What are the best conservative movies of the past 25 years?

posted at 10:40 am on January 15, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
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John J. Miller at The Corner asks the question:

What are the best conservative movies of the last 25 years? This cinema epoch begins roughly with the release of Red Dawn in 1984.

I might be happy if I could find 25 bona-fide conservative movies at all in the past 25 years.  I’m afraid that most of what Miller will get in response will be of the Red Dawn variety, since the only place safe for conservative themes in Hollywood has been action films.  Red Dawn itself had that in spades, but it was also a rather dreadful movie with more scenery-chewing than one might imagine without William Shatner.  I watched it again recently and found it rather embarrassing, except for the brief appearance by Powers Booth.  “AVENGE MEEEEEEEE!”

There have to be better examples of conservative movies that we can suggest to Miller.  I have a few, and will add those suggested in the comments in updates, or at least the ones that make some sense.  Here are my starters:

• The Great Raid (2005) – Based on a true story and managed to mostly stick to it, this film also committed the apparently unpardonable sin of telling the truth about the brutal Japanese occupation of the Philippines and their treatment of POWs.  It exemplifies honor, courage, resistance to evil, and risking lives to save others.
• Saving Private Ryan (1998) – For many of the same reasons as The Great Raid, made even more clear by the highly realistic battle scenes, which make clear the sacrifice asked and made.
• Requiem for a Dream (2000) – Harrowing depiction of the destruction of lives from drug addiction, even from prescription drugs.  Definitely not for everyone, but brilliant in every aspect of production.  In the end, the main characters lose their souls, their freedom, and their minds.  Perhaps Ellen Burstyn’s best performance.
• United 93 (2006) – Harrowing and heartrending depiction of the 9/11 flight that didn’t hit its intended target, thanks to the heroism of the passengers on the flight.  Facing certain death, they fought back against the Islamist terrorists, becoming the first Americans to do so on that awful day.
• Glory (1989) – The true story of the Massachusetts 54th in the Civil War, which led an ill-starred assault on a fortified position for the Union and suffered massive casualties.  The all-black regiment fought for freedom, dignity, and honor, and gave their lives gladly for those causes.  Great performances by Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman make this highly compelling.
• Shattered Glass (2003) – The story of the first round of fabrication at The New Republic, with an unexpectedly excellent performance from Hayden Christenson as Stephen Glass, the serial fabulist who succeeded by telling lies about the right people — conservatives.  The film does a good job of pointing that fact out.
• Lord of the Rings (2001-2003) – The trilogy should occupy one spot, but it’s an important one.  In the fantasy realm, it speaks to true evil and the need to fight it, even to the death.  The final battle, in which Aragorn attempts to sacrifice his entire army so that Frodo can complete the quest, has one of the most stirring battle speeches in film history.  No one in this film argues for moral equivalency or the idea that Sauron might just be misunderstood.

I know I’m missing a few, so let’s hear from Hot Air readers.  Be sure to explain your suggestions in the comments.

Update: The best film you never saw: The Stoning of Soraya M (2008).  Read my review here.  Unfortunately, it’s never made it into wide release, but it should be required viewing for those interested in human freedom.  Made even better by the surprisingly subtle performances of the entire cast.

Update II: The comments section has some great suggestions.  Let me add a few that deserve mention:

• The Incredibles (2004) – Can’t believe I missed this one.  It focuses on the strength of a family that works together as well as rips the notion that talented people somehow pose a threat to everyone else.  And it’s also flat-out fun for all ages.
• Gettysburg (1993) – Excellent, fact-based depiction of the bravery and courage on both sides of this battle.
• 300 (2006) – I’m not normally a big fan of the graphic-novel approach to storytelling, but it works in the story of the Greeks at Thermopylae.  Self-sacrifice for a greater good gets a boost from highly stylized filmmaking.  Not for all tastes, but for its genre, excellent.
• Braveheart (1995) – Worthy, I think, for its emphasis on resistance to tyranny and defense of homeland against foreign rule.  Historical inaccuracies mar this somewhat, especially the disappearance of the bridge from the Battle of Stirling Bridge.  Still excellent, though, but The Patriot is hobbled badly by its anti-British smears.
• Juno (2007) – Interesting view of teen pregnancy and the choice to give birth rather than abort.  Not really ideological, but it has much more authenticity than most teen dramedies, and really a beautiful little movie.
• Team America: World Police (2004) – A twisted satire of conservative values on defense that winds up being itself a defense of conservative values.  Profane as it possibly can get and with one really disturbing scene that got it an NC-17 rating until it was cut, Team America winds up providing one of the best explanations of why we need people willing to fight terrorists and tyrants … which I can’t quote here.
• The Chronicles of Narnia (2005) – I’ve only seen the first movie, which made C. S. Lewis’ allegory on Christianity rather explicit.  Good movie.
• Rudy (1993) – Hard work, not feeling sorry for yourself, faith, and love all make for one of the best movies ever — and another one I can’t believe I didn’t recall in the initial post.
• Cinderella Man (2005) – Definitely a worthy entry.  James J. Braddock goes back to boxing to rescue his family from poverty, and winds up winning the championship.
• An American Carol (2008) – I thought it was OK, but many others in the comments think it was better.

I’ll keep checking back, but remember that we’re looking at 1984 forward.  We’re getting some excellent suggestions for earlier movies, but we want to focus on this particular time period.

Update III: Definitely on the list: Serenity (2005), which attacks Utopianism as the excuse for totalitarianism that it is.  Shockingly good sci-fi movie on its own, perhaps the best in the last 25 years, it’s even better as the follow-up to the doomed Firefly television series.

Update IV:  I can see that I’ll not get much other work done today.  Two more worthy of consideration, both true stories:

• Amistad (1997) – Recounts the true story of how John Quincy Adams defended captured Africans for their rebellion on board a slave ship, and how he won their freedom.
• Amazing Grace (2006) – A biography of William Wilberforce, who led the fight in Great Britain to end the slave trade.

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