The AFI put out their top 10 in 10 film genres and as usual there are poor choices among them. They can’t usually miss with their first and second choices but getting towards the bottom is a weird one or two. In any case, here is the rare opportunity to regard Raging Bull as a sports movie, lol.
This is a bit late by web standards but here it is, yet more filler for a slow moment:
LOS ANGELES – The American Film Institute’s top-10 lists of the best in 10 film genres:
ANIMATION
1. “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” 1937.
2. “Pinocchio,” 1940.
3. “Bambi,” 1942.
4. “The Lion King,” 1994.
5. “Fantasia,” 1940.
6. “Toy Story,” 1995.
7. “Beauty and the Beast,” 1991.
8. “Shrek,” 2001. (I’d swap this out for Ratatouille)
9. “Cinderella,” 1950. (I’d swap this out for Sleeping Beauty)
10. “Finding Nemo,” 2003.
FANTASY
1. “The Wizard of Oz,” 1939.
2. “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” 2001.
3. “It’s a Wonderful Life,” 1946.
4. “King Kong,” 1933.
5. “Miracle on 34th Street, 1947.
6. “Field of Dreams,” 1989. (would swap this out)
7. “Harvey,” 1950.
8. “Groundhog Day,” 1993.
9. “The Thief of Bagdad,” 1924.
10. “Big,” 1988. (would swap this out)
GANGSTER
1. “The Godfather,” 1972.
2. “Goodfellas,” 1990.
3. “The Godfather Part II,” 1974.
4. “White Heat,” 1949.
5. “Bonnie and Clyde,” 1967.
6. “Scarface: The Shame of a Nation,” 1932.
7. “Pulp Fiction,” 1994.
8. “The Public Enemy,” 1931.
9. “Little Caesar,” 1930.
10. “Scarface,” 1983.
SCIENCE FICTION
1. “2001: A Space Odyssey,” 1968.
2. “Star Wars: Episode IV ‚Äî A New Hope,” 1977.
3. “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” 1982.
4. “A Clockwork Orange,” 1971.
5. “The Day The Earth Stood Still,” 1951.
6. “Blade Runner,” 1982.
7. “Alien,” 1979.
8. “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” 1991. (I’d swap this out for either the first Terminator or else Aliens)
9. “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” 1956.
10. “Back to the Future,” 1985.
WESTERN
1. “The Searchers,” 1956.
2. “High Noon,” 1952.
3. “Shane,” 1953.
4. “Unforgiven,” 1992.
5. “Red River,” 1948.
6. “The Wild Bunch,” 1969.
7. “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” 1969.
8. “McCabe & Mrs. Miller,” 1971.
9. “Stagecoach,” 1939.
10. “Cat Ballou,” 1965.
SPORTS
1. “Raging Bull,” 1980.
2. “Rocky,” 1976.
3. “The Pride of the Yankees,” 1942.
4. “Hoosiers,” 1986.
5. “Bull Durham,” 1988.
6. “The Hustler,” 1961.
7. “Caddyshack,” 1980.
8. “Breaking Away,” 1979.
9. “National Velvet,” 1944.
10. “Jerry Maguire,” 1996. (A REAL stretch to call this a sports movie – it’s a touchy feely rom-com if anything)
MYSTERY
1. “Vertigo,” 1958.
2. “Chinatown,” 1974.
3. “Rear Window,” 1954.
4. “Laura,” 1944.
5. “The Third Man,” 1949.
6. “The Maltese Falcon,” 1941.
7. “North By Northwest,” 1959.
8. “Blue Velvet,” 1986.
9. “Dial M for Murder,” 1954. (The only Hitchcock that doesn’t belong, swap it out for Body Heat)
10. “The Usual Suspects,” 1995.
ROMANTIC COMEDY
1. “City Lights,” 1931.
2. “Annie Hall,” 1977.
3. “It Happened One Night,” 1934.
4. “Roman Holiday,” 1953.
5. “The Philadelphia Story,” 1940.
6. “When Harry Met Sally …,” 1989.
7. “Adam’s Rib,” 1949.
8. “Moonstruck,” 1987.
9. “Harold and Maude,” 1971.
10. “Sleepless in Seattle,” 1993.
COURTROOM DRAMA
1. “To Kill a Mockingbird,” 1962.
2. “12 Angry Men,” 1957.
3. “Kramer Vs. Kramer,” 1979. (Again, a stretch)
4. “The Verdict,” 1982.
5. “A Few Good Men,” 1992.
6. “Witness for the Prosecution,” 1957.
7. “Anatomy of a Murder,” 1959.
8. “In Cold Blood,” 1967.
9. “A Cry in the Dark,” 1988.
10. “Judgment at Nuremberg,” 1961.
EPIC
1. “Lawrence of Arabia,” 1962.
2. “Ben-Hur,” 1959.
3. “Schindler’s List,” 1993.
4. “Gone With the Wind,” 1939.
5. “Spartacus,” 1960.
6. “Titanic,” 1997.
7. “All Quiet on the Western Front,” 1930.
8. “Saving Private Ryan,” 1998.
9. “Reds,” 1981.
10. “The Ten Commandments,” 1956.
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Yeah, I agree that ANIMATION is not technically a genre. Animation is yet another medium in which a story can be told, regardless of the genre being musical (Beauty and the Beast), drama (The Iron Giant), or comedy (Shrek), for example. Animation has been used in anything from opening sequences (Catch Me If You Can, The Parent Trap) to sequences within a live-action film (such as Anchors Aweigh, Better Off Dead, Xanadu, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and…gasp!…even Woody Allen’s Best Picture Oscar-winner Annie Hall). Yeah, ignorance is not always bliss…but if I have to comment on the actual choices made for their ANIMATION “genre” list…I have to say that I would have NOT included Shrek, but then again its popularity and being the first Best Animated Feature win made it too hard for voters to resist, I guess. MONSTERS, INC. should have won that year anyways, which is a sad omission to the list.
I have never really liked CINDERELLA. I feel it’s overrated and only recognized because it tells one of the most popular fairy tales in the world, and I feel it’s no better than, say, SLEEPING BEAUTY, which artistically is the worthier accomplishment. I also would have liked to see critical darling (yet disappointing box office failure) THE IRON GIANT, because as far as non-Disney, non-Pixar animated films, this is a great one, filled with an amazing story, interesting characters, and most importantly: heart. It’s Brad Bird’s masterpiece (before his other noteworthy Pixar films, which I guess were deemed too recent for voters to consider it for the top ten) and what’s even better, it’s that it blends 2-D and 3-D animation seamlessly.
NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS would have been a nice inclusion, giving stop-motion animation a well deserved spot. But maybe NIGHTMARE has become more of a cult, rather than the film itself being viewed as this great masterpiece of animation (which it is, but who knows who these voters were…) Otherwise, the choices are good. I’m not sure about the order, though. Although I’m glad Bambi and Pinocchio made it to the list, I was hoping TOY STORY and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST would rank higher. All I have to say is I’m glad my fave animated film of all time, THE LION KING, at least made it to the top five. Glad FINDING NEMO made it too, especially if SHREK made it, but NEMO without the greatest animated sequel of all time, TOY STORY 2, or more inspired choices, such as MONSTERS, INC. and THE INCREDIBLES…just seems too safe. But then again, glad it’s there at all.
After reading the lists, the only question, which I am asking myself, is how can the AFI be so ignorant as to consider ANIMATION as a genre. It, most definitelty, is not a genre. Animation films incorporate many genres ranging from fantasy to science fiction… Instead, animation is rather a stylistic technique or a cinematic means of conveying a narrative and, in my view, anyway, it is typically detached from a film’s content (and it is usually a film’s content that justifies its categorization into a specific genre rather than its means of representation). Anyway, my rant against the AFI is over.
“& I love the inclusion of Fargo under ‘Heroic’, but not sure I get Boogie Nights’ inclusion? Who’s heroic in that one?”
Paul Thomas Anderson? 😎
Or… if we’re thinking in Greek terms, what was the element in Boogie Nights that overcame adversity to attain godlike status, only to find that cocky hubris leads, um, downfall.
Totally agree Friedl. Ivan Hernandez, you should have your own 3-hour TV event with those brilliant and provocative lists. I know which Shortbus clip I’d want to see.
Not only is Dial M for Murder a bit light for the top 10, it’s a bit uncinematic for Hitchcock. I like the movie a lot, but Hitch was maybe too wrapped up playing with 3-D, and it cramped his style.
(ooh, holy wow! did you see that lampshade seem to be somewhat closer than the background? whoa! Feels like I’m trippin’!)
10 great lists. The AFI continues to do well. As always, anybody wanting a greatest hits of American film would do well to watch their picks. There wil always be omissions since there are so many great movies.
I agree with you on Dial M for Murder, though. I love Hitchcock, but it’s a bit light for a top 10 list of all time.
The Matrix deserves to be on the Science Fiction list. Where was The Natural? Another one that was left off the romantic comedies list was Chasing Amy. It was considered a pretty groundbreaking romantic comedy because of it’s portrayal of Lesbians as realistic people and not caricatures or stereotypes. It is also brutally honest about relationships. Much better than Sleepless in Seattle.
The Natural. WTF.
The omission of Double Indemnity is unforgivable (you have to swap this one in instead of Body Heat, since Body Heat is essentially an inferior remake of Double Indemnity)
this is a genres list, it doesn’t make sense to do drama. which is primarily what the 100 movies list is anyway.
Lawrence of Arabia/Third man were more than fifty percent funded by american money, hence they are considered american films by the AFI, if a british cast means a movie is a British movie rather than an american one then that means Star Wars is not an american movie.
the amount of people (many complained about it on the forums) ignorant of Clockwork Orange’s place as one of the pinnacles of science fiction literature is sad. And yes the movie is decidedly sci-fi as well, as is 2001. They are examples of what sci fi literature is actually like, not Star Wars/Wing Commander type films. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is an excellent modern example of this type of sci-fi.
Ivan Hernandez – your catagories and lists are brilliant!
& I love the inclusion of Fargo under ‘Heroic’, but not sure I get Boogie Nights’ inclusion? Who’s heroic in that one?
AFI snubbed Silence of the Lambs.. isn’t it kind of a Romance?
ha!
Jerry Maguire is perfect for the Romantic Comedy list, which would free up a spot for Million Dollar Baby.
And I would designate Courtroom Dramas to the Drama category, and do a Thriller/Horror category: The Exorcist, Psycho, Rosemary’s Baby, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Silence of the Lambs, Halloween, Seven, The Birds, Sisters, Scream.
And I’m sure other people here could come up with ten others that are just as worthy, if not more, and that would still qualify as great films. Jaws! I forgot Jaws! See? See how many great scary movies there are? Get with it, AFI.
Dont know if it was already mentioned, but the AFI Top 10 of 10… only American productions were eligible. Because my friend and I noticed that when we were voting. I was surprised that Once Upon a Time in the West wasn’t in the final batch. (Yes, it was narrowed down for the voters… but there were spots for “write-ins”. We had to write in Tombstone for Western and The Mighty Ducks and The Sandlot for Sports… clearly neither one made it.)
I was shocked that Rebecca didn’t make the mystery list. I would have liked to see Gaslight as well. I also agree that Beauty and The Beast should have been higher on the animation list.
Cousins is one of my favorite romantic comedies, but it isn’t going to make any AFI lists.
And how on Earth did the original War of the Worlds not make the sci-fi list? Terminator 2? Whatever.
It was fun to watch though.
These are the WORST lists they’ve ever done. Embarassing.
Beauty and the Beast really needed to be in front of Lion King or Fantasia or Bambi, sorry folks
A Clockwork Orange, science fiction? I beg your pardon?
Where is Children of Men?
Episode V over IV, please
Return Of The King SHOULD be number 2, Fellowship 3, Two Towers 4.
And yes, Ryan, nothing like lists to fire us up. WE LUV LISTS!
Now, back to hunting down Johan Karouani…
T.
Harvey isn’t really a fantasy movie. You could easily make the argument that Harvey isn’t real. It’s the same thing as saying The Illusionist is a fantasy movie because you might think that Norton was using real magic.
@ Aaron: Beauty and the Beast is up there.
Couldn’t Citizen Kane be placed under “Mystery,” arguably?
I may be in the minority, but I think Friday Night Lights should have a spot in the sports category.
Notably absent:
Mystery: Double Indemnity, Rebecca
Animation: Beauty and the Beast
What made Schlinder’s List an epic?
I actually entered this contest. If you get the most top tens right, you get a $1000 BestBuy giftcard. Some of the ones they picked I should have known. Oh well, at least I got all #1s and #2s. But damn, I could have used that gift card.
ANIMATION – Snow White
FANTASY – The Lord of the Rings (#2)
SCIENCE FICTION – Star Wars (#2)
WESTERN – The Searchers
SPORTS – Rocky (#2)
GANGSTER – The Godfather
MYSTERY – Chinatown (#2)
ROMANTIC COMEDY – Annie Hall (#2)
COURTROOM DRAMA – 12 Angry Men (#2)
EPIC – Lawrence of Arabia
They did a “Horror/Action” list. AFI 100 Years 100 Thrills. 1) Psycho 2) Jaws 3) The Exorcist.
Where is HORROR?
When will this genre ever be considered acceptable by critics and their likes.
Would have LOVED to see a list with Jaws, Psycho, and so on…
And yes, L.A. Confidential was snubbed!
And was DRAMA also too broad a genre? Where is Citizen Kane and Casablanca?
And yes, Terminator 1 and Star Wars V should have been there in stead of 2 and IV…
Yeah, I was surprised that Third Man made this list, since it’s left off the top 100. I assumed its exclusion from 100 was because it was not American made. Also, where is the genre for musicals?? They were able to come up with a list of 100 greatest musicals, but they couldn’t narrow it down for this?
If the AFI only lists American films then why are The Third Man and Lawrence of Arabia included ? In the case of The Third Man, everything about this film is British except one of the producers and a couple of actors. I think they are pushing it as that in itself does not make it an American film. There are countless American films made by British producers, but no one would claim them to British solely because of that, if cast, crew, writer, director, location and subject matter were American.
Lots of the classics don’t belong to a certain genre. I never thought of Raging Bull as a sports movie. Where is Wimbledon? lol
I do wish the Silence of the Lambs had made the list.
Exorcist?
Hang on a second. How does Lawrence of Arabia count as an American film?
AFI’s insane for not having “The Apartment” on their Top 10 Romantic Comedies, and you’re all insane for not realizing it! Where the hell was that classic?
Robert,
AFI lists American Films. They have some criteria that they use (it is questionable). This would explain why no non-American animation films made the list.
Rob
I thought the same thing about Sergio Leone–how could he not be on the Western list? But then I remember this is the American Film Institute, and I think the movies they recognize are American fare, so maybe the Leone westerns don’t qualify for being Italian spaghetti westerns?
That may also explain the absence of Spirited Away and other non-American inspired animated films?
Still doesn’t explain the absence of Double Indemnity in the poorly-labeled “Mystery” category.
Alas!
Recycling the same 10 dozen movies in different configurations and arbitrary groupings is the AFI equivalent of DVD double- and triple-dipping, re-purposing their handful of safe crowd-pleaser titles to generate more revenue. It’s becoming a little bit silly.
But damn, nothing like a list controversy to get the fists flying on comment boards! So, fun enough diversion for mid-June.
IMO Blazing Saddles was a glaring omission from the Westerns.
The top 6 Romantic Comedies make me happy.
Can you people please remember that this is the AMERICAN film institute? That would explain the missing Miyazaki because he isn’t American nor are his movies. And a lot of movies don’t fit into a genre such as Citizen Kane and Casablanca. Also it seems that genres that have had lists before (Comedies, Romances, Musicals, etc.) were not included in this list. Well I still think Musicals should have been included but thats just me
I looked to see if my favorite war movies made it, and there’s no war category. That’s strange. Oh well, I would have put in a plug for “Twelve O’Clock High,” “Battleground,” “They Were Expendable” and the “War Lover” with Steve McQueen.
For the gangster category, I would have included “Angels with Dirty Faces” or “Roaring Twenties” before “White Heat.” It’s true that “White Heat” may be the better picture, but it’s not really about gangland life, it’s about a psychopath and a loose canon, not a real gangster. The same could be said for “Bonnie and Clyde”… technically, they were called the Barrow Gang, but they were shitkickers with guns, not real gangsters.
AFI gets more dubious every time. But I will give them credit for inspiring conversations about film. I know lots of people who pay attention every time one of these comes out. They’re people who don’t normally watch lots of classic films, but once an AFI list comes out, they usually try to watch some of them. I think the AFI is not really worthwhile for those of us who are film buffs already, but for inspiring the public to watch classic films, I think they’re great.
And City Lights as #1 romantic comedy makes up for any mistake they make in the other categories. Far too few have seen that film.
These lists are truly lame. No Incredibles in the animated category?
Word, Bebe, Spirited Away and Miyazaki are glaring omissions to the category. And I second the person who mentioned The Iron Giant.
Putting things into categories is sort of an odd way to list movies. Movies like Grand Hotel, Citizen Kane, or Midnight Cowboy don’t really have a category. And any list without Grand Hotel or Midnight Cowboy is just an odd list.
And some of the categories are just strange. Courtroom dramas – really? Sports movies? As Ryan said, there aren’t ten good sports that have ever been made. And they didn’t put Close Encounters or the Matrix in the science fiction and Shrek is in the animation category but Dumbo isn’t. This whole list is a travesty. Sigh.
The Empire Strikes Back keeps getting snubbed. They included both Godfathers, so why not the Star Wars sequel?
Glad to see Finding Nemo. I agree with you Sasha about Sleeping Beauty over Cinderella.
LOTR:TROTK over LOTR:TFOTR
Serial Mom for Courtroom. (I know a stretch.)
I would have swapped out Courtroom for Political (Citizen Kane would rule) or Musical (Sound of Music)
I haven’t read the whole list yet, but where the F**K is Miyazaki in the animated category? Jesus H. Criminy on a Stick!!!!!!!! What kind of list is this????? Who are these people? Have they never seen My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away or any of Miyazaki’s transcendent animated flicks???
alternative genres
STYLISH
Alphaville
8 1/2
Clockwork Orange
The Cook, the Thief, his Wife and her Lover
Marie Antoinette
In the Mood for Love
Breakfast at Tiffany´s
Eternity and a Day
Moulin Rouge
The Piano
EROTIC
The Last Tango in Paris
Late Marriage
Sex and Lucia
9 1/2 weeks
In the Realm of the Senses
Lolita
Y Tu Mama Tambien
Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom
Jamon Jamon
Crash (Cronenberg)
BIOPIC
Raging Bull
Malcom X
Control
The People Vs. Larry Flynt
The Motorcycle Diaries
Laurence of Arabia
Amadeus
Mar Adentro
The Last Emperor
I´m Not There
AVANTGARD
Eraserhead
Breathless
Shortbus
Memento
Blow up
Psycho
Festen
Metropolis
Pi
Sonatine
LOVE FLICK
Casablanca
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
From Here to Eternity
Brokeback Mountain
The Princess and the Warrior
The English Patient
Farewell My Concubine
Brief Encounter
Chungking Express
Ghost
HEROIC
Citizen Cane
The Matrix
Fargo
Yesterday
Boogie Nights
Gattaca
Run Lola Run
Hero
One Flew Over the Cooko´s Nest
All About My Mother
SOCIETY
Fight Club
Rocco and His Brothers
Do the Right Thing
City of God
the Sweet Hereafter
Thelma and Louise
Los Olvidados
On the Waterfront
Fireworks
The Lives of Others
CHILDHOOD
The 400 Blows
Pixote
The White Ballon
Pan´s Labyrinth
Billy Elliot
Kolya
My Life in Pink
Leolo
Where is the Friend´s Home?
Kikujiro
WAR
Apocalypse Now
Children of Men
The Perfect Circle
No Man´s Land
Underground
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Paradise Now
The Thin Red Line
Turtles Can Fly
Open City
JUNKIE
Trainspotting
Pulp Fiction
Requiem for a Dream
Scarface
Easy Rider
Drugstore Cowboy
The Roses Seller
24 Hour Party People
Kids
Half Nelson
the drama in 12 angry men did not “technically” occur in a courtroom (aside from the 2 minute opener)…a few good men was over the top, and where is Memento for mystery?
All the Brad Bird Love recently, but it seems I’m the only one bothered that The Iron Giant was left off animation! Here was the perfect chance to help a masterpiece to it’s much deserved pedestal (a la It’s a Wonderful Life and countless others recognized later for their genius)!
I gave up on these AFI things a few years ago. At least they put the original Scarface in there.
I would have put Field of Dreams on Sports movie. Also where is the Little Mermaid – isn’t that film credited with revitalizing Disney’s animation? I love that movie, it deserves to be on that list more than SHREK, a film riddled with pop culture references that in 15 years will be so irrelevant people wont get them.
Where is Birth of a Nation on the Epic list??? put personal beliefs about the film aside and lets look at how historic that film is, it was the first EPIC movie, it was a large scale costume drama that paved the way for modern films. you have movies before Birth of a Nation, and then after, it really was a trailblazer for how movies could be made.
Each year with these lists the AFI just shows how irrelevant they are.
It’s so silly. They have taken movies that should essentially be undefinable (Raging Bull, 2001: A Space Odyssey, In Cold Blood, etc.) and put them into neat little categories so that everything is in its own place.
Oh well! Schucks! At least now I now what the number one Sports movie and Court-Room Dramas are (because apparently these are distinct genres in film).
Category by category thoughts:
Animation: The only one I would take out would be Shrek. I love the movie, but don’t think it’s a Top 10 movie. I own 9 (Fantasia being the odd one out; must track down the box set)
Courtroom Drama: A Few Good Men needs to go. I gave up on the movie when Cruise’s character tells Moore’s character what’s he going to do in the courtroom and then the movie shows us exactly that. Redundant anyone? Own 2 of them.
Epic: No complaints at all. Just wish Bridge on the River Kwai could have been fit in there somehow. Own 5 of them.
Fantasy: Interesting that they chose the 1st Rings movie when the 3rd is generally considered the best one. Own 6 of them
Gangster: No surprises about the Top 3. I wish that Miller’s Crossing could’ve found it’s way onto the list. Own 6 of them.
Mystery: I think Roger Ebert will be severely displeased with #10. I don’t think it belongs on the list; swap it out for L.A. Confidential. Own 4 of them.
Romantic Comedy: If I had to choose a Tom Hanks – Meg Ryan rom-com, I would pick Joe vs. the Volcano. Atypical choice, I know, but I love it. I would’ve found room for Before Sunset and Before Sunrise on the list. Own 2 of them.
Science Fiction: While The Matrix would make my Top 10 Sci-Fi movies, I can see why it didn’t make this list. I would swap out TDTESS and IOTBS for Matrix and Minority Report. Own 8 of them. How awesome is it that Back to the Future is recognized by the AFI?!?
Sports: No Rudy?!?!? No Million Dollar Baby?!? I realize both used sports as the landscape instead of the story itself, but in the end, isn’t that what the best sports movies are all about? At least category has Caddyshack on it, which is nice. Own 6 of them. I agree that Jerry Maguire is not a sports movie.
Western: No surprises there. I can’t think of any I would put on the list. Own 1 of them (Unforgiven).
Wow, Brian DePalma actually getting a movie picked by the AFI…….is it a good or bad thing that apparently his one movie that’s blasted its way through time with coke and bullets is his SCARFACE remake?
And the westerns, WHAT THE FUCK? Where is Sergio Leone?
Nice to see REDS get on the epics list. Probably not on my Top 10, but hey I liked it.
I would say that Philadelphia is more of a courtroom drama than Kramer vs Kramer; I would have it up there. And as for “the weird ones toward the bottom”, I actually kind of like those, for the most part,as they make the lists much more interesting.Do you know how obnoxiously predictable most of these lists were?
No Matrix in Sci-Fi?
No Double Indemnity in “Mystery”? (demeaning name for that category anyway. Should’ve been Noir or Thriller)
Doesn’t Peter Jackson’s King Kong count as a Sports Movie?
… Naomi Watts does some dancing in it, doesn’t she?
They should have a “Best Inspirational Teacher movie” (Based on a True Story)…
There are so many…
Ah – it has been a long day. I best shut up before I
Is this their Top 10 Genres as well?
This latest collection of AFI listlessness is fundamentally flawed because there have never been 10 good “sports” movies.
Would’ve been more interesting if that category had been replaced with 10 Best Porn Movies.
Notable Misses (per genre)
Animated: The Incredibles or at least Ratatouille (or are these just too recent for the voters mindsets)
Romance – Comedy: There’s Something about Mary (non-classical, too raunchy?)
Mystery – The Big Sleep (Raymond Chandler’s best film adaptation)
Fantasy – Superman (The Fantasy list was bogus: Big, Field of Dreams those aren’t fantasies)
Sports – Million Dollar Baby (Female boxer didn’t make the cut)
Gangster – Departed (Again, too recent)
Court Room – Inherit the Wind (Misses but Kramer vs. Kramer for one good 7 minute court scene makes it)
Epics – No D.W Griffith?? If not Birth of a Nation for its racial controversy, at least Intolerance.
That’s my two cents & some more.
In contention for the Epic movie: The Last Emperor or even Gandhi.
I don’t even know what qualifies for American-ness in AFI. I would even put…Dances with Wolves up there (I know, but look at the list!).
And in the Nora Ephron/Meg Ryan canon (I said it), I would contend that You’ve Got Mail is a better movie than the two listed above.
It’s surprising that Pretty Woman did not make the list in Rom Com, which is a really, really difficult genre to pull off. And Harold and Maude is a stretch.
As for the Gangter category, it seems like a totally alien list. I have a completely different image of what gangters are nowadays.
Where is Citizen Kane? According to the list of nominees, it wasn’t even mentioned there. O.k, it doesn’t really fit in any of these categories… but why not under “Epic” (when they have Maguire for “Sports” and Kramer for “Courtroom Drama”) ?
Gosh they really don’t like horror do they? I would have thought that genre would have gotten it’s own top 10?