# The Most American Movie of All Time **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 7, 2015, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-american-movie-of-all-time/733808 "2015-10-07T14:02:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-american-movie-of-all-time/733808/1 "2015-10-07T14:02:38Z")
> **[Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Slosh](https://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?id=3883)** > > Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Slosh Note that I’m not asking for the greatest American movie of all time, but the one that best exemplifies the United States. According to this webcomic, it’s **Ghostbusters**. I say it’s **1776** , mostly because it’s my favorite film. What do you think? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-american-movie-of-all-time/733808/2 "2015-10-07T14:05:12Z")
That’s easy. \*\*\* It’s a Wonderful Life\*\*\*. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-american-movie-of-all-time/733808/3 "2015-10-07T14:07:58Z")
First one that comes to mind is _American Grafitti_. 'Cause, you know, it’s got “American” in it. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-american-movie-of-all-time/733808/4 "2015-10-07T14:11:02Z")
Wow. So many possibilities: **Singin’ In The Rain**? **Blazing Saddles**? **To Kill A Mockingbird**? **A Few Good Men**? Must think on this… ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-american-movie-of-all-time/733808/5 "2015-10-07T14:29:54Z")
**Forrest Gump** ---
**Author:** ![CGav8r](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@CGav8r](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CGav8r)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-american-movie-of-all-time/733808/6 "2015-10-07T14:45:54Z")
_The Godfather_, probably. Maybe I’d throw in _Jaws_. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-american-movie-of-all-time/733808/7 "2015-10-07T14:46:57Z")
THE AVENGERS: even if you remove how heroic leader Captain America always stands for what’s right – including quick mention of how he took on the Nazis – it’s the story of how faceless bureaucrats make a stupid-ass decision but the rich-businessman private citizen saves the day, sure as the world’s most brilliant scientist is an American who meets a deity and delivers an unimpressed smackdown. Oh, and immigrants are totally welcome as long as they share our values. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-american-movie-of-all-time/733808/8 "2015-10-07T15:04:47Z")
**Citizen Kane**. Kane is the American dream (one working title for the film was **American** ) and the dream is a chimera. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-american-movie-of-all-time/733808/9 "2015-10-07T15:18:07Z")
**Born on the Fourth of July**? **Rambo**? **Silkwood**? **Norma Rae**? **Three Days of the Condor**? **Cool Hand Luke**? **Platoon**? **Full Metal Jacket**? I’m feeling very cynical today. ---
**Author:** ![Gothic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Gothic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gothic)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-american-movie-of-all-time/733808/10 "2015-10-07T15:22:51Z")
12 Angry Men ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-american-movie-of-all-time/733808/11 "2015-10-07T15:26:38Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > **Forrest Gump** This will be very hard to beat. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-american-movie-of-all-time/733808/12 "2015-10-07T15:33:52Z")
National Lampoon’s European Vacation ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-american-movie-of-all-time/733808/13 "2015-10-07T15:40:22Z")
_Top Gun._ ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-american-movie-of-all-time/733808/14 "2015-10-07T15:41:06Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > This will be very hard to beat. Yes it will. But I’ll toss out **She Wore A Yellow Ribbon** , **The American President** and **How the West Was Won** as alternatives. I also support **American Graffiti** as an option. ---
**Author:** ![Gothic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Gothic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gothic)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-american-movie-of-all-time/733808/15 "2015-10-07T15:43:54Z")
All the President’s Men. ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-american-movie-of-all-time/733808/16 "2015-10-07T15:45:33Z")
Team America: World Police :D:D ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-american-movie-of-all-time/733808/17 "2015-10-07T15:57:58Z")
I almost think it HAS to be a Western, possibly the most American genre of all. _High Noon_? ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-american-movie-of-all-time/733808/18 "2015-10-07T16:07:56Z")
Birth of a Nation, racism and all? Gone with the Wind would be another, but I suspect my “most American” would be **Casablanca**. A perfect product of Hollywood movie machine at the height of its powers in WW2. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-american-movie-of-all-time/733808/19 "2015-10-07T16:11:21Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > **Born on the Fourth of July**? **Rambo**? > > **Silkwood**? **Norma Rae**? > > **Three Days of the Condor**? **Cool Hand Luke**? > > **Platoon**? **Full Metal Jacket**? > > I’m feeling very cynical today. Well, _Twelve Years a Slave_, if we’re going that direction. A few more: _O Brother, Where Art Thou?_ _Sullivan’s Travels_ _Easy Rider_ _Nebraska_ _Moneyball_ (What’s more American than baseball, and the economics thereof?) ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-american-movie-of-all-time/733808/20 "2015-10-07T16:17:58Z")
Boy, that’s a toughie. A movie that says something important and defining about America… hard to narrow it down to one. In the running for me: _Casablanca 1776 Glory The American President Inherit the Wind All the President’s Men Lincoln Amistad Seven Days in May To Kill A Mockingbird_ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-american-movie-of-all-time/733808.md?page=2)