20 Patriotic Movies and Series to Stream on July 4th

Independence Day looks a little different in 2020. big BBQs and firework displays are canceled due to COVID-19 as many consider how much work remains to be done to make us all realize the American dream.

History buffs can choose from a wealth of documentaries about the American experience, from American factory and 13th on Netflix to I’m not your nigga on Amazon Video, not to mention all the Ken Burns documentaries you can buy or rent online. However, for fictionalized or dramatized take on our nation’s history and military, read on for the best patriotic movies and TV shows at the top video streaming services†

John Adams (2008)

This HBO miniseries chronicles John Adams’ political career and his role in the founding of the US, so it might be the most fitting film on this list for a July 4 showing. Take on the role of one of our founding fathers as the turmoil of the 1770s unfolds in seven episodes. †Stream on HBO Max†

Turn (2014)

This AMC series goes behind the scenes of the Revolutionary War and a group of spies who helped defeat the British. All four seasons are on Netflix†

Hamilton (July 3)

The most popular ticket on Broadway comes to your TV on July 3 via Disney+. Filmed at the Richard Rodgers Theater on Broadway in June 2016, Hamilton features the Tony Award-winning original cast, including Lin-Manuel Miranda as the title character. If you are considering subscribing to Disney+ with a free trial and then cancel after watching Hamilton, you’re out of luck. While waiting for the move, Disney ended free trials last week, but at $6.99 a month, it’s much cheaper than actually buying tickets to the Broadway show.

The Patriot (2003)

Okay, so Mel Gibson is terrible, but Heath Ledger is not, so we can focus on him as the Revolutionary War soldier who defies his father to fight the British. (Stream on Netflix and hulu†

Band of Brothers (2001)

Another epic HBO wartime miniseries, Band of brothers takes us to World War II, seen through the eyes of “Easy” Company. The 10-part drama takes viewers from basic training to the beaches of Normandy and beyond. The star-studded cast includes a pre-home country Damian Lewis, Michael Fassbender and Tom Hardy, among others. †Stream on HBO Max†

The Tuskegee Airman

The Tuskegee Airmen were the first black military aviators of the US Air Force, then known as the US Army Air Corps. Laurence Fishburne stars in this dramatization of their story. †Stream on HBO Max†

Captain America Movies (2011 – 2016)

Chris Evans is a new breed of super soldier in this highly popular Marvel series. catch Captain America: The First Avenger† Captain America: The Winter Soldierand Captain America: Civil War on Disney+.

All the way (2016)

Watch Bryan Cranston turn into Lyndon B. Johnson in this HBO film that charts his first year in office and his role in the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. †Stream on HBO Max†

Forrest Gump (1994)

Experience the 60s, 70s and 80s through the eyes of Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks), an Alabama man with a low IQ but a big heart. †Stream on Starz†

Platoon (1986)

The first of Oliver Stone’s three Vietnam War dramas, platoon is based on the director’s time as an American infantryman in Vietnam. It earned Stone an Oscar for Best Director in 1987, when the film also won Best Picture. †Stream on Starz†

Born on July 4 (1989)

The second Vietnam War drama directed by Stone, in which Tom Cruise plays a Marine who becomes paralyzed during his service in Vietnam, eventually becoming an anti-war activist. †Stream on Starz†

Heaven and Earth (1993)

The third Stone Vietnam movie, Heaven Earth Tommy Lee Jones plays an American soldier who marries a young Vietnamese woman and brings her to the US after the war. †Stream on HBO Max†

Rescue of the Dawn (2006)

save the dawn Christian Bale plays Dieter Dengler, an American soldier who is captured by Pathet Lao after his plane crashes. †Stream on Cinemax†

Black Hawk Dawn (2001)

save the dawn Christian Bale plays Dieter Dengler, an American soldier who is captured by Pathet Lao after his plane crashes. †Stream on Cinemax†

A Few Good Men (1992)

When two US Marines are court-martialed for the murder of a fellow Marine at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba, an inexperienced lawyer (Tom Cruise) is tasked with defending them over the objections of a Lieutenant Commander (Demi Moore) who wants the job. The film follows the case and the fireworks in the courtroom, courtesy of the base commander (Jack Nicholson). (Stream on fuboTV and Philo†

Air Force One (1997)

US President James Marshall (Harrison Ford) returns from a trip to Moscow, where he called for a strong crackdown on terrorists, and finds himself on a hijacked Air Force One. It is, of course, the communists, and they have demands. President Marshall has other plans. †Stream on Netflix†

Take a Chance (2009)

Another HBO special, seize opportunity stars Kevin Bacon as Marine Lieutenant Colonel Michael Strobl, who escorted the body of a fallen Marine, PFC Chance Phelps, home from Iraq. Bacon won a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance. †Stream on HBO Max†

The Menacing Tower (2018)

Another HBO special, seize opportunity stars Kevin Bacon as Marine Lieutenant Colonel Michael Strobl, who escorted the body of a fallen Marine, PFC Chance Phelps, home from Iraq. Bacon won a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance. †Stream on HBO Max†

Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (2020)

We are a nation of immigrants, and in this series, Padma Lakshmi travels across the US to sample the food of those who have settled here. †Streaming on Hulu†