My Ballot

... for the 2008 National Film Registry, of course.

What better day to unveil my suggestions for which films should be inducted this year into the Library of Congress' registry by the National Film Preservation Board?

Each year since its inception in 1989, the NFPB allows the general public to submit their nominations for preservation to James H. Billington, the Librarian of Congress. It's not really a democratic who-has-the-most-votes sort of thing, but it's great that the public is allowed to participate. The board will ultimately select 25 films and announce its picks in late December. To be eligible, the film must be U.S.-made, "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant," and at least ten years old (1998 or earlier). You may email up to 50 recommendations to the board at sleg@loc.gov.

If you want to vote, you can visit the registry's official website or its Wikipedia page to know what is already inducted. There are 475 films there already, but don't be daunted; it's still easy enough to come up with 25 more. In fact, the NFPB also provides a list of well-known films that have not yet been inducted.

My ballot of 25 is below. Films are listed in chronological order. For the most part, I tried to select a variety that span different categories and genres, and while I made some personal decisions, I also added a few titles I wouldn't necessarily call masterpieces.

1. The Kid (1921)
2. Our Hospitality (1923)
3. Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)
4. The Count of Monte Cristo (1934)
5. The Informer (1935)
6. Rebecca (1940)
7. Dumbo (1941)
8. The Lost Weekend (1945)
9. Fast and Furry-ous (1949)
10. Harvey (1950)
11. Strangers on a Train (1951)
12. Limelight (1952)
13. Pickup on South Street (1953)
14. Forbidden Planet (1956)
15. Written on the Wind (1956)
16. The Great Escape (1963)
17. Hud (1963)
18. The footage of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have A Dream" speech (1963)
19. Dirty Harry (1971)
20. All the President's Men (1976)
21. Breaking Away (1979)
22. The Right Stuff (1983)
23. The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)
24. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
25. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

If you compose a list, drop a link to it in the comments section and I'll post it here. I'll also be revisiting this list in December when the official selections are announced.