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1 ABE LINCOLN IN ILLINOIS RKO, 1940 PRINCIPAL CAST Raymond Massey, Gene Lockhart, Ruth Gordon DIRECTOR John Cromwell PRODUCER Max Gordon SCREENWRITER Robert E. Sherwood Young Abe Lincoln, on a mission for his father, meets Ann Rutledge and finds himself in New Salem, Illinois, where he becomes a member of the legislature. Ann’s death nearly destroys the young man, but he meets the ambitious Mary Todd, who makes him take a stand on slavery. In a series of electrifying debates with his old nemesis Stephen Douglas, Abe is catapulted into the national consciousness and poised to move into the White House.
2 THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD Warner Bros., 1938 PRINCIPAL CAST Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone DIRECTORS Michael Curtiz, William Keighley PRODUCERS Hal B. Wallis, Henry Blanke SCREENWRITERS Norman Reilly Raine, Seton I. Miller Robin Hood and his Merry Men defy the evil Prince John and the traitorous Sheriff of Nottingham, while Richard the Lion-Hearted is off fighting the Crusades. They rob from the rich and give to the poor.
3 AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER Twentieth Century-Fox, 1957 PRINCIPAL CAST Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Richard Denning DIRECTOR Leo McCarey PRODUCER Jerry Wald SCREENWRITERS Delmer Daves, Leo McCarey Before they can get together, Grant and Kerr must prove to themselves that they are worthy of each other. Then there is a tragic accident, and Kerr makes a noble sacrifice. When the couple reunites, their love is stronger than ever. 4 THE AFRICAN QUEEN United Artists, 1951 PRINCIPAL CAST Humphrey Bogart, Katharine Hepburn DIRECTOR John Huston PRODUCER S. P. Eagle (Sam Spiegel) SCREENWRITERS James Agee, John Huston The ultimate curmudgeon, Charlie Allnut, and spinster Rose Sayer are polar opposites, but it’s never too late for love! They prove it by wading through leeches, riding the rapids, and coming face to face with death at the hands of the German Navy during World War I. 5 AIR FORCE Warner Bros., 1943 PRINCIPAL CAST John Ridgely, Gig Young, Arthur Kennedy, Harry Carey, John Garfield DIRECTOR Howard Hawks PRODUCER Hal B. Wallis SCREENWRITER Dudley Nichols The crew of a B-17 Flying Fortress takes off for Hawaii on December 6, 1941. Each man is saddled with his own problems, some even want out of the Air Force. Upon reaching their destination, the crew hears Japanese voices over the radio on the morning of December 7. The attack on Pearl Harbor levels the men on board the Mary Ann. Suddenly their issues are meaningless. They are now part of the war effort and many of them lose their lives in the name of freedom. 6 THE ALAMO United Artists, 1960 PRINCIPAL CAST John Wayne, Richard Widmark, Laurence Harvey DIRECTOR John Wayne PRODUCER John Wayne SCREENWRITER James Edward Grant A true band of brothers sacrifice their lives in a hopeless battle against the Mexican army. Remember Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, and William Travis. And remember The Alamo! 7 ALI Columbia, 2001 PRINCIPAL CAST Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Jon Voight, Mario Van Peebles DIRECTOR Michael Mann PRODUCER Jon Peters, Michael Mann, Paul Ardaji, James Lassiter, A. Kitman Ho SCREENWRITER Michael Mann Cassius Clay is a young man determined to be a champ. On the way to becoming The Greatest, he becomes Muhammad Ali, refuses to go to Vietnam, and makes one of the most amazing sports comebacks of all time. 8 ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN Warner Bros., 1976 PRINCIPAL CAST Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Jason Robards DIRECTOR Alan J. Pakula PRODUCER Walter Coblenz SCREENWRITER William Goldman Woodward and Bernstein, a couple of hungry reporters, stake their futures on a hunch and stand up to the President of the United States. 9 AMERICAN HISTORY X New Line, 1998 PRINCIPAL CAST Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Beverly D'Angelo DIRECTOR Tony Kaye PRODUCER John Morrissey SCREENWRITER David McKenna An ex-neo-Nazi goes to extremes to save his brother from the same tortured life. 10 THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT Columbia, 1995 PRINCIPAL CAST Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox DIRECTOR Rob Reiner PRODUCER Rob Reiner SCREENWRITER Aaron Sorkin Andrew Shepherd’s got approval ratings most U.S. Presidents only dream of. The moment the widower President falls in love with lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade, their lives become news. How can he lead the country, get his bills passed, and keep a lid on the romance? Or can he have it all? 11 AMISTAD DreamWorks, 1997 PRINCIPAL CAST Morgan Freeman, Nigel Hawthorne, Anthony Hopkins, Djimon Hounsou, Matthew McConaughey DIRECTOR Steven Spielberg PRODUCERS Steven Spielberg, Debbie Allen, Colin Wilson SCREENWRITER David Franzoni In 1839, a group of Africans bound for North America revolt aboard the Amistad and save themselves from slavery. The price of freedom is high, and they are forced to stand trial for what is considered a mutinous action. 12 ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD MGM, 1951 PRINCIPAL CAST Paul Douglas, Janet Leigh, Keenan Wynn DIRECTOR Clarence Brown PRODUCER Clarence Brown SCREENWRITERS Dorothy Kingsley, George Wells The Pirates can’t win a game. The manager’s got anger issues. An orphan girl prays so hard that angels walk the ballfield, and a voice tells the manager to change his ways. If he does, the Pirates can go all the way. 13 ANTWONE FISHER Twentieth Century-Fox, 2002 PRINCIPAL CAST Derek Luke, Denzel Washington DIRECTOR Denzel Washington PRODUCERS Todd Black, Randa Haines, Denzel Washington SCREENWRITER Antwone Fisher A young sailor suffering from violent outbursts is forced to see a psychiatrist. After a long and excruciating process, Antwone faces the nightmare he calls childhood and begins to unravel the mystery of his pain. At the end of this very difficult journey, the young man finds the family he never knew existed. 14 APOLLO 13 Universal, 1995 PRINCIPAL CAST Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, Kevin Bacon, Ed Harris DIRECTOR Ron Howard PRODUCER Ron Howard SCREENWRITERS William Broyles, Jr., Al Reinert Three astronauts are headed to the moon on a mission few care about, until the words, “Houston, we have a problem,” are heard. Somewhere out beyond the stratosphere, the astronauts, and the crew at Mission Control, are in a race against time to land safely back on Earth. 15 AWAKENINGS Columbia, 1990 PRINCIPAL CAST Robert De Niro, Robin Williams, Julie Kavner DIRECTOR Penny Marshall PRODUCERS Lawrence Lasker, Walter F. Parkes SCREENWRITER Steven Zaillian Comatose for years, a group of patients are given a new drug, which will bring them back to life. The world has moved on, but the patients and their relatives have to figure out how to catch up on those missing years, even though the effects of the drug may not last forever. 16 BABE Universal, 1995 PRINCIPAL CAST James Cromwell DIRECTOR Chris Noonan PRODUCERS George Miller, Doug Mitchell, Bill Miller SCREENWRITERS George Miller, Chris Noonan Babe dreams bigger dreams than any pig before him. As long as he believes in himself, so does everyone else and he becomes the greatest sheep pig in the history of the animal kingdom. 17 THE BABE RUTH STORY Allied Artists, 1948 PRINCIPAL CAST William Bendix, Claire Trevor, Charles Bickford DIRECTOR Roy Del Ruth SCREENWRITER Roy Del Ruth The Bambino, baseball’s greatest slugger, inspires boys everywhere with his incredible feats on the field. By the time he’s 32, Babe’s broke and ready to give up the game he loves. A friendly priest persuades him to play ball once more, and Ruth makes magic – 59 homeruns in one season. 18 BABES IN ARMS MGM, 1939 PRINCIPAL CAST Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland DIRECTOR Busby Berkeley PRODUCER Arthur Freed SCREENWRITERS Jack McGowan, Kay Van Riper Mickey Moran’s riddled with problems, and the only way he can solve them is to put on a show – just like his parents did when they were in vaudeville. He doesn’t know where or when, but Mickey and his friends are determined to create their own Broadway rhythms. 19 THE BAD NEWS BEARS Paramount, 1976 PRINCIPAL CAST Walter Matthau, Chris Barnes, Tatum O'Neal DIRECTOR Michael Ritchie PRODUCER Stanley R. Jaffe SCREENWRITER Michael Ritchie A little league team of misfits hits ‘em out of the park when an aging drunk, a motorcycle punk, and a girl with the golden arm team up for the biggest upset the league has ever seen. 20 BANG THE DRUM SLOWLY Paramount, 1973 PRINCIPAL CAST Michael Moriarty, Robert De Niro, Vincent Gardenia DIRECTOR John D. Hancock PRODUCERS Lois Rosenfield, Maurice Rosenfield SCREENWRITER Mark Harris Catcher Bruce Pearson is playing out his last season on the field…and in life. His teammates, especially his good friend, catcher Henry Wiggen, provide him with the best of everything in and outside the dugout. 21 BATAAN MGM, 1943 PRINCIPAL CAST Robert Taylor, George Murphy DIRECTOR Tay Garnett PRODUCER Irving Starr SCREENWRITERS Robert Hardy Andrews A ragtag unit of soldiers is left in Manila to blow up the bridge at the Bataan Peninsula. No matter how many times the Japanese rebuild it, the men must destroy it. Surrounded by the enemy, the last man left opens fire, doing his duty to the bitter end. 22 BEAU GESTE Paramount, 1939 PRINCIPAL CAST Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, Robert Preston, Brian Donlevy DIRECTOR William A. Wellman PRODUCER William A. Wellman SCREENWRITER Robert Carson The Geste brothers prove that blood is thicker than water, especially Beau, who steals the famous family jewel, The Blue Water, just to protect his aunt. Each of the brothers confesses to the robbery, then follows Beau to the Foreign Legion. But it’s Beau’s sense of honor and duty that ultimately protects his brothers and brings honor to the name of Geste. 23 A BEAUTIFUL MIND Imagine, 2001 PRINCIPAL CAST Russell Crowe, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Paul Bettany DIRECTOR Ron Howard PRODUCERS Brian Grazer, Ron Howard SCREENWRITER Akiva Goldman Brilliant John Nash’s schizophrenia almost destroys his life, his family and his mind. The love and care of his wife helps him win a Nobel Prize and seize control of his beautiful mind. 24 BEN-HUR MGM, 1925 PRINCIPAL CAST Ramon Novarro, Francis X. Bushman, May McAvoy DIRECTOR Fred Niblo PRODUCERS Louis B. Mayer, Samuel Goldwyn SCREENWRITERS Bess Meredyth, Carey Wilson, June Mathis A Prince of Judea learns that vengeance has no rewards, especially after he has been wrongly condemned to a life of slavery by his childhood friend. 25 BEN-HUR MGM, 1925 PRINCIPAL CAST Charlton Heston, Stephen Boyd, Hugh Griffith, Jack Hawkins DIRECTOR William Wyler PRODUCER Sam Zimbalist SCREENWRITER Karl Tunberg Judah Ben-Hur won’t betray his people. His integrity is taken for treason and he finds himself condemned to life as a slave. Only after saving the life of a Roman officer does he find himself holding the reins of a chariot, facing his boyhood friend, the man who damned him and his family to a living death. Ben-Hur’s victory starts out as revenge – in the end it is the beginning of a long road toward forgiveness and love. 26 BENJI Mulberry Square, 1974 PRINCIPAL CAST Patsy Garrett, Allen Fiuzat, Cynthia Smith DIRECTOR Joe Camp PRODUCER Joe Camp SCREENWRITER Joe Camp Everyone loves Benji, the town stray, especially little Paul and Cindy. But their parents can’t stand the homeless mutt. The children are kidnapped, and the only one who can find them is Benji. He saves the day and finally gets the home he’s longed for! 27 THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES RKO, 1946 PRINCIPAL CAST Myrna Loy, Fredric March, Dana Andrews, Harold Russell DIRECTOR William Wyler PRODUCER Samuel Goldwyn SCREENWRITER Robert E. Sherwood Three World War II vets and their families must adjust to life after years of separation. The men, each from a different class, are forced to face their fears, but the young man who lost his hands during battle is the catalyst for all of them living a complete and full life. 28 THE BIBLE Twentieth Century-Fox, 1966 PRINCIPAL CAST Michael Parks, John Huston, George C. Scott, Ava Gardner, Peter O’Toole DIRECTOR John Huston PRODUCER Dino De Laurentiis SCREENWRITERS Vittorio Bonicelli, Christopher Fry, Jonathan Griffin, Ivo Perilli The opening chapters of Genesis depict the courage of men and women whose faith is tested and challenged, from the Creation, to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, and to Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac. 29 THE BIG COUNTRY United Artists, 1958 PRINCIPAL CAST Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker, Charlton Heston DIRECTOR William Wyler PRODUCERS Gregory Peck, William Wyler SCREENWRITERS James R. Webb, Sy Bartlett, Robert Wilder Sea Captain Jim McKay has come west to marry Pat Terrill. But his moral compass is something the ranchers fighting to the death over water rights don’t understand. Drawn to the woman who owns those rights, McKay is forced into a duel that holds everyone’s lives in the balance. 30 BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ United Artists, 1962 PRINCIPAL CAST Burt Lancaster, Karl Malden, Thelma Ritter DIRECTOR John Frankenheimer PRODUCERS Stuart Millar, Guy Trosper SCREENWRITER Guy Trosper In 1909, prison convict Robert Stroud kills one of his guards. Sentenced to life in solitary confinement, Stroud becomes an expert on caged birds and writes a textbook on the subject. Transferred to Alcatraz, the “Birdman” is forced to give up his feathered friends, becoming an expert on caged men instead. During a prison riot, Stroud becomes the peacemaker and is later released to a minimum-security prison. 31 THE BISHOP'S WIFE RKO, 1947 PRINCIPAL CAST Cary Grant, Loretta Young, David Niven, James Gleason DIRECTOR Henry Koster PRODUCER Samuel Goldwyn SCREENWRITERS Leonardo Bercovici, Robert E. Sherwood Bishop Brougham’s priorities are lost as he tries to build a towering new cathedral. An angel appears in the form of a man, who teaches the wayward Bishop to love and cherish what he’s got, especially his wife and children. 32 THE BLACK STALLION United Artists, 1979 PRINCIPAL CAST Kelly Reno, Mickey Rooney, Teri Garr DIRECTOR Carroll Ballard PRODUCERS Fred Roos, Tom Sternberg SCREENWRITER Melissa Mathison Isolated and lonely, a young boy and an Arabian horse are the only survivors of a shipwreck in the middle of nowhere. As they learn to depend on each other, they come to understand the meaning of friendship, something that takes on even more importance when they are rescued and meet up with Henry Dailey, the solitary trainer who helps them make horse racing history. 33 BLACKBOARD JUNGLE MGM, 1955 PRINCIPAL CAST Glenn Ford, Anne Francis, Louis Calhern, Sidney Poitier, Vic Morrow DIRECTOR Richard Brooks PRODUCER Pandro S. Berman SCREENWRITER Richard Brooks An ex-serviceman, Richard Dadier, takes on his first teaching job in a school where the students rule. He needs allies, but finds he’s on his own in a world rocking and rolling faster than he can control. Defeated by rumors of his affair with another teacher, his wife prematurely gives birth to their baby. Fed up, Dadier almost quits, but one of his students surprises him and restores his hope. 34 BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY Universal, 1989 PRINCIPAL CAST Tom Cruise, Willem Dafoe DIRECTOR Oliver Stone PRODUCERS Oliver Stone, A. Kitman Ho SCREENWRITERS Oliver Stone, Ron Kovic Ron Kovic, a paralyzed Vietnam vet who feels betrayed by his country, discovers a whole new way of life when he becomes a political activist and embraces the anti-war movement of the ‘60s and ’70s. 35 BOYS TOWN MGM, 1938 PRINCIPAL CAST Spencer Tracy, Mickey Rooney DIRECTOR Norman Taurog PRODUCER John W. Considine, Jr. SCREENWRITERS Dore Schary, John Meehan In the middle of the Great Depression Father Flanagan has an idea, a home for wayward boys. He’s got to convince most people that “there’s no such thing as a bad boy.” Even Whitey Marsh, the cocky kid who idolizes his convict brother, finds an ally in Father Flanagan and a place in life as Mayor of Boys Town. 36 BRAVEHEART Paramount, 1995 PRINCIPAL CAST Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Brian Cox, Patrick McGoohan DIRECTOR Mel Gibson PRODUCER Mel Gibson, Alan Ladd, Jr., Bruce Davey SCREENWRITER Randall Wallace William Wallace, who loses everyone he loves, never forgets that the price of freedom is worth fighting for – and dying for. 37 THE BREAKFAST CLUB Universal, 1985 PRINCIPAL CAST Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy DIRECTOR John Hughes PRODUCERS John Hughes, Ned Tanen SCREENWRITER John Hughes Five completely different teens with nothing in common but Saturday detention realize that the jock isn’t that different from the nerd, the prom queen isn’t that different from the weird psycho girl, and the tough guy’s not really as intimidating as they all think. 38 BREAKING AWAY Twentieth Century-Fox, 1979 PRINCIPAL CAST Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern, Jackie Earle Haley DIRECTOR Peter Yates PRODUCER Peter Yates SCREENWRITER Steve Tesich The alienation four boys feel after graduating from high school ultimately leads to a bicycle race that redeems them in the town they represent. 39 THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI Columbia, 1957 PRINCIPAL CAST William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, Sessue Hayakawa DIRECTOR David Lean PRODUCER Sam Spiegel SCREENWRITER Pierre Boulle (Carl Foreman & Michael Wilson) Colonel Nicholson, the very model of a British soldier, believes in a certain code of ethics. He stands up to his Japanese commander in a POW camp and builds a bridge that becomes the downfall of those who cross it. 40 THE BRIDGES AT TOKO-RI Paramount, 1954 PRINCIPAL CAST William Holden, Grace Kelly, Fredric March, Mickey Rooney DIRECTOR Mark Robson PRODUCER William Perlberg SCREENWRITER George Seaton Lt. Harry Brubaker is a pilot in the Korean War, questioning the reasons America is even engaged in this conflict. He wants to go home to his wife and family. If he participates in the bombing of the Bridges at Toko-Ri, he may help change the course of the conflict – and he may die trying. 41 CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS MGM, 1937 PRINCIPAL CAST Freddie Bartholomew, Spencer Tracy, Lionel Barrymore DIRECTOR Victor Fleming PRODUCER Louis D. Lighton SCREENWRITERS Marc Connelly, John Lee Mahin, Dale Van Every A rich spoiled kid is lost at sea. Picked up by a fishing trawler, the lad is humbled by Manuel, a Portuguese fisherman, who shows him what it means to be a man. Manuel’s death forces the boy to re-examine his difficult relationship with his father and live a better life. 42 CAROUSEL Twentieth Century-Fox, 1956 PRINCIPAL CAST Shirley Jones, Gordon MacRae DIRECTOR Henry King PRODUCER Henry Ephron SCREENWRITERS Phoebe Ephron, Henry Ephron Billy Bigelow has one last chance to make things right with his family – and he’s got to do it from heaven. He may have let his wife down in life, but he’s going to make sure his daughter never walks alone. 43 CASABLANCA Warner Bros., 1942 PRINCIPAL CAST Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains, Paul Henreid DIRECTOR Michael Curtiz PRODUCER Hal B. Wallis SCREENWRITERS Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Howard Koch Three people, whose lives don’t add up to a hill of beans, sacrifice love at a time when the world is at war and hope is dim. 44 CAST AWAY Twentieth Century-Fox, 2000 PRINCIPAL CAST Tom Hanks, Helen Hunt DIRECTOR Robert Zemeckis PRODUCERS Tom Hanks, Jack Rapke, Steve Starkey, Robert Zemeckis SCREENWRITER William Broyles, Jr. FedEx systems engineer Chuck Noland lives his life by the clock. His plane crashes in the middle of nowhere and he is the only survivor, cast away on an island for years. By the time he reaches home, Chuck’s priorities have changed. He can take any fork in the road – and does. 45 THE CHAMP MGM, 1931 PRINCIPAL CAST Wallace Beery, Jackie Cooper, Irene Rich DIRECTOR King Vidor PRODUCER King Vidor SCREENWRITER Frances Marion No matter how tough the circumstances, nothing can separate Dink from his pop – the washed-up boxing champ – gambling, liquor, even the mother who deserted Dink as a baby. The boxer returns to the ring just to keep his son. Even though he wins the bout, his heart gives out, leaving Dink in his mother’s arms calling for the “Champ.” 46 CHARIOTS OF FIRE Twentieth Century-Fox, 1981 PRINCIPAL CAST Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, Ian Holm DIRECTOR Hugh Hudson PRODUCER David Puttnam SCREENWRITER Colin Welland Some race to win, others do it for God’s pleasure. Two men, both outsiders in their own ways – Harold Abramson, a Jew in England, and Eric Liddell, a Scottish missionary reared in China – take home the highest accolades at the 1924 Olympics because they run like chariots of fire. 47 CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD Paramount, 1986 PRINCIPAL CAST William Hurt, Marlee Matlin, Piper Laurie DIRECTOR Randa Haines PRODUCERS Patrick J. Palmer, Burt Sugerman SCREENWRITER Hesper Anderson Two people who might be better off without each other, learn that the silences they live with are more than just her loss of hearing and the barriers he created to shut out the world. Each must learn to listen, to hear, and to find a voice. 48 A CHRISTMAS CAROL United Artists, 1951 PRINCIPAL CAST Alastair Sim, Kathleen Harrison, Mervyn Johns, Glyn Dearman DIRECTOR Brian Desmond Hurst PRODUCER Brian Desmond Hurst SCREENWRITER Noel Langley Ebenezer Scrooge finally gets the chance to right his wrongs when the ghosts of his old partner and the spirits of the past, the present, and the future put in appearances on Christmas Eve. 49 CITY LIGHTS United Artists, 1931 PRINCIPAL CAST Charles Chaplin, Virginia Cherrill DIRECTOR Charles Chaplin PRODUCER Charles Chaplin SCREENWRITER Charles Chaplin One dark night the Little Tramp unwittingly saves a rich drunken man from drowning and benefits handsomely for his heroic efforts. He gives his windfall to a poor blind flower girl he loves very deeply. Her sight is restored and she opens a flower shop, all the time thinking her benefactor is a rich young man. It takes a few run-ins with the police and a stint in jail before the Little Tramp meets up with the flower girl who recognizes him the moment she presses a flower into the palm of his hand. 50 CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND Columbia, 1977 PRINCIPAL CAST Richard Dreyfuss, Teri Garr, Francois Truffaut, Melinda Dillon DIRECTOR Steven Spielberg PRODUCERS Julia Phillips, Michael Phillips SCREENWRITER Steven Spielberg A group of unsuspecting Americans are haunted by their encounters with UFOs. They follow their convictions, despite the government’s obstacles, to prove to themselves that what they saw was real and to believe in what might be. 51 COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER Universal, 1980 PRINCIPAL CAST Sissy Spacek, Tommy Lee Jones, Levon Helm DIRECTOR Michael Apted PRODUCER Bernard Schwartz SCREENWRITER Thomas Rickman When 13-year-old Loretta Webb from Butcher Holler marries and starts a family, it seems unlikely that her voice will change the course of country music. Once she hits the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, Loretta Lynn’s life becomes all the things country songs are made of. 52 COCOON Twentieth Century-Fox, 1985 PRINCIPAL CAST Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn, Brian Dennehy, Jessica Tandy DIRECTOR Ron Howard PRODUCERS David Brown, Lili Fini Zanuck, Richard D. Zanuck SCREENWRITERS Tom Benedek, David Saperstein You’re only as old, or in the case of some senior citizens in Florida, as young as you feel. When some alien pods give them a second chance at a vigorous life – they dive right in! 53 THE COLOR OF MONEY Touchstone, 1986 PRINCIPAL CAST Paul Newman, Tom Cruise, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, John Turturro DIRECTOR Martin Scorsese PRODUCERS Irving Axelrand, Barbara De Fina SCREENWRITER Richard Price Age has caught up with Fast Eddie Felson, and he’s not the pool shark he once was. By taking on a young man with the same gifts he once had, Felson sees the chance to gain the self-respect he lost so many years earlier. 54 THE COLOR PURPLE Warner Bros., 1985 PRINCIPAL CAST Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover, Oprah Winfrey, Margaret Avery DIRECTOR Steven Spielberg PRODUCERS Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, Quincy Jones SCREENWRITER Menno Meyjes Raped and pregnant at 14, young Celie is forced to live a life without warmth or compassion. It takes a lifetime, but Celie is rewarded by a reunion with her sister and the children she never knew. 55 COMING HOME United Artists, 1978 PRINCIPAL CAST Jane Fonda, Jon Voight, Bruce Dern, Penelope Milford DIRECTOR Hal Ashby PRODUCER Jerome Hellman SCREENWRITERS Waldo Salt, Robert C. Jones The war in Vietnam is tearing Sally apart. Her husband is over there fighting, and she begins to sense the futility of it all when she volunteers at a local VA hospital and falls in love with veteran Luke Martin. Luke lost the use of his legs in combat and will do anything to keep young men from fighting a losing battle. 56 CONRACK Twentieth Century-Fox, 1974 PRINCIPAL CAST Jon Voight, Paul Winfield, Madge Sinclair DIRECTOR Martin Ritt PRODUCER Harriet Frank, Jr., Martin Ritt SCREENWRITERS Irving Ravetch, Harriet Frank, Jr. Conroy is a white teacher assigned to an isolated island off the coast of South Carolina. His challenge is to engage the young black students who can’t see beyond the edge of their tiny enclave and to influence the superintendent who believes the school is a waste of time. 57 COOL HAND LUKE Warner Bros., 1967 PRINCIPAL CAST Paul Newman, George Kennedy DIRECTOR Stuart Rosenberg PRODUCER Gordon Carroll SCREENWRITERS Donn Pearce, Frank Pierson Stuck in a chain gain, affable Luke Jackson can’t and won’t be broken. Even though his sadistic guards believe they have a failure to communicate, Luke takes his chances, as he’d rather be a free dead man than a living slave. 58 COOL RUNNINGS Disney, 1993 PRINCIPAL CAST Leon, Doug E. Doug, Rawle D. Lewis, Malik Yoba, John Candy DIRECTOR Jon Turteltaub PRODUCER Dawn Steel SCREENWRITERS Lynn Siefert, Tommy Swerdlow, Michael Goldberg If ever there was a long shot, it was the Jamaican Bobsled team at the 1988 Olympics. Four young men and their washed-up coach are a warm reminder of the true spirit of the Olympic Games. 59 COP LAND Miramax, 1997 PRINCIPAL CAST Sylvester Stallone, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro DIRECTOR James Mangold PRODUCERS Cathy Konrad, Ezra Swerdlow, Cary Woods SCREENWRITER James Mangold A slight hearing loss keeps Sheriff Fred Heflin from becoming one of New York’s finest. Corruption and racially motivated conspiracies rear their ugly heads in Heflin’s little New Jersey town, largely populated by many members of the NYPD. It’s up to this local cop to do the right thing. 60 THE COWBOYS Warner Bros., 1972 PRINCIPAL CAST John Wayne, Roscoe Lee Browne, Bruce Dern, Slim Pickens DIRECTOR Mark Rydell PRODUCER Mark Rydell SCREENWRITERS Irving Ravetch, Harriet Frank, Jr., William Dale Jennings Wil Anderson has got to get his cattle to market, otherwise he loses the ranch. Stuck with a group of green schoolboys, Wil and his cook teach the boys the ropes and the schoolboys come home cowboys! 61 CRY FREEDOM Universal, 1987 PRINCIPAL CAST Denzel Washington, Kevin Kline, Josette Simon DIRECTOR Richard Attenborough PRODUCER Richard Attenborough SCREENWRITER John Briley Two men in South Africa – one black and one white – go up against apartheid at a time when it means certain death. Steven Biko, a black activist dies in custody. His friend, Donald Woods, must flee his homeland if he wants to tell the world about Biko’s cause. 62 DANCES WITH WOLVES Orion, 1990 PRINCIPAL CAST Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene DIRECTOR Kevin Costner PRODUCERS Kevin Costner, Jim Wilson SCREENWRITER Michael Blake Lt. John Dunbar is horrified by the bloodshed he witnesses in the Civil War. He requisitions a post on the western edge of the American plains, where he quickly adopts the lifestyle of the Lakota Indians he befriends. Dunbar sheds the ways of the white man and becomes “Dances With Wolves” – a man caught between two worlds. 63 DARK VICTORY Warner Bros., 1939 PRINCIPAL CAST Bette Davis, George Brent, Humphrey Bogart, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Ronald Reagan DIRECTOR Edmund Goulding PRODUCERS David Lewis, Hal B. Wallis SCREENWRITER Casey Robinson Judith Traherne lives the kind of pampered life we only read about. When she develops a lethal brain tumor, her surgeon hides the truth – she only has months to live. But her doctor’s love helps her understand how to fill her final days with dignity, and her dark victory. 64 DAVE Warner Bros., 1993 PRINCIPAL CAST Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Frank Langella, Ving Rhames, Ben Kingsley DIRECTOR Ivan Reitman PRODUCER Ivan Reitman, Lauren Shuler Donner SCREENWRITER Gary Ross Dave Kovic is pressed into service as a look-alike for the President of the United States, who suffers a stroke while having sex with a young aide. The Chief of Staff, who is both corrupt and power-hungry, believes Dave is his meal ticket to the Oval Office. But Dave has more common sense than the entire West Wing. 65 THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL Twentieth Century-Fox, 1951 PRINCIPAL CAST Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe, Billy Gray DIRECTOR Robert Wise PRODUCER Julian Blaustein SCREENWRITER Edmund H. North At the height of the Cold War, a spaceship lands in Washington, DC. Klaatu, an alien, warns the world to stop the violence or the future of the planet is at stake. "Your choice is simple: join us and live in peace, or pursue your present course and face obliteration." The Earth stood still and hope moved us all. 66 DEAD MAN WALKING MGM, 1995 PRINCIPAL CAST Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn DIRECTOR Tim Robbins PRODUCERS Jon Kilik, Tim Robbins, Rudd Simmons SCREENWRITER Tim Robbins Sister Helen Prejean is torn between forgiveness for a murderer on death row and her compassion for the victim’s family. The conflict forces her to draw upon all of her Christian beliefs, and bring humanity to all sides of the tragedy. 67 DEAD POETS SOCIETY Touchstone, 1989 PRINCIPAL CAST Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke DIRECTOR Peter Weir PRODUCERS Steven Haft, Tony Thomas, Paul Junger Witt SCREENWRITER Tom Schulman A private school teacher inspires his students with stories of the Dead Poets Society and inspires them with the words “carpe diem” – seize the day. His methods are considered radical, and he runs up against the same status quo he hopes the young men will fight. 68 THE DEFIANT ONES United Artists, 1958 PRINCIPAL CAST Sidney Poitier, Tony Curtis, Theodore Bikel, Cara Williams DIRECTOR Stanley Kramer PRODUCER Stanley Kramer SCREENWRITERS Harold Jacob Smith, Nedrick Young Two convicts, one white and one black, escape prison while they are chained together. If they are to survive and escape capture, they must learn to how to live together. 69 DESTINATION TOKYO Warner Bros., 1944 PRINCIPAL CAST Cary Grant, John Garfield, Alan Hale DIRECTOR Delmer Daves PRODUCER Jerry Wald SCREENWRITERS Delmer Daves, Albert Maltz It’s 1943 and a US submarine is on a daring and dangerous mission off the coast of Japan. The crew’s mission – go ashore and obtain information that will help a future air attack on the Land of the Rising Sun. 70 DESTRY RIDES AGAIN Universal, 1939 PRINCIPAL CAST James Stewart, Marlene Dietrich, Brian Donlevy, Una Merkel DIRECTOR George Marshall PRODUCER Joe Pasternak SCREENWRITERS Felix Jackson, Gertrude Purcell, Henry Myers Bottleneck’s a town that needs to be tamed. Thomas Jefferson Destry rides into town and overcomes the gambling, the politics, and even softens up saloon singer Frenchy, who knows what the boys in the back room will have. 71 THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK Twentieth Century-Fox, 1959 PRINCIPAL CAST Millie Perkins, Joseph Schildkraut, Richard Beymer, Shelley Winters, Ed Wynn DIRECTOR George Stevens PRODUCER George Stevens SCREENWRITERS Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett In spite of everything, Anne Frank believes “that people are really good at heart.” She and her family hide in the attic of an Amsterdam house for over two years hoping to escape the Nazis’ terror. Her diary is a testament to resilience and hope when the world is at its darkest. 72 DIRTY DANCING Artisan, 1987 PRINCIPAL CAST Jennifer Grey, Patrick Swayze, Jerry Orbach, Cynthia Rhodes DIRECTOR Emile Ardolino PRODUCERS Linda Gottlieb, Eleanor Bergstein SCREENWRITER Eleanor Bergstein Baby’s got all the right moves and proves it when she stands up for the man she loves – the summer resort’s dance teacher. Together, they have the time of their lives. 73 THE DIRTY DOZEN MGM, 1967 PRINCIPAL CAST Lee Marvin, Richard Jaeckel, George Kennedy, Charles Bronson, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Telly Savalas, Donald Sutherland, Clint Walker DIRECTOR Robert Aldrich PRODUCER Kenneth Hyman SCREENWRITERS Nunnally Johnson, Lukas Heller A dozen soldiers convicted of murder, rape, and robbery are given a chance to redeem themselves shortly before D-Day; they must destroy a French chateau, full of Germany’s highest-ranking officers. Success means a pardon, but they’ll need to survive first. 74 DISRAELI Warner Bros., 1929 PRINCIPAL CAST George Arliss, Doris Lloyd, Joan Bennett DIRECTOR Alfred E. Green SCREENWRITER Julien Josephson Out of power and almost out of options, former British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli outfoxes the Bank of England and his liberal opponent Gladstone by purchasing the Suez Canal. Queen Victoria’s position as Empress of India is secure, and Mr. Disraeli is the darling of Downing Street. 75 DO THE RIGHT THING Universal, 1989 PRINCIPAL CAST Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Spike Lee, Bill Nunn, John Turturro DIRECTOR Spike Lee PRODUCERS Spike Lee, Monty Ross SCREENWRITER Spike Lee On the hottest day of the summer in Brooklyn’s Bed-Stuy neighborhood, every racial group is faced with the heat of their own prejudices. Even amidst the chaos that ensues, the words of Da Mayor ring true: “Do the right thing.” 76 DR. EHRLICH’S MAGIC BULLET Warner Bros., 1940 PRINCIPAL CAST Edward G. Robinson, Ruth Gordon, Otto Kruger DIRECTOR William Dieterle PRODUCER Hal B. Wallis SCREENWRITERS John Huston, Heinz Herald, Norman Burnside German physician Paul Ehrlich first develops the vaccine for diphtheria with his friend Dr. von Behring, but his dream is to find a “magic bullet” to destroy invading microbes. He pushes to find a cure for syphilis, but loses most of his funding. A wealthy patron backs him, but the struggle to find a cure takes everything out of him. He pays for the miracle cure with his life. 77 DRIVING MISS DAISY Warner Bros., 1989 PRINCIPAL CAST Jessica Tandy, Morgan Freeman, Dan Aykroyd DIRECTOR Bruce Beresford PRODUCERS Richard D. Zanuck, Lili Fini Zanuck SCREENWRITER Alfred Uhry She’s a rich southern Jewish woman and he’s an African-American chauffeur. His good-natured ways charm the woman who is slowly losing her independence in her old age. We witness twenty years in the lives of two old souls, who couldn’t be more different, yet more alike. 78 DUMBO Disney, 1941 PRINCIPAL CAST Verna Felton, Sterling Holloway, Edward Brophy, Cliff Edwards (voices) DIRECTOR Ben Sharpsteen PRODUCER Walt Disney SCREENWRITERS Joe Grant, Dick Huemer Dumbo’s got two huge obstacles to overcome – his ears! They’re so large everyone makes fun of him and his confidence is smaller then his only friend, Timothy Mouse. The moment he believes he can fly, Dumbo’s self-esteem soars and he makes believers of everyone when they see an elephant fly! 79 E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL Universal, 1982 PRINCIPAL CAST Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Robert MacNaughton, Dee Wallace-Stone, Peter Coyote DIRECTOR Steven Spielberg PRODUCER Kathleen Kennedy, Steven Spielberg SCREENWRITER Melissa Mathison Upset by his parent’s divorce, Elliot discovers the true meaning of friendship, when a stranded alien he calls “E.T.” wants to go home. 80 EDISON, THE MAN MGM, 1940 PRINCIPAL CAST Spencer Tracy, Rita Johnson DIRECTOR Clarence Brown PRODUCER John W. Considine, Jr. SCREENWRITERS Bradbury Foote, Talbot Jennings Tom Edison is shunned by big money and the establishment. Opposed by gas interests, he has only six months to illuminate New York City. But he’s got a bright idea, and the rest, as they say, is history! 81 8 MILE Universal, 2002 PRINCIPAL CAST Eminem, Kim Basinger, Mekhi Phifer, Brittany Murphy DIRECTOR Curtis Hanson PRODUCERS Brian Grazer, Curtis Hanson, Jimmy Iovine SCREENWRITER Scott Silver A white kid from the wrong side of Detroit’s 8 Mile strives to make it to the top of the rap world. 82 EL CID Allied Artists, 1961 PRINCIPAL CAST Charlton Heston, Sophia Loren, Raf Vallone, Geneviève Page DIRECTOR Anthony Mann PRODUCER Samuel Bronston SCREENWRITERS Fredric M. Frank, Philip Yordan Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar fights for the honor of Spain against the Moors. Courageous and wise, he liberates a group of Emirs who vow never to attack Castile. His compassionate zeal divides the country and drives his beloved Chimene into a convent. Torn apart by blood feuds, Spain needs the leadership of El Cid. He wins back the love of Chimene, but dies driving the Moors back to the sea. 83 ERIN BROCKOVICH Universal, 2000 PRINCIPAL CAST Julia Roberts, Albert Finney, Aaron Eckhart, Marg Helgenberger, Cherry Jones, Conchata Ferrell DIRECTOR Steven Soderbergh PRODUCERS Danny DeVito, Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher SCREENWRITER Susannah Grant Erin Brockovich is a single mom in need of a paycheck, but when she unearths a questionable real estate case she takes on a powerful utility company and becomes an American hero. 84 EXODUS United Artists, 1960 PRINCIPAL CAST Paul Newman, Eva Marie Saint, Ralph Richardson, Peter Lawford, Lee J. Cobb, Sal Mineo DIRECTOR Otto Preminger PRODUCER Otto Preminger SCREENWRITER Dalton Trumbo A ship of Holocaust survivors arrives in Israel and joins Israelis fighting for independence and statehood. 85 FAME MGM, 1980 PRINCIPAL CAST Irene Cara, Lee Curreri, Laura Dean, Antonia Franceschi DIRECTOR Alan Parker PRODUCERS David De Silva, Alan Marshall SCREENWRITER Christopher Gore Students at New York’s High School for the Performing Arts get lessons in life, love, and disappointment as they transition from wanting their dream to living it – out there on their own. 86 FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF Paramount, 1986 PRINCIPAL CAST Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jeffrey Jones, Jennifer Grey DIRECTOR John Hughes PRODUCERS John Hughes, Tom Jacobson SCREENWRITER John Hughes “Life moves pretty fast,” and Ferris doesn’t want to miss anything. He teaches his friends how to stop and look around – on a school day. 87 FIDDLER ON THE ROOF United Artists, 1971 PRINCIPAL CAST Topol, Norma Crane, Leonard Frey, Molly Picon DIRECTOR Norman Jewison PRODUCER Norman Jewison SCREENWRITER Joseph Stein Tevye explains in the film’s opening lines that he and the people of Anatevka are like fiddlers on a roof – all trying to scratch out a simple tune without breaking their necks. They stay on the roof because Anatevka – for all its faults – is their home. And they keep their balance with one word: Tradition! 88 FIELD OF DREAMS Universal, 1989 PRINCIPAL CAST Kevin Costner, Amy Madigan, James Earl Jones, Burt Lancaster, Ray Liotta DIRECTOR Phil Alden Robinson PRODUCERS Charles Gordon, Lawrence Gordon SCREENWRITER Phil Alden Robinson Ray Kinsella hears a voice tell him, “If you build it, he will come.” He follows his heart and finds the answers to some of life’s eternal questions when he transforms his Iowa cornfield into a baseball field. 89 FINDING NEVERLAND Miramax, 2004 PRINCIPAL CAST Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie, Dustin Hoffman DIRECTOR Mark Forster PRODUCERS Nellie Bellflower, Richard N. Gladstein SCREENWRITER David Magee A widow and her four children inspire successful but lonely playwright J. M. Barrie to write the eternal story of Peter Pan, the boy who refuses to grow up. 90 FLASHDANCE Paramount, 1983 PRINCIPAL CAST Jennifer Beals, Michael Nouri DIRECTOR Adrian Lyne PRODUCERS Peter Guber, Jon Peters SCREENWRITERS Tom Hedley, Joe Eszterhas A little woman with big dreams toils in the steel mills of Pittsburgh, while pursing her real dream – joining the local ballet company. With almost no training, she takes on the dance establishment – what a feeling! 91 FOOTLOOSE Paramount, 1984 PRINCIPAL CAST Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer, John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest, Chris Penn, Sarah Jessica Parker DIRECTOR Herbert Ross PRODUCERS Lewis J. Rachmil, Craig Zaden SCREENWRITER Dean Pitchford Whoever heard of a town where rock music and dance are banned? Ren, a high school kid from Chicago is stuck in this nowhere place and he’s got rhythm in his feet. He takes on the town for a chance to shake, rattle, and roll at the Senior Prom. Let’s hear it for the boy! 92 FORREST GUMP Paramount, 1994 PRINCIPAL CAST Tom Hanks, Robin Wright Penn, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, Sally Field DIRECTOR Robert Zemeckis PRODUCERS Wendy Finerman, Steve Starkey, Steve Tisch SCREENWRITER Eric Roth Against all odds, the guy with the low IQ conquers the world and finds his destiny, but true love, the one thing he wants, eludes him. That love gives him the gift of unconditional love and like his momma said, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.” 93 FOUR FEATHERS Paramount, 1929 PRINCIPAL CAST Richard Arlen, Fay Wray, Clive Brook, William Powell DIRECTORS Merian C. Cooper, Lothar Mendes, Ernest B. Schoedsack PRODUCER David O. Selznick SCREENWRITERS Hope Loring, Howard Estabrook, John Farrow, Julian Johnson A young British officer leaves his regiment for a girl, but it is really cowardice that drives him out of the Sudan. His friends each send him a white feather, the symbol of a coward. His father’s death results, and the young man takes off for Africa, where he avenges his father and proves his courage – above and beyond the call of duty. 94 FREE WILLY Warner Bros., 1993 PRINCIPAL CAST Jason James Richter, Lori Petty, Michael Madsen, Michael Ironside DIRECTOR Simon Wincer PRODUCERS Jennie Lew Tugend, Lauren Shuler Donner SCREENWRITERS Keith A. Walker, Corey Blechman Jesse’s a street kid with a mess of problems and an odd friend – a killer whale. The moment he realizes his beloved orca will be killed, the troubled youth finds a purpose in life – to free Willy. 95 THE FRESHMAN Pathé, 1925 PRINCIPAL CAST Harold Lloyd, Jobyna Ralston, Brooks Benedict DIRECTORS Sam Taylor, Fred C. Newmeyer PRODUCER Harold Lloyd SCREENWRITERS Sam Taylor, John Grey, Ted Wilde, Tim Whelan The original nerd, Harold Lamb, goes to college and finds himself the butt of practical jokes and an outcast. But the Freshman doesn’t get even, he gets popular! 96 FRIED GREEN TOMATOES Universal, 1991 PRINCIPAL CAST Kathy Bates, Mary Stuart Masterson, Mary-Louise Parker, Jessica Tandy DIRECTOR Jon Avnet PRODUCERS Jon Avnet, Jordan Kerner SCREENWRITERS Fannie Flagg, Carol Sobieski Evelyn Couch is a mess. She’s overweight, her husband ignores her – and she becomes, in a word, invisible. Her chance meeting with an elderly woman in a nursing home and the tales she spins of two young women in 1920s Alabama, have a profound effect on Evelyn, helping her change the course of her dull life. 97 GANDHI Columbia, 1982 PRINCIPAL CAST Ben Kingsley, John Gielgud, John Mills, Trevor Howard, Edward Fox, Martin Sheen, Candice Bergen DIRECTOR Richard Attenborough PRODUCER Richard Attenborough SCREENWRITER John Briley A small, slight man leads the Indian revolt and stands up to the powerful British Empire by following his own personal philosophy of non-violence. He brings Great Britain to its knees and gives his fellow Indians the opportunity to become first-class citizens in their own country. 98 THE GENERAL United Artists, 1927 PRINCIPAL CAST Buster Keaton, Marion Mack DIRECTORS Buster Keaton, Clyde Bruckman PRODUCERS Buster Keaton, Joseph M. Schenck SCREENWRITERS Buster Keaton, Clyde Bruckman, Charles Henry Smith Engineer Johnnie Gray loves only two things – Annabelle Lee and his train. When Union spies steal them both, Johnnie must rescue his girl and The General to prove himself. 99 |