Hidden Gems - 1776

There is only one movie that I consistently watch every Independence Day since I was a kid, and that’s the film 1776, based on the Tony-Winning Musical of the same name. The plot covers the events leading to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, with a focus on John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson. Released only a few years after the musical debuted on Broadway, the movie benefits from including many actors of the original cast and everyone is excellent. Sure, it’s far more traditional than Hamilton, but it’s still worth a watch, especially since it focuses on just the Declaration, which is central to the holiday.

In many ways, 1776 is a somewhat unique musical because it does go long lengths of time between songs, and a lot of the debates are done in the traditional play style. In fact, the musical holds the record for the longest time in a musical without a sing note of music played or sung. It also lacks a true musical finale. The musical numbers are very good and often very catchy. Some are also very funny, especially “But, Mr. Adams.” However, some of them are at a disadvantage of not being very universal and wouldn’t work well for cover versions, especially “Molasses to Rum,” a really good song that cannot be sung out of context.

1776 is not the most historically accurate portrayal of the events. A lot of liberties are taken, but it captures the spirit and some core concepts. Most importantly of all, it portrays the founding fathers as flawed human beings, and in these divided times, it’s interesting to watch this film now and reflect on how political differences were treated differently back then. In fact, it was used in both my government and my AP US History classes in high school. It is also a very funny film and is also unique in the fact that for many moments, the characters laugh at the jokes as well as the audience, creating a more realistic feel to the comedy. I would definitely say that it’s appropriate for children. Yes, there are a lot of adult jokes in the movie, but I can say from personal experience that these will go over children’s heads. In fact, I highly recommend that children see it annually because it is quite an experience to understand what’s happening more and more as they grow up.

DVDs of the film show the director’s cut, though I personally grew up on the theatrical version and don’t know if there are any copies available, other than on VHS. The director’s cut does include a previously deleted song that Nixon himself wished to be removed when the film was released because of its comments on contemporary politics that’s still relevant today. I highly recommend that everyone see this enjoyable musical.