IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE HAS SOMETHING TO CHEER ABOUT…
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE
TOPS AFI’s LIST OF
100 MOST INSPIRING FILMS OF ALL TIME
OTHER HONORS GO TO
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, SCHINDLER’S LIST, ROCKY AND
MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON
LOS ANGELES, June 14, 2006—The American Film Institute (AFI) revealed the most
inspiring films of all time in AFI’s 100 Years…100 Cheers, a three-hour special television
event on CBS with commentary from many of Hollywood’s most celebrated actors and
filmmakers. A jury of 1,500 film artists, critics and historians selected the classic IT’S A
WONDERFUL LIFE, starring James Stewart, as the most inspiring movie of all time.
Rounding off the top 10 inspiring films are: TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (#2), SCHINDLER’S
LIST (#3), ROCKY (#4), MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (#5), E.T. THE
EXTRATERRESTRIAL (#6), THE GRAPES OF WRATH (#7), BREAKING AWAY (#8), MIRACLE
ON 34th STREET (#9) and SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (#10).
- continued -
AFI’s 100 Years…100 Cheers
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The Complete List Of Honorees Are…
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Movie
IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
SCHINDLER'S LIST
ROCKY
MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON
E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL
THE GRAPES OF WRATH
BREAKING AWAY
MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET
SAVING PRIVATE RYAN
THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES
APOLLO 13
HOOSIERS
THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI
THE MIRACLE WORKER
NORMA RAE
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK
THE RIGHT STUFF
PHILADELPHIA
IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT
THE PRIDE OF THE YANKEES
THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
NATIONAL VELVET
SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS
THE WIZARD OF OZ
HIGH NOON
FIELD OF DREAMS
GANDHI
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
GLORY
CASABLANCA
CITY LIGHTS
ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN
GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER
ON THE WATERFRONT
FORREST GUMP
PINOCCHIO
STAR WARS
MRS. MINIVER
THE SOUND OF MUSIC
12 ANGRY MEN
GONE WITH THE WIND
SPARTACUS
ON GOLDEN POND
LILIES OF THE FIELD
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
THE AFRICAN QUEEN
Year
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1993
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1982
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1998
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1995
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MEET JOHN DOE
SEABISCUIT
THE COLOR PURPLE
DEAD POET'S SOCIETY
SHANE
RUDY
THE DEFIANT ONES
BEN-HUR
SERGEANT YORK
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND
DANCES WITH WOLVES
THE KILLING FIELDS
SOUNDER
BRAVEHEART
RAIN MAN
THE BLACK STALLION
A RAISIN IN THE SUN
SILKWOOD
THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL
AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN
THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS
COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER
COOL HAND LUKE
DARK VICTORY
ERIN BROCKOVICH
GUNGA DIN
THE VERDICT
BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ
DRIVING MISS DAISY
THELMA & LOUISE
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
BABE
BOYS TOWN
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN
SERPICO
WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT
STAND AND DELIVER
WORKING GIRL
YANKEE DOODLE DANDY
HAROLD AND MAUDE
HOTEL RWANDA
THE PAPER CHASE
FAME
A BEAUTIFUL MIND
CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS
PLACES IN THE HEART
SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER
MADAME CURIE
THE KARATE KID
RAY
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AFI’s 100 Years…100 Cheers
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CHARIOTS OF FIRE
1981
The Criteria
The jurors were asked to consider the following criteria in making their selections:
- FEATURE-LENGTH FICTION FILM: Narrative format, typically over 60 minutes in length.
- AMERICAN FILM: English language film with significant creative and/or production
elements from the United States.
- CHEERS: Movies that inspire with characters of vision and conviction who face adversity
and often make a personal sacrifice for the greater good. Whether these movies end happily
or not, they are ultimately triumphant--both filling audiences with hope and empowering
them with the spirit of human potential.
- LEGACY: Films whose "cheers" continue to echo across a century of American cinema.
*Only feature-length American films released before January 1, 2005, were considered.
Multi Emmy Award-winner Gary Smith is the executive producer and director of AFI's 100
Years...100 Cheers: America's Most Inspiring Movies . Former AFI Board Chair Frederick
S. Pierce is the executive producer for AFI. Dann Netter ("The 2002 Emmy Awards") and
Bob Gazzale ("AFI Life Achievement Award, A Tribute to Sean Connery") are the producers.
SFM Entertainment LLC is the distributor of the program. Sponsors of the series include
General Motors, Pepsi, Johnson & Johnson, Best Buy, Anheuser-Busch, Colgate-Palmolive,
Breyers, AT&T, Home Depot and all of the major motion picture studios.
About the American Film Institute
AFI is a national institute providing leadership in screen education and the recognition and
celebration of excellence in the art of film, television and digital media. AFI trains the next
generation of filmmakers at its world-renowned Conservatory, maintains America's film
heritage through the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and explores new digital technologies in
entertainment and education through the AFI Digital Content Lab and K-12 Screen Education
Center. As the largest nonprofit exhibitor in the U.S., AFI ON SCREEN encompasses the
annual AFI FEST presented by Audi: AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival—as well as
year-round programming at ArcLight Hollywood and the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural
Center in Silver Spring, Maryland, including SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel
Documentary Festival. AFI AWARDS, the annual almanac for the 21st century, honors the
most outstanding motion pictures and television programs of the year, while AFI's 100
Years… series has ignited extraordinary public interest in classic American movies. And,
during the past 33 years, AFI's Life Achievement Award has become the highest honor for a
career in film.
More information about AFI can be found by visiting its Web site, located at www.AFI.com.
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AFI’s 100 Years…100 Cheers
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Press Contacts:
Bender/Helper Impact
Melisa Rodriguez
310.473.4147
[email protected]
AFI
Alison Deknatel
323.856.7896
[email protected]
Fred Paik
310.473.4147
[email protected]