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David Fincher’s 2010 Facebook drama “The Social Network,” 1974’s indie horror classic “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey’s Catskills-set love affair “Dirty Dancing” have been selected for preservation by the National Film Registry.
The Librarian of Congress annually recognizes 25 motion pictures that are at least 10 years old and register as “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant. This year, more than 6,700 titles were submitted by the public for consideration.
Other titles added to the National Film Registry in 2024 include 1982’s sci-fi sequel “Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan,” Gus Van Sant’s 1991 drama “My Own Private Idaho” with River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves, 2001’s family adventure “Spy Kids” and the Coen brothers’ 2007 Western “No Country for Old Men,” as well as Eddie Murphy’s first feature film on the registry, 1984 action comedy “Beverly Hills Cop.”
This year’s selection brings the number of films in the registry to 900, a small portion of the 2 million movies in the Library’s collection. Others are preserved in coordination with copyright holders or other film archives.
Popular on Variety “Films reflect our nation’s history and culture and must be preserved in our national library for generations to come, said the Librarian of Congress’ Carla Hayden. “This is a collective effort in the film community to preserve our cinematic heritage.”
Turner Classic Movies will host a television special Dec. 18 at 8 p.m. ET to screen a selection of films named to the registry this year. Hayden will join TCM host and film historian Jacqueline Stewart, who is chair of the National Film Preservation Board, to discuss the lineup.
“The National Film Registry now includes 900 titles, and what’s remarkable to me is that every year when the board talks about films and their significance, we find new titles to consider. The wealth of American film history is sometimes rather overwhelming, and people often wonder: how do you recommend this film or that film?” Stewart said. “It’s through a lot of research, conversation and discussion, and it’s through a commitment to showing the true diversity of filmmaking. I’m thrilled that we recognize student films and independent films, animation, documentary and experimental works, as well as feature length narrative drama, comedy, horror and science fiction on the registry this year.”
“The Social Network,” starring Jesse Eisenberg as Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, has only become timelier in the ensuing decade and a half, but the movie’s Oscar-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin told the Library of Congress that he didn’t realize he was working on one of the defining films of the internet age.
“It felt like a good courtroom drama to me,” Sorkin said. ‘I didn’t know it was going to be a lot more than that at the time.”
NATO president Michael O’Leary, who serves on the library’s National Film Preservation Board, said, “For more than a century, Americans of all ages have been flocking to theaters to experience the magic of a great movie on the big screen. This list honors that legacy and is more than just a celebration of movies as an art form, it’s a recognition of an industry united in telling stories and connecting audiences for generations to come.”
Films Selected for the 2024 National Film Registry
Annabelle Serpentine Dance (1895) KoKo’s Earth Control (1928) Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) Pride of the Yankees (1942) Invaders from Mars (1953) The Miracle Worker (1962) The Chelsea Girls (1966) Ganja and Hess (1973) Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) Uptown Saturday Night (1974) Zora Lathan Student Films (1975-76) Up in Smoke (1978) Will (1981) Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan (1982) Beverly Hills Cop (1984) Dirty Dancing (1987) Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989) Powwow Highway (1989) My Own Private Idaho (1991) American Me (1992) Mi Familia (1995) Compensation (1999) Spy Kids (2001) No Country for Old Men (2007) The Social Network (2010)
