American Film Institute's 100 Most Inspiring Films of All Time
A jury of 1,500 film artists, critics and historians selected the classic It's a Wonderful Life, starring James Stewart, as the most inspiring movie of all time.
| Movie | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | It's a Wonderful Life | 1946 |
| 2 | To Kill a Mockingbird | 1962 |
| 3 | Schindler's List | 1993 |
| 4 | Rocky | 1976 |
| 5 | Mr. Smith Goes to Washington | 1939 |
| 6 | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | 1982 |
| 7 | The Grapes of Wrath | 1940 |
| 8 | Breaking Away | 1979 |
| 9 | Miracle on 34th Street | 1947 |
| 10 | Saving Private Ryan | 1998 |
| 11 | The Best Years of Our Lives | 1946 |
| 12 | Apollo 13 | 1995 |
| 13 | Hoosiers | 1986 |
| 14 | The Bridge on the River Kwai | 1957 |
| 15 | The Miracle Worker | 1962 |
| 16 | Norma Rae | 1979 |
| 17 | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest | 1975 |
| 18 | The Diary of Anne Frank | 1959 |
| 19 | The Right Stuff | 1983 |
| 20 | Philadelphia | 1993 |
| 21 | In the Heat of the Night | 1967 |
| 22 | The Pride of the Yankees | 1942 |
| 23 | The Shawshank Redemption | 1994 |
| 24 | National Velvet | 1944 |
| 25 | Sullivan's Travels | 1941 |
| 26 | The Wizard of Oz | 1939 |
| 27 | High Noon | 1952 |
| 28 | Field of Dreams | 1989 |
| 29 | Gandhi | 1982 |
| 30 | Lawrence of Arabia | 1962 |
| 31 | Glory | 1989 |
| 32 | Casablanca | 1942 |
| 33 | City Lights | 1931 |
| 34 | All the President's Men | 1976 |
| 35 | Guess Who's Coming to Dinner | 1967 |
| 36 | On the Waterfront | 1954 |
| 37 | Forrest Gump | 1994 |
| 38 | Pinocchio | 1940 |
| 39 | Star Wars | 1977 |
| 40 | Mrs. Miniver | 1942 |
| 41 | The Sound of Music | 1965 |
| 42 | 12 Angry Men | 1957 |
| 43 | Gone With the Wind | 1939 |
| 44 | Spartacus | 1960 |
| 45 | On Golden Pond | 1981 |
| 46 | Lilies of the Field | 1963 |
| 47 | 2001: A Space Odyssey | 1968 |
| 48 | The African Queen | 1951 |
| 49 | Meet John Doe | 1941 |
| 50 | Seabiscuit | 2003 |
| 51 | The Color Purple | 1985 |
| 52 | Dead Poet's Society | 1989 |
| 53 | Shane | 1953 |
| 54 | Rudy | 1993 |
| 55 | The Defiant Ones | 1958 |
| 56 | Ben-Hur | 1959 |
| 57 | Sergeant York | 1941 |
| 58 | Close Encounters of the Third Kind | 1977 |
| 59 | Dances With Wolves | 1990 |
| 60 | The Killing Fields | 1984 |
| 61 | Sounder | 1972 |
| 62 | Braveheart | 1995 |
| 63 | Rain Man | 1988 |
| 64 | The Black Stallion | 1979 |
| 65 | A Raisin in the Sun | 1961 |
| 66 | Silkwood | 1983 |
| 67 | The Day the Earth Stood Still | 1951 |
| 68 | An Officer and a Gentleman | 1982 |
| 69 | The Spirit of St. Louis | 1957 |
| 70 | Coal Miner's Daughter | 1980 |
| 71 | Cool Hand Luke | 1967 |
| 72 | Dark Victory | 1939 |
| 73 | Erin Brockovich | 2000 |
| 74 | Gunga Din | 1939 |
| 75 | The Verdict | 1982 |
| 76 | Birdman of Alcatraz | 1962 |
| 77 | Driving Miss Daisy | 1989 |
| 78 | Thelma & Louise | 1991 |
| 79 | The Ten Commandments | 1956 |
| 80 | Babe | 1995 |
| 81 | Boys Town | 1938 |
| 82 | Fiddler on the Roof | 1971 |
| 83 | Mr. Deeds Goes to Town | 1936 |
| 84 | Serpico | 1973 |
| 85 | What's Love Got to Do With It | 1993 |
| 86 | Stand and Deliver | 1988 |
| 87 | Working Girl | 1988 |
| 88 | Yankee Doodle Dandy | 1942 |
| 89 | Harold and Maude | 1972 |
| 90 | Hotel Rwanda | 2004 |
| 91 | The Paper Chase | 1973 |
| 92 | Fame | 1980 |
| 93 | A Beautiful Mind | 2001 |
| 94 | Captains Courageous | 1937 |
| 95 | Places in the Heart | 1984 |
| 96 | Searching for Bobby Fischer | 1993 |
| 97 | Madame Curie | 1943 |
| 98 | The Karate Kid | 1984 |
| 99 | Ray | 2004 |
| 100 | Chariots of Fire | 1981 |
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Its my opinion that inspiration is a mood thing. If you are in the right frame of mind, inspiration comes naturally. Else, its just another film.
