21 Best 4th of July Movies for Everyone to Watch This Independence Day
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After a full day of celebrating Independence Day—from good food and time with friends and family to the grand finale of fireworks—sometimes the best way to wind down is to settle in for a patriotic summer movie. Although there aren’t many films about the day itself, there are plenty of great movies to watch on the 4th of July. Whether you want to watch a historical movie, an action-packed favorite, or a family-friendly pick everyone can enjoy, there’s something on this list for every kind of gathering. However you’re spending the holiday weekend, these movies are a fun way to keep the celebration going.
Inspired by the real-life Battle of Ramadi in 2006, this movie explores the lives of Navy SEAL platoon Alpha One as they experience a major casualty in the Iraq War. Filmed as if the viewer is experiencing the events in real-time, the movie features an ensemble cast that includes Cosmo Jarvis, Will Poulter, Charles Melton, and more.
Mandy Moore stars in this 2004 rom-com that follows the life of Anna Foster, a young woman whose dad is the President of the United States. As she manages to escape security while on a diplomatic trip to Europe, she meets a British stranger named Ben (played by Matthew Goode) who may just teach her what it means to fall in love for the first time.
Summer isn't just a time to celebrate the Fourth of July. It's also baseball season — so why not watch a movie exploring the journey Jackie Robinson (played by Chadwick Boseman) embarked on to become the first Black player in the MLB?
Ever wondered how the United States managed to send the first person into space? This film explores the birth of NASA and the seven brave men who volunteered to be at the forefront of exploration.
Based on Doris Kearns' biography, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, Daniel Day-Lewis stars as the famous 16th president as he attempts to pass the 13th amendment (to abolish slavery) amid a Civil War in the United States.
Natalie Portman stars as Jackie Kennedy, the First Lady to President John F. Kennedy. The movie explores the woman's life through living in the spotlight, including the strength she had after the devastating death of her husband.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was one of the most famous Supreme Court Justices of all time, but how did she rise to such power in her lifetime? This movie explores her journey to the top of the U.S. legal system, all while being a wife and eventual mother.
In this 2022 sequel to the iconic original Top Gun, Maverick joins a young group of Top Gun graduates for a dangerous mission.
Although the story is fictional, it highlights the Black trailblazers of the West, including Nat Love. This revisionist Western film is action-packed and filled with lines that will have you cheering for the "bad guys."
In this Spike Lee-directed film, four veterans, a.k.a. "The Bloods," return to Vietnam to find the remains of their squad leader and the gold they buried. It features the incomparable Chadwick Boseman.
Cynthia Erivo stars as abolitionist Harriet Tubman. The movie tells the story of Tubman's incredible legacy, including leading the Underground Railroad and guiding enslaved people to freedom.
A treasure map on the back of the Declaration of Independence? It's not the craziest thing that happens during this film's running time. This Nicolas Cage action flick is pure campy fun.
In this movie, released the day before the 4th of July in 1996, Captain Steven Hiller (Will Smith) and President Whitmore (Bill Pullman) are on a mission to save the United States ... from an alien invasion. This sci-fi action film is a twist on your classic war movie.
Just three years after Top Gun, Tom Cruise starred in the movie based on former Marine Ron Kovic's life. You'll see how he transforms from a dedicated soldier to a critic of the war that left him paralyzed.
John Wayne takes the helm as Lt. Col. Benjamin Vandervoort in this film about D-Day. Presenting the perspectives of the Allies storming the Normandy beaches and the Germans, this film shows what happened in 1944 from all angles.
Geena Davis and Lori Petty play a competitive pair of sisters in this film, loosely adapted from the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. During World War II, these women came together to play ball after so many men went off to war.
Tom Hanks' iconic character Forrest Gump lives a life full of adventure as history unfolds. Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, the Vietnam War, and Watergate are all shown in this fictional story. We bet everyone will be yelling, "Run, Forrest!" long after the credits roll.
Ideal for the whole family, no one can forget the epic 4th of July scene in The Sandlot. The gang of adventurous, baseball-loving boys will make your kids (and you!) laugh out loud.
In this heart-wrenching film, you'll see Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) go behind enemy lines in the hopes of locating missing soldier, Private James Ryan (Matt Damon). All three of Ryan's brothers have been killed in combat, and Miller makes it his mission to save him.
This movie is about three formerly unsung heroes, NASA's Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe). Together, they worked to launch astronaut John Glenn into orbit. The film was nominated for three Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actress for Octavia Spencer.
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