4th of July is coming up, and between the barbeques and fireworks, showing a movie marathon with you, your friends, and family is a good way to wind down the day! So I compiled a list of films to watch to celebrate Independence Day the right way! Now this is ranked from least to best, but not which movies I think are better, but how they represent the holiday.

7. "Independence Day"

So I just reviewed this movie so I don't have much more to say about it other then Independence Day is the perfect movie for...Independence Day! USA is known for there big, action-packed flicks and that's exactly what this is. The United States flag is waved throughout the film, and it's about mankind overcoming what seems like a huge unstoppable force, which is exactly what The Fourth of July is all about, and with some of the more heavy films in this list, it is good to start off with some good ol' popcorn fun! (For more about this movie, check out my "Independence Day" Double Review.)

6. "Captain America: The First Avenger"

Now really any "Captain America" film will work here; I picked "The First Avenger" because it's a fun period piece. This movie highlights the ideals of what it means to be an American! And Steve Rogers is basically America embodied, and I think that's why we love this character. Sure, to a lot of people he could seem sort of cheesy, but in a time (due to incidents like Snowden) where we felt like we lost our original goals and morals of The United States, Steve Rogers stands for everything classic America. Also, a story about a small-time person making their dreams come true is a old school American story. So why not sprinkle some superheroes in you Fourth of July holiday? Especially if he has "America" in his name!

5. "United 93"

Now to take a somber turn. This movie is about the worst attack we had on American soil since Pearl Harbor (the September 11 attacks), and it's not the easiest film to watch, but an important one! Many of us -if we're a certain age- can remember what we were doing and where we were when this attack happened, so this movie could hit home for a lot of people. So it might be hard for those who had loved ones passed away during this, but this is a important part of United States history that should not be forgotten. It also shows the heroism of actual people during a terrifying situation. These where normal people that decided they won't go down without a fight. This movie is simple it shows the facts of what happened in the most realistic way, it's not theatrical, showy, or fancy in any way, it's just a stripped down film that portrays the events of this horrific attack. You may never want to see this more then a couple of times, but it's a great film that I think everyone should see if you haven't.

4. "Apollo 13"

Keeping with the 'true events' this movie is one of facing all odds! This situation is crazy to think about it actually happening. It seems like an idea some savvy screenwriter would come up with, but everything that takes place in this film is FACT -which is amazing. This could've been a horrible tragedy, but the people of NASA were determined to not leave any American behind! This movie is inspirational and a thrill ride, and add on the fact it has amazing performances -some by the likes of Tom Hanks- it's a great addition to any movie marathon, especially a Fourth of July one!

3. "Jaws:

Now this is a Fourth of July movie like "Die Hard" is a Christmas movie! The story takes place over the Independence Day Weekend, so it's a natural choice to add in because it's a awesome film! And while it's hard to see what other connections it has to the holiday, it does have to do with a man determined to face a insurmountable force, and overcoming tyranny is what The Fourth of July is all about!

2. "Miracle"

Now I can't believe it took me this long to see this movie! It's directed by Gavin O'Connor, which made one of my favorite films period "Warrior", which is a very underrated movie in my opinion! This movie stars Kurt Russell as the coach of the 1980 USA hockey team, and actual hockey players as the team. Unlike "Warrior," this is a true story that took place during the late 70s. It's an underdog story which is classic American storytelling, we love underdogs, we love seeing the little guys come up on top, and that's what this film is about. Now while the performances from the hockey players are a little shaky at times, the playing feels as real as it can be, mainly because they're actual players! Kurt Russell is a terrific actor, and anchors this entire film, and while it took a couple of my friends to recommend this movie, when I saw who it was directed by, I knew it was going to be a great ride!

1. "Saving Private Ryan"

I saved the very best for the very last! This is a movie I heard about my entire life, and for some reason I just got around to watching it a week ago -which is crazy because of my love for Spielberg and great films in general. This three-hour epic is an awesome way to top off the Fourth of July, and while that might seem long, it just flies by! War is a part of our history, while terrible and devastating, soldiers from the dawn of this country have fought to keep our country free, and this movie portrays the brave fighters that lost their lives to protect our way of life. The movie is filled to the brim with great actors. This film is graphic, but it's not gratuitous violence, it just shows the World War II for what it was, and it was horrific at times. I don't like it when actual events are sugarcoated or deluded because it loses the reality of events. Spielberg has even put restrictions that the film cannot be edited, even when being broadcast on television. This movie is powerful, evocative, heart wrenching, as well as heartwarming. I'm probably going to watch this movie a couple of more times this week, just to make up for lost time I could've been seeing it! It's the perfect movie to celebrate Independence Day!

So even if you don't have hundreds of dollars to shell out for fireworks, or you don't have a huge list of family and friends to cook-out with, you can still enjoy the Fourth of July with these awesome films. So after all the hubbub of everything you're doing this Fourth, grab your loved ones and prepare to laugh, cry and be moved to reverence with these sick flicks!