BEST: “The Best Years of Our Life” (1946) -- William Wyler’s look at how three WWII veterans deal with the aftermath of war claimed seven Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director. It emotionally detailed the realities of war and the overall mood of America at that time.
WORST: “Revolution” (1985) -- The colonialists may have won the American Revolution, but Al Pacino and cast turned off viewers with lackluster action and offensively bad dialogue in their struggle for America’s independence. Not to mention, the film scored a whopping 8 percent critical average on Rotten Tomatoes, the lowest on our list.
BEST: “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” (1939) -- Average citizen and aptly named Jefferson Smith (James Stewart) steps up to fill the spot of a recently deceased U.S. senator. When he encounters political corruption, he goes above and beyond the call of duty to uphold the integrity of the justice system. The Frank Capra film won the Best Writing (Original Screenplay) Oscar.
WORST: “Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde” (2003) -- Mr. Smith gone wrong, Harvard grad Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) takes her anti-animal testing bill to Congress in this tepid sequel, which did little more than to prove that dumb blonde jokes don’t work as well the second time around.
BEST: “1776” (1972) -- John Adams, Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson sing! Peter H. Hunt’s Oscar-nominated, musical chronicled the founding fathers’ and the days leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
WORST: “Rambo III” (1988) -- Sylvester Stallone’s third turn as John Rambo never reached its potential to be another successful installment of the franchise. Instead, Stallone took home the Razzie Award for Worst Actor in a film that was an insult to soldiers everywhere.
BEST: “America, America” (1963) -- Directed by Elia Kazan, the film follows a Greek immigrant in his pursuit of a better life in the States, showing the harsh realities of adjusting to life in a new country. It earned an Oscar for art and set direction.
WORST: “Pearl Harbor” (2001) -- High-flying adventure and impressive visual effects couldn’t save director Michael Bay’s “Pearl Harbor” from well-deserved critical wrath for its over-the-top melodrama and horrendous dialogue. Roger Ebert said “the film has been directed without grace, vision or originality, and although you may walk out quoting lines of dialogue, it will not be because you admire them.”
BEST: “Flags of Our Fathers” (2006) -- Clint Eastwood wowed audiences and critics alike with his Oscar-nominated tale of the six men photographed raising the American flag at Iwo Jima -- and the aftermath of their newfound hero standing. What follows is a beautifully directed, haunting portrayal of violence that makes viewers question whether war is really the answer.
WORST: “The Green Berets” (1968) -- Coming amid the increasing protests against the Vietnam War -- and based on a bestseller by former Green Beret Robin Moore -- the heavy-handed1968 John Wayne film took patriotism to a new level. And not in a good way.
The Fourth of July isn't all barbecues and fireworks. Show your red, white and blue spirit by kicking back with some cinematic tributes to America. Just beware -- there's a world of difference between Elle Woods' and Mr. Smith's trips to Washington. And if Al Pacino had really led the 1776 revolution ...
