5 Movies Every American should see

Movies, a truly American institution, and I love them, I dont' know what it is but I love to watch good movies. And I love it even more when the movie means something, when there is something taught, when you come away from the expirience a changed person for the better becuase you watched it. So in that spirit I present to you the movies that every american should see at least once in their life. Some of these have some pretty graphic violence, so you should be mature enough to handle it or catch the edited version on TBS.

1. Braveheart "Every man dies, not every man really lives"

The story of Sir William Wallace a scottish rebel who united the clans of Scotland to throw off the tyranny of the current King of England Edward the Long Shanks. In his fight to free Scotland Wallace gives his all in the pursuit of freedom and understands that in order to have it, there must be a great sacrifice.

2. Saving Private Ryan "Earn this Ryan....Earn it"

This movie made by Steven Spielberg and staring Tom Hanks (my favorite actor) depicting the storming of the beaches of Normandy during the pivitol battle of World War 2. The opening scene showing the intial invasion was so realistic that veterans of the conflict who went to see the movie had flash backs. The movies reveals to the viewer the horrors of that terrible war and what great sacrifices the men and women or our nations armedforces had to pass through in order to preserve our freedom. After watching this movie you will never be able to look at a solider in the same way again, you will see them for what they are, angels gaurding us. In my book the men and women who by their own free will have chosen to defend our country will have a place in heaven. This movie has the most powerful ending I have ever seen, I dare you not to cry.


3. Glory "If this man falls who will carry the flag"

During the Civil War the Union Army didn't allow African Americans to become soldiers untill late in the war. The first African American regiment was the 54th Massachusettes Infantry, led by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw (portrayed by Mathew Broderick). While the movie has some historical inacuraticies, the film portrays one of the first major steps that our country took towards equality for all men. The final battle portrayed in the film produced our countries first African American Medal of Honor winner, here is some interesting facts from wikipedia.

"The incident just before the charge into Fort Wagner in which Colonel Shaw points to the flag bearer and asks "If this man should fall, who will lift the flag and carry on?" is based on a real event. However, the person who asked the question was General George Crockett Strong; Shaw was the person who responded. When the flag bearer fell and after Shaw was killed, another black soldier, Sergeant William Harvey Carney, grabbed the flag and carried it all the way to the bulwarks of Fort Wagner. He remained there under enemy fire until the 54th was forced to retreat. Sergeant Carney struggled back to Union lines with the flag, receiving four wounds from which he recovered. Carney became the first black recipient of the Medal of Honor."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glory_(film)

4. Schindlers List "Whoever saves one life.... saves the entire world"

Another WW2 film by Spielberg, but this time it focuses on the story of Oskar Schindler, a war profiteer that went to Poland to begin manufacturing mess kits for the German Army. A member of the Nazi Party and a womanizer he saves the lives of over 1000 jews from the slums of Krakow. He uses his entire fortune to bribe Nazi officials and provide saftey for the Jews he saved.

5. The Prusuit of Happiness

"You got a dream, you gotta protect it... you want something you gotta go get it, period!"

With out critical acclaim or any any awards to show for it, The Pursuit of Happiness is a story of a down and out entrepenuer who looses his home and his wife after they invest their life savings in a failed business venture. Chris Gardner finds himself homless with out a job and in fight to keep and care for his young son. Chris finds himself with a difficult choice, accept an internship with one of the most respected Investment Banks in the world that has no salary to start, and continue to live out of shelters, or find a paying job and continue down the same path of medicority. Chris shows us that the American Dream is not givin to anyone, it is ours for the taking if we are willing to make the sacrifices for it. Will Smith (who received a nomination for Best Actor but didn't win)plays the lead role with his real life son Jaden, the movie proves that anyone can make it if they choose to. This was is a true story, Chris Gardner went on to start his own investment firm and made a large fortune after he sold it to Dean Witter, the firm he started with.