Which would you say are the 5 most iconic movies in American movie history?

There's a tendency here to just list your favourite films, which happen to be American.

Trying not to do that, and in keeping with the ops intentions..

Casablanca/Gone with the wind (tie)

Star Wars

Rocky 1

Pulp Fiction

Night of the living Dead

Fantasia

Jurassic Park

Jaws

This has made me notice that the 1960s were a real quiet period for American cinema, Struggling to pick much from that decade.

HITHEREYOU wrote:

There's a tendency here to just list your favourite films, which happen to be American.

Trying not to do that, and in keeping with the ops intentions..

Casablanca/Gone with the wind (tie)

Star Wars

Rocky 1

Pulp Fiction

Night of the living Dead

Fantasia

Jurassic Park

Jaws

This has made me notice that the 1960s were a real quiet period for American cinema, Struggling to pick much from that decade.

Regarding the 60s:

Psycho

Midnight Cowboy

Bonnie and Clyde

The Graduate

West Side Story

Spartacus

The Birds

are among the best American films. You're right that it could be considered a quiet period in Hollywood as European cinema - French, Italian, Swedish, British and Kubrick in England- raised the bar. Hollywood responded in the 70s.

True there's a few you added I hadn't thought of, tbh I thought the graduate was 70s, and Sparticus & Birds British. Sparticus should definitely be included the others probably not.

I think barely any movies mentioned here have any black or other minority characters. They’re all for whites. Problem? Seems like to best to separate by era.

HITHEREYOU wrote:

There's a tendency here to just list your favourite films, which happen to be American.

+1

Some really awful lists here, even among posters not trying to be funny by listing bad comedies.

doc idiot wrote:

Star wrote:. I’m trying to think of movie that has come out since 2000 that may reach iconic status.

Nothing jumps out. .

Three Billboards gets my vote. Best film I’ve seen since 2000.

It might be the best movie since 2000, or in any case your favorite, but it’s not as iconic as The Dark Knight, let’s be honest.

Star Wars

La La Land

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Forrest Gump

The Blues Brothers

Minority Report wrote:

I think barely any movies mentioned here have any black or other minority characters. They’re all for whites. Problem? Seems like to best to separate by era.

Okay fair enough. Which would you say are the 5 most iconic movies with blacks or minority in the leading roles?

Calamity Joe wrote:

Minority Report wrote:

I think barely any movies mentioned here have any black or other minority characters. They’re all for whites. Problem? Seems like to best to separate by era.

Okay fair enough. Which would you say are the 5 most iconic movies with blacks or minority in the leading roles?

What is the problem? Is that we, mostly white people dont enjoy films about blacks or other minorities? I dont think that's the reason. Or is it that there aren't many films about and by minorities?

coach wrote:

Calamity Joe wrote:

Okay fair enough. Which would you say are the 5 most iconic movies with blacks or minority in the leading roles?

What is the problem? Is that we, mostly white people dont enjoy films about blacks or other minorities? I dont think that's the reason. Or is it that there aren't many films about and by minorities?

Coach - of all the movies mentioned here, how many have blacks or hispanics or women in leading roles? We have named maybe 100 movies. I am curious if ANY have minorities in leading roles. You have S. Weaver in Alien but who else? Almost 100% caucasians.

Calamity Joe wrote:

coach wrote:

What is the problem? Is that we, mostly white people dont enjoy films about blacks or other minorities? I dont think that's the reason. Or is it that there aren't many films about and by minorities?

Coach - of all the movies mentioned here, how many have blacks or hispanics or women in leading roles? We have named maybe 100 movies. I am curious if ANY have minorities in leading roles. You have S. Weaver in Alien but who else? Almost 100% caucasians.

Gone With the Wind with Vivian Leigh as the main character was the only film mentioned by more than a few of us.

I think you know what the problem is...it’s a bit of both.

Top Five;

The Defiant Ones

Joy Luck Club

Malcolm X

Fences

Shaft (joking)

Boys in the Hood?

The Color Purple?

Akeelah and the Bee (also joking)

Welcome to suggestions

Tyler Perry 12 Angry Brothas wrote:

I think you know what the problem is...it’s a bit of both.

Top Five;

The Defiant Ones

Joy Luck Club

Malcolm X

Fences

Shaft (joking)

Boys in the Hood?

The Color Purple?

Akeelah and the Bee (also joking)

Welcome to suggestions

Shashank Redemption

Training Day

It seems you are limited to Denzel Washington and Morgan freeman movies. Like ZERO black female or hispanic-led movies.

Do the Right Thing

Green Book

In the Heat of the Night

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

Moonlighting

Fruitvale Station

Raisin in the Sun

12 Years a Slave

Even fewer films about Latinos

coach wrote:

Do the Right Thing

Green Book

In the Heat of the Night

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

Moonlighting

Fruitvale Station

Raisin in the Sun

12 Years a Slave

Even fewer films about Latinos

Guess who's coming to dinner. Fantastic movie ... some top-notch actors at the top of their games.

Morgan Freeman is in none of the movies I mentioned....and I put the Color Purple and Joy Luck Club in there, both have female leads/casts. I went overboard on Denzel. tbh. You have some better ideas champ?

When I hear someone say iconic American movies; I think of the genres that were uniquely American created in the 30s, 40s and 50s. Westerns, Film Noir, Screwball Comedy, Road Trip and Gangster. American Directors during this period were a major influence on the French New Wave; and then the French influenced young American directors from the late 60s to the present day. ( Wenders and Fassbinder also )

Westerns: It all starts with John Ford's Stagecoach, but many feel The Searchers might be his best. Don't forget he directed Grapes of Wrath. ( Road trip ? )

Film Noir: The Maltese Falcon by John Huston ( The Treasure of Sierra Madre ); The Big Sleep by Howard Hawks and Kiss Me Deadly by Robert Aldrich

Screwball Comedy: It Happened One Night by Frank Capra ( Can also be considered a Road Trip; Capra directed It's a Wonderful Life ); Bringing Up Baby by Howard Hawks.

Road Trip: Sullivan's Travels by Preston Surges, one could say The Wizard of Oz qualifies.

Gangster: Starts with Public Enemy, both Scarfaces ( 1932 and 1983 ) and finally The Godfather.

Iconically American:

Rocky

It’s a Wonderful Life

Midway (1976)

Top Gun

The Color Purple

coach wrote:

registered

Gone With the Wind with Vivian Leigh as the main character was the only film mentioned by more than a few of us.

___________________________________________________________________________________

Vivian Leigh was as great as Marlon Brando in "A Streetcar Named Desire" and it was mentioned a few times. I'd also mention the 1962 version of "Lolita" where Sue Lyon held her own against James Mason and Peter Sellers. I think "Lolita," "The Last Picture Show" and "Days of Wine and Roses" deserve mention. All black and white classics.