Prizer's Picks

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington(1939)

America has always loved populist reformers, outsiders who challenge the special interests and business-as-usual politicians. John McCain and Bill Bradley have tried to assume that role during the current presidential primaries. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington depicts the dynamics at work behind that political archetype better than any other pop-culture creation.

Jefferson Smith (James Stewart) is an innocent country boy who's appointed to the U.S. Senate to fill a vacancy.

He throws himself into a bill to create a national boy's camp and discovers that some insiders plan to use the camp's site to build a dam to enrich themselves. When he threatens to go public, corrupt politicians try to make him seem like the bad guy.

Director Frank Capra (It's a Wonderful Life) believes that our system can be preserved if only good men are willing to stand up and fight — a message that still strikes a deep chord in our psyches.

Rocky(1976)

We're taught that winning isn't everything and that how you play the game is what's most important.

However, nowadays, judging from most sports events, nobody seems to believe it anymore.

Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stal-lone) is the exception. He's a down-on-his-luck club fighter who works for a loan shark but is too soft to use any muscle.

The overconfident heavyweight boxing champ, Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), hopes to grab some good PR by giving an unknown sure-loser a shot at his title.

Rocky is chosen.

Only his feisty trainer (Burgess Meredith), painfully shy girlfriend (Talia Shire) and dog Butkus believe in him. But when he jogs to the top of the steps in front of the Philadelphia Art Museum and thrusts his arms high into the air, we begin to think maybe he has a chance.

The Oscar-winning Rocky, also written by Stallone, is a classic root-for-the-underdog story about a sweet-tempered hero who craves self-respect more than fame.

A Dog of Flanders(1999)

Who'll stand by you when things go from bad to worse and fair-weather friends take a hike? A Dog of Flanders, based on Louisa de la Ramee's classic novel, suggests that sometimes four-legged companions turn out to be the only ones you can trust. Nello (James Kissner) is an impoverished orphan in early 19th-century France whose ambition is to be a great artist. But he's also got a big heart, adopting an abused dog whom he names Petrache.

Nello's milkman grandfather (Jack Warden) and a respected local artist (Jon Voight) encourage him to compete in a local contest for money and an art academy scholarship. But when circumstances conspire against him, only Petrache is left by his side. Although the film's message isn't overtly Christian, it emphasizes that each person's gifts come from God. The boy learns the connection between faith and destiny and the importance of remaining true to his dreams.

—John Prizer