The 5 best movies about state or local government, part 2

This time last year, Route Fifty put out its list of the five best movies about state and local government ahead of the Oscars. With the award show this Sunday, March 10, we thought that since we had so much fun debating our favorites last year, we’d do it again.

In case you need a refresher, we picked, in no particular order, “12 Angry Men,” “Chinatown,” “Jaws,” “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” and “Milk.”

It’s a good list (if we do say so ourselves). But there were a lot of movies we didn’t include, and, what’s more, several of our readers wrote in to pitch their own favorites. So here we go, the latest edition of our five favorite movies about state and local government.

We’ll give the same warnings we did last year: This list is by no means comprehensive. The criteria we used to determine which movies qualified was pretty broad. We decided that the main themes of the films had to concern the workings of state and local government, show multiple levels of government at work, deal prominently with the issues confronting states and localities, or be a commentary on those issues.

We steered clear of legal and cop dramas. If we are being honest, we could have a standalone list of the best movies about local law enforcement. Think “Serpico,” “Police Academy” or really any western.

The movies also had to be good, which, as we all know, is subjective. 

For the above reasons, these movies are in no particular order. With the caveats out of the way, here is our latest list:

“Ghostbusters” (1984)

This little gem was kept off the list last year because we deemed it more a commentary on the federal government and political ideology. But after a year of debating it, we believe “Ghostbusters” is the perfect movie about government.

Set in New York in the early 1980s, the film follows three academics who decide to go into business for themselves after losing their cushy fellowship at Columbia University. The men decide to buy a dilapidated defunct fire station and set up a ghost extermination business.

“Ghostbusters” has often been summed up as a celebration of Reagan-era market conservatism, where the private sector is more capable and effective than the public sector, where federal regulation hinders businesses and where local government is inept. Think of the scene where the Environmental Protection Agency regulator, Walter Peck, waves his “federal entry and inspection order,” turns off the ghost incarceration machine and frees thousands of phantoms upon helpless city residents. Or how about the part where New York City government officials, powerless to stop the ghosts, outsource its municipal security responsibilities to the boys in beige.

But one thing that is not in dispute is that “Ghosbusters” is a movie about government—at all levels. It’s fun, funny and thought provoking. And while it is a largely negative view of government, it does deal with issues that public officials all face. Government can be bureaucratic and slow moving. It does turn to the private sector to help solve problems. It is political. 

For that last one, just watch one of the best scenes in the movie. The scene that takes place in the office of the New York City mayor. Bill Murray’s character famously quips, “But if I’m right, and we can stop this thing, Lenny, you will have saved the lives of millions of registered voters.”

“City of Hope” (1991)

Set in a fictional big city in New Jersey, “City of Hope” is a nuts and bolts story about local politics, the negotiations the process requires and who bears the consequences of those compromises. 

“Through the diverse activities of over three dozen characters in this film, we see some of the major challenges of urban living including crime, political chicanery, the patronage system, the demise of the work ethic, the rapacious side of capitalism, and the high cost of civic apathy,” wrote Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat in a review of the film.

That about sums it up. “City of Hope” was suggested to us by one of our readers, and after seeing it, we knew it belonged on this list.

“Footloose” (1984)

Let’s dance! The Vice described “camp-tastic musical-drama” “Footloose” was a shoo-in for this list. It is the quintessential local government movie, chronicling Chicagoan transplant Ren as he challenges the Bomont town council to undo draconian anti-dancing laws.

Forty years later, this cheesy ‘80s film holds up. Not only for showing the workings of government, but also because it touches on very current issues like oppressive government regulation and a political divide. Besides, we’re suckers for a good town council meeting scene—and dancing. In this case, the part where Ren, in front of a standing-room-only crowd, delivers an impassioned speech imploring the council to reconsider the law.

“Cars” (2006)

The Pixar film follows a race car named Lightning McQueen, who on the way to the biggest race of his life, gets stranded in a rundown town called Radiator Springs, just off the iconic Route 66. He soon learns that the desolate town wasn’t always so. It was once a flourishing town until Interstate 40 was built.

“Cars” may be a children’s movie, but it shows the detrimental effects government policies can have on communities. Think elevated highways that have cut off neighborhoods in cities across the U.S. It also shows in Radiator Springs’ eventual triumph how revitalization of a community can be achieved in a bottom-up process. A topic we here at Route Fifty write about a lot. 

“All the King’s Men” (1949)

Last, but not least is “All the King’s Men,” an old classic from 1949 based on Robert Penn Warren’s book by the same name. It follows the rise and fall of a rural politician by the name of Willie Stark, who eventually becomes governor. It’s also the story of a man who gains power by railing against corruption and then becomes corrupt himself as he climbs the rungs of power.

There’s also a newer version, starring Sean Penn, that was released in 2006. It’s not a true story, but one influenced by the life of Huey Long—the governor of Louisiana in the 1930s.

Before we leave you, we wanted to share one movie that didn’t make the list, an honorable mention of sorts. We couldn’t really justify adding it—as it isn’t about state or local government—but “Sneakers” is a favorite of many of our readers, and we like it too. The 1992 film looked, in part, at how government information technology worked with big clunky computers that are still sometimes found in government offices. Our publication wrote back in 2012 that many CIOs and CISOs cited “the movie as inspiration for why they chose to get into government service.”

What did we miss? Find us on X @routefifty or on Facebook. Happy watching!