Freedom fiesta

American Centre celebrates Independence Day with a selection of patriotic movies.

July 14
National Treasure
(2004, 131 minutes)

A man sets out to steal a lost fortune in order to save it in this adventure drama from producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Benjamin Franklin Gates is an archeologist who is from the eighth generation of a family who has shared an unusual quest. As Gates-family legend has it, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin hid a massive cache of gold during the waning days of the Revolutionary War and left clues as to its whereabouts in the original drafts of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.

July 21
The Patriot (2000, 165 minutes)

In 1776, over Benjamin’s objections, his oldest son Gabriel joins the fight against the British. Gabriel returns from battle seriously wounded, with Lord General Cornwallis (Tom Wilkinson) calling for his arrest. A skirmish breaks out on Benjamin’s plantation, and one of his children is killed as Gabriel is captured by Col. Tavington and sentenced to hang. Benjamin sets aside his vow of pacifism and rescues Gabriel; with the help of his former comrade-in-arms Harry Burwell the father and son form a regiment of Carolina patriots whose cunning and ruthlessness make them heroes among the colonists -- and wanted men by British troops.

July 28
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942, 126 minutes)

After several failed attempts to bring the life of legendary, flag-waving song-and dance man George M. Cohan to the screen, Warners scenarist Robert Buckner opted for the anecdotal approach, unifying the film’s largely unrelated episodes with a flashback framework. Summoned to the White House by President Roosevelt, the aging Cohan is encouraged to relate the events leading up to this momentous occasion.