Does It Register?

It's the end of the year, with all the critical bests and award nominations coming out, but the list I like most comes from the National Film Registry.

Each year 25 titles are chosen because of their cultural, historical or aesthetical significance in American cinema.  Let's look at what they've given us this year.

1.  Amadeus (1984)
2.  Becky Sharp (1935)
3.  Before Stonewall (1984)
4.  Body And Soul  (1925)
5.  Boys Don't Cry (1999)
6.  Clerks  (1994)
7.  Coal Miner's Daughter (1980)
8.  Emigrants Landing at Ellis Island (1903)
9.  Employees Entrance (1933)
10.  Fog of War (2003)
11.  Gaslight (1944)
12.  George Washington Carver at Tuskegee Institute (1937)
13.  Girlfriends (1978)

14.  I Am Somebody (1970)
15.  The Last Waltz (1978)
16.  My Name Is Oona (1969)
17.  A New Leaf (1971)
18.  Old Yeller (1957)
19.  The Phenix City Story (1955)
20.  Platoon (1986)
21.  Purple Rain (1984)
22.  Real Women Have Curves (2002)
23.  She's Gotta Have It (1986)
24.  Sleeping Beauty (1959)
25.  Zoot Suit (1981)

Overall, a pretty solid list.

Some are clearly here for historical interest, such as 8 and 12, and there's nothing wrong with that.  There are movies that were meant to appeal to kids, such as 18 and 24.  And some are here as much for cultural reason as aesthetic ones.

There are a lot of movies that won Oscars and the Film Registry is finally getting around to honoring them, such as Amadeus or Platoon or Coal Miner's Daughter or Gaslight.

What intrigues me more are the lesser-known films that didn't get as much attention but have held up surprisingly well--particularly Employees Entrance and A New Leaf (and, to a lesser extent, The Phenix City Story).

Then there's Becky Sharp--not a great film, but the first feature in Technicolor.

There are a couple of titles representing musical acts.  The Last Waltz is a testament to The Band, and Purple Rain, a huge hit in its day, caught the magic of Prince at his height.

There are also a few films that show filmmakers near the beginning of their careers, when no one knew what would come next--Girlfriends, She's Gotta Have It and Clerks and.  Whether these filmmakers fulfilled their early promise is up to the viewer.

If I have a complaint, the list is a bit short on classic comedies and classic Hollywood directors.  Maybe that's because they've done such a good job honoring them in the past they're running out of titles.