Let’s celebrate the Fourth of July in this week’s movies on TV with some Yankee Doodle, plus a couple of … boxing movies? Well, why not?
Today
“The Red Shoes,” 8 p.m., Turner Classic Movies. One of the great dance movies is also one of the great movies about art, as whipped into colorful delirium by the gifted British filmmaking team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. 1948.
“Broadway Danny Rose,” 10 p.m., KCTS-TV. Woody Allen gave then-flame Mia Farrow one of her juiciest roles in this entertaining comedy set in the lower rungs of show biz accomplishment. 1984.
Saturday
“The Hurricane,” 7:30 p.m.; “When We Were Kings,” 10 p.m., CBUT-TV. First, Denzel Washington rips his way through the somewhat fictionalized tale of Ruben Carter, jailed prizefighter (1999); then the terrific Oscar-winning documentary about the mighty Ali-Foreman fight in Zaire (1996).
“The Patriot,” 8 p.m., KIRO-TV. Mel Gibson takes up arms to fight the redcoats in this overcooked period drama (why can’t somebody make a great film about the Revolutionary War?). 2000.
Sunday
“Yankee Doodle Dandy,” 5:15 p.m., Turner Classic Movies. Bio of composer George M. Cohan, as exhilaratingly embodied by James Cagney, whose specialty dancing is a wonder. 1942.
“Independence Day,” 7 p.m., KCPQ-TV. “Patriot” director Roland Emmerich previously went to battle with this madly enjoyable homage to ’50s sci-fi B-movies. Will Smith leads the crusade to fight off the alien invaders. 1996.
Monday
“Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” 7 p.m., Comedy Central. Exclusively for fans of Kevin Smith’s New Jersey films, this raucous comedy puts his stoner duo front and center. The movie will sound weird without profanity, for sure. 2001.
Tuesday
“Broadcast News,” 9 p.m., Fox Movies. James L. Brooks’ romance and a satire of TV news rolled into one, with splendid performances by Holly Hunter, Albert Brooks, and William Hurt. 1987.
Wednesday
“Groundhog Day,” 8 p.m., Encore. It’s always Feb. 2 in weatherman Bill Murray’s life – a funny and wise movie that looks better and better as the days go by. 1993.
“Jules and Jim,” 11:30 p.m., CBUT-TV. Francois Truffaut’s masterpiece about two men besotted with the same unusual woman (Jeanne Moreau). 1962.
Thursday
“About a Boy,” 8 p.m., Encore. Hugh Grant is in prime cynical-romantic form as a ladies’ man forced to come down to Earth. 2002.
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