Help me Pick 3 to 5 Great American Movies to Show Those Venezuelans What’s What
Posted by Cracker on February 1st, 2010Okay, okay, so I must apologize for my lack of updates, barely-existent reading audience. As they would say in Venezuela, I’ve been ganandome la arepa (I.e. bringing home the bacon). So sorry. Now that I’ve groveled. I have something much more important to talk about, like…
…What Venezuelans think of American and how we’re going to change that. Well, at least change it for Señor’s family. Maybe. Okay, okay so we’ll try.
The thing is, South Americans who have never spent any significant time here see the worst of America. They think American food is all McDonald’s and Wendy’s, and American culture is all credit cards and childhood obesity. Is it any wonder that my Venezuelan ma-in-law tries to stuff me like a piggy when I’m there? Despite all evidence to the contrary, she thinks I don’t eat well! As for movies and television? Forget about it. The American movies they see are either the huge blockbusters or the Chuck Steven Jean Claude Segal Van Damme Norris school of action movies. What would you think of America if the only representatives of our country you ever saw were episodes of Walker, Texas Ranger?
So Señor and I were talking over brunch this morning about how we could make his family see what America is really like, short of getting them a visa (almost impossible) and flying them here and showing them. We hit on the perfect idea – movies! We’ll bring 3-5 movies that are representative of the American way of life – the real America, not slick Hollywood America – and strongly encourage them to sit down and watch. Maybe, just maybe, they will then realize that Americans are just like everyone else in the world, with poverty, good food, and skinny folks with nary a credit card to their name.
But that’s where you guys come in. What 3-5 movies are representative of the American way of life? The Grapes of Wrath (1940)? Citizen Kane (1941)? Shane (1953)? A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)? When Harry fricking Met Sally (1989)? Forrest Gump (1994)?
And will old movies really do it? Or should we try to stick to movies set in modern times, to show them what Los Estados Unidos are like today?
It’s a conundrum, and one I need help with. So have at it. If you had to pick 5 movies that would represent America to people who have some really strange notions about our country, which 5 movies would you pick? Let me know in the comments and I will be eternally grateful, you diplomat you.
Tags: American movies, Los Estados Unidos, movies, Top 5 American movies, United States, Venezuela, Venezuelans and Americans
What’s Eating Glibert Grape
American History X
Boyz in the Hood
Do the Right Thing
Revolutionary Road
I like these! And oddly enough, we didn’t come up with any of these in our debate yesterday. I like your selections, but I have my eye on American History X and Do the Right Thing especially.
Did you like Revolutionary Road? I avoided it after I heard bad things, but if you liked it enough to recommend it here, I’ll give it a look.
I put it up as an example of the American experience. It’s damned depressing (maybe the second-most depressing movie ever, behind Up), but I think it reflects a lot of the undercurrents running through America today. You may want to watch it before subjecting Venezuelans to it.
Alrighty. Its in Netflix queue spot #1. Thanks, Jamie! (And let me know if you think of anymore.)
I did not think Rev. Road was a very good movie, but Jamie’s right about the theme. And by the way, Up is the saddest movie ever! I thought it was going to be a dumb kid movie and then it had to go and be all poignant. Stupid Up.
Confession: Old people movies make me sad. Now I’m not going to see up, because I just don’t have it in me to cry and bawl lately.
Do you have any suggestions for great American movies, V?
That’s a tall order, Cracker. America is such a big place with so many cultures, it’s hard to pick a movie that is “American,” but if I had to pick one, I’d go with Forrest Gump. That movie covers a lot of American history. But here are some of my other favorite movies:
The Graduate
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
It’s a Wonderful Life (I know it’s cheesy, but I love it!)
The Royal Tenenbaums
Raising Arizona
There Will Be Blood
Gone with the Wind
To Kill a Mocking Bird
I could go on, but I think I’ll stop now:)
I thought of To Kill a Mockingbird and Its a Wonderful Life, but I wonder if those will resonate. (And I, selfishly, don’t want my beloved South to look all racist, even though it clearly was like that back in the 30’s. We can’t sanitize history, after all.)
Good list! I NEVER would have thought of Raising Arizona but now… it’s so on the list.
I feel like you are totally on the wrong track here. You need documentaries about Americans, that’s what you need.
American Movie
I Like Killing Flies
Confessions of a Superhero
Jesus Camp
Not Your Typical Bigfoot Movie
Yo Prinzel´s last blog ..Why Are You Frugal?
I’ve sat in horror through Jesus Camp but haven’t even heard of any of these others. Maybe you have a point, you wise, wise Yo Prinzel.
Netflixing all of them!
You should watch them all on your laptop first (they are all instant watch) to make sure there are no offensive themes though. Jesus Camp…cripes almighty crazy.
Yo Prinzel´s last blog ..Why Are You Frugal?
You can’t offend a Venezuelan. (Believe me.) But yeah, maybe I should watch them to make sure I’M not offended.