Four patriotic movies that set the mood for Flag Day and celebrate the American spirit

The country is right in the middle of hosting a fantastic World Cup tournament -- one that has captured the hearts of foreign visitors from all over the world -- and is still soaking in their team's big win over Paraguay on Friday.To add to the excitement, the White House is celebrating America's 250th birthday in style with a UFC event for the ages right on the lawn.And, to top it off, not only is it President Donald Trump's 80th birthday, but it's also Flag Day.Could it get any more patriotic than that?To celebrate such a momentous day of pride in your country, I've picked out four movies you HAVE to put on in order to celebrate your Flag Day in style.These freedom flicks will get the Red, White and Blue blood coursing through your veins and make you proud to be an American.Actor Mel Gibson attends the premiere of Warner Bros.Pictures' "Mad Max: Fury Road" at TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Calif., on May 7, 2015.
(Kevin Winter/Getty Images)Let's start things off with a movie that is so patriotic, it literally has the word in its name.Mel Gibson's turn as Benjamin Martin during the Revolutionary War will have you standing at attention for the entire runtime of the film.It's a fictional retelling and a little pulpy, but "The Patriot" delivers everything a red-blooded American man wants in a wartime movie about the birth of his nation.FOR 2026, YOU SHOULD MAKE A RESOLUTION TO KNOW THE REVOLUTIONGibson's acting is great, but special mention needs to be made for Heath Ledger as Martin's son, Gabriel, and Jason Isaacs as the villainous Colonel William Tavington, who is a delightfully hatable Redcoat.I can't think of a better way to kick off your Flag Day festivities than with this ode to Colonial America.Well done, Roland Emmerich.Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon and Bill Paxton appear in a scene from the film "Apollo 13" directed by Ron Howard.(Eric Robert/Sygma/Sygma via Getty Images)From the Revolution to the Space Race, this '90s classic celebrates American exceptionalis...