Movies About Early America

From Directors: Victor Fleming, George Cukor, Sam Wood, starring Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Thomas Mitchell, Barbara O'Neil
Rated Passed

Gone with the Wind is a 1939 epic American historical romance film adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-winning novel of the same name. It is set in Clayton County and Atlanta, both in Georgia, during the American Civil War and Reconstruction era. The film tells the story of Scarlett O'Hara, the strong-willed daughter of a Georgia plantation owner. When her beloved estate is destroyed in the war, she must use every means at her disposal to restore her family to its former glory. Along the way, she falls in love with Rhett Butler, a dashing blockade runner and soldier. The film features an all-star cast, including Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable in the lead roles, as well as Olivia de Havilland, Leslie Howard, Hattie McDaniel, and Thomas Mitchell. The film won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, making it one of the most iconic films in cinema history.

From Kevin Costner, starring Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, Rodney A. Grant
Rated PG-13

Dances with Wolves is a 1990 American epic Western film directed and produced by, and starring Kevin Costner. The film is set in 1863 during the American Civil War and follows a Union Army lieutenant who travels to the American frontier to find a military post and befriends a tribe of Lakota Sioux Indians. He is later accepted into the tribe, taking on the name "Dances With Wolves". The film follows Lt. John Dunbar as he travels and interacts with the Lakota Sioux and discovers a newfound respect for their culture. He fights to protect them from the encroaching U.S. military and their expansions into the West. As Dunbar grows closer to the tribe, he must choose between the expanding American empire and the Lakota. In the end, he decides to join the Sioux and help protect them from the settlers.

From Edward Zwick, starring Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes, Morgan Freeman
Rated R

Glory is a 1989 American drama film directed by Edward Zwick, starring Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes, and Morgan Freeman. The film tells the story of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment, one of the first official African-American units in the United States during the Civil War. The regiment is led by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw (Broderick), and struggles for recognition, respect, and equal treatment from the Union Army. Despite the discrimination and hardship they face, the men of the 54th demonstrate their courage and loyalty to the Union cause by taking part in the assault on Fort Wagner. Glory earned Denzel Washington his first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, and the film was nominated for several other awards.

From Directors: George P. Cosmatos, Kevin Jarre, starring Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton
Rated R

Tombstone is a 1993 American Western film directed by George P. Cosmatos and written by Kevin Jarre. Starring Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Powers Boothe, and Michael Biehn, the film focuses on an outlaw gang, led by Ike Clanton, and their attempt to take over the town of Tombstone, Arizona. The town is defended by United States Marshal Wyatt Earp, his brothers, and their friend Doc Holliday. After a series of escalating confrontations and gunfights, the Earps and Holliday emerge victorious. The movie also features Charlton Heston, Dana Delaney, and Thomas Haden Church in supporting roles.

From Michael Mann, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, Russell Means, Eric Schweig
Rated R

The Last of the Mohicans is a thrilling romantic adventure set during the French and Indian War of 1757. The story follows the journey of the two adopted Mohican brothers, Hawkeye (Daniel Day Lewis) and Uncas (Eric Schweig), and their Mohican father, Chingachgook (Russell Means), as they try to help the beautiful daughter of a British colonel stay safe from the ruthless Huron warriors. Along the way, Hawkeye and Cora (Madeleine Stowe) fall deeply in love, but their romance is threatened by the escalating tensions of the war and the fact that Cora is promised to a British officer. With breathtaking cinematography, stunning action sequences, and a passionate love story, The Last of the Mohicans is an epic tale of courage, love, and survival.

From Sydney Pollack, starring Robert Redford, Will Geer, Delle Bolton, Josh Albee
Rated GP

Jeremiah Johnson is a 1972 western drama directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Robert Redford. The film follows the story of Jeremiah Johnson (Redford), a veteran of the Mexican-American War who decides to leave the world of man behind to live as a mountain man in the Rocky Mountains. After he is taken in by an old trapper named Bear Claw Chris Lapp (Will Geer), Johnson learns the skills and also the dangers of life in the mountains. He soon finds himself embroiled in a conflict between the local Indian tribe, the Crow Nation, and the U.S. Calvary. Johnson must then decide whether he wants to fight for the Crow Nation or try to stay neutral. Ultimately, Johnson's journey is a story of self-discovery, as he discovers what it truly means to be an American in the 19th century Wild West.

From Steven Spielberg, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Rated PG-13

From Steven Spielberg, starring Djimon Hounsou, Matthew McConaughey, Anthony Hopkins, Morgan Freeman
Rated R

From Anthony Minghella, starring Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Renée Zellweger, Eileen Atkins
Rated R

From Roland Emmerich, starring Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Joely Richardson, Jason Isaacs
Rated R

From Gary Ross, starring Matthew McConaughey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mahershala Ali, Keri Russell
Rated R

From Terrence Malick, starring Colin Farrell, Q'orianka Kilcher, Christopher Plummer, Christian Bale
Rated PG-13

From Ang Lee, starring Tobey Maguire, Skeet Ulrich, Jewel, Jeremy W. Auman
Rated R

From Walter Hill, starring Jason Patric, Gene Hackman, Robert Duvall, Wes Studi
Rated PG-13

From Ron Maxwell, starring Stephen Lang, Robert Duvall, Jeff Daniels, Donzaleigh Abernathy
Rated PG-13

From John Lee Hancock, starring Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton, Emilio Echevarría, Jason Patric
Rated PG-13

From Lance Hool, starring Tom Berenger, Joaquim de Almeida, Daniela Romo, Mark Moses
Rated R

From Sean McNamara, starring Michael Krebs, Jake Lawson, Sean Marquette, David Arquette
Rated PG-13

From Ron Maxwell, starring François Arnaud, Lucy Boynton, Casey Thomas Brown, Billy Campbell
Rated PG-13

From Salvador Litvak, starring Tom Amandes, Lea Coco, Penelope Ann Miller, Bruce Davison
Rated Not Rated

From Hugh Hudson, starring Al Pacino, Donald Sutherland, Nastassja Kinski, Joan Plowright
Rated PG