They鈥檒l have what she鈥檚 having.
The 1989 rom-com 鈥淲hen Harry Met Sally鈥� is one of 25 films chosen this year to enter the a list that ranges from Disney鈥檚 鈥淭he Little Mermaid鈥� to an 1898 silent documentary, long thought lost, about the Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans.
Also chosen this year for preservation: Marvel鈥檚 鈥淚ron Man,鈥� John Waters鈥� 鈥淗airspray,鈥� Brian de Palma鈥檚 鈥淐arrie鈥� and the 1950 鈥淐yrano de Bergerac鈥� starring Jose Ferrer, whose performance made him the first Hispanic actor to win a best actor Oscar.
The registry is housed at the Library of Congress, which since 1988 has selected movies for preservation based on their cultural and historic importance. This year鈥檚 picks bring the total number of films in the registry to 850 鈥� many of which are among the 1.7 million films in the library鈥檚 collections.
The oldest film selected this year is the 1898 鈥淢ardi Gras Carnival,鈥� a silent-era documentary with the earliest known footage of the carnival in New Orleans. A copy was recently found at the Eye Filmmuseum in the Netherlands. Showing floats, spectators and marchers at a parade, the film is one of nine documentaries chosen, covering topics like the Attica prison rebellion, female union workers, mental health treatment, LGBTQ history and others.
And the most recent film on this year鈥檚 list is the 2011 鈥淧ariah,鈥� by Dee Rees, a coming-out story about a lesbian teen in Brooklyn that's considered a prominent film in modern queer cinema.
Among a number of other LGBTQ-themed films chosen this year is the 1967 student short film 鈥淏ehind Every Good Man鈥� by Nikolai Ursin, a look at Black gender fluidity in Los Angeles. Another: the 1977 鈥淲ord is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives," which interviewed over two dozen gay people about their lives, becoming a landmark of the early gay rights movement.
鈥淲e are proud to add 25 more films by a group of vibrant and diverse filmmakers to the National Film Registry as we preserve our cinematic heritage,鈥� said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden.
Among the films entering the registry:
鈥� "When Harry Met Sally鈥� (1989), Rob Reiner鈥檚 much-loved rom-com starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan with a script by Nora Ephron, and one of the best scenes ever filmed in a deli.
鈥� "Iron Man鈥� (2008), the Marvel superhero film starring Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow, directed by Jon Favreau.
鈥� "Carrie鈥� (1976), the Brian de Palma horror classic about a teen outcast (Sissy Spacek) with telekinetic powers.
鈥� "Hairspray鈥� (1988), the John Waters version of the story about teenagers in Baltimore, starring Ricki Lake, Debbie Harry, Jerry Stiller, Sonny Bono and Divine. The film would go on to become a successful Broadway musical.
鈥� "Charade鈥� (1963) by Stanley Donen, the only movie to pair Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn.
鈥� "Cyrano de Bergerac鈥� (1950) directed by Michael Gordon, the first U.S. film version of Rostand鈥檚 1897 French play. Ferrer won the best actor Oscar.
鈥� "The Little Mermaid (1989), the classic Disney production with Alan Menken and Howard Ashman songs (鈥淧art of Your World鈥� and 鈥淯nder the Sea,鈥� for example) about Ariel, who lives under the sea but wishes she were human.
The library said that Turner Classic Movies would host a TV special on Dec. 27, screening a selection of this year鈥檚 movies entering the registry.
Also being preserved: 鈥淐ab Calloway Home Movies鈥� (1948-1951), Scorpio Rising (1963), 鈥淭iticut Follies鈥� (1967), 鈥淢ingus鈥� (1968), 鈥淢anzanar鈥� (1971), 鈥淏etty Tells Her Story鈥� (1972), 鈥淪uper Fly鈥� (1972), 鈥淎ttica鈥� (1974), 鈥淯nion Maids鈥� (1076), 鈥淏ush Mama鈥� (1999), 鈥淭he Ballad of Gregorio Cortez鈥� (1982), 鈥淚tam Hakim, Hoplit鈥� (1984), 鈥淭ongues Untied鈥� (1989), and 鈥淗ouse Party鈥� (1990).
Online: https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/
Jocelyn Noveck, The Associated Press
