by Nathaniel R
Each year in the thick of precursor awards season we are momentarily (and pleasantly!) asked to think about the entire history of motion pictures. Each December the Library of Congress adds 25 new movies to their list of American titles worthy of preservation. The criteria is "cultural, historic and aesthetic importance to the nation’s film heritage."
The most recent inductee this year is Ang Lee's neo western gay classic Brokeback Mountain (2005) which is about as deserving as titles get for this honor. And we're personally thrilled to see the best movie of 1963, Hud, added. Here's the whole list chronologically...
The silent short, "Something Good" is believed to be the first depiction of African-American affection.
- Something Good - Negro Kiss (1898)
- Dixon-Wanamaker Expedition to Crow Agency (1908)
- The Girl Without a Soul (1917)
- The Navigator (1924)
- The Informer (1935)
each year's list contains at least one title where you're like "that wasn't on the list yet, whaaa?"
- Rebecca (1940) - read our four part deep dive! And, yes, a remake is in progress.
- Leave Her to Heaven (1945)
- The Lady from Shanghai (1947)
- On the Town (1949)
- Cinderella (1950)
- Pick-up on South Street (1953)
- Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)
- One-Eyed Jacks (1961)
- Days of Wine and Roses (1962)
Paul Newman's greatest performance? It might be "Hud"
- Hud (1963)
- My Fair Lady (1964)
- Monterey Pop (1968)
- Hearts and Minds (1974)
- The Shining (1980)
- Hair Piece: A Film for Nappy-Headed People (1984)
- Broadcast News (1987)
- Jurassic Park (1993)
- Eve's Bayou (1997)
"Smoke Signals" made history as an all-Native American production
- Smoke Signals (1998)
- Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Each year we dream of doing a half-year long weekly series writing up all of them but never get around to it. (Sigh, oh to have a huge writing staff!) You can read explanations of why these films were chosen at the Library of Congress's official site. With these 25 new movies, the National Registry is now 750 titles long. The honor is largely symbolic but the organization does also raise money to preserve classic films.
The Library of Congress wisely requires a film to be at least 10 years old to be included so for next year's list anything as recent as 2009 will be eligible - The Hurt Locker, Avatar, or Precious anyone? That said it's very rare for a film only ten years old be included. Only six films have ever been inducted the second they were eligible: the features Raging Bull (1980), Do the Right Thing (1989), Goodfellas (1990), Toy Story (1995), Fargo (1996), and the experimental documentary 13 Lakes (2004).