# An American Classic from the last 20 years? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 3, 2001, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-american-classic-from-the-last-20-years/91259 "2001-11-03T03:37:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-american-classic-from-the-last-20-years/91259/41 "2001-11-09T19:58:34Z")
> [@](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Titanic, for example, sucked on every level of filmmaking. > > That’s the backlash talking. It was massively popular, so thus it sucked. That’s a common prejudice and completely bogus. > > Every level? The camerawork? The special effects? The acting? Compared to “Space Mutiny”? > > I wouldn’t call Titanic a great film, but it’s definitely a classic, since thirty years from now people will be watching it, much as they watch so-so classic films like “Gone With The Wind” or “Children of Paradise.” Thank you, **RealityChuck**. I would like to see the alleged crappiness of Titanic addressed by its detractors. The movie gets mentioned and any supporters of it are drowned out in a barrage of “it sucked! It sucked!” Not that he is the supreme artibrator of such things, but I tend to agree with most of his analysis, and so I quote Roger Ebert’s review at the time the picture was released: > [@](#): > > James Cameron’s 194-minute, $200 million film of the tragic voyage is in > the tradition of the great Hollywood epics. It is flawlessly crafted, > intelligently constructed, strongly acted and spellbinding. If its story > stays well within the traditional formulas for such pictures, well, you > don’t choose the most expensive film ever made as your opportunity to > reinvent the wheel. It is a great, big picture about a great, big event that has haunted us since 1912. It led me to seek out a factual account of the tragedy, investigation and subsequent reforms in maritime safety. Personally, I think Leonardo DiCaprio is a good actor (see “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?”); it’s merely popular to run him down because he makes the young girls squeal. Ebert: > [@](#): > > Movies like this are not merely difficult to make at all, but almost > impossible to make well. The technical difficulties are so daunting that > it’s a wonder when the filmmakers are also able to bring the drama and > history into proportion. I found myself convinced by both the story and > the saga. Everyone is of course entitled to his or her opinion. Along with Rog, I found Titantic an astounding achievement in moviemaking and I do believe it will be watched and enjoyed for many years. [The whole review](http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/ebert_reviews/1997/12/121904.html), for anyone interested. So that I don’t look like a complete highjacker, I also nominate from the last 20 years of the 20th century, these Ellen Certified™ Classics: - Raiders of the Lost Ark - Pulp Fiction - The Little Mermaid Each are enjoyable, well-made and unique. In my opinion, natch. ---
**Author:** ![pizzabrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e9c0ed/32.png) [@pizzabrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pizzabrat)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-american-classic-from-the-last-20-years/91259/42 "2001-11-10T00:12:25Z")
> [@](#): > > (Some genres reach their heights during different periods of time. I can’t put any contemporary musical on this list and look myself in the mirror Little Shop of Horrors and South Park. I think people will be watching these 20 years from now. ---
**Author:** ![Oblong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c0e974/32.png) [@Oblong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oblong)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2001, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-american-classic-from-the-last-20-years/91259/43 "2001-11-10T01:05:38Z")
Babe ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-american-classic-from-the-last-20-years/91259/44 "2001-11-14T01:23:25Z")
Of course, one could always consult the [National Film Preservation Board](http://www.loc.gov/film/) and its **National Film Registry** of the Library of Congress, which annually earmarks certain American films as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” The one provision (besides the film having to be American) is that it must be at least 10 years old before being eligible for inclusion. Given this, the films made in 1980 or later that have been inducted into the NFR are: _Blade Runner Chan Is Missing Do the Right Thing E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial El Norte GoodFellas Koyaanisqatsi The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter Raging Bull Raiders of the Lost Ark The Return of the Secaucus 7 Sherman’s March Tootsie_ ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-american-classic-from-the-last-20-years/91259/45 "2001-11-14T01:37:38Z")
I can’t believe that **The Princess Bride** hasn’t been mentioned yet. It’s one of the best movies ever made. I would bet that more people are watching that in 20 years than **Shawshank** , anything from Quentin Tarantino (can we say overrated?), or **Titanic**. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-american-classic-from-the-last-20-years/91259/46 "2001-11-14T02:21:57Z")
Three Kings. Quiz Show. Groundhog Day. O Brother Where Art Thou? But I think we need to define our terms, here… ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-american-classic-from-the-last-20-years/91259/47 "2001-11-14T06:37:45Z")
**The Iron Giant** deserves the mantle of “classic” far more than the pointless _Gone With The Wind_ does. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2001, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-american-classic-from-the-last-20-years/91259/48 "2001-11-14T06:51:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Crunchy Frog \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Wumpus \* > > **Yup, Elephant Man is an American flick. Produced by Mel Brooks, no less!** > > Mel Brooks? Mel Brooks of Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, and Spaceballs Mel Brooks produced a David Lynch film? That has got to be one of the most unlikely producer/director pairings I can think of, not to mention the subject matter of the film being associated with Mel Brooks. I wonder how _that_ happened. \*\* Brace yourself, _Crunchy_, but there’s been an even weirder pairing. David Lynch and Sissy Spacek! And you know what movie it was? _ **Eraserhead** _!!! :eek: My nominees? _ **Koyaanisquatsi** _ (not quite a movie and not quite a documentary either) _ **Ronin** _ _ **Until the End of the World** _ _ **Gladiator** _ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-american-classic-from-the-last-20-years/91259.md?page=2)