Patriotism is defined in the Oxford dictionary as "the quality of being patriotic; devotion to and vigorous support for one's country." Patriotism can take form in a lot of ways, and these ways are not lost in most if not all Americans.
Americans are freedom-loving people, and their government's constitution and the government allow them to exercise their freedom responsibly, such as the freedom of speech and to worship any religion.
The fourth of July may be weeks away, but being patriotic can be done not just on July 4, but every day. Movies are great for that.
Here are some movies you can stream and feel patriotic while watching them:
The Patriot
As the movie's title implies, Mel Gibson's film, "The Patriot," features a war hero and veteran and his son during their involvement in the American Revolutionary War, per Yard Barker.
The film shows the audience the cost of freedom and its value to those who earned it regardless of the color of their skin or gender, as shown in various scenes.
You can stream "The Patriot" for yourself or others on Netflix.
Lincoln (2012)
The name Abraham Lincoln will forever be synonymous with the event that changed the lives of every African American during his time and beyond: the Emancipation Proclamation.
The movie named after him, which was released in 2012 and directed by Steven Spielberg, shows Honest Abe being forced to scheme his way to the presidency to abolish slavery. Ian Buckwalter of NPR mentioned in his review of the film that it showed "a deeply conflicted, often lonely leader simply trying to do the right thing - even if that means a few wrong things along the way."
"Lincoln" can be streamed on HBO Max or Amazon Prime.
Hidden Figures
"Hidden Figures" is a 2016 fi;m set in the 1960's during the space race between the United Staes and the Soviet Union, per Entertainment Weekly.
The film focuses on how three female African American mathematicians overcame racism and sexism at NASA while helping solve the science that brought American astronauts to the Moon. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the film "celebreates overlooked - and crucial - contributions from a pivotal moment in American History."
The film can be streamed on Disney+.
The American President
"The American President" is a 1995 American romantic comedy-drama from Rob Reinerthat highlights of the nobility of "the American Experiment" while constantly testing the integrity of its participants.
The film shows the rules and stakes of modern American democracy, with President Shepherd saying that "America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight."
The film can be streamed on Amazon Prime, Roku, and Hulu.
Top Gun: Maverick
The latest to be released in the list, "Top Gun: Maverick" follows the titular character, Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, as he trains a squadron of elite US Navy pilots for a bombing run on a "rogue state's uranium enrichment plant, per Vanity fair.
Although not overtly poltiical, mostly agree (arguably) that the film is patriotic, and that it shows America's "latent desure to break free from the malaise-ridden status quo," per Politico.
"Top Gun: Maverick" cannot be streamed yet as of the publication of this article, but Men's Health revealed that the filmn will be available to stream on Paramount+ sometime after July when the movie has left the big screen.
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