I figured that this 4th of July I would do one movie list that was appropriately thematic in terms of the content of films and one movie list that was based solely on “thematic” film titles.

Thus I give my Top 10 Movies with “American” Titles. All the films below contain America or U.S.A. in the title.  A few actually deal with what it means to be American while others are simply movies that should be seen.

Enjoy and as always let me know if I missed your favorite

10. The American President - This movie may be pretty typical Hollywood fare and a bit cheesy but I still really like it.  For some reason intellectual, idealized romcoms set in The White House don’t bother me (think Dave). Perhaps I just like seeing good people in charge of things?  And the speech below is simply a great movie moment.

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9. Coming to America - I’ve only seen this in bits and pieces but those bits and pieces are pretty great. The trailer below confirms this.

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8. American Movie - As a filmmaker, I find this movie incredibly hard to watch.  I have my fair share of moments where I wonder if I am simply another (perhaps better dressed) Mark Borchardt.

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7. American Psycho - I love this movie.  Granted, I haven’t watched it in a few years but back in high school I watched it all the time.  This is the film that made me love Christian Bale and Phil Collins.

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6. American Splendor - I love this film for the mix of aesthetics and narrative devices but I really love this film because it is about an awesome talented person who lives in Cleveland, Ohio (where I’m from).

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5. Once Upon a Time in America - I haven’t seen this in a ridiculous amount of time, but as I remember it’s a pretty solid film about family, loyalty, the demons we create for ourselves and what happens when we have to face those demons.

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4. Harlan County U.S.A. - So I’ve never seen this movie but my pal Dave highly highly recommends it and that means I should too.  It also means I need to get it together and see it.

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3. An American in Paris - Sigh. I’ve also never seen this. But like I said above, sometimes you know something is great even if you haven’t seen it.  Hopefully I’ll remedy this soon.

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2. Made in U.S.A. - Not my favorite Godard film but really good nonetheless. I have a feeling I would like it even more if I watched it again.  The scene below was without a doubt the highlight of the film for me (for a taste of the entire film the trailer is below, too).

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1. In America - This is my number one because I really like it but also because my parents love it--and in general holidays like the 4th of July are about spending time with friends and family. And this is a movie you can watch with all and any of them.