by Christa Visperas

Created on: July 10, 2009

Family picnics, spectacular fireworks, juicy barbecues, and grand parades may be the order of the day during the Fourth of July, but so is sitting in the couch with a group of family and friends, eating popcorn and a collection of popular culture and film that has so captured the spirit of the American Independence Day.

There are many products of pop culture that reflects Fourth of July in a variety of ways, but below is an updated list. The next time Fourth of July comes around, put up your feet and enjoy!

Independence Day

Alright, this movie did not in any way capture the spirit of America's Independence Day, being a sci-fi offering, after all. But it did depict the remarkable spirit of Americans in general, that is, pure will in the face of danger, and a stubborn resilience against adversity. The President's speech is so moving and now immortalized, albeit a rip-off from a famous Dylan Thomas poem: We must not go gently into the night, we must rage, rage against the dying of the light! Today, we celebrate our Independence Day!

Yankee Doodle Dandy

Yankee Doodle Dandy is from 1942, so might not generate a following with the young generation. But James Cagney's rousing portrayal of legendary Broadway performer George M. Cohan is so infectious that everybody will really like the guy not only for his cheery singing and dancing, but also for his obvious enjoyment of his own performance. The final scene as he dances down the staircase of the White House, according to trivia, is completely improvised but a delight to look at!

All the President's Men

With Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman playing Washington Post reporters instrumental to the downfall of President Richard Nixon in the Watergate scandal, this film is intelligently made and carries a subliminal but important message: that America's founding fathers placed a great importance in press freedom as part of the grand design of democracy. This movie brilliantly emphasized that this freedom is still very much alive in America in present times, causing the downfall of powerful leaders if need be.

1776

The Broadway musical 1776 was made into a movie depicting the events surrounding the Fourth of July Declaration of Independence. The film takes a delightfully charming look at those historic times, to the wonderful strains of The Lees of Virginia, He Plays the Violin, and Molasses to Rum.

To Kill a Mockingbird

The movie is a great gem in American pop culture and film. Gregory Peck was rightly cast as Atticus Finch, easily depicting the good old-fashioned American values of decency, fairness, tolerance, courage, and conviction. The story of a black man accused of raping a white woman highlighted the central principle of the July 4 Declaration of Independence, which is all men are created equal.

Forrest Gump

The movie is cut-and-dried American. Forrest Gump may have had the misfortune of being a developmentally-challenged man, but his seeming disability allowed him to view the America of the sixties and seventies through a uniquely wonderful perspective. Viewers are given a rare opportunity to journey with Forrest Gump and see the country through his eyes. He may be mentally-challenged, but his American spirit responded to the needs of his country and his time in a very extraordinary and unforgettable way.

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