Magnolia

There are certain films and shows that resonate with audiences everywhere—they generate discussion and debate about everything from gender, class, citizenship and race to consumerism and social identity. This new “teachable canon” of film and television introduces students to alternative classics that range from silent film to CSI.

• What other film can claim that it ends with frogs falling from the sky as the rain pours and the male leads cry? The final catharsis...