Kes
Year Released: 1969 This British drama directed by Ken Loach is based on a 1968 novel titled A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines. It tells the story of an abused young boy who forms a strong bond with a falcon – only to have the relationship end in tragedy.
It won several awards in 1970 and 1971, including the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Award for Best British Screenplay and the British Academy Film Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
Modern Times
Year Released: 1936 Charlie Chaplin was the comic relief that the world needed during the Great Depression and some of the most troubling times society had seen. He took serious situations and satirized them, providing laughs when there weren’t very many reasons to smile.
In 1989, the Library of Congress deemed the film “culturally significant” and it was preserved in the National Film Registry. The film has also made several of AFI’s “100 Movies” lists.
All About Eve
Year Released: 1950 Joseph L. Mankiewicz both wrote and directed this 1950 drama, based on a short story called The Wisdom of Eve by Mary Orr. Bette Davis stars as an aging Broadway star whose career is threatened by a young woman who worms her way into her life. It is widely known for being one of the best films of all time.
AFI ranked the film number 16 on their 100 Best American Films list, and it was one of the first 50 in history to be selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. It won an outstanding number of Oscars and Golden Globes, including Best Picture, Best Motion Picture, and Best Director, and was nominated for a score of others.
The Third Man
Year Released: 1949 Orson Welles is known both in and out of the film industry for being one of the best filmmakers of all time. His work on-screen in The Third Man is no different, and is highly regarded as a favorite, both in the United Kingdom and the United States.
The British Film Institute called it the greatest film in history in 1999, and a poll of 150 actors, directors, critics and producers in Time Out magazine ranked it second-best of all time. It won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography, and was nominated for two others, including Best Director, and also won the British Academy Film Award for Best British Film.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Year Released: 1975 Of course we’d include this 1975 classic drama on our list. The film stars Jack Nicholson as a psychiatric patient who leads an uprising in a mental hospital. The film was based on the 1962 novel of the same name, written by Ken Kesey, and is often referred to as one of the best films of all time, both by critics and audience members.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was the winner of several prestigious awards, including the big five Oscars; Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor and Best Actress. It also won six Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture (Drama) and Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Drama.)