THE TOP 10 AMERICAN FAVORITE 4th of July MOVIES !!!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY !!!  

 GOD BLESS AMERICA !!!

Ahhh, the Great American Holiday Weekend is upon us !!!  Time for generations of sweaty family and friends to gather together in parks and backyards across this fruited plain for BBQ, multi-colored Jell-O salads, and swimming pool parties.  And what could be more American than a little homegrown, illegal, fireworks display at the end of the day for the whole cul-de-sac to enjoy.

Good times indeed.  I won't be  partaking in any of that silliness.  I'll have a wonderfully chilled adult beverage in my hand, and be staked out on a good spot on Art Hill Sunday night enjoying the Sammy Hagar concert as part of VP Fair or Fare St Louis, or whatever they call it these days.  By the way, you are more than welcome to join me for what is bound to be a great show.  Rain or not, it's going to be a rock-n-roll weekend.

But then this afternoon I sat here at this keyboard enjoying the thunderstorm.  I got to thinking, what if it rains all weekend ?  Then I checked the forecast and things don't look so good for the Great American Holiday Weekend.  Knowing I could not leave all of you hanging without a Plan B should the rains ruin the Backyard BBQ/Swimming Pool Bonanza - I kicked into Action Mode !  After hours of research, data compilation, and a nice nap after dinner - I have compiled a list of America's Favorite 4th of July movies.  So, relax, rain or shine, your get together will be a hit - either in the pool or in front of the DVD player ! 

I guess I should mention that this is a list based on research, NOT personal opinion.  I found ten sources from the internet, cross-referenced the movie titles on the various lists and tallied up the number of times a movie title appeared.  It sounds pretty impressive, and it is.  It took a lot of time and effort, but hey, it's for my readers, so I don't mind the effort.

Here it is .... THE TOP 10 AMERICAN FAVORITE 4TH OF JULY MOVIES !!!

#10 --- "The Sand Lot"

To be honest, I've never seen it.
I've heard it's great fun though.

# 9 --- "Jaws"

This film still keeps people out of the water.
It is a true classic.

#8 --- "Yankee Doodle Dandy"

This is the classic tale of the rise of George M. Cohan,
brought to life by none other than James Cagney.
This is another true American classic.

#7 --- "Forrest Gump"

One of Tom Hanks best films,
and a great look at the 2nd half of 20th Century America.

#6 --- "Captain America: The First Avenger"

This is everything a comic book movie should be.
Actually, this is everything a good movie needs to be.

Sadly, neither sequel measure up.

#5 --- "Rocky IV"

Rocky is at the top of his career and it looks like
only a big, bad Russian can bring the Stallion down.
Will Rocky let America or Adrienne down ?
Cold War Classic.

#4 --- "The Patriot"

One of Roland Emmerich's best films,
One of Mel Gibson's best performances
This is a great story about the brave men and women
who fought and defined "Independence Day".

#3 --- "Born on the Fourth of July"

One of, if not, the best of Tom Cruise's performances.
Probably not the "go-to" movie to keep the party moving,
however one of the most powerful, moving, true stories
of a real, American hero.

#2 --- "Top Gun"

Pretty People ... Cool Jets ... Rockin' Soundtrack ...
100% American Pride
You can feel the need for speed just as much now
as it was when it
came out at the height of the Cold War.

AND NOW ... THE #1 AMERICAN FAVORITE 4TH OF JULY MOVIE IS ...

#1 --- "Independence Day"

This movie really has it all.  It is one helluva
action thrill ride with great, memorable characters.

It is still an awesome feel-good movie, twenty years and a sequel later.
This is still the best.

So, there you have it.  America's Top 10 4th of July film favorites.  Now, if it rains all weekend, you know which DVDs to have lined up and ready to go !

I would like to make a second list for your consideration, and "Honorable Mention" list perhaps.  These were films that received a vote on one or two of the lists I reviewed for this posting.  You should definitely also consider these for you viewing pleasure this weekend.  In no particular order ...

*** The Honorable Mentions ***

"All the President's Men"

"American Graffiti"

"The American President"

"Dave"

"John Adams"

"Johnny Tremain"

"Stripes"

"Mr. Smith Goes to Washington"    

and then, of course, ANY movie starring the ultimate American --- Mr. John Wayne.

 

Before I sign off, I would like to wish you all a very heartfelt Happy Independence Day to you and your families !!!

Also - if interested - the following lists of sites are the ones I compiled my data and research for this posting:  ABC News, EW.com, Forbes, Fox News, IMDB, NBC News, Netflix, Reader's Digest, Refinery, and Suggest.

Thanks again for stopping by !  Please pass this along to your friends.  I'd like to see how much we can grow this little site and have some fun along the way.  Any ideas or suggestions - let me know !

Enjoy your holiday and God bless America !!!

John M. Dunlap
"The Hollywood Outsiders"