America at 250: Movies

 In continuing the celebration of America at 250, here are 250 American movies to watch. Notes:

 

1)    What is an ‘American’ movie? It’s a movie that has A) American production and/or director; B) a predominately American cast; C) an important American setting. Now some of the films on this list just have one or two of the three. For examples Star Wars in not in an American setting, and Once Upon a Time in the West was an Italian production. Only those films which could not reasonably be considered ‘American’ were left out of consideration (Lawrence of Arabia is not set in America, doesn’t star Americans, and wasn’t directed by an American – for example).

2)    All sorts of films were considered: Documentaries, experimental works, cartoons – they’re all in there. Many of these films – about 100 – were on my essential 20th century American movies list, from 2019, with explanations of their importance. I also explain that some of these films are not good - but that they are important nonetheless. I do not like many of these films. I also have seen fewer than the 2019 list - there's a fair number I'm including based on general vibes, so: grain of salt. I've asterisked them.

3)    I limited myself to a max of two films per director, so as to not over-saturate. That list is at the end, as well as a couple of other superlatives.

 

Without further ado:

 

Blacksmith Scene, 1893

Rip Van Winkle, 1903

The Great Train Robbery, 1903

White Fawn’s Devotion, 1910

The Land Beyond the Sunset, 1912

Barney Oldfield's Race for a Life, 1913

Gertie the Dinosaur, 1914

Birth of a Nation, 1915

Where Are My Children?, 1916

The Poor Little Rich Girl, 1917

Nanook of the North, 1922

Robin Hood, 1922*

Safety Last!, 1923

Sherlock Jr., 1924

Greed, 1924

The Gold Rush, 1925

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, 1927

Wings, 1927

The Jazz Singer, 1927

The Fall of the House of Usher, 1928

The Life and Death of 9413: A Hollywood Extra, 1928

The Last Command, 1928

The Crowd, 1928

Steamboat Willie, 1928

There It Is, 1928

Lambchops, 1929

A Bronx Morning, 1931

Grand Hotel, 1932

The Music Box, 1932

Freaks, 1932*

Duck Soup, 1933

King Kong, 1933

42nd Street, 1933

Snow-White, 1933

Little Miss Marker, 1934*

Top Hat, 1935

Modern Times, 1936

Showboat, 1936

Dodsworth, 1936

My Man Godfrey, 1936

Rose Hobart, 1936

The Old Mill, 1937

Bringing Up Baby, 1938

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, 1939

Ninotchka, 1939

The Wizard of Oz, 1939

Gone with the Wind, 1939

Peace on Earth, 1939

My Little Chickadee, 1940*

His Girl Friday, 1940

The Grapes of Wrath, 1940

Fantasia, 1940

Superman, 1941

Citizen Kane, 1941

Sullivan's Travels, 1941

The Maltese Falcon, 1941

Casablanca, 1942

Stormy Weather, 1943

Meshes of the Afternoon, 1943

Der Fuehrer’s Face, 1943

Gents Without Cents, 1944

The Lost Weekend, 1945

It's a Wonderful Life, 1946

The Best Years of Our Lives, 1946

Out of the Past, 1947

Gentleman’s Agreement, 1947

The Cat Concerto, 1947

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, 1948*

The Third Man, 1949

White Heat, 1949

All the King's Men, 1949

All About Eve, 1950

Gerald McBoingBoing, 1950

Treasure Island, 1950*

An American in Paris, 1951

The Day the Earth Stood Still, 1951

A Streetcar Named Desire, 1951

Singin' in the Rain, 1952

High Noon, 1952

The Tell-Tale Heart, 1953

White Christmas, 1954*

Carmen Jones, 1954

Rebel Without a Cause, 1955

Invasion of the Body Snatchers, 1956

The Searchers, 1956

What’s Opera Doc, 1957

12 Angry Men, 1957

Sweet Smell of Success, 1957

The 7^th Voyage of Sinbad, 1958

Vertigo, 1958

Imitation of Life, 1959

Some Like It Hot, 1959

Psycho, 1960

West Side Story, 1961

Breakfast at Tiffany's, 1961

Judgement at Nuremberg, 1961

To Kill a Mockingbird, 1962

The Manchurian Candidate, 1962

The Music Man, 1962

The Great Escape, 1963

The Pink Panther, 1963

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, 1964

The Hangman, 1964

Meat Joy, 1964

A Charlie Brown Christmas, 1965

In the Heat of the Night, 1967

Bonnie and Clyde, 1967

The Graduate, 1967

Night of the Living Dead, 1968

Once Upon a Time in the West, 1968

Planet of the Apes, 1968

2001: A Space Odyssey, 1968

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969

Easy Rider, 1969

I Am Joaquin, 1969

Patton, 1970

Woodstock, 1970

Shaft, 1971*

(nostalgia), 1971

Our Lady of the Sphere, 1972

1776, 1972

The Godfather and The Godfather II, 1972 and 1974

F for Fake, 1973

Badlands, 1973

The Exorcist, 1973

Enter the Dragon, 1973

Chinatown, 1974

Blazing Saddles, 1974

Hearts and Minds, 1974

Jaws, 1975

Nashville, 1975

Carrie, 1976

All the President’s Men, 1976

Network, 1976

Rocky, 1976

Taxi Driver, 1976

Star Wars, 1977

Grease, 1978

National Lampoon’s Animal House, 1978

Killer of Sheep, 1978

The Muppet Movie, 1979

Apocalypse Now, 1979

All That Jazz, 1979

Richard Pryor: Live in Concert, 1979

Airplane!, 1980

My Dinner with Andre, 1981

Escape from New York, 1981

Blade Runner, 1982

Koyaanisqatsi, 1982

Tron, 1982

The Big Chill, 1983

The Right Stuff, 1983

El Norte, 1983

The Terminator, 1984

A Nightmare on Elm Street, 1984*

Stop Making Sense, 1984

The Purple Rose of Cairo, 1985

Clue, 1985

Back to the Future, 1985

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, 1986

An American Tail, 1986

The Princess Bride, 1987

Wall Street, 1987

Good Morning Vietnam, 1987

Robocop, 1987

Die Hard, 1988

Coming to America, 1988

Who Framed Roger Rabbit, 1988

For All Mankind, 1989

Do the Right Thing, 1989

Sex, Lies, and Videotape, 1989

When Harry Met Sally…, 1989

Goodfellas, 1990

The Silence of the Lambs, 1991

Unforgiven, 1992

Malcolm X, 1992*

Jammin’ in New York, 1992

Groundhog Day, 1993

Little Women, 1994

Pulp Fiction, 1994

Clerks, 1994

The Shawshank Redemption, 1994

Toy Story, 1995

The Usual Suspects, 1995

Chris Rock: Bring the Pain, 1996

Independence Day, 1996

Titanic, 1997

The Big Lebowski, 1998

The Truman Show, 1998

Saving Private Ryan, 1998

More, 1998

Office Space, 1999

The Matrix, 1999

Iron Giant, 1999

American Psycho, 2000

Almost Famous, 2000

Mulholland Drive, 2001

A Beautiful Mind, 2001

Legally Blonde, 2001

Ocean’s Eleven, 2001

Shrek, 2001

The Lord of the Rings, 2001 – 2003

Bowling for Columbine, 2002

Lilo and Stitch, 2002

Chicago, 2002

The Fog of War, 2003

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, 2003

Lost in Translation, 2003

The Incredibles, 2004

Mean Girls, 2004

The New World, 2005

Idiocracy, 2006

The Devil Wears Prada, 2006

Everything Will Be OK, 2006

Hairspray, 2007

There Will Be Blood, 2007

Synecdoche New York, 2008

Milk, 2008

Frost/Nixon, 2008

The Dark Knight, 2008

The Hurt Locker, 2009

Winter’s Bone, 2010

The Social Network, 2010

Black Swan, 2010

Bridesmaids, 2011

Django Unchained, 2012

The Avengers, 2012

Moonrise Kingdom, 2012

12 Years a Slave, 2013

Citizenfour, 2014

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, 2014

The Martian, 2015

The Big Short, 2015

Spotlight, 2015

Moonlight, 2016

13^th, 2016

Get Out, 2017

The Greatest Showman, 2017

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, 2018

Nomadland, 2020

Judas and the Black Messiah, 2021

Bo Burnham: Inside, 2021

The Power of the Dog, 2021*

Everything Everywhere All at Once, 2022

Top Gun: Maverick, 2022

Oppenheimer, 2023

American Fiction, 2023

Anora, 2024

Civil War, 2024

Sinners, 2025*

And so there it is. 250 American Movies for the 250^th anniversary of America. Side note: this was a much harder list to make than the songs. Superlatives:

32 directors with two films: Brad Bird, James Cameron, Frank Capra, Charlie Chaplin, Francis Ford Coppola, Michael Curtiz, William Dickson, Dave Fleischer, Victor Fleming, John Ford, Alfred Hitchcock, Elia Kazan, Stanley Kubrick, John Landis, Spike Lee, Sidney Lumet, Terrence Malick, Christopher Nolan, Rob Reiner, Franklin J. Schaffner, Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, King Vidor, Orson Welles, Billy Wilder, Robert Wise, William Wyler, and Robert Zemeckis.

28/29 Best Picture Winners: Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, Wings, Grand Hotel, Gone With the Wind, Casablanca, The Lost Weekend, The Best Years of Our Lives, All the King's Men, All About Eve, An American in Paris, West Side Story, In the Heat of the Night, Patton, The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, Rocky, The Silence of the Lambs, Unforgiven, Titanic, A Beautiful Mind, Chicago, The Lord of the Rings, The Hurt Locker, 12 Years a Slave, Spotlight, Moonlight, Nomadland, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Oppenheimer, Anora.

Palme d'Or recipients: The Third Man, The Lost Weekend, Taxi Driver, Apocalypse Now, All That Jazz, Sex Lies and Videotape, Pulp Fiction, and Anora.

America at 250: Songs

Here (not including classical) is my list of 250 songs that represent America. A diverse array of styles, from Broadway to blues, salsa to soul, and folk to rap. Artists are listed either by composer (if the recording doesn't matter), or, more often, by performer when there's a specific recording in mind (such as Ella Fitzgerald's version of Summertime). Artists don't repeat (with one or two sly exceptions) for maximum variety. Without further ado:

Yankee Doodle – unknown (c.1770)

The Star-Spangled Banner – Francis Scott Key (1814)

Oh, Susanna – Stephen Foster (1848)

Dixie – Dan Emmett (1859)

Battle Hymn of the Republic – Julia Ward Howe (1862)

When Johnny Comes Marching Home – Patrick Gilmore (1863)

The Entertainer – Scott Joplin (1902)

Lift Every Voice and Sing – Manhattan Harmony Four (1905)

You’re a Grand Old Flag – George M. Cohan (1906)

Take Me Out to the Ball Game – Edward Meeker (1908)

Swing Low Sweet Chariot – Fisk Jubilee Singers (1909)

America the Beautiful – Katharine Lee Bates (1911)

I Ain’t Got Nobody – Marion Harris (1916)

Original Dixieland Jass Band – Livery Stable Blues (1917)

The Moon Shines on the Moonshine – Bert Williams (1919)

I’m Just Wild About Harry – Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake (1921)

Ain’t We Got Fun – Billy Jones and Ernest Hare (1921)

Turkey in the Straw – Eck Robertson (1923)

The Charleston – James P. Johnson (1923)

See See Rider – Ma Rainy (1924)

St. Louis Blues – WC Handy (1925)

Black Bottom Stomp – Jelly Roll Morton (1926)

Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground – Blind Willie Johnson (1927)

Ol’ Man River – Paul Robeson (1927)

Stardust – Hoagy Carmichael (1927)

Blue Skies – Irving Kaufman (1927)

Toot Toot Tootsie – Al Jolson (1927)

Big Rock Candy Mountains – Harry McClintock (1928)

St. James Infirmary – Hot Fives (1928)

Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out – Bessie Smith (1929)

Ain’t Misbehavin’ – Fats Waller (1929)

Mood Indigo – Duke Ellington (1930)

Puttin’ on the Ritz – Harry Richman (1930)

Minnie the Moocher – Cab Calloway (1931)

House of the Rising Sun – Clarence Ashley (1933)

Tumbling Tumbleweeds – Sons of the Pioneers (1934)

Anything Goes – Cole Porter (1934)

Can the Circle Be Unbroken – The Carter Family (1935)

Wabash Cannonball – Roy Acuff (1936)

The Way You Look Tonight – Fred Astaire (1936)

Hellhound on My Trail – Robert Johnson (1937)

I’m a Ding Dong Daddy – Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys (1937)

Where or When – Ray Heatherton (1937)

God Bless America – Irving Berlin (1938)

Sing, Sing, Sing – Benny Goodman (1938)

Fascinating Rhythm – Sol Ho’opi’i (1938)

Strange Fruit – Billie Holiday (1939)

In the Mood – Glenn Miller (1939)

Over the Rainbow – Judy Garland (1939)

Body and Soul – Coleman Hawkins (1939)

If I Didn’t Care – Ink Spots (1939)

You Are My Sunshine – Jimmie Davis (1940)

When You Wish Upon a Star – Cliff Edwards (1940)

Wholly Cats – Charlie Christian and Lester Young (1940)

On Top of Old Smoky – Burl Ives (1941)

Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy – The Andrews Sisters (1941)

White Christmas – Bing Crosby (1942)

As Time Goes By – Dooley Wilson (1942)

Stormy Weather – Lena Horne (1943)

Oklahoma – Rodgers and Hammerstein (1943)

This Land Is Your Land – Woody Guthrie (1945)

In The Pines (Where Did You Sleep Last Night) – Lead Belly (1946)

Amazing Grace – Dixie Hummingbirds (1946)

Yardbird Suite – Charlie Parker Septet (1946)

There’s No Business Like Show Business – Ethel Merman (1946)

Move on Up a Little Higher – Mahalia Jackson (1947)

Home on the Range – Gene Autrey (1947)

Blue Moon of Kentucky – Bill Monroe (1947)

‘Round Midnight – Thelonious Monk (1947)

We Shall Overcome – Pete Seeger (1947)

Mardi Gras in New Orleans – Professor Longhair (1949)

Ghost Riders in the Sky – Stan Jones (1949)

I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry – Hank Williams (1949)

Saturday Night Fish Fry – Louis Jordan (1949)

Foggy Mountain Breakdown – Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs (1950)

The Tennessee Waltz – Patti Page (1950)

Man of Constant Sorrow – The Stanley Brothers (1951)

Unforgettable – Nat King Cole (1951)

Go Down, Moses – Marian Anderson (1952)

Singin’ in the Rain – Gene Kelly (1952)

Vaya con Dios – Les Paul and Mary Ford (1953)

Mr. Sandman – Chordettes (1954)

Hoochie Coochie Man – Muddy Waters (1954)

Rock Around the Clock – Bill Haley (1954)

April in Paris – Count Basie (1955)

Tutti Frutti – Little Richard (1955)

Every Day I Have the Blues – BB King (1955)

Smokestack Lightening – Howlin’ Wolf (1956)

You Make Me Feel So Young – Frank Sinatra (1956)

Jump, Jive, an’ Wail – Louis Prima (1956)

In the Still of the Night – Five Satins (1956)

Blueberry Hill – Fats Domino (1956)

Hound Dog – Elvis Presley (1956)

I Walk the Line – Johnny Cash (1956)

Summertime – Ella Fitzgerald (1957)

Cool – Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim (1957)

Bye Bye Love – Everly Brothers (1957)

El Cayuco – Tito Puente (1958)

Moanin’ – Art Blakey (1958)

Tom Dooley – Kingston Trio (1958)

Stagger Lee – Lloyd Price (1958)

Johnny B. Goode – Chuck Berry (1958)

La Bamba – Ritchie Valens (1958)

Sherburne – The United Sacred Harp Musical Association Singing Convention (1959)

So What – Miles Davis (1959)

Take Five – Dave Brubeck (1959)

Mack the Knife – Bobby Darin (1959)

I Only Have Eyes for You – The Flamingos (1959)

Big Iron – Marty Robbins (1959)

Shout – Isley Brothers (1959)

Silver Dagger – Joan Baez (1960)

Ain’t That a Kick in the Head – Dean Martin (1960)

At Last – Etta James (1960)

Georgia on My Mind – Ray Charles (1960)

Giant Steps – John Coltrane (1960)

Stand By Me – Ben E. King (1961)

Crazy – Patsy Cline (1961)

Moon River – Mercer and Mancini (1961)

I Left My Heart in San Francisco – Tony Bennett (1962)

Up on the Roof – The Drifters (1962)

Be My Baby – The Ronettes (1963)

People – Barbra Streisand (1964)

A Change is Gonna Come – Sam Cooke (1964)

Walk On By – Dionne Warwick (1964)

My Girl – The Temptations (1964)

Mississippi Goddam – Nina Simone (1964)

Tracks of My Tears – Smokey Robinson and the Miracles (1965)

Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag – James Brown (1965)

Like a Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan (1965)

The Sound of Silence – Simon and Garfunkel (1965)

God Only Knows – The Beach Boys (1966)

You Keep Me Hangin’ On – The Supremes (1966)

California Dreamin’ – Mamas and the Papas (1966)

Wonderful World – Louis Armstrong (1967)

Respect – Aretha Franklin (1967)

Heroin – The Velvet Underground (1967)

Everyday People – Sly and the Family Stone (1968)

All Along the Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix (1968)

Mama Tried – Merle Haggard (1968)

Hickory Wind – The Byrds (1968)

Sweet Caroline – Neil Diamond (1969)

Oye Como Va – Santana (1970)

Fire and Rain – James Taylor (1970)

Friend of the Devil – Grateful Dead (1970)

Coal Miner’s Daughter – Loretta Lynn (1970)

You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman – Carole King (1971)

Me and Bobby McGee – Janis Joplin (1971)

What’s Goin’ On – Marvin Gaye (1971)

Let’s Stay Together – Al Green (1971)

Anacaona – Cheo Feliciano (1971)

Superstition – Stevie Wonder (1972)

Jolene – Dolly Parton (1973)

Honky Tonk Heroes – Waylon Jennings (1973)

Piano Man – Billy Joel (1973)

You’re No Good – Linda Ronstadt (1974)

One – Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban (1975)

All That Jazz – Kander and Ebb (1975)

Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen (1975)

Gloria – Patti Smith (1975)

Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain – Willie Nelson (1975)

Old Home Place – J.D. Crowe and the New South (1975)

Hotel California – The Eagles (1976)

Blitzkrieg Bop – The Ramones (1976)

Periodico de Ayer – Hector Lavoe (1976)

Birdland – Weather Report (1977)

I Feel Love – Donna Summer (1977)

You’re the One That I Want – John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John (1978)

September – Earth, Wind, and Fire (1978)

Who Says a Funk Band Can’t Play Rock – Funkadelic (1978)

Y.M.C.A. – Village People (1978)

Plastico – Willie Colon and Ruben Blades (1978)

Rainbow Connection – Jim Henson (1979)

He Stopped Loving Her Today – George Jones (1980)

We Got the Beat – The Go-Gos (1980)

Once in a Lifetime – Talking Heads (1980)

I Love Rock n Roll – Joan Jett (1981)

Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey (1981)

Super Freak – Rick James (1981)

Planet Rock – Afrika Bambaataa (1982)

The Message – Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five (1982)

Billie Jean – Michael Jackson (1982)

Girls Just Want to Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper (1983)

Purple Rain – Prince (1984)

Ya Ya – Buckwheat Zydeco (1985)

Livin’ on a Prayer – Jon Bon Jovi (1986)

Walk This Way – Run DMC ft. Aerosmith (1986)

Sweet Child O’ Mine – Guns n Roses (1987)

Paid in Full – Eric B and Rakim (1987)

Bring the Noise – Public Enemy (1988)

Fast Car – Tracy Chapman (1988)

Free Fallin’ – Tom Petty (1989)

Like a Prayer – Madonna (1989)

Straight Outta Compton – NWA (1989)

Friends in Low Places – Garth Brooks (1990)

I’ve Got That Old Feeling – Alison Krauss (1990)

Fancy – Reb McEntire (1990)

Le Jig Francais – Michael Doucet (1990)

Mind Playing Tricks on Me – Geto Boys (1991)

Scenario – A Tribe Called Quest (1991)

Enter Sandman – Metallica (1991)

Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana (1991)

I Will Always Love You – Whitney Houston (1992)

West Texas Waltz – Flaco Jimenez ft. Emmylou Harris (1992)

Juicy – Notorious B.I.G. (1994)

Hallelujah – Jeff Buckley (1994)

Hurt – Nine Inch Nails (1994)

All I Want for Christmas is You – Mariah Carey (1994)

Dear Mama – 2Pac (1995)

Gangsta’s Paradise – Coolio ft. L.V. (1995)

Seasons of Love – Jonathan Larson (1996)

Doo Wop (That Thing) – Lauryn Hill (1998)

Paper Bag – Fiona Apple (1999)

Run On – Moby (1999)

B.O.B. – Outkast (2000)

Last Nite – The Strokes (2000)

Fallin’ – Alicia Keys (2001)

Lose Yourself – Eminem (2002)

Come Away with Me – Norah Jones (2002)

None of Us Are Free – Solomon Burke (2002)

Work It – Missy Elliott (2002)

Defying Gravity – Stephen Schwartz (2003)

In da Club – 50 Cent (2003)

Seven Nation Army – White Stripes (2003)

99 Problems – Jay Z (2004)

Toxic – Britney Spears (2004)

Yeah! – Usher ft. Lil John and Ludacris (2004)

Holiday – Green Day (2004)

Chicago – Sufjan Stevens (2005)

Crazy – Gnarls Barkley (2006)

North American Scum – LCD Soundsystem (2007)

Bad Romance – Lady Gaga (2009)

Lost in the World – Kanye West ft. Bon Iver (2010)

Way Down Hadestown – Anais Mitchell (2010)

Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites – Skrillex (2010)

Party Rock Anthem – LMFAO (2011)

Summertime Sadness – Lana del Rey (2012)

Let It Go – Idina Menzel (2013)

Happy – Pharrell Williams (2013)

Q.U.E.E.N. – Janelle Monae ft. Erykah Badu (2013)

Shake It Off – Taylor Swift (2014)

Uptown Funk – Mark Robson ft. Bruno Mars (2014)

Alright – Kendrick Lamar (2015)

Wait For It – Lin-Manuel Miranda (2015)

See You Again – Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth (2015)

Formation – Beyonce (2016)

At the Purchaser’s Option – Rhiannon Giddens (2017)

Despacito – Luis Fonsi ft. Daddy Yankee (2017)

Bad Guy – Billie Eilish (2019)

Old Town Road – Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus (2019)

DTMF – Bad Bunny (2025)

National Film/Television Registry 2026

Way back in 2017 I did another update of my recommended films for inclusion into the National Film Registry. So I’m certainly due for a reexamination. First, what has been added since then:

Army-McCarthy Hearings – newsreel, 1954. So, this was sort of already in there, and I didn’t know it. Back in 1993, Point of Order!, a documentary made of footage from the hearings, was already inducted. Oops.
Clerks – narrative feature, 1994. Inducted in 2019.
Clerks – narrative feature, 1994. Inducted in 2019.
Hearts and Minds – documentary, 1974. Inducted in 2018.
Jurassic Park – narrative feature, 1993. Inducted in 2018.
Monterey Pop – documentary, 1968. Inducted in 2018.
The Truman Show – narrative film, 1998. Inducted in 2025.

…And there are a couple I feel no longer really need to be on my list:

Camille – narrative feature, 1936. Why not? A nice melodrama, but Barrymore and Garbo aren’t exactly underrepresented in the registry.

Twice Upon a Time – animated feature film, 1983. Why not? A nifty example of lumage animation, but not really that important.

So, I have eight spots available, to make the annual 25. They are highlighted below. But then I have some bones to pick, following:
 
1776 – narrative feature, 1972. Why? Film adaptation of popular Broadway show that lightly lampoons the founders.
Apollo Missions Footage – documentary, 1969-72. Why? Includes first film shot on another celestial body and many other iconic images.
Bring the Pain – standup special, 1996. Why? Contains Chris Rock’s most celebrated material.
A Charlie Brown Christmas – animated short subject, 1965. Why? One of America’s favorite Christmas specials, made-for-t.v.
Closed Mondays – animated short subject. Why? Exemplifies Will Vinton’s very influential Claymation style.
The Cat Concerto – animated short subject, 1947. Why? Exemplifies the Tom and Jerry shorts that won seven Academy Awards and are a cultural staple.
Der Fuehrer's Face – animated short subject, 1942. Why? Exemplifies WWII anti-Nazi propaganda.
Everything Will Be OK – animated short subject, 2006. Why? Typifies Don Hertzfeldt’s popular animation style.
F for Fake – documentary/narrative feature, 1973. Why? Genre-bending documentary that explores hoaxes via Orson Welles.
Feynman Caltech Lectures – documentary, 1961-64. Why? The Nobel laureate’s brilliant lecture series is well-regarded as one of the finest series of science lectures ever delivered.
Fiddler on the Roof – narrative feature, 1971. Why? Important and innovative movie adaptation of an enormously popular Broadway musical.
Folies Bergere – narrative film, 1927. Why? This was the debut American icon Josephine Baker’s notorious banana dance.
I Like America and America Likes Me - experimental film/short subject, 1974. Why? One of the defining moments of performance art by Joseph Beuys.
Jammin’ in New York – standup special, 1992. Why? Exemplary George Carlin special.
Meat Joy – experimental film/short subject, 1964. Why? One of the defining moments of performance art by Carol Schneemann.
The Mind’s Eye: A Computer Animation Odyssey – animated short subject, 1990. Why? Was a pioneer in computer animation technology.
The Mind’s Eye: A Computer Animation Odyssey – animated short subject, 1990. Why? Was a pioneer in computer animation technology.
The Muppet Christmas Carol – narrative feature, 1992. Why? Beloved Muppet production, and critically adored adaptation of the Dickens story.
My Dinner with Andre – narrative feature, 1981. Why? Iconic independent film with an atypical setting and narrative.
President Nixon's Resignation Speech – newsreel, 1974. Why? Documents a critical moment in American politics.
Street of Crocodiles – animated short subject, 1986. Why? Magnum opus of influential stop-motion artists the Brothers Quay.
Superman – animated short subject, 1941. Why? Was the first film adaptation of the comic book icon, heavily influencing future depictions.
Synecdoche, New York – narrative feature, 2008. Why? Early Charlie Kaufman work that features Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Treasure Island – narrative feature, 1950. Why? Highly influential adaptation defined modern pirate culture.
Tron – narrative feature, 1982. Why? Influential sci-fi film about entering the digital world that later became franchised.
The Unwritten Law – narrative feature, 1907. Why? Dramatization of the Thaw-White murder, starring Evelyn Nesbit as herself.
 
Now for the bone to pick.
 
One issue with the Registry is that it only deals with films (documentaries, cartoons and such included). Television is totally absent, which seems… problematic. (Also, there is only one music video – Thriller – but that’s an issue for another day.)
 
I think, therefore, that in 2026, they should do a special one-off where they add a bunch of iconic television episodes. Classic sitcoms, documentaries, game shows, talk shows – all of it. 50 episodes of t.v. that showcase the whole gamut of America’s television. Keeping in mind that only works created 10 years ago or more are eligible, here are my 50 suggested episodes/series:
 
I Love Lucy – narrative feature, 1952. Season 2, Episode 1: “Job Switching”. Why? The famed chocolate conveyor belt episode is probably the most well-known episode of the most popular show of the 1950s.
The Honeymooners – narrative feature, 1956. Season 1, Episode 18: “The $99,000 Answer”. Why? The pioneering sitcom created a template many would follow, and spoofs early gameshow culture.
What’s My Line? – documentary, 1956. Season 8, Episode 11: “Walt Disney”. Why? A great example of the early gameshows that were witty and fun – an era of panelists in dinner jackets.
The Twilight Zone – narrative feature, 1961. Season 2, Episode 29: “The Obsolete Man”. Why? The revolutionary sci-fi anthology show created a slew of famous episodes, still referenced and enjoyed to this day.
The Dick Van Dyke Show – narrative feature, 1963. Season 3, Episode 1: “That’s My Boy??” Why? Dick van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore show their comedic talent when the Petries think they’ve brought home the wrong baby.
Rocky and Bullwinkle – narrative feature, 1963. Season 5, Episode 14: “The Ruby Yacht”. Why? An early example of “Saturday morning cartoons” that dominated children’s entertainment for decades.
The French Chef – documentary, 1963. Season 1, Episode 2: “Boeuf Bourguignon”. Why? One of the first – and certainly most famous – television cooking shows, hosted by Julia Child.
The Ed Sullivan Show – documentary, 1964. Season 17, Episode 19. Why? The most famous example of early television talent shows, this episode was the first American appearance of The Beatles.
The Flintstones – narrative feature, 1964. Season 5, Episode 8: “Dr. Sinister”. Why? The legendary cartoon could get away with more goofiness than standard sitcoms, and its characters remain iconic.
Star Trek – narrative feature, 1967. Season 2, Episode 15: “The Trouble with Tribbles”. Why? A fan favorite, the groundbreaking sci-fi series episode has the crew deal with an unusual threat.
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood – narrative feature, 1969. Season 2, Episode 5: “Episode 1065”. Why? Rogers’ classic program for children engaged with them on their level in a serious, kindhearted, and sincere fashion, turning the host into a cherished icon.
Scooby Doo, Where Are You! – narrative feature, 1969. Season 1, Episode 16: “A Night of Fright Is No Delight”. Why? Scooby Doo became one of the most well-known cartoons on television, with characters and a format that are still popular over 50 years later.
All in the Family – narrative feature, 1971. Season 2, Episode 12: “Cousin Maude’s Visit”. Why? Typifies the Norman Lear sitcom, which dealt with more serious subject matter than past shows had done.
An American Family – documentary, 1973. Why? The initial foray into ‘reality’ television, which focused on a Californian middle-class family’s struggles.
Roots – narrative feature, 1977. Why? The first, and still most important, American miniseries, which helped launch the format and became a cultural touchstone.
Saturday Night Live – narrative feature, 1978. Season 3, Episode 18: “Steve Martin/The Blues Brothers”. Why? The variety show has lasted more than 50 years, launched tons of careers, and this episode has many famous bits, including Martin’s ‘King Tut’.
M*A*S*H – narrative feature, 1979. Season 8, Episode 11: “Life Time”. Why? The trailblazing dramedy was not only a serious reflection on war, but also one of the foremost medical dramas, in a genre that would only grow in popularity.
The Muppet Show – narrative feature, 1979. Season 3, Episode 15: “Harry Belafonte”. Why? The puppet-led variety show was an era-defining program of the late 70s and early 80s, and the Belafonte episode is a particular standout.
Cosmos: A Personal Voyage – documentary, 1980. Why? The scientific series by Carl Sagan was a watershed in educational programming, and still beloved.
Dallas – narrative feature, 1980. Season 4, Episode 4: “Who Done It”. Why? One of the most-viewed television episodes of all-time, revealing who shot JR on the primetime soap.
Late Night with David Letterman – documentary, 1983. Season 1, Episode 171. Why? Letterman’s approach to late night talk shows radically shifted the format, as seen in this envelope-pushing episode with Andy Kaufman.
Sesame Street – narrative feature, 1983. Season 15, Episode 4: “Farewell Mr. Hooper”. Why? The pioneering children’s show in this episode dealt with the death of  main character.
The Cosby Show – narrative feature, 1985. Season 2, Episode 3: “Happy Anniversary”. Why? Important cultural depiction of middle-class black America on a show that was a big hit.
Days of Our Lives – narrative feature, 1985. Season 1, Episode 4,974. Why? The quintessential daytime soap opera drama – in this episode, the wedding of Hope and Bo –  which has been running since 1965.
Cheers – narrative feature, 1986. Season 5, Episode 4: “Abnormal Psychology”. Why? Cheers helped redefine sitcoms into shows with story arcs, and this episode in particular features the Frasier character who would be spun-off into his own highly successful and acclaimed series.
Twin Peaks – narrative feature, 1990. Season 1, Episode 1: “Pilot”. Why? The start of the David Lynch masterpiece sets in motion a bizarre and critically acclaimed series.
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson – documentary, 1991. Episode 6,488. Why? Carson helped define late night talk shows, and this episode showcases Robin Williams and Jonathan Winters’ improvisational style.
Seinfeld – narrative feature, 1992. Season 4, Episode 3: “The Pitch”. Why? Exemplifies, with meta humor, the premise of the influential sitcom about nothing.
The Simpsons – narrative feature, 1993. Season 4, Episode 17: “Last Exit to Springfield”. Why? One of the most important primetime sitcoms, and the longest-running, which was a cultural phenomenon in the 90s.
Sex and the City – narrative feature, 1998. Season 1, Episode 4: “Valley of the Twenty-Something Guys”. Why? Previously no show had been so explicitly frank discussing sex in a humorous way, while focusing on a group of female protagonists was also a rarity.
Friends – narrative feature, 1999. Season 5, Episode 14: “The One Where Everyone Finds Out”. Why? Friends was the apotheosis of the 20^th century sitcom: a decade-defining megahit.
The Sopranos – narrative feature, 1999. Season 1, Episode 5: “College”. Why? 1999 was the ‘big bang’ of prestige drama, and The Sopranos was the catalyst, as seen in this episode where Tony Soprano walks the line between family man in therapy and brutal mafia gangster.
The West Wing – narrative feature, 2000. Season 2, Episode 10: “Noel”. Why? The West Wing brought Sorkin and politics into people’s living rooms in a new way.
Survivor – documentary, 2000. Season 1, Episode 7: “The Merger”. Why? The turn-of-the-century launched a tidal wave of new reality t.v. gameshows, with Survivor at the forefront.
SpongeBob SquarePants – narrative feature, 2001. Season 2, Episode 15: “The Secret Box / Band Geeks”. Why? One of the longest-running cartoon shows, enjoyed by generations of children and adults.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer – narrative feature, 2002. Season 6, Episode 7: “Once More, with Feeling”. Why? Joss Whedon’s Buffy was part of a trend of supernatural series in the late 90s, with the particular episode launching the fad of ‘musical’ episodes on other shows.
The Wire – narrative feature, 2002. Season 1, Episode 4: “Old Cases”. Why? The Wire was one of the first prestige dramas of the new century, and still one of the most celebrated, given its unique premise of investigating how drugs ravage a city from different seasonal perspectives.
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart – documentary, 2003. Season 8, Episode 55. Why? Stewart’s comedy talk show launched many careers, and this episode defined his trademark style of using clips to catch out hypocrisy, in this case, of Governor Bush v. President Bush.
Whose Line Is It, Anyway? – narrative feature, 2003. Season 5, Episode 32: “Show No. 426”. Why? A mild cultural phenomenon, this improv sketch ‘gameshow’ subverted the tropes while providing genuine humor.
The Oprah Winfrey Show – documentary, 2004. Season 19, Episode 1. Why? By the time of this episode – the famed car giveaway – Oprah was at her height in cultural power, having honed the daytime talk show across nearly two decades.
South Park – narrative feature, 2005. Season 9, Episode 12: “Trapped in the Closet”. Why? The irreverent adult animation show tackles out-of-bounds topics for nearly 30 seasons and counting.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation – narrative feature, 2005. Season 5, Episodes 24/25: “Grave Danger”. Why? CSI was a hugely popular series that launched a franchise and tons of imitators which continued being watched for a quarter of a century.
Breaking Bad – narrative feature, 2008. Season 1, Episode 1: “Pilot”. Why? The vast dramatic arc of television’s most-acclaimed show begins with us being introduced to sad sack loser Walter White, whose ineptitude slowly disappears over the course of the series.
The Office – narrative feature, 2008. Season 4, Episode 9: “Dinner Party”. Why? The Office represents two major trends: first, the rise of the documentary-style sitcom that became widespread, and second, cringe comedy based on likeable characters.
Wheel of Fortune – documentary, 2010. Season 28, Episode 40. Why? Typifies the daytime gameshow format that has remained popular on television for more than 70 years.
30 Rock – narrative feature, 2010. Season 4, Episode 15: “Don Geiss, America and Hope”. Why? Tina Fey was a powerhouse of American television comedy, culminating in the sitcom about working for television.
Game of Thrones – narrative feature, 2011. Season 1, Episode 1: “Winter Is Coming”. Why? One of the most acclaimed and popular shows of the 2010s, this made fantasy far more mainstream.
The Ellen DeGeneres Show – documentary, 2012. Season 9, Episode 90. Why? Showcases a standard talk show feature, of animals interacting with guests, and was the only serious rival to Oprah.
Key & Peele – narrative feature, 2015. Season 5, Episode 11: “The End”. Why? The sendoff of one of the best sketch comedy shows of the 2010s, with a few well-known bits.
The Americans – narrative feature, 2016. Season 1, Episode 13: “The Colonel”. Why? One of the most acclaimed series in the era of prestige dramas.
 
There would still be plenty of t.v. to add in the upcoming years, even after this blockbuster bonus round. For example, Superbowl LI isn’t eligible until next year, nor are the best episodes of Atlanta, and a bunch of very important names and shows didn’t make the cut of the most-important 50: Gunsmoke, Parks and Recreation, Leave It to Beaver, Lost, Happy Days, Watchmen, The Real World, American Idol, Dan Harmon, The X-Files, Law and Order, Adventure Time, Carol Burnett, Your Show of Shows, The Leftovers, Rowan & Martin, Amy Sherman-Palladino, Band of Brothers, Mad Men, Will & Grace, Chapelle’s Show, Pee-wee’s Playhouse, The Golden Girls, Succession, BoJack Horseman, Hill Street Blues, Arrested Development, 60 Minutes, Walter Cronkite, Edward R. Murrow: and on, and on, and on. Lots of episodes to add moving forward, is my point.
 
Assuming they do the right thing, and start putting t.v. in the Registry.