Should 25 Films Worth Enough To Be On The List

Every year, librarians and curators from the Library of Congress and members of the National Film Preservation Board chose 25 films to be added to the National Film Registry. There’s a great deal of discussion and debate that goes into choosing which films are worthy enough to be on the list. The films chosen must be at least ten years old and be culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant (Library of Congress, 2015). They can only choose 25 films each year, so there are still plenty that have not been added that might qualify and be a decent fit. The film that I would select to be added to the list would be Enough, 2002, directed by Michael Apted and starring Jennifer Lopez and Billy Campbell. The five criteria that I used

One reason is because it raises awareness about a social issue, which in this case would be domestic violence. There aren’t very many films that truly show domestic violence, mostly because it’s a taboo topic and a good number of people don’t wish to discuss it. Enough does a wonderful job with showing what it’s really like to be a domestic violence victim and how difficult it can be to escape it. Another criteria that could make a film great is for it to challenge a society’s cultural norms. Since we live in a patriarchal society, it’s common practice to have the main characters in a film be men and the supporting characters be women who rely on the men. A female lead character who can take care of herself is a refreshing change from what we’re used to. People like to watch films that they can relate to because it brings them closer to the film and the actors. When you see a character that’s similar to you or that’s going through the same struggles that you are, it makes you feel better about yourself and almost makes it feel like you aren’t alone. Enough is relatable for many women, and men too, although not in a good way. It’s almost unbelievable that so many people will experience domestic violence in their lives, but sadly, it’s the truth. Someone who is going through something of this nature may benefit by watching a film about a woman who is eventually able to overcome her