An icon playing an icon in this 2009 film that stars Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela, freshly released from prison after nearly three decades behind bars for crimes he didn’t commit. Matt Damon also stars in the movie that follows the events around the 1995 Rugby World Cup, and the racial tension that surrounded it. On his release from prison, Mandela, as the head of the ANC, became the president of South Africa and led the nation out of the dark and painful era of Apartheid.
The film was met with mostly positive reviews from critics and sits at a 76% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Both Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon were nominated for Academy Awards for their work in the movie.d.
The Sound of Music (1965)
Julie Andrews stars in this 1965 classic directed by Robert Wise. It tells the tale of Baroness von Trapp, who worked as a governess for an Austrian military captain and wound up finding much more than she’d initially thought. She falls in love with both him and his children, and the two get married. All of this is happening, of course, in the middle of the war, which they are trying to escape.
The film won five Academy Awards, including the award for Best Director and the esteemed Best Picture award. It has been preserved in the National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Escape From Alcatraz (1979)
Clint Eastwood stars in this 1979 thriller that tells the tale of the 1962 escape from the maximum-security prison on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay. Eastwood plays prisoner Frank Morris, who makes friends with other prisoners and eventually hatches an escape plan that leads to the infamous event. Morris was convicted at 13, and by his late teens was in and out prison over narcotics possession and armed robbery. Morris was considered missing and presumed to have drowned after the great escape attempt from Alcatraz.
The film was widely regarded as one of the best of the year, and reviews were mainly all glowing. On Rotten Tomatoes, 23 critics have given the film a 96% approval rating – higher than most others on the list.
The Express (2008)
This 2008 American sports film tells the tale of the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy. Ernie Davis is played by Rob Brown, in this film that dives into racism and discrimination within professional athletics in this certain period of time.
Unfortunately, the film grossed just less than $10 million dollars against a $40 million budget, though it received mostly positive reviews from critics. The general consensus on Rotten Tomatoes is that it’s just above average with the 6.2 out of 10 approval rating. It sits around at the same on Metacritic, at just 58.
Che: Part One (2008)
Benicio Del Toro stars as Argentian doctor turns revolutionary, Che Guevara, in part one of this to part 2008 film. Part one is known as The Argentine and earned del Toro the award for Best Actor at that year’s Cannes Film Festival. The film follows Che's downfall in Bolivia. The revolutionary was executed by the Bolivian army in 1967. Since his death, he has been regarded as a hero for Marxists and the fight against ant-imperialism.
The film has mixed reviews among critics and audiences alike, with USA Today writing, “with its lyrical beauty and strong performances, the film can be riveting. It’s the excessive length and rambling scenes also make it maddening.” The movie only has about a 67% approval on Rotten Tomatoes, based on over 130 reviews.