Movies/Documentaries for US History

[Mary in VA]

I know this has been discussed before, but does anyone have a list of movies and/or documentaries that would be good for US History. My dd is 17 so can watch more than a younger student if that makes a difference. We aren't actually doing US history next year, but I though watching movies would be a good refresher/discussion starter.

 

This came to mind because the two of us watched Apollo 13 last night. My mom was pregnant with me during the Sputnik flight, and I grew up during the space race, and vividly remember watching the moon landing. I was amazed to realize how routine it all seemed to my dd. Seeing Apollo 13 made her realize that space travel was/is not routine and the dangers involved. Interesting discussions flowed :001_smile: Thought The Right Stuff might be a good "prequel" to last night's movie.

 

I would love any suggestions from the pilgrims to the present.

 

Thanks,

Mary

[Unicorn.]

Schindler's List.

Roots.

North and South.

The Patriot.

Letters from Iwo Jima-- a wonderful WWII movie from the perspective of the Japanese. I typically don't like war movies, but I really enjoyed this one. My history buff ds loves this movie.

The Tuskegee Airmen.

Mississippi Burning.

 

I'm sure I could come up w/ more, but these are just off the top of my head.

 

Oh, and:

Saving Private Ryan,

Edited June 12, 2012 by Unicorn

[Mary in VA]

Surely some other members of the Hive have suggestions, please?

[Jenny in Florida]

I'll share the list from which I'm working for next year. I should emphasize that I haven't previewed all of them yet, and we may change our minds after doing that. So, please don't take this post as a "recommendation" for any particular film.

 

The list is in more or less chronological order, with adjustments here and there in order to fit other aspects of our schedule.

 

Also, we're picking up from the Civil War and going forward, because he got that far last time we did American history. So, there are lots of films missing from this list if they cover events that happened prior to the mid-1850s.

 

 

 

Combined (kind of chronological) List

 

 

1. My Darling Clementine / Gunfight at the OK Corral / Tombstone (OK Corral, 1881)

2. Dances with Wolves (West / Native American experience)

3. Hester Street (Jewish immigration, 1896)

4. Shoulder Arms (WWI)

5. Flyboys (WWI)

6. Sergeant York (WWI)

7. Eight Men Out (1919)

8. Iron-Jawed Angels (suffrage)

9. Great Gatsby (Roaring 20s)

10.Matewan (1920s, labor unions)

11.Seabiscuit (Great Depression)

12.Paper Moon (Great Depression)

13.Amelia (Amelia Earhart, 1937)

14.Grapes of Wrath (Great Depression)

15.Air Force (WWII)

16.Flags of our Fathers / Letters from Iwo Jima (WWII)

17.League of Their Own (WWII)

18.Tuskegee Airmen (WWII)

19.Patton (WWII)

20.The Chosen

21.Thirteen Days (Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962)

22.Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

23.Long Walk Home (Montgomery bus boycott)

24.Mississippi Burning (civil rights)

25.The Right Stuff (space)

26.American Graffiti (1960s)

27.Apocalypse Now (Vietnam)

28.Good Morning, Vietnam

29.Apollo 13 (space)

30.All the President’s Men (Watergate)

31.Black Hawk Down (Battle of Mogadishu, 1993)

[Alphabetika]

The Ken Burns Civil War and Lewis and Clark documentaries are very good, IMHO.

[Mary in VA]

I'll share the list from which I'm working for next year. I should emphasize that I haven't previewed all of them yet, and we may change our minds after doing that. So, please don't take this post as a "recommendation" for any particular film.

 

The list is in more or less chronological order, with adjustments here and there in order to fit other aspects of our schedule.

 

Also, we're picking up from the Civil War and going forward, because he got that far last time we did American history. So, there are lots of films missing from this list if they cover events that happened prior to the mid-1850s.

 

Thank you! This gives me a good start!

 

Mary

[MomtoCandJ]

Anything by Ken Burns, John Adams (HBO Special) and I can't think of the movies I own thanks to the $5 movie bin at Walmart because my dh's boss/cousin has them but I do remember Pearl Harbor A Day of Infamy.When I get my movies back (which may take a while because the man works all the time because the lab is in his house right now) I will post the names of those as well.

[mom2abcd]

What movies can you recommend for kids to learn about the Cold War?

 

Here are some links you might enjoy.

 

 

Movies arranged by time period

http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~eliason/ahgttm.htm

 

 

http://www.teachwithmovies.org/heritage-list.htm

 

http://clioseye.sfasu.edu/

 

http://members.aol.com/snuffy1186/movies.html

movies in chronological order.

[Mary in VA]

After the start from suggestions here yesterday I did some googling and came up with the following list. The list is not appropriate for all ages as there are some R rated movies and I haven't seen them all myself. But putting this together got me excited about watching these with dd. We aren't going to watch in order, but after watching them dd can put them on a time-line I'm going to make which will have major events in US history. That way she can keep track of what happened when.

 

Here's the list:

 

U. S. History Through Film

1. Scarlett Letter (not Demi Moore version!!!)

2. Last of the Mohicans

3. John Adams (mini series)

4. The Patriot.

5. The Crossing (tv movie)

6. Benedict Arnold- A Question of Honor

7. Movie about Constitution-can’t remember name

8. Roots (mini series)

9. Amistad

10. The Alamo

11. Gods and Generals

12. Glory

13. Gettysburg

14. Darling Clementine / Gunfight at the OK Corral / Tombstone (OK Corral, 1881)

15. Dances with Wolves (West / Native American experience)

16. Hester Street (Jewish immigration, 1896)

17. The Rough Riders

18. Ragtime

19. All Quiet on the Western Front(WWI)

20. Gallipoli (WWI)

21. War Horse(WWI)

22. Shoulder Arms (WWI)

23. Flyboys (WWI)

24. Sergeant York (WWI)

25. Eight Men Out (1919)

26. Iron-Jawed Angels (suffrage)

27. Great Gatsby (Roaring 20s)

28. Matewan (1920s, labor unions)

29. Seabiscuit (Great Depression)

30. Paper Moon (Great Depression)

31. To Kill a Mockingbird

32. Amelia (Amelia Earhart, 1937)

33. Grapes of Wrath (Great Depression)

34. Tora, Tora, Tora

35. Air Force (WWII)

36. Flags of our Fathers / Letters from Iwo Jima (WWII)

37. Midway

38. Ike (tv movie)

39. League of Their Own (WWII)

40. Tuskegee Airmen (WWII)

41. Memphis Belle (WWII)

42. Patton (WWII)

43. Shindler’s List

44. Truman

45. Saving Private Ryan

46. Fat Man and Little Boy

47. Judgment at Nuremberg

48. The Chosen

49. October Sky

50. Thirteen Days (Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962)

51. Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

52. The Help

53. Long Walk Home (Montgomery bus boycott)

54. Mississippi Burning (civil rights)

55. The Right Stuff (space)

56. American Graffiti (1960s)

57. Apocalypse Now (Vietnam)

58. Good Morning, Vietnam

59. Apollo 13 (space)

60. Remember the Titans

61. All the President’s Men (Watergate)

62. War Games

63. Hunt for Red October

64. Courage Under Fire

65. Black Hawk Down (Battle of Mogadishu, 1993)

66. World Trade Center

 

 

Mary

[MicheleinMN]

:lurk5:

[valkett]

Band of Brothers was excellent and From the Earth to the Moon was also excellent.