Published: June 19, 2008 09:43 am            

MOVIES: Opinion on new AFI lists

Another year, another list from the American Film Institute.

Ever since the institute revealed its list of the top 100 American movies in the last 100 years, it has followed up each year with a different list. The organization has counted down actors, comedies, songs, quotes and more over the past 10 years. Just last year, the institute unveiled a new top 100 movie countdown.

On Tuesday night, the AFI grouped great American films into top 10 lists by genre during a CBS special. The top 10s were carved out of a list of 50 nominees for each genre. According to AFI president Bob Gazzale, the shows keep people talking about great films.

“This is why these shows are so important. They keep these films in the cultural conversation,” Gazzale told The Associated Press.

The AFI’s plan seems to be working (witness the existence of this story). So if we’re going to talk about these new lists, let’s get started.

Animation

1. “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”

2. “Pinocchio”

3. “Bambi”

4. “The Lion King”

5. “Fantasia”

6. “Toy Story”

7. “Beauty and the Beast”

8. “Shrek”

9. “Cinderella”

10. “Finding Nemo”

First of all, let me just say that some of these “genres” are a little shaky. Animation is not a genre. Is live-action a genre? I rest my case.

As expected, this is a Disney-centric list. “Shrek” is the only non-Disney or Pixar movie on the list, and it doesn’t deserve to be there. I would also take issue with “Finding Nemo,” which is good, but a bit overrated. I’d rather see “Monsters Inc.” in there as far as Pixar films go. And I wish there was some more love for 1999’s “The Iron Giant,” which is one of the great animated films, period.

Romantic comedies

1. “City Lights”

2. “Annie Hall”

3. “It Happened One Night”

4. “Roman Holiday”

5. “The Philadelphia Story”

6. “When Harry Met Sally”

7. “Adam’s Rib”

8. “Moonstruck”

9. “Harold and Maude”

10. “Sleepless in Seattle”

More of a subgenre than a genre, but the AFI did a pretty good job with this list. Good to see the incomparable “Annie Hall” near the top, and it was a pleasant surprise to see “Harold and Maude” on the list. I would seriously consider adding “Say Anything” or “There’s Something About Mary” somewhere to the list, but where would you put them?

Western

1. “The Searchers”

2. “High Noon”

3. “Shane”

4. “Unforgiven”

5. “Red River”

6. “The Wild Bunch”

7. “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”

8. “McCabe & Mrs. Miller”

9. “Stagecoach”

10. “Cat Ballou”

Another solid list, though I would have included “The Last Picture Show.” Sure, it’s not really a traditional Western, but it was nominated. This list makes you realize just how many of the great Westerns are Italian, as Sergio Leone films weren’t nominated.

Sports

1. “Raging Bull”

2. “Rocky”

3. “The Pride of the Yankees”

4. “Hoosiers”

5. “Bull Durham”

6. “The Hustler”

7. “Caddyshack”

8. “Breaking Away”

9. “National Velvet”

10. “Jerry Maguire”

A very broad genre, as evidenced by the fact that “Bull Durham” and “Jerry Maguire” were also nominated for the romantic comedy list. The inclusion of “Caddyshack” is what happens when there’s no specific list for comedies.

“Raging Bull” and “Rocky” make a great one-two punch at the top, but “Jerry Maguire?” It’s much more of a romantic comedy than a sports movie. If you’re going to pick a football movie, 2004’s “Friday Night Lights” would have been a better bet. But I’m glad to see the overrated “Million Dollar Baby” was turned away.

Mystery

1. “Vertigo”

2. “Chinatown”

3. “Rear Window”

4. “Laura”

5. “The Third Man”

6. “The Maltese Falcon”

7. “North by Northwest”

8. “Blue Velvet”

9. “Dial M for Murder”

10. “The Usual Suspects”

The top three films on this list are all virtually flawless. Alfred Hitchcock rules this fabulous list with four entries. It’s great to see the inclusion of “Blue Velvet,” a personal favorite of mine, but one-trick pony “The Usual Suspects” should have been knocked off the list in favor of Hitchcock’s “The Man Who Knew Too Much” or “Rebecca,” or if you want to be more recent, either “L.A. Confidential,” “Memento” or “Mulholland Dr.”

Fantasy

1. “The Wizard of Oz”

2. “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring”

3. “It’s a Wonderful Life”

4. “King Kong”

5. “Miracle on 34th Street”

6. “Field of Dreams”

7. “Harvey”

8. “Groundhog Day”

9. “The Thief of Bagdad”

10. “Big”

Can anyone explain why “The Fellowship of the Ring” got the nod over “The Return of the King?” Perhaps because the latter wasn’t even nominated.

This list leans too much on recent popular choices, like “Field of Dreams,” “Groundhog Day” and “Big.” They’re all good films, but they fit better in other genres, unlike the much more worthy “Brazil” and “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.”

Sci-fi

1. “2001: A Space Odyssey”

2. “Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope”

3. “E.T. — The Extra Terrestrial”

4. “A Clockwork Orange”

5. “The Day the Earth Stood Still”

6. “Blade Runner”

7. “Alien”

8. “Terminator 2: Judgment Day”

9. “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”

10. “Back to the Future”

A great list overall, though it’s unfortunate that “The Empire Strikes Back” wasn’t even nominated. It’s wonderful to see “Terminator 2” make the list, though “Body Snatchers” could have been dropped for “The Matrix” or “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.”

Gangster

1. “The Godfather”

2. “Goodfellas”

3. “The Godfather Part II”

4. “White Heat”

5. “Bonnie and Clyde”

6. “Scarface: The Shame of a Nation”

7. “Pulp Fiction”

8. “The Public Enemy”

9. “Little Caesar”

10. “Scarface”

Can’t go wrong near the top. Interesting to see both “Scarface” films making the list. “Pulp Fiction” should have been top five, though. The list skewed a little older than I expected. “The Departed” should have made this list somewhere. And hopefully, “Boyz N the Hood” and “Touch of Evil” earned heavy consideration.

Courtroom drama

1. “To Kill a Mockingbird”

2. “12 Angry Men”

3. “Kramer vs. Kramer”

4. “The Verdict”

5. “A Few Good Men”

6. “Witness for the Prosecution”

7. “Anatomy of a Murder”

8. “In Cold Blood”

9. “A Cry in the Dark”

10. “’Judgment at Nuremberg”

Courtroom drama? Really? That’s a genre now? What a waste of time. This list is fine for what it is, I guess.

Epic

1. “Lawrence of Arabia”

2. “Ben-Hur”

3. “Schindler’s List”

4. “Gone with the Wind”

5. “Spartacus”

6. “Titanic”

7. “All Quiet on the Western Front”

8. “Saving Private Ryan”

9. “Reds”

10. “The Ten Commandments”

“Titanic?” Come on. I thought we all decided a few years ago that our reaction to that film, as an entire population, went a bit overboard, no pun intended.

Other than that, this list is decent. “Saving Private Ryan” is a bit overrated, but what are you going to do? At least “Forrest Gump” didn’t make the list (it was somehow nominated).

        

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