As it does every year, the Library of Congress has selected a collection of films to be preserved in the National Film Registry, and for 2021, Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi, the Disney/Pixar film Wall-E, and the first of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring made the cut.
Every film protected by the Library of Congress has been singled out, “for their cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage.”
Other films singled out this year include Richard Pryor‘s landmark 1979 stand-up special Richard Pryor: Live in Concert, the 1984 horror classic A Nightmare on Elm Street, and 1997’s Selena, starring Jennifer Lopez as the murdered Tejano singing sensation Selena Quintanilla.
Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced the new registrants, which vary from animated works to films that, “took on racially-motivated violence against people of color decades ago.”
According to the National Film Registry, 1983’s Return of the Jedi, the last of George Lucas‘ original Star Wars trilogy, drew the most votes via the annual online nominations process. Fellowship was also well represented by fans of Peter Jackson‘s Oscar-winning Tolkien trilogy.
Turner Classic Movies will screen a selection of this year’s entries as part of a television special Friday, Dec. 17, starting at 8 p.m. ET.
Here are the 25 films selected for the 2021 National Film Registry in chronological order:
1. Ringling Brothers Parade Film (1902)
2. Jubilo (1919)
3. The Flying Ace (1926)
4. Hellbound Train (1930)
5. Flowers and Trees (1932)
6. Strangers on a Train (1951)
7. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
8. Evergreen (1965)
9. Requiem-29 (1970)
10. The Murder of Fred Hampton (1971)
11. Pink Flamingos (1972)
12. Sounder (1972)
13. The Long Goodbye (1973)
14. Cooley High (1975)
15. Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979)
16. Chicana (1979)
17. The Wobblies (1979)
18. Star Wars Episode VI — Return of the Jedi (1983)
19. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
20. Stop Making Sense (1984)
21. Who Killed Vincent Chin? (1987)
22. The Watermelon Woman (1996)
23. Selena (1997)
24. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
25. WALL•E (2008)
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