These are the movies that have been passed on for generations, no matter how much style and artistic tastes change year-to-year.
How did we decide on the “Essential” 140? We looked at reviews, other “best of” lists, cultural impact, and applied some editorial discretion. They didn’t have to just be good – in fact, some are not so Fresh at all! – but they had to play a part in the history of the medium. These are the movies that have been passed on for generations, no matter how much style and artistic tastes change year-to-year. They’re the ones that parents and kids watch together, frequently becoming part of the family tradition. They’re the movies that pushed animation forward, and that inspire people to pick up the pen, pencil, or stylus and try to make their own mark in history with their own colorful stories.