‘Jurassic Park,’ ‘The Shining’ and ‘Brokeback Mountain’ Added to National Film Registry

The Wrap

“Jurassic Park,” “My Fair Lady,” “Brokeback Mountain” and “The Shining” were among the 25 American films inducted into the National Film Registry, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced Wednesday.

Selection to the registry will help ensure that these films will be preserved for all time because of their cultural, historic and aesthetic importance to the nation’s film heritage.

“The National Film Registry turns 30 this year and for those three decades, we have been recognizing, celebrating and preserving this distinctive medium,” Hayden said. “These cinematic treasures must be protected because they document our history, culture, hopes and dreams.”

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This year’s films span 107 years, from 1898 to 2005. They include blockbusters, documentaries, silent movies, animation and independent films. The 2018 selections bring the number of films in the registry to 750, a small fraction of the Library’s moving-image collection of more than 1.3 million.

Among this year’s selections are Alfred Hitchcock’s 1940 thriller “Rebecca”; film noir classics “Leave Her to Heaven” (1945) and “The Lady From Shanghai” (1947), which was directed by Orson Welles; Disney’s 1950 animation “Cinderella”; “Days of Wine and Roses,” Blake Edwards’ uncompromising commentary about alcoholism (1962); James L. Brooks’ 1987 treatise on the tumultuous world of television news, “Broadcast News” and Steven Spielberg’s groundbreaking 1993 tale about the rebirth of dinosaurs, “Jurassic Park.”

Two contemporary Western dramas headline this year’s list: the 1961 “One-Eyed Jacks,” Marlon Brando’s only directorial effort, and Ang Lee’s acclaimed “Brokeback Mountain.” Released in 2005, “Brokeback Mountain” also has the distinction of becoming the newest film on the registry while the 1891 “Newark Athlete” is the oldest.

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The popular 1949 musical “On the Town” stars Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin as three sailors on shore leave in New York City, while D.A. Pennebaker’s seminal music-festival film “Monterey Pop” features some of the biggest names in music.

Several films on the registry showcased the ethnic diversity of American cinema. Footage from the Dixon-Wanamaker expedition in 1908 provides glimpses into the lives and culture of various Native American tribes. This year’s list also includes 1998’s “Smoke Signals,” the first feature film to be written, directed and co-produced by American Indians.

The 1997 “Eve’s Bayou” was written and directed by black female director Kasi Lemmons and co-produced by Samuel L. Jackson, who stars in this family drama. The short animated film, “Hair Piece: A Film for Nappy-Headed People,” was produced by one of the first black female animators, Ayoka Chenzira.

African-Americans are also shown kissing in a 29-second silent film. Shot in 1898, it is the earliest known footage of black intimacy on screen. Other silent film titles include the 1917 “The Girl Without a Soul” and Buster Keaton’s 1924 “The Navigator.” In 2013, the Library of Congress released a report that conclusively determined that 70 percent of the nation’s silent feature films have been lost forever and only 14 percent exist in their original 35 mm format.

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“The Informer,” the 1935 drama that takes place during the Irish Rebellion of 1922, becomes the 11th film directed by John Ford to be named to the registry, the most of any director. Other titles include the 1953 “Pickup on South Street,” the 1955 “Bad Day at Black Rock” and Peter Davis’ Oscar-winning Vietnam documentary “Hearts and Minds” (1974).

Under the terms of the National Film Preservation Act, each year the Librarian of Congress names to the National Film Registry 25 motion pictures that are “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant. The films must be at least 10 years old.

Here’s the complete list of the 2018 inductees:

Films Selected for the 2018 National Film Registry (alphabetical order)

Bad Day at Black Rock (1955) Broadcast News (1987) Brokeback Mountain (2005) Cinderella (1950) Days of Wine and Roses (1962) Dixon-Wanamaker Expedition to Crow Agency (1908) Eve’s Bayou (1997) The Girl Without a Soul (1917) Hair Piece: A Film for Nappy-Headed People (1984) Hearts and Minds (1974) Hud (1963) The Informer (1935) Jurassic Park (1993) The Lady From Shanghai (1947) Leave Her to Heaven (1945) Monterey Pop (1968) My Fair Lady (1964) The Navigator (1924) On the Town (1949) One-Eyed Jacks (1961) Pickup on South Street (1953) Rebecca (1940) The Shining (1980) Smoke Signals (1998) Something Good – Negro Kiss (1898)

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