AFI's
100 Years...100 Cheers

America's 100 Most Inspiring Movies

The 300 Nominees, pt. 1

The American Film Institute's (AFI) ninth polling, 100 Years...100 Cheers was to be a definitive selection of the 100 most 'inspiring' American films of all time, as determined by more than 1,500 film artists (directors, screenwriters, actors, editors, cinematographers), critics and historians. The AFI revealed America’s 100 greatest inspirational films, as chosen by leaders of the entertainment community, in a three-hour television event, that aired on the CBS Television Network in June 2006.

The ballot of 300 nominated films (listed below) were the basis for the selected films, according to the following criteria:

• Feature Length Fiction Film - The film must be in narrative format, typically over 60 minutes in length.
  
  
• American Film - The film must be in the English language with significant creative and/or production elements from the United States. Additionally, only feature-length American films released before January 1, 2005 will be considered.
  
  
• Cheers - Films are those 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 - Jurors were asked to also consider "films whose 'cheers' continue to echo across a century of American cinema."

Facts about the 300 nominated films:

• Tom Hanks and Henry Fonda were the most represented male actors on the ballot with eight inspiring movies each. Sidney Poitier, Gary Cooper and Denzel Washington each had seven movies on the ballot.
  
  
• Jean Arthur was the most represented female actor on the ballot with four movies.
  
  
• Frank Capra and Steven Spielberg each had six inspiring movies on the ballot, leading all directors. Capra's films included: MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN (1936), YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU (1938), MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939), MEET JOHN DOE (1941), IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946), and POCKETFUL OF MIRACLES (1961); while Spielberg directed the following nominees: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977), E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982), THE COLOR PURPLE (1985), SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993), AMISTAD (1997), and SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1998).
  
  
• Over one third of the movies on the ballot were movies inspired by real life people and events.
  
  
• 1939 was the most represented year on the ballot, with 12 inspiring movies.

Note: The films that are marked with a yellow star are the films that "The Greatest Films" site has selected as the 100 Greatest Films.

1. ABE LINCOLN IN ILLINOIS, RKO, 1940
2. THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, Warner Bros., 1938
3. AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1957
4. THE AFRICAN QUEEN, United Artists, 1951 (# 48)
5. AIR FORCE, Warner Bros., 1943
6. THE ALAMO, United Artists, 1960
7. ALI, Columbia, 2001
8. ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN, Warner Bros., 1976 (# 34)
9. AMERICAN HISTORY X, New Line, 1998
10. THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT, Columbia, 1995
11. AMISTAD, DreamWorks, 1997
12. ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD, MGM, 1951
13. ANTWONE FISHER, Twentieth Century-Fox, 2002
14. APOLLO 13, Universal, 1995 (# 12)
15. AWAKENINGS, Columbia, 1990
16. BABE, Universal, 1995 (# 80)
17. THE BABE RUTH STORY, Allied Artists, 1948
18. BABES IN ARMS, MGM, 1939
19. THE BAD NEWS BEARS, Paramount, 1976
20. BANG THE DRUM SLOWLY, Paramount, 1973
21. BATAAN, MGM, 1943
22. BEAU GESTE, Paramount, 1939
23. A BEAUTIFUL MIND, Imagine, 2001 (# 93)
24. BEN-HUR, MGM, 1926
25. BEN-HUR, MGM, 1959 (# 56)
26. BENJI, Mulberry Square, 1974
27. THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES, RKO, 1946 (# 11)
28. THE BIBLE, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1966
29. THE BIG COUNTRY, United Artists, 1958
30. BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ, United Artists, 1962 (# 76)
31. THE BISHOP'S WIFE, RKO, 1947
32. THE BLACK STALLION, United Artists, 1979 (# 64)
33. BLACKBOARD JUNGLE, MGM, 1955
34. BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY, Universal, 1989
35. BOYS TOWN, MGM, 1938 (# 81)
36. BRAVEHEART, Paramount, 1995 (# 62)
37. THE BREAKFAST CLUB, Universal, 1985
38. BREAKING AWAY, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1979 (# 8)
39. THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, Columbia, 1957 (# 14)
40. THE BRIDGES AT TOKO-RI, Paramount, 1954
41. CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS, MGM, 1937 (# 94)
42. CAROUSEL, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1956
43. CASABLANCA, Warner Bros., 1942 (# 32)
44. CAST AWAY, Twentieth Century-Fox, 2000
45. THE CHAMP, MGM, 1931
46. CHARIOTS OF FIRE, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1981 (# 100)
47. CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD, Paramount, 1986
48. A CHRISTMAS CAROL, United Artists, 1951
49. CITY LIGHTS, United Artists, 1931 (# 33)
50. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, Columbia, 1977 (# 58)
51. COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER, Universal, 1980 (# 70)
52. COCOON, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1985
53. THE COLOR OF MONEY, Touchstone, 1986
54. THE COLOR PURPLE, Warner Bros., 1985 (# 51)
55. COMING HOME, United Artists, 1978
56. CONRACK, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1974
57. COOL HAND LUKE, Warner Bros., 1967 (# 71)
58. COOL RUNNINGS, Disney, 1993
59. COP LAND, Miramax, 1997
60. THE COWBOYS, Warner Bros., 1972
61. CRY FREEDOM, Universal, 1987
62. DANCES WITH WOLVES, Orion, 1990 (# 59)
63. DARK VICTORY, Warner Bros., 1939 (# 72)
64. DAVE, Warner Bros., 1993
65. THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1951 (# 67)
66. DEAD MAN WALKING, MGM, 1995
67. DEAD POETS SOCIETY, Touchstone, 1989 (# 52)
68. THE DEFIANT ONES, United Artists, 1958 (# 55)
69. DESTINATION TOKYO, Warner Bros., 1944
70. DESTRY RIDES AGAIN, Universal, 1939
71. THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1959 (# 18)
72. DIRTY DANCING, Artisan, 1987
73. THE DIRTY DOZEN, MGM, 1967
74. DISRAELI, Warner Bros., 1929
75. DO THE RIGHT THING, Universal, 1989
76. DR. EHRLICH’S MAGIC BULLET, Warner Bros., 1940
77. DRIVING MISS DAISY, Warner Bros., 1989 (# 77)
78. DUMBO, Disney, 1941
79. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, Universal, 1982 (# 6)
80. EDISON, THE MAN, MGM, 1940
81. 8 MILE, Universal, 2002
82. EL CID, Allied Artists, 1961
83. ERIN BROCKOVICH, Universal, 2000 (# 73)
84. EXODUS, United Artists, 1960
85. FAME, MGM, 1980 (# 92)
86. FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF, Paramount, 1986
87. FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, United Artists, 1971 (# 82)
88. FIELD OF DREAMS, Universal, 1989 (# 28)
89. FINDING NEVERLAND, Miramax, 2004
90. FLASHDANCE, Paramount, 1983
91. FOOTLOOSE, Paramount, 1984
92. FORREST GUMP, Paramount, 1994 (# 37)
93. FOUR FEATHERS, Paramount, 1929
94. FREE WILLY, Warner Bros., 1993
95. THE FRESHMAN, Pathé, 1925
96. FRIED GREEN TOMATOES, Universal, 1991
97. GANDHI, Columbia, 1982 (# 29)
98. THE GENERAL, United Artists, 1927
99. GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1947
100. GHOST, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1990
101. GLADIATOR, DreamWorks, 2000
102. GLORY, TriStar, 1989 (# 31)
103. GO, MAN, GO!, United Artists, 1954
104. GOD IS MY CO-PILOT, Warner Bros., 1945
105. GODSPELL, Columbia, 1973
106. GOING MY WAY, Paramount, 1944
107. GONE WITH THE WIND, MGM, 1939 (# 43)
108. THE GOOD EARTH, MGM, 1937
109. GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM, Touchstone, 1988
110. GOOD WILL HUNTING, Miramax, 1997
111. GOODBYE, MR. CHIPS, MGM, 1939
112. GORILLAS IN THE MIST: THE STORY OF DIAN FOSSEY, Universal, 1988
113. THE GRAPES OF WRATH, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1940 (# 7)
114. THE GREAT ESCAPE, United Artists, 1963
115. THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD, United Artists, 1965
116. THE GREEN MILE, Warner Bros., 1999
117. GUADALCANAL DIARY, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1943
118. GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER, Columbia, 1967 (# 35)
119. GUNGA DIN, RKO, 1939 (# 74)
120. THE GUNS OF NAVARONE, Columbia, 1961
121. A GUY NAMED JOE, MGM, 1941
122. HAROLD AND MAUDE, Paramount, 1972 (# 89)
123. HEIDI, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1937
124. HERO, Columbia, 1992
125. HIGH NOON, United Artists, 1952 (# 27)
126. HOOSIERS, Orion, 1986 (# 13)
127. HOTEL RWANDA, United Artists, 2004 (# 90)
128. HOW THE WEST WAS WON, MGM, 1962
129. THE HURRICANE, Universal, 1999
130. I AM SAM, New Line, 2001
131. ICE CASTLES, Columbia, 1978
132. IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, United Artists, 1967 (# 21)
133. THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY, Disney, 1963
134. THE INN OF THE SIXTH HAPPINESS, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1958
135. THE INSIDER, Touchstone, 1999
136. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, RKO, 1946 (# 1)
137. THE JACKIE ROBINSON STORY, Eagle-Lion, 1950
138. JERRY MAGUIRE, TriStar, 1996
139. JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, Universal, 1973
140. JIM THORPE - ALL-AMERICAN, Warner Bros., 1951
141. JOAN OF ARC, RKO, 1948
142. JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL, Paramount, 1973
143. THE JOY LUCK CLUB, Hollywood Pictures, 1993
144. THE KARATE KID, Columbia, 1984 (# 98)
145. THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1944
146. THE KID, First National, 1921
147. THE KILLING FIELDS, Warner Bros., 1984 (# 60)
148. THE KING OF KINGS, Pathé, 1927
149. KING OF KINGS, MGM, 1961
150. KNUTE ROCKNE ALL AMERICAN, Warner Bros., 1940