Posted on 07/06/2008 8:38:04 AM PDT by AmericaTalks
I have a ritual that I observe every 4th of July. It's a movie that I watch, one that brings out the patriotism in me and reminds me what this great nation of ours is all about. The movie is called 1776 and is based on the Broadway musical. It tells the story of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and the great men who helped to found our country.
For most people, I daresay, the Independence Day holiday is nothing more than an opportunity to eat, drink and be merry. Hot dogs, beer and apple pie may be in abundance as America takes a break from its travails to relax and enjoy warm weather and sunshine. But what our forefathers did to make it possible for us to celebrate the freedoms we enjoy should never be forgotten.
We have an election coming up in a little less than four months. On what will probably be a cold, gray day in many parts of the country, will we think back to a July day some 232 years ago, when men of courage and valor dared to put at risk their very lives to form a new nation and break away from oppressive government? Or will we choose to elect a president that will return us to that same oppression?
Even though the 4th of July has come and gone, it is not too late to find a copy of 1776 and remind ourselves what the United States is all about. Especially before we make a decision which could forever change what this country stands for.
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Our tradtional 4th of July movie is “The Patriot”
I just watched the first installment of the HBO John Adams series on Friday night.
One cannot watch that without thinking: How would I act in those circumstances?
Remarkable, remarkable men. And of course, my buddy and I both watched the portrayal of the Continental Congress, and thought: Liberals back then were not much different than those today. Particularly those like John Dickinson of Pennsylvania.
But even he found a way to do what was right.
I also read aloud the Declaration of Independence, and paid particular attention to what it says.
A very powerful document.
Speaking of the musical 1776, my wife and I went to see a production of it several years ago, and a newscaster (Scott Wahle) from Channel 5 News in Boston played John Adams.
I must admit, I was PLEASANTLY surprised! Who would have thought there could be anyone in the media up here who could carry that part????
I LOVE the movie “1776”! One of my favorites. Well worth a rent from Netflix. “The Patriot” is good too, though marred in my opinion by its fast-and-loose take on history. The incident with the burning church, for example, is taken from something Oliver Cromwell did, not anything that happened in our own Revolutionary War.
My husband and I saw 1776 with friends on Broadway in
1971. Did not know what we were seeing at the time would
be so great! It was the only play we could get tickets
for at the last minute. It was awesome.
The HBO series John Adams is superb. I rate it as among the top films I have seen in my lifetime.
“1776” is a fun show. I actually played Ben Franklin in a semi-pro production here in Cali. They do take a few liberties with history, as well as many others. Dickinson, the “villain” of the play, is portrayed as a staunch loyalist, and history paints him more as a fence-sitter who was more sympathetic to the Revolution than not. IIRC, he also helped draft the Constitution — played a very important role in it, in fact.
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