Westport Public Library MOVIE & MUSIC Blog

The International Documentary Association (IDA) has announced the 25 top documentaries as voted on by their members. Not surprisingly, the top 10 list includes two produced by Michael Moore and the Academy Award Winning An Inconvenient Truth. All are available to borrow in the library. A complete list along with essays about each of the films is available on the IDA website. The library has all but one of the winners available to borrow.

#1 Hoop Dreams (1994) Follows two inner-city high school basketball "phenoms" as they chase NBA dreams.

#2 The Thin Blue Line (1988) Accounts the conviction and imprisonment of Randall Adams for the murder of a Dallas policeman while raising questions about his quilt.

#3 Bowling for Columbine (2002) Filmmaker Michael Moore explores the roots of America's predilection for gun violence.

#4 Spellbound (2002) A gem that follows eight young people on their quest to win the 1999 National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

#5 Harlan County, U.SA. (1976) In 1973, the Brookside Coal Miners voted to join the United Mine Workers, a decision not shared by the Duke Power Company. The bitter struggle between the miners and their company is documented.

#6 An Inconvenient Truth (2006) Nobel Prize Winner and former Vice-President Al Gore's passionate campaign to create public awareness of the issues surrounding global warming.

#7 Crumb (1994) Take a ride through the mind of the R. Crumb, creator of Fritz the Cat.

#8 Gimme Shelter (1970) Documents the Rolling Stone's 1969 tour of the United States. Along with Woodstock (#25), the classic rock and roll documentaries.

#9 The Fog of War (2003) A journey through seminal events in American history as seen through the eyes of former Secretary of Defense Robert S.McNamara. He served under Kennedy and Johnson.

#10 Roger & Me (1989) Hard times come to his hometown Flint, MI and Michael Moore doggedly pursues then GM chairman, Roger Smith.