If you want to watch a movie that will remind you of what we love most about the wonderful country we celebrate this week, try America’s Heart and Soul. If Norman Rockwell made a movie, this would be it. If “America the Beautiful” was a movie, this would be it. If America had a home move, this would be it. And if we ever needed a reminder of of what can be proud of, what we aspire to, what we stand for — this is it. Plus, it is a lot of fun and that rare treat, a movie for the whole family.
Tomorrow at 8 Eastern time, PBS will broadcast the annual Capitol Fourth concert, hosted by Tom Bergeron, of the hit TV series “Dancing With the Stars.” Performers include “American Idol” winner Phillip Phillips, acclaimed Broadway and television star Megan Hilty of NBC’s “Smash;” two-time Tony Award winner Matthew Broderick performing songs from the hit Broadway musical “Nice Work If You Can Get It” with four-time Tony nominee Kelli O’Hara; singer-songwriter and winner of “The Voice,” Javier Colon; country music star Josh Turner; R&B superstars Kool & The Gang; renowned tenor Russell Watson; actress and singer Amber Riley from “Glee”; the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of top pops conductor Jack Everly; eight-time Olympic medalist Apolo Anton Ohno will host a tribute to Team USA, honoring the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams, featuring five-time Academy Award-winner John Williams conducting his “Olympic Fanfare.”
In celebration of America’s 236th birthday, the show will be capped off with a rousing rendition of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” complete with live cannon fire provided by The United States Army Presidential Salute Battery, an audience favorite and now an “A Capitol Fourth” tradition. Also participating in the event will be The Choral Arts Society of Washington, along with The U.S. Army Herald Trumpets, The U.S. Army Ceremonial Band, the Quantico Marine Corps Band, members of the Armed Forces carrying the state and territorial flags and the Joint Armed Forces Color Guard provided by the Military District of Washington, D.C.
The defining moment of our beginning as portrayed in the outstanding “John Adams” series on PBS. Let us all take inspiration from their courage and vision.
In this heart-thumping, slam-bang action extravaganza, aliens arrive and blow up the world’s major cities. The president (Bill Pullman) and fighter pilots (led by Will Smith) must find a way to fight back. Some kids will find this too intense and scary, but others will want to see it over and over (and over) again. Themes to discuss include behavior in a crisis, honesty, the dilemma faced by the president in making the choice to use nuclear weapons, and, for film fanatics, finding all of the references to other classic films, from Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb to 2001 – A Space Odyssey.
Parents should know that the movie was justifiably accused of being sexist. One of the female leads is a stripper. We see her perform, though she remains covered. Her lover resists marrying her because it would hurt his career. Another couple divorced because she was too committed to her career. In addition, parents may be concerned about an unmarried couple that is clearly inti¬mate, and by the tension as the characters are in peril, as well as a massive number of deaths, including two of the main characters.
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