Poor Richard’s Almanac

What does the Fourth of July call to mind? Picnics, fireworks, flags, “The Star Spangled Banner”? How about movies? Maybe our friend Ben and Silence Dogood are the only folks on earth who enjoy celebrating Independence Day with a favorite movie, followed by some sparklers in the backyard and a truly awe-inspiring fireworks display annually provided by our end-of-street neighbors. Not everyone can watch world-class fireworks from the privacy of their backyards, but anyone with a DVD player can rent and watch one or more of these great films for the Fourth:

Independence Day: A must-watch each July 4th for us, this alien-action film pairs Jeff Goldblum (mercifully still alive, despite rumors to the contrary) and Will Smith in an epic battle against aliens who are determined to conquer Earth. It’s a wonderful feel-good film for the whole family.

Red Firecracker, Green Firecracker: This fantastic Chinese film takes us back to the land that invented firecrackers and follows two great firecracker-manufacturing houses and their varying fortunes. Truly a Chinese “Romeo and Juliet,” with a surprise ending, and one of our friend Ben’s and Silence’s all-time favorite films.

The Fellowship of the Ring: For all Tolkien fans, the scene near the beginning of the film where the mischievous hobbits Pippin and Merry set off Gandalf’s dragon fireworks will evoke fond memories and provide a better show than any live firework display. Bilbo lives!

1776: Celebrate American Independence with Ben Franklin, John and Abigail Adams, Tom Jefferson et al. in the classic musical. It’s a bit drawn out for our friend Ben’s taste, but there are enough highlights to make it worth watching anyway, and Howard Da Silva’s portrayal of Ben Franklin is definitely worth the price of admission.  

Also noteworthy: The Fourth of July is all about celebrating the courage, spunk, can-do attitude, and ultimate triumph of the underdog. In this spirit, our friend Ben also recommends “Cinema Paradiso”, “Flashdance”, “Conan the Barbarian”, “Mongol”, “Witness”, “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back”, “Galaxy Quest”, “Gattaca”, “Slumdog Millionaire”, “The Running Man”, and “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”.

What movies do you watch on July 4th?