The First Blockbuster

The Fourth of July is all about the fireworks, and that’s true of the Star-Spangled Banner as well as of Jaws, a movie about the holiday that is credited with launching the era of the blockbuster when it was released in 1975. Following the example of Jaws, many blockbusters have been released around the Fourth. It’s a fitting occasion to celebrate America, to reflect on American history and take stock of American life, and to dramatize national conflicts on the largest scale available to us, and to look with hope to the future.