100 Years... 100 Cheers: America's Most Inspiring Movies is a list of the most inspiring movies as determined by the American Film Institute. It is part of the AFI 100 Years... series, which has been compiling lists of the greatest movies of all time in various categories since 1998. It was unveiled on a three-hour prime time special on CBS television on June 14, 2006. The American Film Institute (AFI) is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act. ... The American Film Institute, celebrating the 100th anniversary of film, created several top 100 lists covering movies in American cinema. ... While it is impossible to objectively determine the greatest film of all time, it is possible to discuss the films that have been regarded as the greatest ever. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... Prime time is the block of programming on television during the middle of the evening. ... CBS (an abbreviation for Columbia Broadcasting System, its former legal name) is one of the largest television networks, and formerly one of the largest radio networks, in the United States. ... June 14 is the 165th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (166th in leap years), with 200 days remaining. ...

The announcement of the series was made on November 16, 2005, and a ballot of 300 films was released to a jury of over 1,500 cinematography leaders. November 16 is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 45 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The List

1. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
2. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
3. Schindler's List (1993)
4. Rocky (1976)
5. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
6. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
7. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
8. Breaking Away (1979)
9. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
10. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
11. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
12. Apollo 13 (1995)
13. Hoosiers (1986)
14. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
15. The Miracle Worker (1962)
16. Norma Rae (1979)
17. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
18. The Diary of Anne Frank (1959)
19. The Right Stuff (1983)
20. Philadelphia (1993)
21. In the Heat of the Night (1967)
22. The Pride of the Yankees (1942)
23. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
24. National Velvet (1944)
25. Sullivan's Travels (1941)
26. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
27. High Noon (1952)
28. Field of Dreams (1989)
29. Gandhi (1982)
30. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
31. Glory (1989)
32. Casablanca (1942)
33. City Lights (1931)
34. All the President's Men (1976)
35. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)
36. On the Waterfront (1954)
37. Forrest Gump (1994)
38. Pinocchio (1942)
39. Star Wars (1977)
40. Mrs. Miniver (1942)
41. The Sound of Music (1965)
42. 12 Angry Men (1957)
43. Gone with the Wind (1939)
44. Spartacus (1960)
45. On Golden Pond (1981)
46. Lilies of the Field (1963)
47. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
48. The African Queen (1951)
49. Meet John Doe (1941)
50. Seabiscuit (2003)
51. The Color Purple (1985)
52. Dead Poets Society (1989)
53. Shane (1953)
54. Rudy (1993)
55. The Defiant Ones (1958)
56. Ben-Hur (1959)
57. Sergeant York (1941)
58. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
59. Dances with Wolves (1990)
60. The Killing Fields (1984)
61. Sounder (1972)
62. Braveheart (1995)
63. Rain Man (1988)
64. The Black Stallion (1979)
65. A Raisin in the Sun (1961)
66. Silkwood (1983)
67. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
68. An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
69. The Spirit of St. Louis (1957)
70. Coal Miner's Daughter (1980)
71. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
72. Dark Victory (1939)
73. Erin Brockovich (2000)
74. Gunga Din (1939)
75. The Verdict (1982)
76. Birdman of Alcatraz (1962)
77. Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
78. Thelma and Louise (1991)
79. The Ten Commandments (1956)
80. Babe (1995)
81. Boys Town (1938)
82. Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
83. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)
84. Serpico (1973)
85. What's Love Got To Do With It? (1993)
86. Stand and Deliver (1988)
87. Working Girl (1988)
88. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
89. Harold and Maude (1972)
90. Hotel Rwanda (2004)
91. The Paper Chase (1973)
92. Fame (1980)
93. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
94. Captains Courageous (1937)
95. Places in the Heart (1984)
96. Searching For Bobby Fischer (1993)
97. Madame Curie (1943)
98. The Karate Kid (1984)
99. Ray (2004)
100. Chariots of Fire (1981)

Its a Wonderful Life is a 1946 Frank Capra film, produced by his own Liberty Films and released originally by RKO Radio Pictures. ... To Kill a Mockingbird is a 1962 film directed by Robert Mulligan and based on the novel of the same name by Harper Lee. ... Schindlers List is an Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA and Grammy winning 1993 movie based on the book Schindlers Ark by Thomas Keneally, published in the United States as Schindlers List and subsequently re-issued in Commonwealth countries under that name as well. ... For other uses, see Rocky (disambiguation). ... Jefferson Smith redirects here. ... E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (E.T. for short) is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Steven Spielberg. ... The Grapes of Wrath is a 1940 film directed by John Ford. ... Breaking Away is a 1979 film which tells the story of a group of local boys from Bloomington, Indiana who put together a bicycle racing team to compete against teams from Indiana University. ... Miracle on 34th Street (also titled The Big Heart in the UK) is a 1947 film which tells the story of a gentle old man, working as a Santa Claus at Macys department store in New York City, who contends that he is the real Santa. ... Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 Academy Award winning film, directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Robert Rodat, set in World War II. This film is particularly notable for the intensity of the scenes in its first 25 minutes, which depict the Omaha beachhead assault of June 6, 1944. ... The Best Years of Our Lives is a 1946 movie about three servicemen (an air force officer, an infantry sergeant, and an ordinary sailor) trying to piece their lives back together after coming back home from World War II. It is based on a novel by MacKinlay Kantor, Glory for... Apollo 13 is a 1995 film portrayal of the ill-fated Apollo 13 lunar mission. ... Hoosiers is a 1986 movie about a small-town high school basketball team that wins the state championship, set during a time when Indiana had only one state champ in basketball regardless of varied enrollments. ... The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) was an Anglo-American World War II war film based on the novel Le Pont de la Rivière Kwaï by French writer Pierre Boulle. ... The Miracle Worker is a play by William Gibson based upon Helen Kellers autobiography, The Story of My Life. ... Norma Rae is a 1979 film which tells the story of a woman from a small town in the Southern United States who becomes involved in the labor union activities at the textile factory where she works. ... One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest is a 1975 film directed by Miloš Forman. ... The Diary of Anne Frank is a 1959 motion picture based on the diary of Holocaust victim Anne Frank. ... The Right Stuff is both a 1979 book by Tom Wolfe, and a 1983 film adapted from the book. ... Philadelphia is a 1993 film drama revolving around the AIDS epidemic, written by Ron Nyswaner and directed by Jonathan Demme. ... In the Heat of the Night is a 1967 film, based on the John Ball novel published in 1965 of the same name, which tells the story of a Northern U.S. African-American police detective who becomes involved in a murder investigation in a racist small town in the... The Pride of the Yankees is a 1942 biographical film directed by Sam Wood about the New York Yankees star first baseman, Lou Gehrig, who, near the end of his likely Hall-of-Fame career, was diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (informally referred to as Lou Gehrigs Disease). It... The Shawshank Redemption is a 1994 movie, written and directed by Frank Darabont, based on the Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. ... National Velvet is a 1944 film based on the novel by Enid Bagnold, first published in 1935. ... Sullivans Travels is a 1941 American film written and directed by Preston Sturges. ... For the novel, see The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; For comparison of book and film, see The Wizard of Oz book to film comparison; For the history of The Wizard of Oz on television, see The Wizard of Oz on television; For other senses of this title, see The Wizard... High Noon is a 1952 western film which tells the story of a town marshal who is forced to face a gang by himself. ... Baseball field from the movie. ... Gandhi (1982) is an Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe winning British - Indian production, directed by Richard Attenborough, about the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (also known as Mahatma Gandhi, Great Soul), leader of the nonviolent resistance movement against British colonial rule in India during the first half of the 20th... Lawrence of Arabia is a 1962 Academy Award-winning film based, with some licence, on the life of T. E. Lawrence. ... Glory is a 1989 docudrama which follows the history of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment during the American Civil War. ... This article is about the 1942 film. ... City Lights is a 1931 film written by, directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin. ... All the Presidents Men is a 1976 film based on the 1974 non-fiction book by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the two journalists investigating the Watergate scandal for the Washington Post. ... Guess Whos Coming to Dinner is a 1967 Academy Award-winning comedy-drama film starring Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Sidney Poitier, and Katharine Houghton. ... On the Waterfront is an American 1954 film about mob violence and corruption among longshoremen, and it has become a standard of its kind. ... Tagline: Forrest Gump is a 1985 novel by Winston Groom, a 1994 film adaptation, and the name of the title character of both. ... Pinocchio is the second animated feature in the Disney animated features canon. ... This movie poster for Star Wars depicts many of the films important elements, such as Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, X-Wing and Y-Wing fighters Star Wars, retitled Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope in 1981 (see note at Title,) is the original (and in chronological... Mrs. ... Rodgers and Hammersteins The Sound of Music is a 1965 film directed by Robert Wise and starred Julie Andrews in the lead role. ... 12 Angry Men is a drama film produced in 1957 by director Sidney Lumet, which tells the story of twelve jurors bound by the acceptance of their civic duty and thrust together into a hot, humid room to deliberate the guilt or innocence of a boy accused of killing his... Gone with the Wind is a 1939 film adapted from Margaret Mitchells 1936 novel of the same name. ... This article or section needs additional references or sources. ... On Golden Pond (1981) was a successful Broadway play written by playwright Ernest Thompson which was turned into a successful and popular movie starring Katharine Hepburn and Henry Fonda. ... Lilies of the Field is a 1962 book by William E. Barrett, which was made into a 1963 film. ... The African Queen is a 1951 film made by Horizon Pictures and Romulus Films, and distributed by United Artists. ... Overview Meet John Doe is a 1941 film where a man needing money agrees to impersonate a nonexistent person who said hed be committing suicide as a protest, and a political movement begins. ... Seabiscuit is a 2003 American drama film based on the best-selling book Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand. ... The Color Purple is the 9th film directed by Steven Spielberg in 1985. ... Dead Poets Society is an Academy Award winning 1989 film, directed by Peter Weir. ... For other uses, see Shane. ... Rudy is a 1993 film directed by David Anspaugh. ... The Defiant Ones is a 1958 film which tells about two escaped prisoners who are shackled together, one white and one black, who must co-operate in order to survive. ... Ben-Hur is a 1959 film directed by William Wyler, and is the most popular live-action version of Lew Wallaces novel, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1880). ... For the unsuccessful U.S. weapon system, see M247 Sergeant York. ... This article is about the film; for the classification, see Close encounter. ... Dances with Wolves is a 1990 epic film which tells the story of a United States cavalry officer in the 1860s who befriends a band of Sioux Indians, sacrificing his career and ties to his own people. ... The Killing Fields (1984) is an award-winning dramatic British film based on the experiences of the journalists Dith Pran, who survived the Khmer Rouge regime, Sydney Schanberg, and Jon Swain. ... Sounder is a young adult novel by William H. Armstrong. ... Brave Heart redirects here, which may also refer to Brave Heart Lion of the Care Bear cousins. ... Rain Man is a 1988 film which tells the story of a selfish yuppie who discovers that his father has left all of his estate to the autistic brother he never knew he had. ... The Black Stallion is a 1979 film adapted by Melissa Mathison, Jeanne Rosenberg and William D. Wittliff from the 1941 classic childrens novel by Walter Farley. ... A Raisin in the Sun is a 1961 feature film starring Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Roy Glenn and Claudia McNeil. ... Silkwood is a 1983 film which tells the true story of Karen Silkwood, who died under suspicious circumstances while investigating wrongdoings at the Kerr-McGee plutonium plant where she worked. ... The Day the Earth Stood Still is a 1951 science fiction film that tells the story of a humanoid alien who comes to Earth to warn its leaders not to take their conflicts into space, or they will face lethal consequences. ... An Officer and a Gentleman is a 1982 film which tells the story of a United States Navy aviation Officer Candidate who comes into conflict with the Gunnery Sergeant who trains him. ... The Spirit of St. ... DVD cover Loretta Lynn published her autobiography, Coal Miners Daughter, in the mid-70s. ... Cool Hand Luke is a 1967 American film starring Paul Newman and directed by Stuart Rosenberg. ... DVD cover showing Bette Davis. ... Erin Brockovich is a 2000 movie which dramatizes the story of Erin Brockovichs first fight against the West Coast energy giant PG&E. The film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and featured superstar Julia Roberts in the lead role for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress. ... Gunga Din is a 1939 RKO swashbuckler film, based on the 1892 poem by Rudyard Kipling, about three British sergeants and their native water bearer who fight the Thuggee, a religious cult of ritualistic stranglers in colonial India. ... The Verdict is a 1982 film which tells the story of a down-on-his-luck lawyer who pushes a medical malpractice case in order to improve his own situation, but discovers along the way that he is actually doing the right thing. ... Birdman of Alcatraz is a 1962 film starring Burt Lancaster and directed by John Frankenheimer. ... Driving Miss Daisy is a 1987 play by Alfred Uhry adapted into a 1989 Warner Bros. ... Thelma and Louise Thelma and Louise is a road movie from 1991 conceived and written by Callie Khouri, co-produced and directed by Ridley Scott, and starring Geena Davis as Thelma, Susan Sarandon as Louise, and Harvey Keitel as a sympathetic detective trying to solve crimes that the two women... The Ten Commandments is a 1956 epic film from Paramount Pictures in VistaVision directed by Cecil B. DeMille, which tells in the broadest Hollywood style the Bible story of Moses (Charlton Heston) as he struggles to get Pharaoh Ramesses II (Yul Brynner) to let the Israelites leave Egypt. ... Babe is an Academy Award-winning 1995 film that tells the story of a pig who wants to be a herding dog, and which speaks to the arbitrary and unfair nature of class systems. ... Boys Town is a 1938 film based on Father Flanagans work with a group of disadvantaged and dilinquent boys in a home that he founded and named Boys Town. ... Fiddler on the Roof is a well-known Broadway musical that first opened on September 22, 1964, with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and libretto by Joseph Stein. ... Mr. ... Serpico is a 1973 film based on the true story of New York City policeman Frank Serpico who eventually went undercover to expose the corruption of his fellow officers, after being pushed to the brink at first by their distrust and later by the threats and intimidation they levied against... Whats Love Got to Do with It? is a 1993 biographical film which tells the life story of Tina Turner. ... Stand and Deliver is a 1988 film dramatizing the work of Jaime Escalante, a dedicated high school mathematics teacher. ... Working Girl is an Academy Award nominee for Best Picture and an Academy Award winner for Best Song (Let the River Run by Carly Simon), which tells the story of a Staten Island-raised secretary, Tess McGill, working in the mergers & acquisitions department of a Wall Street investment bank. ... Yankee Doodle Dandy is a 1942 biographical film about George M. Cohan, starring James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, Richard Whorf, Irene Manning, George Tobias, Rosemary DeCamp and Jeanne Cagney. ... Harold and Maude is a movie directed by Hal Ashby in 1971. ... Hotel Rwanda is a 2004 biographical and historical drama film about the Rwandan Genocide, directed by Northern Irish filmmaker Terry George. ... The Paper Chase was a 1970 novel, as well as a 1973 movie based on the novel and a television series based on the movie. ... Fame is a 1980 musical film directed by Alan Parker. ... A Beautiful Mind is a Academy Award-winning film inspired by the Nobel Prize (Economics) winning mathematician John Nash and his experiences of schizophrenia. ... Freddie Bartholomew in a promotional photo for Captains Courageous Captains Courageous is a 1937 film, based on the novel by Rudyard Kipling. ... Places in the Heart is a 1984 drama film which tells the story of a Southern widow who tries to keep her farm together with the help of a blind man and an African-American man. ... Searching for Bobby Fischer is an acclaimed film of 1993 based on the life of Joshua Waitzkin. ... Madame Curie is a 1943 biographical film which tells the story of Polish- French physicist Marie Curie. ... The Karate Kid is a 1984 John G. Avildsen film starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita. ... Ray is a 2004 biographical film focusing on thirty years[2]of the life of legendary rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles. ... This article is about the film. ...

Trivia

Among the over 300 films on the original ballot:

• Tom Hanks and Henry Fonda are the two most represented actors, in eight nominated films each. Gary Cooper and Sidney Poitier each star in seven nominated films.
• Jimmy Stewart played the main role in two out of the top five films (It's a Wonderful Life and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington).
• Jean Arthur, with four nominated films, is the most represented actress.
• Frank Capra and Steven Spielberg each have directed six nominees.
• Over one-third of the films are biographical in nature.
• Twelve of the films were released in 1939, more than any other year; five of the 100 eventually selected were from that year.
• When this was shown in Australia, it was called "Countdown to the Most Inspiring Movie". They advertised they were showing one of the Top 5 movies following this program. The movie ended up being Rocky, placed at No. 4.

Thomas Tom Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American film actor, voice-over artist and movie producer who starred in family-friendly and screwball comedies before achieving notable success as a dramatic actor. ... Henry Fonda in the classic 1957 film 12 Angry Men. ... Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper May 7, 1901 – May 13, 1961) was a two-time Academy Award-winning American film actor of English heritage. ... Sir Sidney Poitier KBE, (IPA pronunciation: ) (born February 20, 1927), is a Bahamian American Academy Award-winning actor (film and stage), film director, and activist. ... Jimmy Stewart, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1934 James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American film actor beloved for his persona as an average guy who faces adversity and tries to do the right thing, an image which was largely reflected in his own... Its a Wonderful Life is a 1946 Frank Capra film, produced by his own Liberty Films and released originally by RKO Radio Pictures. ... Jefferson Smith redirects here. ... Jean Arthur (October 17, 1900 – June 19, 1991) was an American actress. ... This article is about the film director. ... Steven Allan Spielberg (born December 18, 1946) is a three-time Academy Award-winning American film director and producer. ... This is an article on biographies. ...

External links

• Complete list (pdf)
• Press release announcing the show (pdf)
• List of the 300 nominated films (pdf)