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1776

Play trailer 1:02 Poster for 1776 G 1972 2h 21m Holiday Musical Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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68% Tomatometer 19 Reviews 84% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
The nation's fathers harmonize their way through the founding of America in this musical adapted from a popular Broadway show. Colonial representatives gather in Philadelphia with the aim of establishing a set of governmental rules for the burgeoning United States. Benjamin Franklin (Howard da Silva) and John Adams (William Daniels) charge Thomas Jefferson (Ken Howard) with the work of writing a statement announcing the new country's emancipation from British rule.
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1776

Critics Reviews

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Pauline Kael The New Yorker 09/28/2023
What could be more soul-curdling than a Broadway folk operetta featuring the founding fathers, and double-entendres, and national tragedy? The movie version. Go to Full Review
Matthew Rozsa Salon.com 08/03/2017
4/4
With "1776," political struggles that took place nearly two-and-a-half centuries ago feel as fresh and immediate as the political struggles of today. Go to Full Review
Nell Minow Common Sense Media 08/26/2010
5/5
Every American should watch this once a year. Go to Full Review
Peter Canavese Celluloid Dreams 06/30/2022
3.5/4
Great screenplay based on the Broadway musical. Fantastic musical in an amazing 3-disc 4K/blu-ray set from Sony, Go to Full Review
Allison Rose FlickDirect 06/01/2022
4/5
Da Silva is a standout amongst a talented cast which may be because he has some of the best lines of the whole film and he delivers them with incredible, comedic timing. Go to Full Review
Danielle Solzman Solzy at the Movies 05/31/2022
4/5
1776 is the rare musical to tackle American Independence with memorable tunes and does so in almost three hours. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Ellen P @ecritic 17h I loved the spoken dialogue and found the musical numbers mediocre and a waste of time. As a play, it is inspiring and a wonderful reminder of the courage of the founders. See more Bret M @BretM-3 18h I’m not a huge fan of Musicals, but I am a fan of history, and those 2 things combined made me really enjoy this movie! I thought it had a really good balance between musical numbers and “normal” scenes. There wasn’t a new song every couple minutes, but rather a song here or there to break up the tension. And I also thought that John Adams was a great protagonist for the film. Overall, this is a great movie that history fans and musical fans alike will enjoy. Perfect for the 4th of July! See more Schlub Z @SchlubZero 3d As long as I can remember I have watched this film every year on Independence Day and it remains one of my prime examples of what a historically inspired musical should be, even if a few pacing issues in the second act hold it back from perfection. See more Nate D @N8Dally 4d As a 45-year-old Missouri lawyer, I’ve spent years watching people argue over words, principles, and power. That may be why 1776 resonates so strongly with me. The film shows that America’s founding was not clean or unanimous. It was messy, political, and deeply human, shaped by stubborn personalities, competing interests, and difficult compromises. Its greatest strength is its depth. The Founders are not distant icons but flawed, intelligent men confronting an extraordinary decision. Every word and vote matters. Adams is relentless, Franklin wise and witty, and Jefferson must confront the gap between his ideals and slavery. It is long and theatrical, but it earns its running time. 1776 is smart, patriotic without being shallow, and deeply human. It should be watched by every American. See more Francesca T @JellyFishieee Apr 19 I love how silly it is but serious at the same time 4.5 though because Jefferson was greatly sugar coated, but at least the song "Molasses and Rum" made up for the sugar coating. See more Minh's D @RT78618961 07/08/2025 This was so GOOD! The beginning was kinda confusing like I dont know what was going on for a sec but once we got in that room?? it was BANGERS AFTER BANGERS! LOVED IT. The songs go so hard and the cast IS perfect. I love all of them so much… especially the 3….you know who 😌 and except John Dickinson. idc, shame on him.😭 Lowkey obsessed with this musical! ❤️🎵 See more Read all reviews
1776

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1776

1776: Official Clip - Sit Down, John! 1776: Official Clip - Sit Down, John! 1:42 1776: Official Clip - The Egg (Wtf, Ben Franklin) 1776: Official Clip - The Egg (Wtf, Ben Franklin) 3:33 1776: Official Clip - But Mr. Adams 1776: Official Clip - But Mr. Adams 3:01 1776: Official Clip - Mama Look Sharp 1776: Official Clip - Mama Look Sharp 2:58 1776: Official Clip - Yours, Yours, Yours (Reprise) 1776: Official Clip - Yours, Yours, Yours (Reprise) 1:03 1776: Official Clip - Molasses to Rum 1776: Official Clip - Molasses to Rum 4:40 1776: Official Clip - He Plays the Violin 1776: Official Clip - He Plays the Violin 4:33 1776: Official Clip - Yours, Yours, Yours 1776: Official Clip - Yours, Yours, Yours 2:13 1776: Official Clip - Cool, Cool Considerate Men 1776: Official Clip - Cool, Cool Considerate Men 6:02 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis The nation's fathers harmonize their way through the founding of America in this musical adapted from a popular Broadway show. Colonial representatives gather in Philadelphia with the aim of establishing a set of governmental rules for the burgeoning United States. Benjamin Franklin (Howard da Silva) and John Adams (William Daniels) charge Thomas Jefferson (Ken Howard) with the work of writing a statement announcing the new country's emancipation from British rule.
Director
Peter H. Hunt
Producer
Jack L. Warner
Screenwriter
Peter Stone
Distributor
Columbia Pictures
Production Co
Columbia Pictures Corporation
Rating
G
Genre
Holiday, Musical, Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 17, 1972, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 16, 2012
Runtime
2h 21m
Sound Mix
Stereo
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)