They’re all here—John Adams, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, even John Witherspoon. Adams, the focal point of the early portion of the film, is portrayed as a nuisance, nattering on about independence at every opportunity. “John you’re a bore/We’ve heard this before,” sing his fellow elected representatives, as they implore him to “sit down, John/sit down.”

The men fight for and against independence, with the Virginians claiming a special place in God’s eyes and a Pennsylvania representative accusing Adams of using Virginia as a back door to enacting legislation favorable to New England.

Will these men form one nation or a nation of sovereign states? While the legislative battle rages, Jefferson and Adams sing about how they “burn” for their spouses.

Although it retells history in engaging fashion, 1776 is not suitable for family viewing. This 1972 film is, in fact, bawdy at times, and is rated “PG” for language. It includes several flippant uses of God’s name and some sexual humor.

GOLDEN DOOR: The Journey

“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

— Emma Lazarus

Our nation’s story is a story of immigrants—people who came to this country in search of something they couldn’t obtain in their homelands. Some came for the promise of material prosperity, some for the opportunity to make their own way in a rugged land, and some for the chance to worship freely.

Golden Door, an Italian film released last year to unexpectedly strong results on the art-house circuit, follows one man’s journey from Sicily to America. In the film’s opening shot, Salvatore and his son climb a mountain and seek guidance from a statue of the Virgin Mary about whether to leave his village and make the journey to America. “What should we do? Go or stay” he asks the icon.

His prayers are answered when another son arrives and presents him with photos, ostensibly of America, where money grows on trees and giant onions are hauled in wheelbarrows.

“Blessed be the Lord,” Salvatore says. He dreams of a land of great material blessings—a country where money falls from the sky and he swims in rivers of milk. The local clothier tells Salvatore, “God will bless you,” while another man says, “God will guide you there.”