The American Film Institute released their yearly top 10 list for both film and television today and there were few true surprises.
Before discussing, here are the sections themselves.
AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR
“Arrival”
“Fences”
“Hacksaw Ridge”
“Hell or High Water”
“La La Land”
“Manchester by the Sea”
“Moonlight”
“Silence”
“Sully”
“Zootopia”
AFI TV PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR
“The Americans”
“Atlanta”
“Better Call Saul”
“The Crown”
“Game of Thrones”
“The Night of”
“The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story”
“Stranger Things”
“This Is Us”
“Veep”
AFI SPECIAL AWARD
“O.J. Made in America”
On the film side, AFI would like for their top 10 list to mirror the Academy’s Best Picture nominees and since the field expanded in 2009 it’s usually somewhat close. Last year seven of the 10 honorees were nominated (out of eight Best Picture nominees), in 2014 just six (out of eight), in 2013 just seven (out of nine), in 2012 just eight (out of nine), in 2011 just seven (out of nine), in 2010 just nine (out of 10), in 2009 just five (out of 10).
This is good news for Paramount who has three potential borderline contenders, “Arrival,” “Fences” and “Silence,” and likely one or two will statistically make the Best Picture cut. The two nominees that did not make the AFI cut last year but were still nominated for Best Picture were “Brooklyn”* and “The Revenant.” That’s good news for Fox Searchlight who is still hoping for a Best Picture nod for “Jackie.”
*Yes, “Brooklyn” was ineligible, but the point was it wasn’t on the list.
On the television side it’s hard to argue with many of the selections although many might argue “Westworld,” “Search Party” and “Horace and Pete” deserved to make what is always a very competitive list.
According to a release from AFI, this year’s juries — one for film and one for television — were chaired by producers and AFI Board of Trustees Vice Chairs Tom Pollock (former Vice Chairman of MCA, Chairman of Universal Pictures) for film and Richard Frank (former Chairman of Walt Disney Television, President of Walt Disney Studios, President of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences) for television. The juries featured award-winning artists such as Elizabeth Banks, Robert Benton, Diane English, Jon Hamm, Michelle King, Lori McCreary, Rachel Morrison (AFI Class of 2006) and Patricia Riggen; renowned authors and scholars representing prestigious universities with recognized motion picture arts and television programs; film historians Mark Harris and Leonard Maltin; the AFI Board of Trustees; and film and television critics from media outlets such as the Los Angeles Times, MTV News, Rolling Stone, TV Guide, Variety and more.