Appreciating all that makes America special

Currently browsing: Film
What’s the greatest American film of all time? Can’t decide? Well then, what’s your favorite movie? Do you love the classics, or ignore anything before 1980? Comedies, courtroom dramas, casts of thousands – we have them all at Great American Things.


Film: Star Wars

Posted by on Jan 18, 2010 in Film | 1 comment

Director George Lucas had an idea in mind for what he called The Star Wars, a modern space opera like the Flash Gordon films of his youth....

Read More

Film: Bull Durham

Posted by on Jan 5, 2010 in Film | Comments Off on Film: Bull Durham

If the book Ball Four by Jim Bouton demythologized baseball books, Bull Durham did the same for baseball movies. Most had been upbeat,...

Read More

Film: White Christmas

Posted by on Dec 24, 2009 in Film | Comments Off on Film: White Christmas

Viewing a special movie on Christmas Eve is a tradition in many families. Some watch It’s a Wonderful Life (Great American Things,...

Read More

Movie: A Christmas Story

Posted by on Dec 9, 2009 in Film | Comments Off on Movie: A Christmas Story

Wonder if this movie will be on TV this year? Oh, yeah. About a thousand times. (That’s called hyperbole.) And you know what?...

Read More

Film: It's a Wonderful Life

Posted by on Dec 1, 2009 in Film | 1 comment

This movie is shown on TV at Christmas, but it’s not really a Christmas movie. It just happens that its climactic scenes take place...

Read More

Film: The Graduate

Posted by on Nov 15, 2009 in Film | 1 comment

Beyond a memorable script, a terrific cast, a visionary director, and perfect music, some movies just happen to fully embody the Zeitgeist...

Read More

Film: Driving Miss Daisy

Posted by on Nov 4, 2009 in Film | 1 comment

Can’t you see the pitch meeting in Hollywood for this movie? WRITER: “It’s about an old Jewish woman in Atlanta and how...

Read More

Film: Forrest Gump

Posted by on Oct 22, 2009 in Film | Comments Off on Film: Forrest Gump

Seldom has there been a movie, or at least one not written by the Coen Brothers, that has as many memorable lines as Forrest...

Read More

Film: A Few Good Men

Posted by on Oct 11, 2009 in Film | Comments Off on Film: A Few Good Men

I’m a big fan of Aaron Sorkin’s writing. (You’ll eventually see a couple of his TV series in this list.) And A Few Good...

Read More

Film: The Maltese Falcon

Posted by on Sep 30, 2009 in Film | Comments Off on Film: The Maltese Falcon

Dashiell Hammett wrote the book. John Huston directed the film. And Humphrey Bogart made it memorable. The Maltese Falcon, which premiered...

Read More