It’s time to get ready for your July 4th celebrations. And what better way to remember what it’s all about than with a good film? Here are a few American Revolution films I recommend.
Young Washington
Young Washington is a new film, in theaters now. I haven’t yet seen it, but it’s getting very good buzz on X and Rotten Tomatoes has the tell-tale sign that it’s not woke — audiences like it a lot more than critics do.
It is, of course, about Washington’s early years. “Before he was the Father of a Nation, he was a soldier fighting to survive. A single misstep thrusts young George Washington into the center of a global conflict, testing his honor, loyalty, and courage. As alliances crumble and the frontier erupts into war, he must confront not only his enemies but the man he’s becoming. This is the untold story of Young Washington.”
Sons of Liberty
Sons of Liberty (free on Amazon Prime) is one of my favorite picks for July 4th. Sons of Liberty isn’t your grade school telling of the Revolution; it transforms the image of the Founders from dry intellectual men of the past, about whom young people reluctantly read because someone tells them to, into the cool crowd of their time, which oddly enough they were.
“A well-made dramatization that brings history to life.”
–New York Times
“Sons of Liberty rips the powdered wigs off America’s founding fathers. In a good way.”
–New York Daily News
Johnny Tremain
Johnny Tremain (available on Amazon streaming) is historical fiction mixed with fact that gives us an intimate view of the early events of the American Revolution through the youthful eyes of Johnny Tremain, apprentice silversmith. This is a Disney classic that is a great pick for kids.
1776
1776 is a musical telling of the founding, that remains popular nearly 50 years after its release. It’s a fun watch and a good way to remember the events if you like a little song and dance in your movies. It’s also notable for historical accuracy.
Fifty years after its initial release, it’s still among the top-ranked films about the Revolution, and has an enviable 7.6 IMDB popularity score and 84% audience approval on Rotten Tomatoes.
Liberty: The American Revolution
Liberty: The American Revolution is the definitive full exposition of the events of the Revolution, a six-part PBS series that is often touching, exciting, inspiring, and full of wonderful details about individuals. Above all it gives a sense of the greatness of the people involved in the Revolution. Of the American Revolution films I’m recommending, this is one of the more serious tellings, but if you want the full story, this documentary series is it.
The series is available free on YouTube. Here is Part 1.
Bonus: Paul Harvey’s Our Lives, Our Fortunes, Our Sacred Honor
This is not a film, but a touching eight-minute remembrance of the price paid by America’s Founders. They were men of great accomplishment and in many cases great wealth. They could have had easy lives if they had simply obeyed the British crown and ceded our liberties. Instead, most of them paid the ultimate price, ending up dead or in poverty — for us, for liberty, for America. Paul Harvey tells what happened to each in this brief clip. They are worthy of being remembered.
