Hooray for "National Treasure"!

The new movie National Treasure is a lot of silly fun. But there are two remarkable moments in it, both involving Nicholas Cage's character.

In the first, Cage quotes at length the "train of abuses" passage from the Declaration of Independence: "...it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government." This may be the first time most Americans have been exposed to this radical language; certainly, they don't hear about it in government (i.e., "public") schools.

In the second significant moment, Cage raises a toast to "traitors" at a state party.

It's unfortunate that most viewers of National Treasure will probably be more intrigued by the "eye of the pyramid" on the dollar bill than its references to the Declaration itself. But if only a handful are inspired to revisit the Declaration of Independence and really study it for themselves, this film has done a great and unexpected service.