I liked Guarding Tess immensely and greatly enjoyed Blast from the Past. It is rare when I can watch a movie inwhich Hollywood hasn't placed some barb aimed at conservatives and/or the religious.

If you define conservative as someone unabashedly pro military, values individual fortitude over group think solutions, prefers actions over feelings, values self sufficiency, mocks whiners, can appear thick skinned on the outside but sympathetic on the inside and has no patience or sympathy for criminals then I belive there are a multitude of films to choose from that starred John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Mel Gibson, Jimmy Stewart, Charlton Heston, Charles Bronson and Tom Selleck.

For the non action film with a socially conservative message my favorite is Uncle Buck.

Barbershop. The best part about it is I don't think anyone involved in the making of this film had any intent of making a conservative film, and would probably be aghast at the notion. But it is, and not just during the "F*** Jesse Jackson" moment. The entire movie is a validation of conservative values, and it's funny as hell. By incredible coincidence, it also grossed about five times more at the box office than anyone thought it would.

Another is the first (and maybe second) of the Charles Bronson's Death Wish movies (before it got sequeled to death). Similar to Dirty Harry.

Don't forget Red Dawn, a movie where teenagers whup up on Commies invading America.

We're talking the best conservatives films not the most conservative films, right? And by conservative, we're including those ranging from films that embrace more or less traditional values to those that have an overt conservative political agenda, right? And documentaries don't count, right? OK, here goes:

Patton (old school genius stuck in a PC world)

American History X (Ed Norton was right about half the time, the other half shows what happens when conservativism is taken too seriously)

Incredibles (If everyone is special, then no one is--nuff said).

Dirty Harry (Every conservative dreams he can be Dirty Harry every once in a while at least)

Life of Brian (if only for the People's front of Judea and how they answer the question "What have the Romans done for us?")

Cinderella Man (Horatio Alger in boxing gloves)

Deterrence (God, hopefully it will never come to this, but I am afraid it will)

Happiness (What life is like with no conservative values at all--scary)

Patrick Carver: I feared no one would mention "Red Dawn". What a great movie...WOLVERINES!!!

Just read Football Fans For Truth's post, and i must second "The Barbarian Invasions". First time i saw it on TV i was suspicious. C'mon, it's a movie from Quebec! I expected it to be to the left of Mao. Not so, not so at all. Highly recommended.

While I wouldn't call it conservative, it's far from liberal. My pick is Gunner Palace because it gives a very fair portrait of US soldiers at war.

Team America - heck yeah!

Dman:

Uncle Buck rules.

Here's my nomination for a good conservative film: Braveheart. 'Nuff said.

The movie Barcelona is an all time favorite. It's such a great, funny movie and very, very conservative.

Yes, that was the first one I thought of, then I forgot it, and sat there wondering "What the hell was that movie I was just thinking of?"

Definitely Barcelona.

Peter Jacksons Lord of the Rings Trilogy is probably the most influential, yet underrated, conservative film of our generation. Think about its main themes; Good vs. Evil, loyalty, bravery and preserverence in the face of overwhelming odds, the corrosive effect of power, and sacrafice for the greater good.

The works of Tolkien are profoundly conservative in nature, and the exposure his works recieved at the hands of Peter Jackson will bring them to a whole new generation.

Consider this post I recieved from friend serving in Iraq a couple of years ago (lost the original post, photos left to your imagination). The quotes are from Tolkiens' more obscure Silmarillion:

“Yet it is said that Morgoth looked not for the assault that came upon him from the West; for so great was his pride become that he deemed that none would ever again come with open war against him...

(Saddam in Glory)

Moveover he thought that he had for ever estranged the Noldor from the Lords of the West, and that content in their blissful realm the Valar would heed nor more his kingdom in the world without; for to him that is pitiless the deeds of pity are ever strange and beyond reckoning. But the hosts of the Valar prepared for battle...”

(American Preparation)

“But at last the might of Valinor came up out of the West, and ... the host of the Valar were arrayed in forms young and fair and terrible, and the mountians rang beneathe their feet.”

(Young Americans bound for Iraq)

“The meeting of the hosts of the West and of the North is named the Great Battle, and the War of Wrath. There was marshalled the whole power of the throne of Morgoth, and it had become great beyond count...”

(Iraqui propaganda)

“...But it availed him not. The Balrogs were destroyed, save some few that fled and hid themselves in caverns inaccesible at the roots of the earth;

(WMDs, Bekka valley)

“Then, seeing that his hosts were overthrown and his power dispersed, Morgoth quailed, and he dared not to come forth himself”

(Saddams’ final TV address)

“Then the sun rose, and the host of the Valar prevailed... and all the pits of Morgoth were broken and unroofed, and the might of the Valar descended unto the deeps of the earth.”

(U.S. Troops securing bunkers under Baghdad)

“There Morgoth stood at last at bay, and yet unvaliant. He fled into the deepest of his mines and sued for peace and pardon;”

(Saddam in Spiderhole)

but his feet were hewn from under him, and he was hurled upon his face...

(Saddam in Headlock)

Thus was an end made to the power of Angband ... and the evil realm was brought to naught; and out of the deep prisons a multitude of slaves came forth beyond all hope into the the light of day, and they looked upon a world that was changed.”

(Saddams' prisoners released)

Yet the lies that Melkor, the mighty and accursed, Morgoth Bauglir, the Power of Terror and of Hate, sowed in the hearts of ... Men are a seed that does not die and cannon be destroyed; and ever and anon it sprouts anew, and will bear dark fruit even unto the latest days.”

(Michael Moore/Anti-war protesters)

How about The Hunt For Red October - very pro American Military. At the end, just before the Russian attack sub is destroyed, its first officer says to his captain "you arrogant ass - YOU'VE KILLED US!!" and then a big white star covers the entire screen for one frame when the torpedo explodes.

Nice propaganda.

Regarding LotR, very conservative.

The liberal way would have been to return the ring to it's rightful owner, and then try and get Sauron in the Middle Earth Hague as he tries to run rampant across the land.

Instead, they fight an enemy who had not necessarily attacked them, but who was likely to. Even more importantly, they attacked him while he was still weak.

If we are talking TV series' how about The Shield ?

I loved Blast from the Past and enjoyed the romance between Alicia Silverstone and Brendan Fraiser. For good conservative films, Dennis Quaid has been on a roll since 2000. Here are my faves (also posted on the Football fans blog):

FREQUENCY (2000) is a great conservative movie wrapped up as a thriller. Jim Caviezel is a cop whose life is falling apart and his emotional problems are a direct result of the death of his beloved father, Dennis Quaid, when Caviezal was a boy. Over 30 years ago, Quaid was a firefighter killed in the line of duty. He was also a great husband and father whose death created negative ripples in his family especially in his son. A freak event allows the grown son (Caviezel), to communicate with his dad (Quaid) 30 years in the past using an old ham radio. They end up working together to save the life of his mother (Quaid’s wife) and stopping a serial killer. It’s a good action / thriller with conservative values including the values of fathers / husbands, how the loss of a father negatively impacts a family, and how love and family triumph over a serial killer. Liberals and ultra-feminists who push the message that men and fathers are irrelevant must hate the film’s core message about the importance of dads. It’s a heart-warming story, a cool little action thriller and I cheered the father/son love story.

THE ROOKIE (2002) - the true life story of a small-town high school coach who makes a deal with his team that he will pursue his dream to pitch in the majors if they make the playoffs. Not as good as Frequency but still good stuff.

IN GOOD COMPANY (2004) – Quaid plays a loving husband and father who’s demoted at work and forced to work for inexperienced new boss who’s all of 26. The daughter, 19 or so, dates the boss behind her father’s back. The daughter is a little flaky but she goes to NYU, so what do you expect. Quaid is a great dad, loving husband and an honest business man who teaches his young boss about honor and integrity in business. Good drama with lots of humor.

Classic – HIGH NOON with Gary Cooper. I grew up on Bonanza and The Big Valley. I would get so mad at Ben Cartwright for allowing his neighbors to stab him in the back time after time, and them giving them a pass on it. One western weekend, I discovered High Noon and cheered when he threw the badge in the dirt. Go Gary, Go Gary, Go, Go, Go Gary!