The Movie
National Treasure; starring Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, and Justin Bartha. Directed by Jon Turteltaub.
The Short Version
Take a hefty amount of Indiana Jones; pour in copious amounts of The Davinci Code; add just a splash of The Goonies and a dollop of James Bond. The magical, wonderfully fun result: National Treasure. It’s Nicolas Cage in the role he was born to play. His classic dead-pan manner is the perfect complement to this wacky, historically-themed treasure hunt.
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The Plot in a Nutshell
The Gates family has become a joke to the (apparently very judgmental) historical community because of their continued belief in a treasure hidden by our ingenious founding fathers. But Benjamin Gates (Cage) is a believer. He sets out with his conspiracy nut/hacker extraordinaire bro Riley (Justin Bartha) and a team of hardened criminals to find the treasure, only to come across a clue that points to the Declaration of Independence as the location of the elusive treasure map. After the criminal component of the team attempts to murder Benjamin and Riley, the two sides set out on a race to snatch the Declaration of Independence and find the treasure. Historical-hijinks ensue.
The Reason You (and Your Gentleman/Lady Friend) Will Love it
You do have to suspend everything you know about reality for this one, y’all. For example, you must pretend that when the founding fathers had free time from their busy schedule of creating a new country, they were writing easily solvable riddles and hiding them in priceless artifacts all over the United States. You also have to pretend that after someone steals a priceless government document, they would continue to have the ability to traipse across the country, even spending untold hours at their father’s house with nary a care in the world. But if you can do that, you are in for quite the treat.
Conspiracy theories are always fun, and this one is no exception. From the founding fathers, to the Freemasons, to everyday objects and their hidden histories, National Treasure is just full of fun historical references. It’s a reimagined history (read: made-up), but it’s fun to pretend that the founding fathers spent more time finding hiding places for buried treasure than starting a revolution.
I strongly believe that this is the very best Nicolas Cage movie, and the main reason for that belief is Justin Bartha, who is the real national treasure here. His sarcasm and high energy balance out Cage’s deadpan performance beautifully. Bartha is full of snarky one-liners that you can’t help but laugh at, making him the stand-out in an already funny movie. Cage might be the star of the film, but anyone who’s watching can easily see that Bartha is so vital to the plot it’s almost laughable. He doesn’t run and do all the fun stunt work. No, he just uses his completely awesome computer and tech skills to accomplish almost every one of Cage’s outrageous plans, including stealing the Declaration of Independence.
I absolutely cannot think of a more perfect movie to celebrate the Fourth of July (and believe me, I tried). National Treasure centers on the Declaration of Independence, which is the reason for the season after all. Even the soundtrack sounds distinctly American (I’m not even sure what that means), and it kicks in at the slightest hint of a plot point.
The only way you could improve upon the already fantastic movie is to show it on an outdoor screen. Here are some instructions on setting up an outdoor theater.
Conspiracy theories are always fun, and this one is no exception. From the founding fathers, to the Freemasons, to everyday objects and their hidden histories, National Treasure is just full of fun historical references. It’s a reimagined history (read: made-up), but it’s fun to pretend that the founding fathers spent more time finding hiding places for buried treasure than starting a revolution.
I strongly believe that this is the very best Nicolas Cage movie, and the main reason for that belief is Justin Bartha, who is the real national treasure here. His sarcasm and high energy balance out Cage’s deadpan performance beautifully. Bartha is full of snarky one-liners that you can’t help but laugh at, making him the stand-out in an already funny movie. Cage might be the star of the film, but anyone who’s watching can easily see that Bartha is so vital to the plot it’s almost laughable. He doesn’t run and do all the fun stunt work. No, he just uses his completely awesome computer and tech skills to accomplish almost every one of Cage’s outrageous plans, including stealing the Declaration of Independence.
I absolutely cannot think of a more perfect movie to celebrate the Fourth of July (and believe me, I tried). National Treasure centers on the Declaration of Independence, which is the reason for the season after all. Even the soundtrack sounds distinctly American (I’m not even sure what that means), and it kicks in at the slightest hint of a plot point.
The only way you could improve upon the already fantastic movie is to show it on an outdoor screen. Here are some instructions on setting up an outdoor theater.
The Clothes
It’s the Fourth of July, meaning most of your day should be spent outdoors. I suggest a comfortable jean short and t-shirt ensemble. Today is not the day to wear your 5 inch heels. Think tennis shoes or sandals.
You should also have a swimsuit on hand in case it becomes a pool party situation.
You should also have a swimsuit on hand in case it becomes a pool party situation.
The Booze
If you love beer, Sam Adams is the clear winner here. Brewed in America and named after THE Sam Adams (founding father and brew master extraordinaire), it’s pretty much the American beer.
But, if you’re not into beer, our resident bartender Diana suggests the Gin Ricky. Developed around the turn of the last century in Washington, D.C., the Gin Ricky is both perfectly suited to summer temperatures and a classic American cocktail.
But, if you’re not into beer, our resident bartender Diana suggests the Gin Ricky. Developed around the turn of the last century in Washington, D.C., the Gin Ricky is both perfectly suited to summer temperatures and a classic American cocktail.
The Food
It’s clear that you have to grill. What you grill doesn’t matter as much. Don’t have a grill? I guess a George Foreman would work. Don’t have a George Foreman? Who am I kidding? Everyone has a Foreman.
I suggest you go old school and grill up some hamburgers and hotdogs. It’s pretty much a Fourth of July classic. And really, there’s no way to screw it up. Just shape some hamburger meat into patties. Then place on grill. Place hot dogs on grill. Open a bag of chips. Done. For a healthier side, you can make a flag fruit skewer.
I suggest you go old school and grill up some hamburgers and hotdogs. It’s pretty much a Fourth of July classic. And really, there’s no way to screw it up. Just shape some hamburger meat into patties. Then place on grill. Place hot dogs on grill. Open a bag of chips. Done. For a healthier side, you can make a flag fruit skewer.
If you want to get more creative, Buzzfeed has a list of 28 intense burgers you could try. And I do suggest splurging for the delicious beef links as opposed to the gross (yet traditional) “wieners,” which contain untold kinds of meat from various unsavory places on the animal.
As for dessert, I figured that nothing is more American than an apple pie. Then I remembered these little desserts I made for Fourth of July two years ago. Not only is it slightly healthier than apple pie, it’s at least 100 times easier.
As for dessert, I figured that nothing is more American than an apple pie. Then I remembered these little desserts I made for Fourth of July two years ago. Not only is it slightly healthier than apple pie, it’s at least 100 times easier.
You will need:
- 1 box of instant vanilla pudding, prepared
- A package of strawberries, sliced
- An angel food cake (from a box or pre-made is fine), cubed with at least 5 slices reserved
- A package of blueberries
- Wooden skewers
- Serving glasses (I used my small drinkware)
- Star cookie cutter
In the glasses, layer angel food cake cubes, strawberries, then pudding. Repeat so that each glass has two layers. Line blueberries on skewers. Stick in glass. Using the star cookie cutter, cut the cake. Place a star and a strawberry on top, next to the skewer.
Enjoy!
- 1 box of instant vanilla pudding, prepared
- A package of strawberries, sliced
- An angel food cake (from a box or pre-made is fine), cubed with at least 5 slices reserved
- A package of blueberries
- Wooden skewers
- Serving glasses (I used my small drinkware)
- Star cookie cutter
In the glasses, layer angel food cake cubes, strawberries, then pudding. Repeat so that each glass has two layers. Line blueberries on skewers. Stick in glass. Using the star cookie cutter, cut the cake. Place a star and a strawberry on top, next to the skewer.
Enjoy!
By Rachel Lyn Paxton
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