Is there anything more American than the Hollywood blockbuster? Celebrate Independence Day with the U-S-of-A's hallowed tradition of binge-watching these top three, All-American movies.
Top Gun (1986)
Tom Cruise was already on the rise in 1986, but Top Gun made him an A-list celebrity so bright that his star seems incapable of fading -- even 32 years later!
"I feel the need -- the need for speed!" - Maverick
Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer will be joined by Miles Teller as the son of Goose (RIP!) in a long-awaited sequel set for July 2019 release, but nothing can possibly match the adrenaline-charged magic of Tony Scott's original. Of course, Days of Thunder made a noble effort.
Independence Day (1996)
There are two things that can unite the entire human race -- a threat of alien invasion, and love for Roland Emmerich's explosive Independence Day. Seriously, this movie is everybody's guilty pleasure.
"We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We’re going to live on! We’re going to survive! Today we celebrate our Independence Day!" - President Whitmore
Fun Fact:
This movie was in production under the working title of "ID4" for 20th Century Fox because Warner Bros. had the rights to the name "Independence Day". The writer purposefully ended Bill Pullman's soon-to-be iconic speech with a reference to the American holiday as a way to persuade the studio to fight for the name. It worked!
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
Director Joe Johnston had already made a mark with movies like Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Jumanji, The Rocketeer, and Jurassic Park III before taking a swing at the fifth film in Marvel's Cinematic Universe, but he knocked this one out of the park.
"I don't like bullies. I don't care where they're from." - Steve Rogers
In Captain America: The First Avenger, Chris Evans embodied the American spirit. His "kid-from-Brooklyn" showed that, with a can-do attitude and an experimental super-soldier serum, you can accomplish anything!
