American Classics Across Lifestyle Categories

On March 24, 2022, the epic American film, The Godfather, will turn 50 years old. The film written in collaboration between Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo is likely the most recognizable film of our time. In recognition of how The Godfather became an immediate classic, I am interested in considering how “classics” in American culture have shaped the entire consumer market. Personally, I prefer most classics (in all aspects of life), and especially the idea of nostalgia in some form will never lose its appeal. The impact of a 1972 film on Hollywood is remarkable.

To me, The Godfather is situated between Casablanca (1942) and Titanic (1997) in terms of “epic films,” which is an interesting way of understanding how Hollywood has peaked in many ways. I was five years old when Titanic was released and I distinctly remember watching the Oscars and thinking how amazing all of that was, including the amount of Academy Awards it was nominated for (14 nominations and 11 wins) and its general mass market appeal. This fervor of an epic film had to have been the same for The Godfather in the 70’s (11 Academy Award nominations and 9 wins). I do not think there will be films in the future that will reach the same level of epic status. Perhaps, but likely not.

Let’s explore my take on “American classics” across all lifestyle categories and why they still carry their weight in appeal! If you are in a pinch trying to decide which film to watch sometime this month, watching The Godfather again is a great idea. Perhaps this is also a good reminder to pick up a classic American novel, listen to some classic music, or play a classic board game! We may not be in “lockdown mode” anymore, but we can certainly still live into classic lifestyles. You can’t go wrong with a classic of any kind!