Discuss: What Film Best Captures the American Spirit?

The madness of Election Day is over — and I certainly hope you have your I Voted! sticker to prove you were there! No matter what your politics, you can’t deny that we saw one of the most exciting and historic elections in history. And whether today finds you ecstatic or despondent in our next President, you have to appreciate what we saw happen in 2008, and what a fantastic country we live in. We have the right to vote our conscience! We have the right to talk our minds without fear of repercussions! We live in a country where anyone can become president, where men and women are created equal, and we all pursue happiness with the freedom and means to do so. We have the ability to concur on that whether we’re Democrat or Republican. And you know what? At the end of the day, whatever way you vote, we’re not that different. And what superior way to illustrate that than to have a nice chat about movies? Because whoever your candidate and whatever your affiliation and beliefs, you’re here on Cinematical because you love movies.

With that unifying spirit in mind, I’d like to know what films you think best capture the American spirit. Are they John Wayne westerns? The feel good films of Frank Capra? The sacrifices of Saving Private Ryan? Maybe it’s less obvious or more personal — for you, there’s no one more American than John McClane, or nothing that says family values more than E.T.

And while I would be quite tempted to pick E.T., I have to go with the one pictured above: To Kill a Mockingbird. To me, there’s no one or nothing that embodies the promise of America more than Atticus Finch. Everything you need to know and want to believe of our country is embodied in his quiet fight for justice, and the deep love he has for his young family. It doesn’t get any better than that. But of course, that’s my thought — and it’s time for you to have yours.