Iron Man, The Little Mermaid, More Added to National Film Registry

The National Film Registry has named its selections for inclusion for 2022, and there are places for groundbreaking comedies, animated films, and superheroes too. Every year, the Librarian of Congress names 25 motion pictures which are at least 10 years old, and register as “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant.

The headline inclusion for 2022 is the selection of 2008's Iron Man, from Marvel Studios. The film, directed by Jon Favreau, launched Robert Downey Jr. into superstardom, and also served as the origins for what would become a cultural and financial behemoth in the form of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which goes strong today.

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige released a statement expressing his delight and pride that the film had been selected for inclusion:

“Iron Man was the very first film Marvel Studios independently produced. It was the first film that we had all of the creative control and oversight on and it was really make or break for the studio. All of our favorite movies are the ones that we watch over and over again and that we grow up with. The notion that here we are, almost 15 years after the release of ‘Iron Man,’ and to have it join the Film Registry tells us it has stood the test of time and that it is still meaningful to audiences around the world.

Also selected was the classic and oft-quoted When Harry Met Sally (1989). From director Rob Reiner, the film starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan revolved around the idea of whether or not men and women can actually be friends and nothing more. It is deemed a defining work in the genre of romantic comedies, while Crystal added the reason for its longevity lies in its simplicity. "The movie is beautiful and simple and appropriate and every shot is just right. The timing, which is in the hands of Rob, who is, for this movie, a modern-day Billy Wilder… and it’s New York, it’s the fall, it’s the music.”

There was also inclusion for Disney's 1989 animated feature, The Little Mermaid - adapted loosely from the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen - which featured the undersea princess Ariel (Jodie Benson) and her desire to live among the people on land. The film is credited with beginning a second golden generation of animation for the studio, commonly referred to as the Disney Renaissance, a run which began with The Little Mermaid and ran through to 1999's Tarzan. The film won two Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song. A live action remake, starring Halle Bailey as Ariel, is due for release in May 2023.

The full list of films selection for inclusion can be found below.

Films selected for the 2022 National Film Registry

(chronological order)