• Home
  • News
  • Top Picks
    • Movies & Films: Top 25
    • Documentaries: Top 25
    • Films For Students: Top 10
    • Music Videos: Top 10
  • Categories
    • Film
    • Documentary
    • Shorts
    • Blog
    • Calendar
    • Links
    • About

Miss Liberty's Film & Documentary World

Libertarian Movies, Films & Documentaries

1776 (1972)

Tagged: American revolution, Libertarian heroes, Right to secede

WINNER: TOP 25 LIBERTARIAN FILMS
The Founding Fathers declare American independence from Britain. [ 1776 credits: Dir: Peter H. Hunt/ William Daniels, Howard da Silva, Ken Howard/ 141 min/ Musical-Dance, Drama/ American Revolution, Libertarian Heroes, Right to Secede]

“A light and entertaining film, often amusing, full of witty Franklin quotes and clever musical numbers, but also educational and even inspiring.”

This musical story of the Declaration of Independence dramatizes some of the important essentials behind the decision to declare independence — the tension between compromise with and split from England; the division over slavery; the self-doubt as to whether the American armies could win; and the risk of execution for all involved.

Most of the focus of 1776 is on John Adams, an early advocate of independence. Adams is constantly persuading, cajoling, arguing, and maneuvering to get fellow delegates of the Continental Congress to join him in breaking with England. He counters appeals to home-country patriotism with complaints of taxes, abuses of power, and lost rights. He proposes, with Franklin, that a declaration be written of the reasons justifying American independence. He gets Jefferson to write it and then defends it in Congress against a multitude of proposed changes.

In the end, it’s Adams’s determination that makes possible the unanimous adoption of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the U.S. Curiously, according to this portrayal, Jefferson works as near subordinate of Adams. Jefferson scholars would likely dispute this view.

Like most films based on stage plays, this one is a cut above average. It’s a light and entertaining film, often amusing, full of witty Franklin quotes and clever musical numbers, but also educational and even inspiring. Two scenes are particularly touching. The first is one in which a young man, wounded in battle, sings about hoping that his mother finds him before he dies; the second is at the close of the film, when the signers of the Declaration courageously add their names to this (at that time treasonous) document.

1776 is a good reminder of the intellectual battles and personal sacrifices that went into founding this country. Watching it would be a great way to celebrate the Fourth of July. My favorite quote from the film: “I have come to the conclusion that one useless man is called a disgrace, that two are called a law firm, and that three or more become a Congress!”

How to See It

Netflix
Amazon (DVD)
Amazon (Instant Video)
YouTube Video Search
Online Video Search

Links

IMDB
Wikipedia

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)

Related

  • RSS
  • Twitter

Featured Post

fleeing california

Fleeing California: New Short Film On Exodus

Will Witt of PragerU has released a new short film, Fleeing California. The film focuses on the state's increasingly bifurcated landscape -- rich and poor -- explaining why the middle-class is leaving the highly-regulated high-tax paradise despite the good weather. "Why are millions of people leaving … Continue Reading

me is mine

Me Is Mine, You Is Yours: A History of Civilization

Me is Mine, You is Yours is an entertaining 4 minute history of civilization highlighting the role of private property and rule of law in the rise of man. The entire clip -- music, illustration, and lyrics -- is the product of talented musician Nick Sibley. Sibley also made the wonderful and catchy original … Continue Reading

Fahrenheit 451 (1966)

WINNER: TOP 25 LIBERTARIAN FILMS In a future time when books are banned, a secret underground preserves the world’s literature. [ Fahrenheit 451 credits: Dir: François Truffaut/ Julie Christie, Oskar Werner, Cyril Cusack/ 112 min/ SciFi-Fantasy, Drama/ Freedom of Speech] “Fahrenheit 451 is a wonderful … Continue Reading

Themes

Abuse of power American revolution Anti-draft Anti-regulation Anti-slavery Anti-socialism Anti-taxation Anti-war Ayn Rand Corrupt government Creator as hero Democide Econ 101 Eminent domain Equality & law Escape from socialism Freedom of speech Free press as hero Government as bigot Government as torturer Government enforced morality Government healthcare Government schools Incompetent government Individualism John Stossel Law & liberty Legalize Drugs Libertarian heroes Libertarianism 101 Power corrupts Power worship Pro-capitalism Pro-immigration Propaganda Psychiatric coercion Resistance to tyranny Right to secede Search & seizure Second amendment Sexual liberty Social tolerance Unions & monopolies Voluntarism Working for government

Genres/Categories

Action-Adventure Animated Biography Blog Comedy Documentary Drama Family Featured Film Foreign History Horror Music-Dance Netflix News Romance SciFi-Fantasy Shorts Thriller Upcoming Western

About Miss Liberty

This site is a collection of films and documentaries of particular interest to libertarians (and those interested in libertarianism). It began as a book, Miss Liberty’s Guide to Film: Movies for the Libertarian Millennium, where many of the recommended films were first reviewed. The current collection has grown to now more than double the number in that original list, and it’s growing still.

  • RSS

© 2022 Miss Liberty's Film & Documentary World. All Rights Reserved

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.