Before he became one of the senators from Minnesota, Al Franken wrote a
book in which he described the difference between "mommy love" and "grown-up love." Some people define their patriotism the same way a superfan roots for a sports team or a child relates to their mommy. In other words, mommy is always right, because she's mommy. For most people as they grow older, you realize mommy is more than just mommy. She's a person like everyone else, with virtues and faults, who's capable of mistakes. It doesn't mean she's a bad person, or diminish her sacrifices. But a grown-up love is honest in its assessment, because if you truly love someone or some thing, you want to help make it better.
This is not going to be a piece where I'm going to preach the correct way to celebrate patriotism on the Fourth of July, nor is it going to be a criticism of the entire concept. Part of the American ideal should be that people are free to think what they want about the whole thing, and I suspect a significant amount of the public's patriotism will encompass barbecuing and getting shitfaced. Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with a society celebrating what they've accomplished, the things they've built, the lessons they've learned, and the struggles they've endured. However, there's an ocean of difference between that and thinking there's some sort of mathematical formula whereby the size of the flag in your front yard or the lapel pin on your chest is directly proportional to how much one loves America. But above all, one can't love America and hate Americans.
Movies, TV shows and music that try to attach patriotic feelings to their products usually fall somewhere between the ends of the spectrum, with sometimes hilarious results. Some examine the American experience, spotlight the accomplishments of notable figures, and present an idealistic depiction of the United States at its best. On the other hand, there are some patriotic works of media that are so corny, condescending and gag inducing.
So which ones do you find the best and worst? Continue below the fold for more.
- When I mentioned to people I was writing on this topic, almost all of them asked whether I was including Independence Day as part of it. Basically, it's a 1950s alien invasion story but done with 1990s big-budget visual effects. America saves the day with nukes and computer viruses, with the president himself giving a speech which motivates the troops to kick alien ass on the Fourth of July before jumping into an F-18 to take part himself. And Earth is ultimately saved by the combined efforts of The Fly and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. When the teaser trailer for the film was released, it depicted the aliens destroying the White House. The reaction in some audiences was cheering. Since the movie premiered not long after the anti-government sentiments that were behind the 1994 Republican takeover of Congress and the Oklahoma City Bombing, some political commentators of the time wondered whether the cheering was indicative of the overall zeitgeist. Or people just like watching national monuments blow up.
- One of the most annoying songs ever is Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA." Whether you agree with the sentiment of the lyrics or not, which are pretty vapid, the song tends to be used for public relations events where people want to wave flags and have all the vestiges of Americana, while giving a speech that's the antithesis of it. The song also leads to really stupid public displays when it's performed, especially the "stand up!" line, where people in the audience symbolically stand up to defend America. Following the death Osama bin Laden, Beyoncé re-released her 2008 cover of the song, with the proceeds going to charity.
- Historically, films about the American Revolutionary War have not done well at the box office. Roland Emmerich's The Patriot, starring Mel Gibson, is one such example. Gibson's character, the hero of the story, is based on Francis Marion, who allegedly killed Native Americans for fun, raped his slaves, and committed atrocities as bad, if not worse, than those perpetrated by the British. So, to call the film a historically accurate depiction of colonial America is like saying Pirates of the Caribbean is a faithful retelling of 18th century seafaring life.
- Originally conceived as Cheech & Chong join the army, Stripes became a vehicle for Bill Murray and the late Harold Ramis. The film features one of the best, and funniest, explanations of what it means to be an American.
- Both The West Wing and its spiritual predecessor, The American President proceed from an idealistic, Capraesque vision of American politics that believes in the positive aspects of government and more importantly the positive aspects of people in government. Juli Weiner once penned an article at Vanity Fair in which she argued Aaron Sorkin had been influential in shaping the current generation of public servants. In Sorkin's political universe, most of those in government are good public servants who are trying their best to make a difference. Those with principles are victorious over those who spread half-truths and distortions. And all which is necessary for the best political policy to carry the day, no matter how controversial it might be, is the guts to say what you mean and mean what you say.
"Our leaders, government people are [usually] portrayed either as dolts or as Machiavellian somehow. The characters in this show are neither. They are flawed, to be sure, because you need characters in drama to have flaws. But they, all of them, have set aside probably more lucrative lives for public service. They are dedicated not just to this president, but to doing good, rather than doing well. The show is kind of a valentine to public service. It celebrates our institutions. It celebrates education often. These characters are very well educated, and while sometimes playfully snobby about it, there is, in all of them, a love of learning and appreciation of education." —Aaron Sorkin
- Michael Bay made a movie about the attack on Pearl Harbor. Take all of the shitty-ness of a Transformers movie, add Bay's propensity for jump cuts and incoherent explosions, apply it to an actual historical event, layer on a bad love story, and you end up with a 3-hour mess which reduces a major tragedy in American history to something that is rote and lacking to inspire a human emotion in the audience.
- A significant moment in season 2 of HBO's The Wire occurs when a character says "we used to build shit in this country." There is no greater example of the "shit" we used to build than the space program, since a lot of young kids might find it hard to believe that there was a time when we sent people to the Moon. Ron Howard's Apollo 13 captures a feeling of awe, and reminds the viewer of one of this country's greatest accomplishments.
- There are many interesting points in history for the various moves made between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Thank God Sylvester Stallone condensed all of that down to a boxing match in Rocky IV. Ivan Drago, portrayed by Dolph Lundgren, must break things and encapsulates Russian dickishness and imperialism by killing Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) and stands over him not giving one fuck about it. Enter Stallone's Rocky Balboa, who ventures to the Soviet Union to seek justice, and wins over the commies in the process. I won't lie. I've seen this movie far too many times, but it's a prime example of 1980s jingoism too.
- When they asked to turn his life into a movie, World War I veteran Alvin York refused to allow it unless Gary Cooper would play him. The result was 1941's Sergeant York, directed by Howard Hawks. The movie does an amazing job of balancing the complexity of why people choose to take part in conflict, and respecting the different viewpoints. York, a poor Tennessean and religious pacifist, distinguishes himself by displaying incredible heroism.
- 1968's The Green Berets was released at one of the high-points of the Vietnam War. Based on the novel of the same name by Robin Moore, it was produced by and stars John Wayne, and was specifically intended to be a movie to rally support for the American military during Vietnam. Wayne was able to get the full cooperation of the Pentagon through President Johnson, and the story was reworked in order to allay the Department of Defense's concerns. The film also features Moore's and Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler's "The Ballad of the Green Berets," which also became a pop culture flash-point for support and criticism of the war. However, the final product was a piece of propaganda that was formulaic, simplistic and dull. As an interesting side note, Oliver Stone claims Platoon was written in-part as a reaction to The Green Berets.
From Roger Ebert's review of The Green Berets:
"The Green Berets" simply will not do as a film about the war in Vietnam. It is offensive not only to those who oppose American policy but even to those who support it. At this moment in our history, locked in the longest and one of the most controversial wars we have ever fought, what we certainly do not need is a movie depicting Vietnam in terms of cowboys and Indians. That is cruel and dishonest and unworthy of the thousands who have died there.
- Originally titled "God Blessed America" as a direct response to Irving Berlin's "God Bless America," "This Land Is Your Land" by Woody Guthrie is a famous folk, political and patriotic anthem. The song is intended as a statement that rich and poor should share equally in the fruits of American society. Guthrie reportedly got the idea for it while hitchhiking across the country, and hearing Berlin's "God Bless America" on jukeboxes.
- According to the official Allied report on the Normandy D-Day invasion, within 10 minutes of the Omaha Beach landing, the lead "company had become inert, leaderless and almost incapable of action. Every officer and sergeant had been killed or wounded ... It had become a struggle for survival and rescue." Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan is arguably the closest any film has come to depicting the horror and bravery of it all.
- When we think of films of the past depicting politics, we often think of idealistic stories like Frank Capra's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, back before the Republicans ruined the filibuster. The political world in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is a rather dark one, since the United States Senate is more or less in the pocket of special interests, but the story is one where good triumphs through virtue.
- After Air Force One, starring Harrison Ford, was released, Rush Limbaugh complained the film was a Hollywood conspiracy to propagandize the presidency. And since the president at the time was President Clinton, it was EVIL. Basically it's Die Hard if Bruce Willis' John McClane was president of the United States.
- In both The Fog of War and The Unknown Known, director Errol Morris examines the thinking and actions of two men who've been Secretary of Defense: Robert McNamara and Donald Rumsfeld. In McNamara, there's introspection, pride and regrets. But with Rumsfeld, there's contradiction, dodges and self-deception. If you believe part of being "patriotic" within the American experience is reviewing our past, learning from it, and making amends, The Fog of War shows a man exposing himself to be judged by history, while The Unknown Known details a man doing his best to hide.