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American Film Institute

Fantasy

Top Ten Fantasy Movies Presented by AFI

Top Ten Fantasy Movies Presented by AFI

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#1 The Wizard of Oz

Dorothy Gale, a Kansas farm girl, lives with her Auntie Em and Uncle Henry. When Almira Gulch, who owns half the county, brings a sheriff's order to take Dorothy's little dog Toto away to have the dog destroyed, because Toto bit Miss Gulch's leg, Auntie Em and Uncle Henry refuse to go against the law, and they give the dog to Miss Gulch.

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#2 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

In the mythical world of Middle-earth, many thousands of years ago, several powerful rings were made and given to the heads of each state: three rings for the Elven-kings, seven for the Dwarf-lords and nine for Mortal Men.

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#3 It's a Wonderful Life

On Christmas Eve, 1945, prayers are heard in heaven for George Bailey of Bedford Falls, New York. To help George, Clarence Oddbody, an angel who has not yet earned his wings, is being sent to earth to keep the despairing George from killing himself on this crucial night.

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#4 King Kong

Because he refuses to disclose any information concerning the exotic location of his upcoming movie project, Carl Denham, a renowned adventure filmmaker, is forced to search the streets of New York to find a lead actress.

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#5 Miracle on 34th Street

In downtown Manhattan, Kris Kringle, a white-bearded man, protests to Doris Walker, the organizer of the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, that the man who will portray Santa Claus is drunk.

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#6 Field of Dreams

An Iowa farmer hears a voice in his cornfield accompanied by a vision of a baseball field.

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#7 Harvey

Mild-mannered Elwood P. Dowd leaves the house for the day with his invisible six-foot-three rabbit friend, Harvey, and is secretly watched by his sister, Veta Louise Simmons, and her daughter Myrtle Mae.

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#8 Groundhog Day

Teamed with a relentlessly cheery producer and a smart-aleck cameraman, TV weatherman Phil Connors is sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to cover the annual Groundhog Day festivities.

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#9 The Thief of Bagdad

Until he encounters the Princess, the Thief of Bagdad flouts religious teachings. Pretending to be a prince, he wins her love. After suffering humility and confessing the truth to the Holy Man, he is sent on a quest for a magic chest to earn his happiness.

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#10 Big

More than anything else, 13-year old New Jerseyite Josh wants to be "big". That's the wish he makes at an odd-looking amusement pier fortunetelling machine.