Highest-Rated Movies about 'American Literature On Screen'

Jojo Rabbit (2019), Band of Outsiders (1964), The Bishop's Wife (1947), A New Leaf (1971), Mirage (1965), The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947), Cutter's Way (1981), Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983) ... Let's take a look at the ranked list of the best American Literature On Screen movies.

#1. Jojo Rabbit (2019)

Storyline: A World War II satire that follows a lonely German boy named Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis) whose world view is turned upside down when he discovers his single mother (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding a young Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in their attic. Aided only by his idiotic imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi), Jojo must confront his blind nationalism.—Fox Searchlight Pictures

Plot Keywords: nazi germany, world war two, satire, black comedy, mother son relationship, facial scar, violence ...

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#2. Band of Outsiders (1964)

Storyline: A triangle: Franz, Arthur, and Odile. Franz, a young man with Alain Delon good looks, has met Odile in an English class. She lives in Joinville with wealthy benefactors and has mentioned to Franz that Mr. Stolz keeps a pile of 10,000 franc notes unlocked in his room. Franz tells his friend Arthur, a swarthy guy whose shady uncle is pressing him for money. Arthur and Franz, who mimic American movie tough guys, case Odile's house, pressure her to assist them with a burglary, and make passes at her as well. She's alternately compliant and distressed. Will they pull off the heist?—<jhailey@hotmail.com>

Plot Keywords: neo noir, shootout, nouvelle vague, love triangle, french new wave, burglary, social outcast ...

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#3. The Bishop's Wife (1947)

Storyline: An Episcopal Bishop, Henry Brougham, has been working for months on the plans for an elaborate new cathedral which he hopes will be paid for primarily by a wealthy, stubborn widow. He is losing sight of his family and of why he became a churchman in the first place. Enter Dudley, an angel sent to help him. Dudley does help everyone he meets, but not necessarily in the way they would have preferred. With the exception of Henry, everyone loves him, but Henry begins to believe that Dudley is there to replace him, both at work and in his family's affections, as Christmas approaches.—John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>

Plot Keywords: angel, christmas, faith, church, taxi, miracle, hope ...

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#4. A New Leaf (1971)

Storyline: Henry Graham has a problem: he's spent his entire inheritance, and is completely broke. With no skills, the only option is to make money the old-fashioned way; marry. With a temporary loan to tide him over, Henry's only 6 weeks to find a bride, marry her, and repay the money, or else he must forfeit all his passions—Drew from Baltimore

Plot Keywords: murder, marriage for money, camping, water skiing, tow truck, crooked lawyer, tea ...

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#5. Mirage (1965)

Storyline: Walking down twenty-seven flights of stairs after the power goes out in the New York City office building he is in, David Stillwell emerges outside on the ground level to find that a man he didn't know either jumped or was pushed out a window to his death. That man was Charles Calvin, the head of Unidyne, a humanitarian organization that works toward world peace. David notices other unusual goings-on. What he considers his normal routine that others he knows should recognize, don't. People that he doesn't know seem to know him, such as the beautiful young woman with who he walked down the stairs but who ran off when they got to the bottom. And things that he thought he saw or thought he knew end up not being the case, such as the multiple sub-basement levels he thought were in that office building which don't seem to exist in the clear light of day. When he finally thinks about it, he believes he has some form of amnesia. As an example, he knows that he works as a cost accountant, but he has no idea what a cost accountant is or does. He soon learns that some people are following him and are after something that he has, he not knowing what it is, and that they will shoot to kill if they don't get it. Conversely, the young woman, who he learns is named Shela and was once a love of his, is trying to convince him to cooperate with the people after him if only to save his life. Every direction David turns for official assistance, he comes up not trusting anyone, with the exception of a novice private detective he hires named Ted Caselle. Shela and the people after David all refer to "the major" as the person at the top who wants what David has. David may have to look deep into his troubled psyche to come out of his amnesia to learn who the major is, what he wants, whether David is willing to give it up if he indeed does have it, and that the death of Charles Calvin had some part to play. But David may be dead before he can even make an informed decision to cooperate or not.—Huggo

Plot Keywords: amnesia, key, punched in the face, violence, hit on the head, fight, punched in the stomach ...

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#6. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947)

Storyline: In New York the clumsy Walter Mitty is the publisher of pulp fiction at the Pierce Publishing house owned by Bruce Pierce. He lives with his overbearing mother and neither his fiancée Gertrude Griswold and her mother nor his best friend Tubby Wadsworth respects him. Walter is an escapist and daydreams into a world of fantasy many times along the day. When Walter is commuting, he stumbles in the train with the gorgeous Rosalind van Hoorn who uses Walter to escape from her pursuer. Walter unintentionally gets involved with a dangerous ring of spies that are seeking a black book with notes about a hidden treasure.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Plot Keywords: held captive, playing poker, practical joke, breaking a window, water cooler, pigeon, notebook ...

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#7. Cutter's Way (1981)

Storyline: Alex Cutter (Heard) came back from war minus an eye, a leg, and an arm and mad as hell. He lacks direction, drinks too much, and abuses his wife (Eichhorn). One night his friend Richard Bone (Bridges) witnesses someone dumping something in an alley; it turns out to be the body of a young girl. When Cutter hears about it, he embarks on a crusade to expose the killer, enlisting the help of the murdered girl's sister. Bone reluctantly joins them. Are they right or are they in search of their white whale?—Anonymous

Plot Keywords: parade, open relationship, motel, loss of friend, heavy drinking, country club, beating ...

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#8. Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)

Storyline: In Green Town, Illinois, the twelve year-old boys Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade are neighbors and best friends. Will's father Charles Halloway is an old man and the local librarian while Jim and his mother wait for the return of the return of their father and husband that will never occur. The boys know everyone in town, including their school teacher Miss Foley that misses her beauty and youth; the lonely barber Mr. Crosetti that has no girlfriend or wife; the greedy owner of a cigar store Mr. Tetley that is obsessed with money; and the bartender Ed that has severed arm and leg and dreams on being a football hero. One day, Jim buys a lightning rod from the salesman Tom Fury that tells that a storm is coming. During the night, the boys overhear a mysterious train and they run through the woods to see the arrival but they do not see a living soul. However, they find the Mr. Dark's Pandemonium Carnival ready to be enjoyed and they snoop around. Soon they realize that frustrated and greedy people are vanishing in town and the evil Mr. Dark and the Dust Witch make their dreams come true. In return, Mr. Dark seizes their souls. Now Mr. Dark is seeking them out but Charles Halloway has a journal from his father about the autumn carnival that might be their last chance to defeat the evil.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Plot Keywords: spider, vandalism, transformation, reading out loud, reading a book, reference to god, poem ...

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#9. Brighton Beach Memoirs (1986)

Storyline: Eugene, a young teenage Jewish boy, recalls his memoirs of his time as an adolescent youth. He lives with his parents, his aunt, two cousins, and his brother, Stanley, whom he looks up to and admires. He goes through the hardships of puberty, sexual fantasy, and living the life of a poor boy in a crowded house.—Jason Ihle <jrihl@conncoll.edu>

Plot Keywords: year 1937, russian, jew, immigrant, brother brother relationship, part of trilogy, coming of age ...

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#10. Lost in Yonkers (1993)

Storyline: In 1942 in the Bronx, Evelyn Kurnitz has just passed away following a lengthy illness. Her husband, Eddie Kurnitz, needs to take a job as a traveling salesman to pay off the medical bills incurred, and decides to ask his stern and straight talking mother, from who he is slightly estranged, if his two early-teen sons, Jay and Arty (who their Grandma call by their full given names, Yakob and Arthur), can live with her and their Aunt Bella Kurnitz in Yonkers. She reluctantly agrees after a threat by Bella. Despite their Grandma owning and operating a candy store, Jay and Arty don't like their new living situation as they're afraid of their Grandma, and find it difficult to relate to their crazy Aunt Bella, whose slow mental state is manifested by perpetual excitability and a short attention span, which outwardly comes across as a childlike demeanor. Into their collective lives returns one of Eddie and Bella's other siblings, Louie Kurnitz, a henchman for some gangsters. He is hiding out from Hollywood Harry, who wants what Louie stole and is hiding in his small black bag. Jay and Arty's mission becomes how to make money fast so that they can help their father and move back in together, that money which may entail stealing the $15,000 their Grandma has hidden somewhere. Bella's mission is to find a way to tell the family that she wants to get married to Johnny, her equally slow movie theater usher boyfriend, the two who could also use $5,000 of her mother's money to open their dream restaurant. And Louie's mission is to survive the next couple of days.—Huggo

Plot Keywords: based on play, place name in title, grandmother, aunt, reference to world war two, columbia tristar, title directed by female ...

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#12. Exodus (1960)

Storyline: The theme is the founding of the state of Israel. The action begins on a ship filled with Jewish immigrants bound for Israel who are being off loaded on Cyprus. An Intelligence officer succeeds in getting them back on board their ship only to have the harbor blocked by the British with whom they must negotiate. The second part of the film is about the situation in Israel as independence is declared and most of their neighbors attack them.—John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>

Plot Keywords: israel, based on novel, based on true story, 1940s, jewish, flag, englishman abroad ...

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#13. The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975)

Storyline: The story of Mel and Edna (Jack Lemmon and Anne Bancroft), a middle-class, middle-aged, middle-happy couple living in a Manhattan high rise apartment building. Mel loses his job, the apartment is robbed, Edna gets a job, Mel loses his mind, Edna loses her job . . . to say nothing of the more minor tribulations of nosy neighbors, helpful relatives, and exact bus fares. The couple suffers indignity after indignity (some self-inflicted), and when they seem on the verge of surrender, they thumb their noses defiantly and dig the trenches for battle.—alfiehitchie

Plot Keywords: nervous breakdown, manhattan new york city, fired from the job, loss of job, swimming pool, stress, noisy neighbor ...

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#14. Plaza Suite (1971)

Storyline: Three separate stories concerning relationship issues are presented, each largely taking place in suite 719 of the Plaza Hotel in New York City. In story one, suburban New Yorkers Sam and Karen Nash are spending the night in the hotel as their house is being painted, but more importantly for Karen because it is their twenty-"something" wedding anniversary, the hotel where they spent their honeymoon. While Karen wants to recreate the romance that she remembers of their wedding night, Sam is preoccupied with business matters. But it is other issues that highlight their fundamental differences that may demonstrate if they will make it to twenty-something plus one. In story two, womanizing Hollywood movie producer Jesse Kiplinger has exactly two hours free during his whirlwind stay in New York, which he wants to fill with a quickie. Of the many women he calls, the first to agree to meet at his suite is his old hometown flame, married Muriel Tate. Muriel, who knows what Jesse wants, he who she has not seen in fifteen years, is a bundle of nerves as she continuously second guesses herself in whether she should have come. And in story number three, there are a roomful of people in the Baroque Room of the hotel for the wedding and following reception of Borden Eisler and Mimsey Hubley, the event which is being paid for by Mimsey's penny-pinching father, Roy Hubley. What the people in the Baroque Room are unaware of is that Mimsey has locked herself in the bathroom of the hotel suite, but not saying a word to either her father or mother, Norma Hubley, as to the reason for her cold feet. As Roy and Norma try whatever they can to get Mimsey out of the bathroom while stalling the Eislers in the Baroque Room, Roy and Norma also focus on issues in their own relationship and how they raised Mimsey, which may be appropriate if they learn the reason for Mimsey's cold feet.—Huggo

Plot Keywords: literature on screen, movie producer, marriage, husband wife relationship, manhattan new york city, extramarital affair, walking on a ledge ...

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#15. The Male Animal (1942)

Storyline: It's Homecoming weekend at Midwestern University, the weekend which will culminate with the big game between Midwestern and Michigan. Homecoming marks the return for the first time in six years of alumnus All-American Joe Ferguson, whose world is all about football and especially his place in it. Mild-mannered English Professor Tommy Turner is able to handle the thought of Joe's return to campus as the ex-boyfriend of Tommy's wife of six years, Ellen Turner née Stanley, who is temperamentally more like Joe than him. Tommy knows that Ellen loves him, the reason he doesn't mind the thought of Joe. The weekend starts off well enough for Tommy in that he believes he is being promoted from associate to full professor, which if be the case would be much earlier than he or Ellen had expected. However, it comes to his attention that Michael Barnes, an idealistic student of his who is also the editor of the campus' literary magazine, has written an editorial for the upcoming edition of the magazine denouncing what he considers the fascist policies of the Ed Keller led Board of Trustees, who have gone on a Communist witch hunt among the faculty, and praising who he considers principled Tommy, as Tommy is planning on reading to his English Composition class a letter written by anarchist Bartolomeo Vanzetti. Tommy admits the fact that Michael has written is true, he regularly reading what he considers documents of good writing by non-professional writers, regardless of content or the author, as he is also planning to read to his class a document written by Abraham Lincoln. Frederick Damon, the Dean of the English Department, wants to stay out of the fray and what he knows will be the wrath of the powerful Keller about the editorial and Tommy's intended actions. Tommy has to decide what to do, he reading the letter which would jeopardize his life at Midwestern. Through the weekend, he also sees what he thinks is more clearly Ellen's kinship to both him and Joe, she who would be better off with his competitor than him. What Tommy decides to do may not only affect his position and his marriage, but also the life of Ellen's younger sister Patricia Stanley as two men vie for her affections: Michael and the team's star fullback, the dimwitted Wally Myers.—Huggo

Plot Keywords: based on play, teacher, football, marching band, literature, college, bonfire ...

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