This Fourth of July, the best way to feel patriotic might just be to watch “Top Gun,” an action flick set aboard the USS Enterprise, or “Hamilton,” a musical that tells the story of America’s Founding Fathers.
Patriotism is at a crossroads this year, with many people split about the state of the country six months into Donald Trump’s second presidency. The spring 2025 Harvard Youth Poll, which surveyed 2,000 Americans between 18 and 29 years old, found that only 41% of young Americans are proud to be from the U.S., while a mere 15% of young people believe the country is heading in the right direction.
The Fourth of July falls on a Friday this year, so what better way to prepare for a weekend of fireworks than by streaming one of the titles below? It might not be enough to convert the skeptics, but it might remind you what the spirit of America is all about.
‘Top Gun’ (1986)
The original “Top Gun” film is a still a beloved classic after three decades, and not just because of Tom Cruise taking Hollywood by storm in the leading role of U.S. Navy aviator Lt. Peter “Maverick” Mitchell. The action scenes make you feel like you are sitting in U.S. fighter jets, and that’s because, in a way — you are. The aerial scenes in “Top Gun” are not the work of CGI — those in-air battles between U.S. and Russian jets were shot in real-time over the Naval Air Station in Fallon, Nevada. When the fighter jets land at the USS Enterprise, it’s not a Hollywood recreation — it’s the real thing.
“Top Gun” can be streamed on Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Apple TV and Fandango at Home. If that’s not enough, then 2022’s sequel, “Top Gun: Maverick,” can also be streamed on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, and Paramount+.
‘Hamilton’ (2020)
The Broadway phenomenon “Hamilton” combines the tale of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton with a modern score that draws inspiration from R&B, pop, soul and hip-hop. With book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Hamilton” follows the title character’s journey from an orphaned immigrant to a key figure in the American Revolution, along with his personal relationships with his wife, Eliza Schuyler, her sister, Angelica, and his political rivals Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr.
The filmed version of the original Broadway production of “Hamilton” is available to stream on Disney+.
‘Jaws’ (1975)
I know what you’re thinking — what does a movie about a man-eating shark have to do with the Fourth of July? “Jaws,” which set the standard for summer blockbusters, is not only marking its 50th anniversary this year, but the movie is actually set during the Fourth of July weekend. The film, directed by Steven Spielberg, follows a massive great white shark as it terrorizes people visiting the small beach town of Amity Island for the holiday. When the mayor won’t close the town’s beaches, Police Chief Martin Brody teams up with marine biologist Matt Hooper and shark hunter Captain Quint to hunt down the shark.
“Jaws” can be streamed on Fandango at Home, Apple TV, Peacock and Amazon Prime Video.
‘Independence Day’ (1996)
Will Smith leads the fight against aliens in this 1996 sci-fi classic — what’s not to love? Set against the backdrop of the Fourth of July weekend, the film opens to an all-out alien attack on the United States. Humanity unites on Independence Day — including Marine pilot Steven Hiller (Smith), U.S. President Thomas Whitmore (Bill Pullman) and satellite technician David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) — to save the planet from being obliterated. The president gives a speech in the film that might feel timelier than ever to some of us: “Mankind — that word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can’t be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interest.”
“Independence Day” can be streamed on Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Tubi TV, Fandango at Home and Apple TV.
‘Captain America: The First Avenger’ (2011)
While there are a wealth of Captain America and other superhero-themed movies you can watch this Fourth of July, we picked “The First Avenger” because it is more than just another superhero tale: It’s the tale of how an ordinary man became Captain America. The film introduces us to Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), a frail man from Brooklyn who wants to enlist in the U.S. Army but is repeatedly rejected because of his health problems. He catches the attention of a doctor who recruits him for a top-secret government experiment: the Super Soldier Program. He’s injected with a serum that transforms him into a superhuman who is strong, fast and resilient — the Captain America we know today — but not without having to make some sacrifices (and fight some Nazis) along the way.
“Captain America: The First Avenger” can be streamed on Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Fandango at Home.
‘The Sandlot’ (1993)
“The Sandlot” is a coming-of-age tale that follows the story of Scotty Smalls, who joins a group of local boys that spend their summer playing baseball on a makeshift field known as “The Sandlot.” The boys must band together to rescue a foul ball from the backyard of a neighbor guarded by a dog known as “The Beast.” While the movie is pure nostalgic fun, what really earned “The Sandlot” a spot on this list is perhaps its most iconic scene: on the Fourth of July (of course), the boys play a game of baseball under the fireworks, all while Ray Charles’ “America the Beautiful” plays in the background.
“The Sandlot” can be streamed on Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Fandango at Home, and Apple TV.
‘National Treasure’ (2004)
You might have heard that one joke about Nicolas Cage stealing the Declaration of Independence — it is the internet, after all — but if you’ve ever wondered where that line originated from, look no further. “National Treasure” stars Cage as Benjamin Franklin Gates, a historian obsessed with finding a secret treasure hidden by the United States’ Founding Fathers. The only problem — the map to that treasure is hidden on the back of the Declaration of Independence. After the historic document is secured, an unlikely team that includes Gates, tech-savvy Riley Poole (Justin Bartha) and National Archives curator Dr. Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger) follows a series of clues, all tied to American history, to find the promised treasure.
“National Treasure” can be streamed on Disney+, Hulu, Fandango at Home, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.
‘Civil War’ (2024)
“Civil War” is a film that might make you feel uncomfortable, with all of the unsettling headlines we’ve been seeing in the news lately. Here, the protagonists are a team of war journalists, traveling from New York City to Washington, D.C., and capturing the state of a civil war the United States. Rotten Tomatoes noted that the film is “a gorgeously shot cautionary tale full of big ideas and a fantastic performance by Kristen Dunst.” You might finish the film feeling bleak, or — just maybe — you might finish the film with a renewed fire for the America you love, or the America you want to see.
“Civil War” can be streamed on Hulu, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Fandango at Home and HBO Max.
What’s your favorite movie to stream on the Fourth of July? Let me know by sending an email to apotter@repub.com.