AFI "Cheers" Nominations (1 Viewer)

[Lew Crippen]

I have not seen any discussion of the latest AFI nominations—this time the category is Cheers. The AFI defines this as Movies that inspire with characters of vision and conviction who face adversity and often make a personal sacrifice for the greater good. Whether these movies end happily or not, they are ultimately triumphant – both filling audiences with hope and empowering them with the spirit of human potential.

There are 300 nominated films, 100 less than for previous categories. It can only be assumed that Hollywood has not made many movies about personal sacrifice.

12 Angry Men
2001: A Space Odyssey
8 Mile
9 to 5
Abe Lincoln in Illinois
Adventures of Robin Hood, The
Affair to Remember, An
African Queen, The
Air Force
Alamo, The
Ali
All the President's Men
American History X
American President, The
Amistad
Angels in the Outfield
Antowne Fisher
Apollo 13
Awakenings
Babe
Babe Ruth Story. The
Babes in Arms
Bad News Bears, The
Bang the Drum Slowly
Bataan
Beau Geste
Beautiful Mind, A
Ben-Hur (1926)
Ben-Hur (1959)
Benji
Best Years of our Lives
Bible, The
Big Country, The
Birdman of Alcatraz
Bishop's Wife, The
Black Stallion, The
Blackboard Jungle
Born on the Fourth of July
Boys Town
Braveheart
Breakfast Club
Breaking Away
Bridge on the River Kwai, The
Bridges of Toko-Ri, The
Captains Courageous
Carousel
Casablanca
Cast Away
Champ, The
Chariots of Fire
Children of a Lesser God
Christmas Carol
City Lights
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Coal Miner's Daughter
Cocoon
Color of Money, The
Color Purple, The
Coming Home
Conrack
Cool Hand Luke
Cool Runnings
Cop Land
Cowboys, The
Cry Freedom
Dances with Wolves
Dark Victory
Dave
Day the Earth Stood Still, The
Dead Man Walking
Dead Poet's Society
Defiant Ones, The
Destination Tokyo
Destry Rides Again
Diary of Anne Frank, The
Dirty Dancing
Dirty Dozen, The
Disraeli
Do the Right Thing
Dr. Ehrilch's Magic Bullet
Driving Miss Daisy
Dumbo
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
Edison, the Man
El Cid
Erin Brockovich
Exodus
Fame
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Fiddler on the Roof
Field of Dreams
Finding Neverland
Flashdance
Footloose
Forrest Gump
Four Feathers
Free Willy
Freshman, The
Fried Green Tomatoes
Gandhi
General, The
Gentleman's Agreement
Ghost
Gladiator
Glory
Go, Man, Go!
God is My Co-Pilot
Godspell
Going My Way
Gon with the Wind
Good Earth, The
Good Morning, Vietnam
Good Will Hunting
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey
Grapes of Wrath, The
Great Escape, The
Green Mile, The
Grreatest Storey Ever Told, The
Guadalcanal Diary
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
Gunga Din
Guns of Navarone, The
Guy Named Joe, A
Harold and Maude
Heidi
Hero
High Noon
Hoosiers
Hotel Rwanda
How the West Was Won
Hurricane, The
I Am Sam
Ice Castles
In the Heat of the Night
Incredible Journey, The
Inn of the Sixth Happiness, The
Insider, The
It's a Wonderful Day
Jackie Robinson Story, The
Jerry Maguire
Jesus Christ Superstar
Jim Thorpe - All-American
Joan of Arc
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
Joy Luck Club, The
Karate Kid, The
Keys of the Kingdom, The
Kid, The
Killing Fields, The
King of Kings, The (1927)
King of Kings, The (1961)
Knute Rockne All American
Lassie Come Home
Last Temptation of Christ, The
Lawrence of Arabia
League of Their Own, A
Lean On Me
Life of Emile Zola, The
Liles of the Field
Lion King, The
Little Orphan Annie
Longest Day, The
Longest Yard, The
Lord of the Rings, The: Fellowship of the Ring, The
Lorenzo's Oil
Lost Weekend, The
Love Story
Madame Curie
Magfificent Seven, The
Malcolm X
Man for All Seasons, A
Mark of Zorro, The
Marty
Mary Poppins
Mask
Meet Joan Doe
Men, The
Midway
Mighty Ducks, The
Million Dollar Mermaid
Miracle
Miracle on 34th Street
Miracle Worker, The
Mission, The
Mississippi Burning
Moulin Rouge!
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
Mr. Holland's Opus
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Mrs. Miniver
Music of the Heart
My Fair Lady
My Family, Mi Familia
Mystery, Alaska
National Velvet
Natrual, The
Norma Rae
North Dallas Forty
Nun's Story, The
October Sky
Officer and a Gentleman, An
Oliver!
On Golden Pond
On the Waterfront
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Our Vines Have Tender Grapes
Paper Chase, The
Passion of the Christ, The
Patton
Philadelphia
Pinocchio
Places in the Heart
Pocketful of Miracles
Pollyanna (1920)
Pollyanna (1960)
Pride of the Marines
Pride of the Yankees
PT 109
Queen Christna
Quo Vadis
Rain Man
Rambo: First Blood Part II
Rasin in the Sun, A
Ray
Red Badge of Courage, The
Reds
Regarding Henry
Remember the Titans
Revemge pf the Neerds
Right Stuff, The
Robe, The
Robin Hood
Rocky
Rollerball
Rookie, The
Rudy
Run Silent, Run Deep
Sands of Iwo Jima
Saturday Night Fever
Saving Private Ryan
Scent of a Woman
Schindler's List
Seabiscuit
Searching for Bobby Fischer
Sergeant York
Serpico
Shaft
Shane
Shawshank Redemption
Silkwood
Sleepless in Seattle
So Proudly We Hail!
Sombody Up There Likes Me
Song of Bernadette
Sound of Music, The
Sounder
Sparrows
Spartacus
Spider-Man 2
Spirit of St. Louis, The
Ssince You Went Away
Stagecoach
Stand and Deliver
Stand by Me
Stand Up and Cheer!
Star Wars
Story of Alexander Graham Bell, The
Story of Louis Pasteus, The
Straight Story, The
Sullivan's Travels
Sunrise at Campobello
Superman
Sweet Charity
Ten Commandments, The
Thelma & Louise
Thief of Bagdad, The
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
To Hell and Back
To Kill a Mockingbird
Top Gun
Tree Grows in Brooklyn, A
Truman Show, The
Unmarried Woman, An
Verdict, The
What's Love Got to Do with It
Wild One, The
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Wings
Winning Team, The
With a Song in My Heart
Wizard of Oz, The
Woithout Limits
Working Girl
Yankee Doodle Dandy
Yentl
You Can't Take it with You
Young Mr. Lincoln
Young Tom Edison
Zorba the Greek

Your comments are invited.

 

[teapot2001]

There's already a thread: http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...&highlight=afi

Welcome back, Lew.

~T

 

[Walter Kittel]

I posted this breakdown over at another forum...

Number of nominees by decade:

1920s: 12 - 4%
1930s: 26 - 8.66%
1940s: 43 - 14.33%
1950s: 36 - 12%
1960s: 35 - 11.66%
1970s: 34 - 11.33%
1980s: 48 - 16%
1990s: 47 - 15.66%
2000s: 19 - 6.33%

The list is a mixed bag for me, with some great selections along with some 'what were they thinking?' choices. (Rambo: First Blood Part II, WTF?)

I would have enjoyed seeing films such as My Bodyguard, Tender Mercies, or Twelve O'Clock High make the nominee list, but since some of my favorites are present I can't complain too much.

- Walter.

 

[george kaplan]

Lew,

Buenos Dias! I am curious about your thoughts about some of the films in this list. I know we disagree about the merits of Do The Right Thing, but I'm curious if it strikes you as a film that belongs on a Cheers list?

 

[Lew Crippen]

This early opinion is subject to change, as I’ve not thought about this film in this light.

However even though I understand (and sympathize with) many of the actions that others find repugnant, I don’t think that (other than perhaps ‘Da Mayor) anyone’s actions meet the test of ‘the common good’.

Of course (along with Walter) I suspect that I will think that many of the movies making the final cut won’t pass that test either.

So on balance, I’d probably like to see Do the Right Thing on the final list.

 

[Brook K]

Bridge on the River Kwai? Isn't vision and conviction the problem in that film with the "wise-cracking loose cannon" saving the day? Certainly not a film I would describe as cheery or filling me with hope.

Sleepless in Seattle? The inspiring vision and conviction to get my dad a date?

DTRT is certainly more worthy than pro-establishment pics like Driving Miss Daisy and Forrest Gump.

on the inclusion of The Straight Story and Searching for Bobby Fischer.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

To Kill a Mockingbird will of course place close to the top, since Atticus is as close to a model of their definition as you can get. I hope that One Flew Over the Cockoo's Nest places highly as well.

 

[Lew Crippen]

I agree with Brook in the overkill of some predictable, commercial, routine, feel-good movies (on my dislike list would be Love Story, Lilies of the Field with the consequent exclusion of movies like Tender Mercies. Of course everyone will have a list of exclusions, so here I also agree with Brook in noting some pleasant surprises (such as the aforementioned Bobby Fisher, Babe and Breaking Away).

Here is my list (subject to modification)—not necessarily the movies I like the best, but the ones that I think meet the criteria and don’t make me retch (e.g. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?).

12 Angry Men
2001: A Space Odyssey
9 to 5
Abe Lincoln in Illinois
Affair to Remember, An
African Queen, The
Alamo, The
Ali
All the President's Men
Amistad
Antowne Fisher
Babe
Bang the Drum Slowly
Best Years of our Lives
Blackboard Jungle
Born on the Fourth of July
Breaking Away
Bridges of Toko-Ri, The
Captains Courageous
Casablanca
Chariots of Fire
City Lights
Coal Miner's Daughter
Color Purple, The
Day the Earth Stood Still, The
Dead Man Walking
Dead Poet's Society
Defiant Ones, The
Destry Rides Again
Diary of Anne Frank, The
Do the Right Thing
Driving Miss Daisy
Dumbo
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
Exodus
Fiddler on the Roof
Field of Dreams
Finding Neverland
Freshman, The
Fried Green Tomatoes
Gandhi
General, The
Going My Way
Good Earth, The
Good Morning, Vietnam
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Grapes of Wrath, The
Gunga Din
High Noon
Hoosiers
In the Heat of the Night
Joan of Arc
Killing Fields, The
Last Temptation of Christ, The
Lawrence of Arabia
Life of Emile Zola, The
Lord of the Rings, The: Fellowship of the Ring, The
Lost Weekend, The
Malcolm X
Man for All Seasons, A
Marty
Mary Poppins
Miracle Worker, The
Mississippi Burning
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Norma Rae
October Sky
On the Waterfront
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Passion of the Christ, The
Patton
Pinocchio
Pride of the Yankees
Queen Christna
Rasin in the Sun, A
Ray
Reds
Right Stuff, The
Run Silent, Run Deep
Schindler's List
Searching for Bobby Fischer
Sergeant York
Serpico
Shaft
Shane
Silkwood
Sounder
Spartacus
Stagecoach
Stand by Me
Sullivan's Travels
Sweet Charity
Thief of Bagdad, The
To Kill a Mockingbird
What's Love Got to Do with It
Wild One, The
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Wings
Zorba the Greek

 

[george kaplan]

Well many of those predictable, commercial, routine, feel-good movies are exactly what this list is all about. You may not like them as films, but they make sense on such a list. The following films might be better films, but IMO, have absolutely no business being on this list:

Do the Right Thing
Coming Home
Jesus Christ Superstar
Joan of Arc
Killing Fields, The
Last Temptation of Christ, The
Passion of the Christ, The
Raisin in the Sun, A
Saturday Night Fever

I may not like films like Lawrence of Arabia, The Alamo, Hoosiers, Silkwood and many others, but I understand their inclusion. And one could argue that there are aspects of films like Passion, Last Temptation and Superstar that are better than religious films like Ben-Hur, The Ten Commandments, or Going My Way, but at least those films make sense on this list. Certainly I fail to see how a film like Do the Right Thing can be viewed as ultimately triumphant.

 

[Holadem]

I think Do the Right Thing is an absolute masterpiece, and don't at all see it as a racist film like George does, but I have to wonder what's doing on this list as well.

Other dubious entries:

12 Angry Men
All the President's Men
Bridge on the River Kwai, The (it's been a while...)
High Noon

--
H

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

I don't know. Jesus in the Passion was certainly a character of vision and conviction, who faced some of the worst adversity I've ever seen on screen. The sacrifice is intimately personal, and judging by the scene of ressurection at the end, he is ultimately triumphant.

 

[george kaplan]

It's not the Jesus didn't make a great sacrifice. It's simply that I don't find a film which essentially just shows that sacrifice in gory detail to be very inspiring. To me, it's like taking the Diary of Anne Frank and replacing it with a film that just shows her undergoing torture and abuse at the hands of the gestapo. I'd find that a far less inspiring film. But obviously there are many people who would disagree with me.

 

[Michael Elliott]

Wasn't aware you went ahead and viewed the film but I'd disagree with you here. No shock of course.

As I said in another thread, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE will probably take the #1 spot, which I wouldn't mind. I noticed Newman's SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME made the list, which I feel is strange. I'd certainly put NOBODY'S FOOL on there instead. THE COLOR OF MONEY on the list but no THE HUSTLER? BABE, BABE RUTH STORY, THE BIBLE and several others are a bit strange since the majority of people give these a very, very low rating.

 

[Lew Crippen]

We are in complete agreement. Even so, there are a few that make sense being on the list, that are so unworthy as movies, that they won't make mine.

While I disagree (for the moment at least) as to the placement of The Last Temptation of Christ, I buy into your argument as to The Passion of Christ.

I’m still going back and forth as to Do the Right Thing.

It might be interesting to see some top 10 picks out of the 300—not the full 100.

 

[Seth Paxton]

So basically any American narrative film ever made. Didn't we already see this when it was called just "AFI's 100 years, 100 movies"?

Talk about ubiquitous, isn't that a definition for every narrative film almost, at least according to McKee.

I mean if they are putting 2001 in there and consider any character in that film to have vision or conviction beyond "I don't want to die" then I am truly missing something.

 

[Adam_S]

I'll bite, I was only able to find 70 that I think fits the criteria though.

I think a better title would be 100 years, 100 feel good movies. Not necessarily required that the movies are weak mushy fests, but that they leave you with a little thrill of satisfaction and enjoyment and zing after you finish watching them. That's why I'd include Bridge on the River Kwai because it gives such enormous pleasure to experience the film and be on that journey with the characters.

I think Seth has a point, but according to their definition, films like Singin in the Rain and Some Like it Hot wouldn't qualify, which is sad, because they're films you cheer for, but I guess there has to be some modicum of distinguishment from their 100 movies list.

I think this is the most subjective list the AFI has done, tough to get more subjective than comedy, but they've managed it.


Here's my top ten from the 300.

1. Shawshank Redemption
2. Stand by me
3. It's a wonderful life
4. To kill a mockingbird
5. E.T.
6. Great Escape
7. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
8. Searching for Bobby Fischer
9. Bridge on the River Kwai
10. Pollyanna



Movies I'd ADD in my ballot, Iron Giant, In America, Empire Strikes Back, Empire of the Sun, How Green Was My Valley, Old Yeller, Bambi, Beauty and the Beast, Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc, Die Hard, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, A.I., Paths of Glory

 

[Lew Crippen]

My top 10—sort of a combination of movies that fit the definition and ones that I like:

Affair to Remember, An
Diary of Anne Frank, The
Fiddler on the Roof
Grapes of Wrath, The
Life of Emile Zola, The
Lost Weekend, The
October Sky
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Searching for Bobby Fischer
Stand by Me

And some that I was loath to leave out:

Breaking Away
Casablanca
City Lights
Finding Neverland
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Malcolm X
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
To Kill a Mockingbird

A bit surprising that only Stand By Me was on both Adam's list and mine.

 

[Walter Kittel]

My top ten, based on what I feel best fits the criteria as opposed to favorites, would look something like this:

The Grapes of Wrath
It's A Wonderful Life
To Kill A Mockingbird
Mr. Smith Goes To Washington
The Shawshank Redemption

Field of Dreams
Cool Hand Luke
Chariots of Fire
The Best Years of Our Lives
Rocky

Another film that I think would have been a good fit for this nominee list is Mister Roberts.

- Walter.

 

[Brook K]

I actually agree with much of George's post, except for Raisin in the Sun and Saturday Night Fever which I would argue definitely belong.

It's A Wonderful Life
Sullivan's Travels
High Noon (though somewhat conflicted on this as it is as much an indictment as it is inspirational)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
On The Waterfront

To Kill A Mockingbird
The Shawshank Redemption
The Straight Story
12 Angry Men
Glory

Falling short: The Best Years of Our Lives, Raisin in the Sun, The Karate Kid, The Natural, The Sound of Music, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Saturday Night Fever

Additions to the nominee list: The Devil and Daniel Webster, Hail The Conquering Hero, Superfly

 

[Adam_S]

Stand By Me and Searching for Bobby Fischer, Lew, and I thought about October Sky but its been ages since I've seen the film, love the movie though.