Breakfast Club, The Princess Bride & more added to National Film Registry

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

When aliens inevitably find the remains of human civilization, destroyed by collapsed Wal-Mart buildings and buried under KFC Famous Bowls, we will need an archive of films to let the big-headed extraterrestrials know who we were. That’s where the Library of Congress comes in, and it has just added some great films to the National Film Registry for the aliens’ binging pleasure.

The Registry, which adds movies every year to its illustrious list, has just added 25 films to its canon including Ridley Scott’s THELMA AND LOUISE, Disney’s THE LION KING, John Hughes’s THE BREAKFAST CLUB, Rob Reiner's THE PRINCESS BRIDE and many more. This is not the first film of Scott’s to be added to the list, and had humble words for the inclusion of LOUISE:

I am very honoured and proud to be acknowledged by the Library of Congress. Blade Runner will now have two great ladies to keep him company.

There are some other notable classics in the bunch as well, such as Alfred Hitchcock's THE BIRDS, Elia Kazan's EAST OF EDEN with James Dean, Wes Anderson's RUSHMORE and WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT. Library of Congress’s Carla Hayden spoke to the power of the Registry, and what it symbolizes as an archive of our greatest films:

Motion pictures document our history and culture and serve as a mirror of our collective experiences. The National Film Registry embraces the richness and diversity of film as an art form and celebrates the people who create the magic of cinema.

Here is the full list:

• The Atomic Cafe (1982)
• Ball Of Fire (1941)
• The Beau Brummels (1928)
• The Birds (1963)
• Blackboard Jungle (1955)
• The Breakfast Club (1985)
• The Decline Of Western Civilization (1981)
• East Of Eden (1955)
• Funny Girl (1968)
• Life Of An American Fireman (1903)
• The Lion King (1994)
• Lost Horizon (1937)
• The Musketeers Of Pig Alley (1912)
• Paris Is Burning (1990)
• Point Blank (1967)
• The Princess Bride (1987)
• Putney Swope (1969)
• Rushmore (1998)
• Solomon Sir Jones films (1924-28)
• Steamboat Bill, Jr (1928)
• Suzanne, Suzanne (1982)
• Thelma & Louise (1991)
• 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1916)
• A Walk In The Sun (1945)
• Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

I’m a huge LION KING fan, so I’m glad it’s finally in the registry, as well as RUSHMORE, BREAKFAST CLUB, BRIDE and STEAMBOAT BILL. The latter is not only a masterpiece of comedy and stunt work (much like one of Buster Keaton’s other final works, THE GENERAL), but also represents a small band of silent films that still exist in their entirety, as 70 percent of all silent films have been lost. The list is one worth admiring, and gives film buffs plenty to check off their list if they haven’t already, and for hipsters to say they totally love without having actually seen. Shame on you, man bun.