Films

1. Good Will Hunting Gus Van Sant, 1997

Not only is this a great film but it’s an important one on multiple levels. This was a movie written and starring a pair of aspirational young men on a relatively tiny budget (it made over 25 times it’s budget). The firm offers a masterclass in acting from that pair of young actors and a brilliant Robin Williams. The story is tightly written, compelling, and relatable, despite the lead character possessing a unique gift. People can relate to that character’s insecurities, behavior and trauma. It offers many lessons that young people would benefit from learning, such as the value of mental health, how to give and receive tough love, and taking healthy risks in life. 

2. Rocky John G. Avildsen, 1976

This movie is another triumph of filmmaking, written and starring a “nobody” who went on to become a blockbuster star. This film teaches the important lesson that a sports drama doesn’t have to be about the sport itself. The romantic relationship between the two leads is authentically awkward and charming. It’s not a picture perfect union as seen in hallmark movies or typical romance films. Rocky’s world is gritty and the lesson about different ways to qualify “victory” is especially important. 

3. Remember the Titans Boaz Yakin, 2000

Remember the Titans is a sports dramas based on a true story focused on a key event in American history. Despite being a Disney film, it pulls few punches in showing the journey of one high school in 1971 through the lens of its newly integrated football team. 

As all great sports movies do, Remember the Titans uses a sport as its backdrop rather than its focal points. Unlike films like Friday Night Lights, audiences don’t need to care or know anything about Football to enjoy and appreciate Remember the Titans. Denzel Washington and Will Patton both give stellar performances in their roles and the film brings this true story about the growing pains of racial integration in America to light in a way that is both heart-wrenching and heart-warming. It is worth not only watching, but re-watching to remind ourselves of how far we've come and of the work we still need to do to keep progressing race relationships in America. It informs us that this work can be challenging, but it's work worth doing.
Remember the Titans is third on my list because of it's strong performances and historical value. In one hour and 53 minutes, a young person can get a deeper appreciation for the journey Americans took though school integration in the early 70's than they could get from weeks of studying the subject from books. While films ranked lower on my list boast more impressive special effects despite being older, such as Star Wars and Jurassic park, the real world knowledge that this film offers earns it a top three spot on my list.

4. Jurassic Park Steven Spielberg 1993

This film is some of the director, Steven Spielberg's finest work. He seamlessly blends genres of adventure, drama, science fiction and horror. The themes of corporate influence over scientific discovery, parenthood, and the dangers of hubris are all worthy of consideration. The visual effects from this ‘93 film also still look better than some modern CGI, which offers a macro level about the benefits of going to the trouble of combining CGI and practical effects being well worth the effort. 

5. Star Wars George Lucas, 1977

This film showcases incredible editing and offers a cast of characters that are both other-worldly and deeply relatable. All young people should see this film because it’s an archetype for many films in various genres that follow it just as much as it’s an homage to the sci-fi/adventure serials like Flash Gordon that came before it. Even if you aren’t a fan of movies, or this genre, Star Wars is not embedded into American culture in ways that the original film is highly worthy of visiting in order for us to appreciate its myriad of allusions in the world around us and other art. 

6. The Breakfast Club John Hughes, 1985

Despite the actors all being visibly too old for their roles, this film is perfect for high school students to enjoy. It offers a cast of grounded characters who are relatable across a wide spectrum of personalities both because of and in spite of the stereotypes they represent. The film challenges young people to look past surface level stereotypes and find out more about people beyond what they might assume based on initial presentations. It’s a lesson that will serve them well throughout life if they choose to take it to heart. 

7. 12 Angry Men Sidney Lumet, 1957 

The base appeal of this film is that it's a masterclass in both the writing and performance of dialogue in early film before film makers could rely on modern special effects. it also stands as a strong case for the "innocent until proven guilty" foundation on which the American justice system is meant to be built. In addition to appreciating this film from the perspective of a film maker and a writer, it severs as a fantastic model for learning persuasion and rhetoric for real life arguments. These are lost skills in a time of polarized social media and a socio-political climate that discourages reaching across the isle to engage in thoughtful discourse. 

8. Jaws Steven Spielberg 1975

This thriller/horror film showcases the importance of a movie giving us characters we care about if it expects to genuinely engage the audience with fear. Jaws does not rely on jump scares or CGI demons and ghosts in the way modern films do. Most of it takes place in broad daylight, but there’s fantastic character acting, examples of tightly written dialogue and monologue, and suspense in film.

9. Friday F. Gary Gray, 1995

Friday is a film with some brilliant character acting and comedic timing. It’s a great example of how a great film can be made inexpensively when relying on writing, acting, and editing over mass appeal, special effects, and built-in audiences for established intellectual properties. In addition to being a great comedy, every teenager should see it for the lesson of the film. That may seem strange when talking about a film with a main character that gets fired on his day off and spends the day smoking marijuana which his friend, but there are dramatic through lines that give this film a ton of heart that most “stoner comedies” lack. When you dig to the soul of Friday, you find a film about personal responsibility, standing up to bullies, and resisting the temptation to implore lethal violence, even when violence is the only option. Countless more young lives might be spared and improved if these lessons are taken to heart. 

10. Pursuit of Happyness [sic] Gabriele Muccino, 2006

Will Smith gives an excellent performance in this film. The film is inspirational in its insistence that life is often darkest before dawn and that joy can be just on the other side of exceptional pain. There are also not enough media depictions of black fathers being relentlessly committed to caring for their sons, and this film brings a true story to life that obliterates that stereotype.