Don't think that there's anything too exciting about libraries, just a bunch of people reading and studying? Libraries can be places of action and adventure; after all, treasure hunters have to go somewhere to do their research! In honor of National Library Week, here's a list of movies featuring libraries and librarians:
The Breakfast Club (1985). Five students are forced to spend their Saturday in detention at the school library. Though they all represent different high school stereotypes (i.e. the jock, the nerd, etc.), they bond over hating their parents, their lives, and their school. Written and directed by John Hughes and filmed locally in Des Plaines. For a modern spin on the Breakfast Club set at a community college, check out Community on NBC (Thursdays at 7 P.M.)
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Desk Set (1957). Set in the reference library of broadcasting network, Katherine Hepburn plays Bunny Watson, a super capable reference librarian. When computer engineer and efficiency expert Richard Sumner (Spencer Tracy) starts poking his nose around the library, Bunny and the other librarians are afraid they'll be replaced by the computer he invented. But of course, the computer proves to be no match for Kate Hepburn.
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Ghostbusters (1984). Shushing from the grave? Peter Venkman and crew check out the ghost of a librarian haunting the New York Public Library. Seems she can't handle the messy shelves:
Dr. Ray Stantz: Symmetrical book stacking. Just like the Philadelphia mass turbulence of 1947.
Dr. Peter Veckman: You're right, no human being would stack books like this.
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Miranda(2002). British librarian Frank (John Simm) falls in love with a mysterious American patron (Christina Ricci). She disappears and he goes to London to find her, only to find out she's not who she said she was.
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The Mummy (1999). Rachel Weisz plays Eveyln Carnahan, a proud, if clumsy librarian. Her research skills and book-learning come in hand later in tracking down treasures and stopping mummies.
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The Music Man (1962). Ever heard of "Marian the Librarian"? She's a spinster librarian who falls for the con-man Harold Hill.
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National Treasure (2004). Historian and amateur cryptologist Franklin Gates (Nicholas Cage) and friend Riley Poole (Justin Bartha) do research at the Library of Congress and the National Archives, where they meet the beautiful Dr. Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger).
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Party Girl (1995). Mary is a free spirit, who enjoys partying and drugs. When her exploits land her in jail, she is bailed out by her godmother, a librarian, who forces her to take a job as a clerk at the library. Mary initially despises her job, until she spends a drug-induced night reading the Dewey Decimal System.
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The Station Agent (2003). Finbar McBride (Peter Dinklage) is a quiet man with dwarfism, who is a railroad enthusiast. He inherits an abandoned train depot from his lone friend. Michelle Williams plays the pretty local librarian that Fin falls for. If you haven't seen The Station Agent, I highly recommend it. Peter Dinklage gives a great performance.
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The Time Traveler's Wife (2009). Besides traveling through time and losing his clothes, Henry DeTamble (Eric Bana) is a special collections librarian in Chicago.
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Wings of Desire (1987). Wim Wender's masterpiece, set in late 1980s West Berlin. Angels Damiel (Bruno Ganz) and Cassiel (Otto Sander) wander around the city observing and listening to the thoughts of the cities' residents. One of the most poignant scenes in the movie takes place in the Stadsbibliotek Berlin (the city library of Berlin), where we hear a montage of the patrons' thoughts. The American, Nicholas Sparks-ified remake, City of Angels, also has several scenes in the library.
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