Posted on 11/19/2005 9:35:10 AM PST by cloud8
LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Distressed by thoughts of war, terrorism and natural disasters? Maybe an uplifting movie will take the edge off.
For its ninth annual celebration of cinema, the American Film Institute aims to uncover the "most inspirational films of the century."
"When times are darkest, during war and depression, movies ... provide a remarkable way for us to find ourselves again," said Jean Picker Firstenberg, AFI's director and chief executive. "We need to feel good again, and that's how these movies make us feel."
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
I'd say that It's a Wonderful Life wins.
My Top Ten In Order:
- It's a Wonderful Life
- Casablanca
- Glory
- Saving Private Ryan
- Hoosiers
- The Pride of the Yankees
- Chariots of Fire
- Sea Biscut
- Shawshank Redemption
- Field of Dreams
Glory
Goodbye Mr. Chips
It's a Wonderful Life
Bruce Almighty
Groundhog Day
Hudsucker Proxy
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (the REAL one)
1776
I looked for Song of the South but it wasn't there.
Uncle Remus and Zippadee doo dah are inspiring.
Dear God, this is to be picked by pampered, insulated, Lefty Hollywood insiders? What the HECK does anyone in Hollywod (from the last fifty years) know about what makes an uplifting film?
yep Ill second that. Read the books for 20 years and this guy nailed it. Cant wait to see his latest one King Kong and I hope he makes the Hobbit as well
Plan 9 from Outer Space!
October Sky...
Monty Python and The Holy Grail
The Jerk
Spaceballs
Seriously, It's a Wonderful Life has to be the overall champion.
Red Dawn is a great inspiration as well to never surrender.
"Red Dawn
The Patriot
Team America: World Police"
There's a little moisture in every drought.
Well that was worth a very good laugh.
Hope you saved those, they could be worth a mint to a collector. I myself regret giving away my " Waiting For Godot" steak knife set.
I patterned my entire seven year undergraduate experience on those lovable goof-balls.
I fancied myself as a cross between D-Day and Greg.
I know what you mean. I'll always rue the day I pawned my "All Quiet on the Western Front" chess set.
I can understand The Sound of Music, but It's a Wonderful Life is almost unanimously seen as an inspirational movie, one of the finest ever made. It's certainly one of my favorites, as is Pulp Fiction, which contains some inspirational scenes as well, such as Christopher Walken's watch story scene, which I think is magnificent.
There are many on the list that are entertaining, but not necessarily inspirational.
My faves from the list:
* The Best Years of Our Lives
* A Chrismas Carol (1951, starring Alistair Sim)
* Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet
* Edison, The Man
* Madame Curie
* The Story of Alexander Graham Bell
* The Story of Louis Pasteur
* Young Tom Edison
(All corny by today's standards, but inspired me as a kid to study science. Hollywood doesn't do bios of scientists anymore...)
* Gentlemen's Agreement
* The Keys of the Kingdom
* The Life of Emile Zola
* A Man for All Seasons
* On the Waterfront
(Films about courage.)
These two Westerns have great scores:
* The Big Country (excellent score by Jerome Moross; but it's a "pacifist" Western!)
* How the West Was Won
The battle at Roark's Drift ranks up there with Xenophon's Retreat and Blackhawk Down in Mogadishu where brave men fight their way out against overwhelming odds. Did you know the songs the Welsh sang in the movie were written especially for the film?
I don't know why it displayed like that. So I will try again
500 FINGERS OF DOCTOR T
ALWAYS/ A GUY NAMED JOE,
APOLLO 13,
AUNTIE MAME'
BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES,
CALENDAR GIRLS,
CASABLANCA,
COSI
HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS (ANIMATED)
HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY,
I AM DAVID,
MILLIONS,
PHAR LAP,
SEA BISCUIT,
STRICTLY BALLROOM,
WAKING NED DEVINE.
RELIGIOUS THEMED FILMS:
SONG OF BERNADETTE,
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST,
JOAN OF ARC,
MAN FOR ALL SEASONS,
THE INN OF SIXTH HAPPINESS,
LES MISERABLES,
ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD,
ENTERTAINING ANGELS.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.