Independence Day is all about barbecues and fireworks, but if it's too hot outside on the Fourth of July and you want to cool off indoors with a movie, there are plenty of good options. While not many movies actually take place on Independence Day or place the holiday at the center of their plots, the spirit of the Fourth of July thrives in movies about American ingenuity and achievement.

Patriotism means more than simply supporting one's country, and these patriotic films are sometimes critical of certain aspects of America. Each film is ultimately a celebration of the best that America has to offer, and that is what Independence Day should honor. Here are seven films that are perfect for a patriotic immersion.

Strictly speaking, the characters in these films are not just fighting for America. They are fighting for the entire planet to repel a deadly alien invasion. However, little attention is paid to what is happening in the world, except for shots of global landmarks being destroyed, and everyone involved in saving the day is an American.

The final battle with the aliens occurs on July 4, and President Thomas J. Whitmore, played by Bill Pullman, rallies the American troops in a speech that, despite being fictional, may be the most famous presidential address since the Gettysburg Address. Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, and Randy Quaid play different variations on the archetypal American hero as they confront an existential crisis to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

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The title character, played by James Stewart, represents a pure heart that does not, and perhaps never has, existed in American politics, yet when naive redneck Jefferson Smith is unexpectedly appointed to the Senate and it is gratifying to see him shake up the corrupt Washington establishment. Smith is a literal Boy Scout, and is shocked to learn of the backroom deals, favors, and especially the close associates of the state's Senator Joseph Payne (Claude Rains), whom he has always idolized.

Stewart persuasively sells Smith's understated charm and unwavering determination, and with the help of his wise secretary Sanders (Jean Arthur), promotes a bill for a youth nature camp. Smith's epic filibuster is an iconic moment in the film and a tribute to the power of the American political process.

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Steven Spielberg captures the horror and nobility of war in his Oscar-winning World War II drama. Tom Hanks stars as the captain of a U.S. Army battalion ordered to rescue Pvt. James Francis Ryan (Matt Damon), who was given leave after all four of his brothers were killed in action. The film explores the human cost of the mission, questioning whether rescuing this one man could possibly be worth the lives of so many others.

The supporting cast includes Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, Vin Diesel, and Barry Pepper as other members of the battalion, each with their own personal demons to face in combat. From the intense battle scenes on the beaches of Normandy at the beginning of the film to the melancholy ending, Spielberg keeps the focus on the toll war takes on all those on the battlefield.

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Sometimes the most patriotic thing to do is to bring down an American president when he is a corrupt liar. Alan J. Pakula's film about the reporters who scooped the Watergate scandal is a thriller with brilliant performances by Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman. It is a complex, layered story with a strong social conscience that gives the audience an insight into the characters of reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, then pulls them into the middle of the country's biggest political cover-up.

Even more impressive is the fact that "The President's Men" was produced so soon after the resignation of President Richard Nixon, providing a timely look at the national reaction and an intelligent reflection on what it means for the country. This production surpasses most contemporary prestige TV current affairs dramas.

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Protest is an inherently patriotic value, and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) will march between Selma and Montgomery, Alabama, to rally for black Americans' voting rights director Ava DuVernay captures one of the most important protests in American history. DuVernay painstakingly depicts the brutal police response to the activists' first march, making central figures such as Martin Luther King and John Lewis (Stephan James) into fully realized characters, rather than figures straight out of a history textbook.

"Selma" represents a turning point in King's effort to convince President Lyndon B. Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) to fully support the Voting Rights Act, but still offers an important history lesson. It is a stirring drama that reminds us of the sacrifices made to secure basic American rights.

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Space travel has been presented as a patriotic vision from NASA's earliest days, and Philip Kaufman's sprawling drama about America's first astronaut is a key element of that mythologizing. Kaufman contrasts the achievements of pioneering space explorers such as John Glenn (Ed Harris), Gord Cooper (Dennis Quaid), and Gus Grissom (Fred Ward) with legendary test pilot Chuck Yeager (Sam Shepard), who declined to join the space program

This contrasts with the achievements of pioneering space explorers like Ward, who declined to join the space program.

This lends "The Right Stuff" a sense of pathos along with its rousing aeronautical feats. Kaufman never forgets the human story behind the wonders of space exploration. The film makes towering national heroes into flawed, sometimes unlikable human beings and brings them back down to earth in a satisfying way.

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Would America be better off if it were run by part-time actors? Directed by Ivan Reitman, this good-natured comedy stars Kevin Kline as the title character. After the president suffers a stroke, Dave is hired as a double to fill in for the immobilized president and finds himself being manipulated by greedy politicians.

Kind-hearted Dave goes rogue and begins his own scheme to run the country and win the love of the first lady (Sigourney Weaver).

"Dave" is a warm, funny portrait of American politics that emphasizes positivity over biting satire, with an optimistic attitude that good people make America a better place simply because it's the right thing to do.

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