This 4th of July if you need to escape the heat I recommend hanging out in an air conditioned room and putting in one of these films.   My Top 10 Films That Feature True Patriotism are all about people and events that don’t directly have the stamp of American pride but instead showcase what it means to live in a country that allows you the right to fight for a better world and to fight for yours and others’ rights.

In honor of the 4th of July I wanted to limit all the films on the list to films made in America and set in America (I was able to do it with one small exception).

Enjoy and let me know if I missed a film that is near and dear to your heart!

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10. To Kill a Mockingbird - There is no greater act of patriotism than standing up for someone whom no one else will.  Harper Lee’s story exemplifies what it means to be American and the principles by which we should lead our lives.

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9. Milk - While I have cinephile friends that both love and hate this as “a film”, no one can deny the power of the story of Harvey Milk - and the power of having his story made accessible to everyone.

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8. Matewan - The story of a 1920’s miners’ strike and how the strikers worked to unite people in favor of unionization is compelling and highlights the power of working together to incite change.

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7. Inherit The Wind - Another courtroom drama about fighting for someone that society is against.  Here the battle is for education and the right to think, to learn.

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6. Waking the Dead - While this may not be a cinematic masterpiece it presents one of the best filmic arguments about how we can choose to create social change: in the system or outside of it.

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5. The Last of the Mohicans - This may seem like a strange choice but amidst the epic romanticism of Mann’s Mohicans is a story of who government is supposed to protect and who we as citizens are supposed to be loyal to.

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4. The Thin Red Line - The character that comes to mind here is always Elias Koteas‘ Capt. Staros and his battle to save his men.  Also, the entire film is indirectly all about patriotism as it questions war and why we engage in it.

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3. Pete Seeger: The Power of Song - I didn’t want to include a documentary on my list (as there are so many compelling stories out there) but the life of Pete Seeger is, for me, what patriotism is pure and simple.  If you do anything on the 4th of July listen to some Pete Seeger and think about his journey.

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2. Good Night and Good Luck - The story of Edward R. Murrow makes me proud to be an American every single time I watch it. The speech below illustrates why.

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1. The Great Dictator (The Final Speech) - I said I wanted to keep all the films on this list set in America but even though The Great Dictator takes place in a made-up land I can’t help but include the below speech on this list.  It makes me want to better my country and citizenship more than almost anything.  It speaks to our potential as a country and the power of the human spirit.

For me it is the perfect 4th of July message!

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*photo by The County Clerk (CC)