Netflix to I Am Not Your Negro on Amazon Video, not to mention all the Ken Burns documentaries you can buy or rent online. For fictional or dramatized takes on our nation’s history and military, however, read on for the best patriotic movies and TV shows on the top video-streaming services.
John Adams (2008)
This HBO mini-series chronicles the political career of John Adams, and his role in the founding of the US, so it’s perhaps the most fitting film on this list for a 4th of July viewing. Cuddle up with one of our founding fathers, as the turmoil of the 1770s unfolds over seven episodes. (Streaming on HBO Max)
Turn (2014)
This AMC series goes behind the scenes of the Revolutionary War and a group of spies who helped defeat the British. All four seasons are on Netflix.
Hamilton (July 3)
The hottest ticket on Broadway is coming to your TV on July 3 via Disney+. Filmed at The Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway in June 2016, Hamilton features the Tony Award-winning original cast, including Lin-Manuel Miranda as the title character. If you were thinking of subscribing to Disney+ with a free trial and then cancelling after watching Hamilton, you’re out of luck. In anticipation of that move, Disney ended free trials last week, but at $6.99 per month, it’s much cheaper than actually buying tickets to the Broadway show.
The Patriot (2003)
Okay, so Mel Gibson is terrible, but Heath Ledger is not, so we can focus on him as the Revolutionary War soldier who defies his father to fight the British. (Streaming on Netflix and Hulu)
Band of Brothers (2001)
Another epic HBO war-time mini-series, Band of Brothers takes us to World War II, as seen through the eyes of “Easy” Company. The 10-part drama brings viewers from basic training to the beaches of Normandy and beyond. The star-studded cast includes a pre-Homeland Damian Lewis, Michael Fassbender, and Tom Hardy, among others. (Streaming on HBO Max)
The Tuskegee Airman
The Tuskegee Airmen were the first black military aviators in the the US Air Force, then known as the US Army Air Corps. Laurence Fishburne stars in this dramatization of their story. (Streaming on HBO Max)
Captain America Movies (2011 – 2016)
Chris Evans is a new breed of super-soldier in this uber-popular Marvel series. Catch Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Captain America: Civil War on Disney+.
All the Way (2016)
Watch Bryan Cranston transform into Lyndon B. Johnson in this HBO movie that charts his first year in office and his role in passing the 1964 Civil Rights Act. (Streaming on HBO Max)
Forrest Gump (1994)
Experience the 60s, 70, and 80s through the eyes of Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks), an Alabama man with a low IQ but a big heart. (Streaming on Starz)
Platoon (1986)
The first of Oliver Stone’s three Vietnam War dramas, Platoon is based on the director’s time as a US infantryman in Vietnam. It earned Stone a Best Director Oscar in 1987, when the film also won Best Picture. (Streaming on Starz)
Born On The 4th Of July (1989)
The second Stone-directed Vietnam War drama, this one stars Tom Cruise as a Marine who is paralyzed while serving in Vietnam, and ultimately becomes an anti-war activist. (Streaming on Starz)
Heaven and Earth (1993)
The third Stone Vietnam film, Heaven & Earth stars Tommy Lee Jones as an American soldier who marries a young Vietnamese woman and brings her to the US after the war. (Streaming on HBO Max)
Rescue of Dawn (2006)
Rescue Dawn stars Christian Bale as Dieter Dengler, a US soldier taken captive by Pathet Lao after his plane crashes. (Streaming on Cinemax)
Black Hawk Dawn (2001)
Rescue Dawn stars Christian Bale as Dieter Dengler, a US soldier taken captive by Pathet Lao after his plane crashes. (Streaming on Cinemax)
A Few Good Men (1992)
When two US Marines face a court-martial for the murder of a fellow Marine at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba, an inexperienced lawyer (Tom Cruise) is charged with defending them over the objections of a Lieutenant Commander (Demi Moore) who wants the job. The movie follows the case and the courtroom fireworks, courtesy of the Base Commander (Jack Nicholson). (Streaming on fuboTV and Philo)
Air Force One (1997)
Returning from a trip to Moscow, where he called for a strong crackdown on terrorists, US President James Marshall (Harrison Ford) finds himself on a hijacked Air Force One. It’s the communists, of course, and they have demands. President Marshall has other plans. (Streaming on Netflix)
Taking Chance (2009)
Another HBO special, Taking Chance stars Kevin Bacon as Marine Lt. Colonel Michael Strobl, who escorted the body of a fallen Marine, PFC Chance Phelps, home from Iraq. Bacon took home a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild award for his performance. (Streaming on HBO Max)
The Looming Tower (2018)
Another HBO special, Taking Chance stars Kevin Bacon as Marine Lt. Colonel Michael Strobl, who escorted the body of a fallen Marine, PFC Chance Phelps, home from Iraq. Bacon took home a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild award for his performance. (Streaming on HBO Max)
Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (2020)
We are a nation of immigrants, and in this series, Padma Lakshmi tours the US to sample the food of those who’ve settled here. (Streaming on Hulu)
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