Movies you MUST see to be "American"

[chuyler1]

The movie industry is pretty global. I don't live in another country so I really can't judge what movies would make you strictly "American"...

other than Team America of course.

I suppose the Japanese didn't enjoy Pearl Harbor, but then again, I didn't enjoy it either. The Vietnamese wouldn't warm up to Apocalypse Now with quotes like "I love the smell of Napalm in the morining!". Then there is Scareface. I'm sure the Cubans loved that one. I doubt the Germans would have given Schindler's List and Oscar.

So are these strictly "American" movies? Mallrats is funny, sure I laughed...but I don't see it as representing American cinema.

 

[evilmonkeyMSP]

I'd say it represents the American Indie film genre...

So are these strictly "American" movies? Mallrats is funny, sure I laughed...but I don't see it as representing American cinema.

 

[chuyler1]

Honestly, I think every American should watch Apocalypse Now, Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. It should be part of the national highschool curriculum. You can study history all you want but those movies help students visualize what war is really about.

 

[Autox MSP]

I agree, i never cared for starwars or the geeks that love that s***.

 

[JCell]

Scarface

 

[Spooled]

Donnie Darko
American Beauty
Indiana Jones series
Goonies
Top Gun
Three Amigos
Vacation
License To Drive

All very insightful into America, and as a bonus, the 80's!

But seriously, I can think of 1000 movies that would be good to see, although I don't believe that it's a duty as an American to watch any of them.

 

[Spooled]

oh, and Napoleon Dynamite.

 

[Autox MSP]

Porn!

 

[evilmonkeyMSP]

I beleive American history X should be included in that. It shows how racist ignorance can be turned around....

Honestly, I think every American should watch Apocalypse Now, Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. It should be part of the national highschool curriculum. You can study history all you want but those movies help students visualize what war is really about.

 

[evilmonkeyMSP]

Damn right!

I agree, i never cared for starwars or the geeks that love that s***.

 

[Spooled]

American History X is one of the ones that people NEED to see for sure.

I'm surprised no one said "Grease" yet.

 

[chuyler1]

I would never put Grease on the same level as Apocalypse Now. But I guess it does provide a stereotypical insight into the american 50s taken from a 70s point of view. I think American Graffiti would be a better example...but I don't want to give George Lucas that much credit.

 

[chuyler1]

Oh, and I forgot one...Gettysburg

 

[peepsalot]

Honestly, I think every American should watch Apocalypse Now, Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. It should be part of the national highschool curriculum. You can study history all you want but those movies help students visualize what war is really about.

I watched Schindler's List in junior high(or maybe it was high school, can't remember exactly). Had to get our parents to sign a form saying it was okay.

 

[evilmonkeyMSP]

(yes)

I watched Schindler's List in junior high(or maybe it was high school, can't remember exactly). Had to get our parents to sign a form saying it was okay.

 

[chuyler1]

Same here...and I watched part of Platoon my senior year in H.S. We had a fill-in US History teacher and he basically said "What do you want to learn?" Since we always skipped over Vietnam everyone agreed we should cover it.

 

[Hughes412]

Have you ever seen THE BIG RED 1?

 

[chuyler1]

I think Forest Gump covers quite a bit of American history in a fun-to-watch kind of way.

 

[Spooled]

The Manhattan Project

 

[Spooled]

War Games