I don’t know about you, but I love lists.

From the first wish list to Santa, I was hooked. Today, it’s fantasy football draft possibilities, best- and worst-of opinions and, well, groceries, but that’s another story entirely.
Which brings me to the 2012 National Film Registry of the Library of Congress’ list of films that will be preserved due to their cultural, historic and artistic achievements.
It is an interesting group of movies, covering a wide range of topics and genres, including the Kodachrome tests from 1922, an 1897 boxing match, a remembrance of Nazi tyranny by a death camp survivor, an up close look at America’s favorite sport and an action flick that spawned one of the great quotes in cinematic history.
And like any list, it’s bound to generate debate. Does The Matrix really deserve to be in the Library of Congress? Does A League of Their Own belong alongside a beloved classic like Breakfast at Tiffany’s?
Well, that’s for fans, film geeks and cinephiles to argue about. The Librarian of Congress, James H. Billington, said the 25 films selected for preservation were not chosen because they are the ‘best American films of all time.’
“Rather,” he said, “(they are) works of enduring importance to American culture.”
As a child of the 1970s, there are three films in particular that jumped out to me – one from each of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s – as well as a couple of classics that I was exposed to at film school that are certainly noteworthy.
Given the fact my first list was headed to the North Pole, it’s appropriate that A Christmas Story will be preserved. The 1983 film, starring Peter Billingsley, Darren McGavin and Melinda Dillon, was a modest success when it debuted, but thanks to TV, it has become a true holiday classic.
The movie, which bills itself as an All-American tale (ironically, much of it was shot in Canada), tells the story of a boy growing up in the 1940s and dreaming about Santa bringing him a Red Rider BB gun. Every adult he reveals this desire to blows him off with the same line: “You’ll shoot your eye out.” But Ralphie, played by Billingsley, won’t be deterred.
Featuring some of the most priceless quote-worthy narration (my personal favorite being when Ralphie describes his dad’s swearing while trying to fix the family furnace thusly: “In the heat of battle, my father wove a tapestry of obscenities that as far as we know is still hanging in space over Lake Michigan.”), as well as dream sequences that highlight the naïve innocence of childhood fantasy (Ralphie uses his Red Rider BB gun to defend the family homestead), A Christmas Story is funny, clever, silly, endearing and, ultimately, a celebration of family.
Another particularly quote-worthy movie is 1971’s Dirty Harry. Who can claim to be a true cinephile if you aren’t familiar with the soliloquy: “I know what you’re thinking. ‘Did he fire six shots or only five?’ Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you’ve got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?”
Directed by Don Siegel and starring Clint Eastwood as a cop who takes justice into his own hands, Dirty Harry ushered in a decade of films that weren’t afraid to tackle gritty subject matter. From Taxi Driver (1976) and The Deer Hunter (’78) to Apocalypse Now (’79) and Chinatown (’74), Dirty Harry certainly reflected a more cynical view of urban life as drugs and crime ushered in fantasies of vigilantism that resonate to this day. The idea that society had started to put the rights of the accused and criminals ahead of the victim was a key theme in the movie and it has certainly had legs as filmmakers have continued to mine that particular philosophical vein during the ensuing 40 years.
Philosophy is also one of the reasons why 1999’s The Matrix is such an intriguing selection.
What could have been a mindless popcorn movie defined by its eye-popping visual effects (hello, bullet time), The Matrix, instead, explored deeper issues about life, truth and faith in a world where a virtual lie could be more appealing than the cold reality of a grim, devastated world.
Andy and Lana Wachowski (and yes, Congress is officially recognizing Lana rather than Larry) co-wrote and co-directed this Asian-influenced action flick in which The Matrix is a computer program created by machines that harvest humans as power sources. The computer-generated reality the machines created so humans wouldn’t realize the horror of their true circumstance makes for interesting philosophical debate. Heck, one of the best features of The Matrix on DVD is the commentary track featuring philosophers Dr. Cornel West and Ken Wilber debating the meaning of the film and the questions it raises.
Also worthy of mention are some true classics, such as 1961’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s (director Blake Edwards and composer Henry Mancini helped shape and give life to what is arguably Audrey Hepburn’s most beloved character, Holly Golightly); 3:10 to Yuma (the original 1957 western deftly balances the tale of a criminal and a lawman as they await their destinies in the form of a train bound for a prison); 1967’s They Call It Pro Football (the first feature from NFL Films ushered in a new era in sports documentaries, not to mention the iconic voiceover work of John Facenda); and Uncle Tom’s Cabin (the 1914 version marked the first time a black actor, Sam Lucas, starred as the movie’s lead character).
You can find the full list of Congress’ 2012 registry selections online, including a description of each film here.