Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Happy Birthday, America!: The American Flag on the Big Screen IV


So, yeah, it's 'Murica's birthday. In the past, this has been an enthusiastic exercise for me. This year, it's a little bit tougher because I'm no longer confident in what the country stands for. Don't get me wrong, it's always had issues - serious ones. Regardless, I was always sure that progress, however slow, was being made. Now, it feels like we're not just regressing, but actively being dragged backwards. This last year-and-a-half has been a tough time for many of us. We feel as if our humanity is being both questioned and stripped away. Some of us feel boxed in, while others feel locked out. In either case, we feel attacked. The us is now everyone who is not a white male millionaire.

With that in mind, I'm still proud, if somewhat embarrassed, to be an American. I don't pride and embarrassment don't normally go together, but it is what it is. The American keeps making appearances in movies for all sorts of reasons. Here are some of them...


Brooklyn


Creed


Very Good Girls


Miracle


Watchmen


The Last Castle


The Hills Have Eyes


Spider-Man: Homecoming


Forrest Gump


Gran Torino


xXx


D2: The Mighty Ducks


Napoleon Dynamite


Last Flag Flying


The Ides of March


Miss Firecracker


Superman IV: The Quest for Peace


Where to Invade Next


The Campaign


Chi-Raq


Check out my previous entries in this series:


7 comments:

  1. Nice collection Dell.

    I love Miracle!! You know where its going from frame one but it manages to sweep you up into the story and gets you cheering during the final game. I love it almost as much as I hate Forrest Gump!

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    1. Believe it or not, I've still never seen Miracle. Sad, I know. Since I know where it's going even before seeing frame one, I just never felt the urge. Maybe one day.

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    2. What makes it so engrossing even though the outcome is a known is that sense of American can-doism and purpose that makes films like Apollo 13, October Sky and Hidden Figures so worthwhile.

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  2. Great shouts. My first thought was Rocky 3. I’m sure it’s in American History D and Born on the Fourth of Kuly too

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    1. Thanks. Check out the links, both of those movies are covered.

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  3. Thanks for the heads up. Baywatch and Toy Story were especially inspired.

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