Today is the largest birthday celebration in the world: America turns 236. (Well, arguably, that was two days ago, but technicalities are no reason to stop a party.)
Although we are far-removed from the days when Hollywood regularly produced patriotic motion pictures, there are still plenty of recent films to get one’s red (and white and blue) blood pumping. Act of Valor is a great example.
For me, Team America: World Police is my top patriotic film (and guilty pleasure). I always appreciated that the film from the masterminds of South Park managed to poke fun at our country, without descending into outright scorn. After all, true liberty is the ability to say and do things that are unpopular. In fact, one could argue that The People vs. Larry Flynt is a patriotic, if crass, film, insofar as it covered one of the most important First Amendment cases in American history. (Satire was not specified as protected speech until 1988.)
As our Republic celebrates another year of freedom, we at Festival of Films Blog want to wish you all a happy (and safe) Independence Day. And to those of you reading us abroad, um, Happy Wednesday!
Are there any films that set your patriotism aflame? Does any of you have any film-related Fourth of July traditions? Or are you all content to stuff your faces, get hammered and/or watch pretty explosions light up the night sky? Sound off in the comments below!
