AFI Top 100 Inspiring Movies
I watched an AFI (American Film Institute) special last night with Husband. They chose a list of the top 100 most inspiring films. Click link above for complete list. Do you agree? Disagree? Think they forgot your movie? Can't believe a movie made the list at all?
1.It's A Wonderful Life
2. To Kill A Mockingbird
3. Schindler's List
4. Rocky
5. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
6. ET
7. Grapes of Wrath
8. Breaking Away
9. Miracle on 34th St.
10. Saving Pvt. Ryan
11. The Best Years of Our Lives
12. Apollo 13
13. Hoosiers
14. The Bridge on the River Kwai
15. The Miracle Worker
16. Norma Rae
17. One Flew Over the Cukoo's Nest
18. The Right Stuff
19. The Diary of Anne Frank
20. Philadelphia
21. In the Heat of the Night
22. Pride of the Yankees
23. Shawshank Redemption
24. National Velvet
25. Sullivan's Travels
I'm not really a movie person, so I've not seen many of the movies on the list. I can tell you I don't think Rocky should've made the list all. Neither do I understand sports or sports movies as a metaphor for mankind (life, etc). There are quite a few sports movies on the list, but I simply don't understand the affinity. Tell me what you think.
8 comments:
I thought the same thing, Amanda. I don't see Rocky as inspiring.
I also wonder about Miracle on 34th St. Don't ge me wrong. That's one of my all time favorite Christmas movies. But I don't consider it inspiring.
Same with ET and Shawshank Redemption. Like them as movies, but I don't get the inspiring part.
Maybe it's just semantics on my part?
Jen
Shindler's List was a movie I waited years to see because I wasn't sure I could handle it. I watched it not this past summer but the one before and OMG, I had no clue just how horrifying it would turn out to be. I couldn't sleep for days afterwards and even though I know I should have taken the inspiration of those who survived I was more beaten by the action of those who killed. Ugh. I cried at the end to see the real people at Shindler's grave.
Completely opposite of being upset I loved 1 and 2! To Kill A Mockingbird was probably the first time I had seen a movie about a lawyer and I instantly wanted to be like him.
As for sports movies - ugh. Although have you ever seen A Field of Dreams? - Phenomenal and since I've never seen Rocky I would put it on the list before that ;)
Oh, there was another movie but it is so old - from the early 80s that I think was called Victory about POWs who were allowed to play soccer (their plan was to escape at the away teams field). Made me all weepy at 12 years of age ;)
CindyS
Okay, that's too funny - I went to IMDB and sure enough the movie was called Victory and was released in 1981. For someone with a horrible memory I've got to say, this movie must have made a real impact for me to remember so many years later!
Cindy
I saw Rocky in the movies way back when it first came out, people stood and cheered in the end, so on some level it must be inspirational, rooting for life's underdog.
I actually like most of the sports theme movies listed (Rocky being the exception). But then I'm a sports nut and like the underdog, strength of character themes.
I’m not really a movie person either so I haven’t seen any of these movies with the exception of ET and bits of It's A Wonderful Life. I’m not a sports person so I can’t really relate to sports stuff either, but I guess the movies can be inspiring because they show people working hard to become something great, usually aganist great odds. Ali comes to mind when I think of inspiring sports movies (though I admit I haven’t seen it all the way through). Oh! And that football movie…was it The Green Mile? Where the team had to overcome racism in addition to becoming a better team? I found that one inspiring too. :-D
I'm officially a moron because I can't find the full 'Inspiring Movies' list at the AFI. Help?
Jenster- After watching some of the actor & director interviews on the show, it appears some of the movies may have been chosen for a technical aspect of the film as opposed to a thematic aspect of a film. Kinda odd.
Cindy- I agree Schindler's List was really hard to watch, but I thought it portrayed the triumph of Schindler's humanity at the very end. Not that that would excuse what he did before, but good did win in the end! TKAM I've only read & it's my favorite book hands down. I maight have to see of VIctory is on DVD.
Tara- I enjoy some sports themed movies but I just don't understand the 'sports as metaphor for life' viewpoint, I guess. I enjoy sports & sports movies as entertainment not as symbolic of the struggles of man.
Dance Chica- Hi! I've not seen either Green Mile or Ali, so I can't say if I'd like them. All of the movies I thought of as 'inspirational' showed up somewhere in the list of 100, although most were higher numbers.
Maili- On the AFI main page, there is a Quick Links" box in the upper right. Tops in the box is a AFI's 100 Years series hyerlink. Click the link. On the next page, again in the upper right click the AFI's 100 Years..100 Cheers hyperlink. The list opens as a PDF. There is also a hyperlink to the list of 300 nominated films. I'm glad you answered, I know you like movies a lot & I'm interested in your thoughts.
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