Well it’s Monday (unfortunately) and in an effort to brighten your day, I wanted to chip into our culture section! In this article we’re going to rank the five best movies to watch on the 4th of July, as the holiday arrives Friday. Now the Fourth isn’t traditionally thought of as a “let me stay inside and watch a movie” holiday, but there are enough marathons that it made me want to rank them. This was in part born out of watching the Fourth of July movie marathon with my fiancée’s uncle at the shore, so shoutout Jeff.

Now some quick qualifiers and a rundown of what the criteria is. The film doesn’t necessarily have to be patriotic but it doesn’t hurt either. Action films will score highly, as they just give you a “Hell yeah” vibe on this day of hanging out. And while they don’t necessarily have to take place on the 4th of July, it’s definitely preferable that they take place in the summer. With all that said, let’s start the list!

Five

The Sandlot: We have to include a baseball movie in this piece, and there really is no other option than The Sandlot. This film always hits home for a true baseball fan as it conjures up images of your youth playing the national pastime with your friends. When I was a kid, my most vivid memory of little league was organizing a game after the season ended that was run sandlot style on closing day. There is something simple and easy about picking a team, picking a position and just letting it rip.

The film of course has captured baseball fans hearts since 1993 and while it’s child actor characters take part in all of the most memorable scenes, it also boasts big adult stars like Karen Allen, Dennis Leary and the great James Earl Jones. No other scene could be featured in our list than the “one night game a year” clip featured above! So you after you watch your team and the fireworks, cozy up with this flick!

Four

Die Hard with a Vengeance: Commonly referred to as Die Hard three and not its full name, the third entry in the franchise is its second best and perhaps its most fun. This 1995 film, while not taking place on the 4th of July, is set over the course of one summer day in the Big Apple. While being an awesome action joyride, it also doubles as a great time capsule of 90’s NYC. From Ranger Stanley Cup Hats, to old school police cruisers, to brick cellular phones and cheap box seats at Yankee stadium, this one has it all.

This time Bruce Willis is back as John McClane battling Jeremy Irons Simon, who challenges him to a game of “Simon says,” that ropes Samuel L. Jackson’s Zeus into the explosive affair. It’s endlessly quotable and boasts an All Star cast of character actors playing McClane’s NYPD cohorts. It will liven up your barbecue and make you long for a quality action film with practical effects to be back in theater.

Three

Independence Day: Maybe this films placement on the list bothers you, but for me this 1996 popcorn classic can’t quite touch our next two and you’ll see why. But I don’t say that to knock Independence Day, as it’s just a great time at the movies! Its patriotic feel is compounded by the human race struggling to survive against alien invasion. Before we get to the jam packed cast, it’s filled with American iconography, mostly being destroyed for what it’s worth. From the White House to the Empire State Building and jokes about Area 51, which actually exists in the film, it covers an awful lot of Americana, while taking place over 4th of July weekend.

As for the cast it’s just about everything a movie buff like me would want! Will Smith is at the beginning the peak of his movie stardom upon its release, while Jeff Goldblum is being his awesome self. Judd Hirsch and Brent Spiner steal countless scenes, while Randy Quaid basically plays himself. Robert Loggia screams his way through destroying Houston, TX, while James Rebhorn plays the weasel like Secretary of State, much like his turn as Mr. Trask in Scent of a Woman. Last but certainly not is Bill Pullman who for my money is the third best movie President of all time, behind Kevin Klein in Dave and Michael Douglas in The American President, but he gives an unreal speech above and jumps in an F-18 to help save the world! It’s an all around great time so sit back and enjoy!

Two

Top Gun Maverick: You may love its predecessor, so do I, but Maverick makes the first one look weak. The 2022 follow up to the 1986 original is just an amazing watch from start to finish, as Tom Cruise once again proves he is an elite level star. The film is greatly enhanced by director Joe Kasinski’s desire to make the action feel as real as possible, putting his actors in the cockpit and using real jets for the mission. He replicated it in the recently released F1 starring Brad Pitt, which I would highly recommend you go see in theaters to get away from the summer heat.

Cruise is joined by an all around strong cast headlined by Miles Teller, who plays Goose’ son, as well as rising stars Glen Powell, Monica Barbaro, and veteran stars Jon Hamm and Ed Harris (who steals the intro). You cannot go wrong with this one so find it on somewhere and put down the remote!

One

Jaws: As I said in the caption above, Jaws is a perfect movie. Nothing else can describe it, even if some of it was a happy accident (read up on its troubled production history). The movie is efficient, expertly shot by Steven Spielberg, and acted brilliantly by a great ensemble cast. It marks the beginning of Spielberg’s impeccable career where he would flex all of his creative muscles at just 27 years old. For those unfamiliar with the plot (have you lived under a rock?), the 1975 classic adapts Peter Benchley’s novel to portray the town of Amity in Martha’s Vineyard in its battle to kill a man eater of a shark over 4th of July weekend.

While so many actors turn in strong performances in the film, especially Murray Hamilton as mayor Larry Vaughn who is hilarious, sympathetic and slimy all in one performance, the film is carried by three actors in particular. That trio is led by Roy Scheider, who stars as police chief Brody, in a career best performance covering a wide range of emotions. Scheider is joined by future Oscar winner Richard Dreyfus as Matt Hooper, a perfect foil to Robert Shaw as captain Quint who is hired to hunt the shark. Shaw steals the movie with the “USS Indianapolis speech” and so many other great scenes and line deliveries. The film just celebrated its 50th anniversary, so if you find this one cable, sit down and bite your nails, and remember “Hooper Drives the boat Chief.”

On twitter you can find Mike @Mike_Sheerin, Tyler @TMon_19 and Sean @SeanMartinNFL. Subscribe to the site by hitting the follow button in the bottom right corner and entering your email address. Check out our Instagram feed @thebroadwaybreakdownsports for special gameday and promotional content. Our podcasts are available on Spotify. Visit the Rangers Ed Shop by clicking the link on our homepage. Check out our mailbag page to join the conversation here on the site and on our partners show, The Rangers Ed Podcast! We’ll be back with more soon.