It’s the Fourth of July, which is as good of a time as any to watch a patriotic movie. Independence Day and The Patriot are the obvious options, but we’re going over the top five patriotic sports movies to watch on the United States’ Independence Day.
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
A lot of you are probably laughing at Talladega Nights being considered a patriotic movie, but it gives a funny and over-the-top look at an area of the country that often gets overlooked. America is something Ricky Bobby and Cal Naughton Jr. care about deeply, as do all racecar drivers. The scene in the bar when Jean Girard first shows up displays the pride they all feel for the country—including Ricky’s “welcome to America, amigo” before throwing a weak punch. Also, Ricky eventually beats the Frenchman, as the United States comes out on top again.
D2: The Mighty Ducks
Gordon Bombay and many of the Ducks had a new job in their second go-around: representing Team USA in the Junior Goodwill Games. Head coach Wolf Stansson and the Iceland team were great protagonists, with the Vikings roster looking like a bunch of near-pros compared to Team USA. The cheap shot Stansson took at Bombay made him a hated villain, but USA overcame the odds and beat Iceland after their earlier 12-1 embarrassment to get the last laugh and earn everyone’s respect.
Miracle
Miracle tells one of the greatest upsets in sports, as the 1980 Olympics Team USA hockey team upset the Soviets and went on to take the gold medal in the Games. Kurt Russell was amazing as Herb Brooks, and the pre-game talk before the upset over Russia is simply legendary:
The Sandlot
The Sandlot featured a bunch of kids that just wanted to play some baseball and have a good time. It wasn’t for fortune, fame, or recognition; there weren’t a bunch of fans or scouts to impress—they just played for the love of the game. The Sandlot also has what might be the best fireworks display in any movie ever, with Ray Charles singing “America the Beautiful” in the background as they played under the light of the fireworks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao0vXBJqODE
Rocky IV
There isn’t much explanation needed for why Rocky IV is a top-notch patriotic sports movie. Before his unfortunate death, Apollo Creed showed his massive pride for the USA with his awesome “Living in America” intro with the legendary James Brown. A lot of Rocky IV takes place in Russia, where Rocky gets away to train for his fight with Ivan Drogo, but Rocky’s will, hard work, and determination is as American as it gets. The speech Rocky makes after defeating Drago, while draped in an American flag, is an excellent end to the film.
Hahaha yes D2!
Rocky IV =
Assuming that’s the goat emoji. Correct.
Lol Talladega Nights on here is great.
oooooh memba rocky iv?