The Library of Congress recently announced the latest National Film Registry finalists, and those 25 movies will now be preserved for posterity, bringing the total to 900 films through the class of 2024.
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But I have some bad news: the new entry in the “Sonic the Hedgehog” franchise is not eligible. To be considered by the LOC’s National Film Preservation Board, a movie must be at least 10 years old (by the way, the newest film on the 2024 list was released in 2010; the oldest is from the late 19th century). Here’s how the LOC describes the board’s work:
The National Film Registry selects 25 films each year showcasing the range and diversity of American film heritage to increase awareness for its preservation.
For the 2024 honorees, they considered an incredible 6,700 films and, as you saw, whittled them down to 25. And guess what? You can help choose which movies make in onto the 2025 class! Nominations are accepted from the public through Aug. 15, 2025, on the LOC website.
Keep in mind that the movies need to fit one, crucial requirement:
Public nominations play a key role when the Librarian and National Film Preservation Board are considering their final selections. To be eligible for the Registry, a film must be at least 10 years old and be “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
The definition of “significant” is subjective, so just pick what moves you, Anyway, the bulk of this year’s list is culled from the ’70s to the ’90s, so many of the titles should be familiar to modern movie lovers.
Some personal observations on five films from across four of the decades represented:
1970s
“Up in Smoke” was comedy duo Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong’s first movie, and as funny as these guys are, it’s a pretty dopey (pun intended) production. Add to that the fact that this is one of the rated-“R” movies I saw “too early”– the same category as the excellent SNL-connected dark comedies, “Stripes” and “Neighbors.” The sex comedies of the late 70s through early 80s are a rare vintage indeed; young kids should not be exposed to them, even if only a few of their scenes meander into adult-oriented romps.
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1980s
1. “Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan” was the movie that redeemed the movie franchise for fans of the original TV series and critics alike. In what might have seemed like rare agreement between Roger Ebert and his co-host Gene Siskel (who wasn’t shy about his agnostic feelings about all things “Star Trek”) on their much-loved TV program, both reviewers stated independently that the sequel was worth the wait. My dad, who was an enormous Trek fan, made sure we saw this one in the theater as a family. The scene with the creepy-crawlies making their slow, slimy sojourn into a crew member’s cranium still gives me nightmares.
2. For some reason, I feel like people will give the board some pushback on the inclusion of “Dirty Dancing,” which is completely unjustified. The movie was a cultural phenomenon and, for many teen girls like myself at least, our introduction to the handsome Patrick Swayze. How many could easily imagine stepping into protagonist Baby’s shoes, and getting swept away on an unexpected adventure during an otherwise yawn-inducing, family vacation? Check out the updated trailer linked above; it’s hard to wrap my mind around the fact that the movie recently celebrated its 35th anniversary.
1990s
Auteur Gus Van Sant’s “My Own Private Idaho” is one of those movies I can honestly say I don’t know whether I love it or hate it. It’s likely few readers have even heard of it, though it’s one of the first films to feature Keanu Reeves (and River Phoenix, the late brother of Joaquin Phoenix). I experienced this surreal, art house flick how Van Sant meant it to be seen, in the theater, so it was under the best possible conditions. It didn’t connect for me, though. It also had a similar deficit to “Up in Smoke,” since there’s a sexual theme I had zero warning about in advance. But it’s memorable because it represents a phase during early adulthood that made me who I am today. Anyway, as people sometimes say about movies that befuddle them, “Great cinematography!”
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2000s
Like the previous film, “No Country for Old Men” from the Coen Brothers is one that confounded me when I caught it on Christmas Day 2007. It’s one of the darkest, most nerve-wracking movies you’re likely to see. The main characters, who might be seen as the protagonists, were memorably played by Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin. The antagonist, played perfectly by Javier Bardem, wielded one of the most unique “guns” of all time. (No spoilers!)
(Film buffs might remember that “No Country for Old Men” had stiff competition during the 80th Academy Awards for two major categories–Best Picture and Best Achievement in Directing–from P.T. Anderson and his ghastly and brilliant character study, “There Will Be Blood.” I reckon the director was somewhat consoled by his movie’s protagonist, inhabited by Daniel Day Lewis, taking home the Best Actor hardware, while Bardem had to settle for the Supporting Actor statuette.)
The full list:
Annabelle Serpentine Dance (1895)
KoKo’s Earth Control (1928)
Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)
Pride of the Yankees (1942)
Invaders from Mars (1953)
The Miracle Worker (1962)
The Chelsea Girls (1966)
Ganja and Hess (1973)
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Uptown Saturday Night (1974)
Zora Lathan Student Films (1975-76)
Up in Smoke (1978)
Will (1981)
Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan (1982)
Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
Dirty Dancing (1987)
Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989)
Powwow Highway (1989)
My Own Private Idaho (1991)
American Me (1992)
Mi Familia (1995)
Compensation (1999)
Spy Kids (2001)
No Country for Old Men (2007)
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The Social Network (2010)
Curious whether your favorite movie or movies are immortalized in the Registry? The Library of Congress has you covered with this handy-dandy search tool for the complete listing. Have fun!
I’ll close with a trailer from one of the other honorees–a great ’80s comedy with an awesome soundtrack:
