Here are the top 11 movies every American kid needs to see before age 17

It's surprising to know how many young people and even younger adults, have never heard of Jimmy Stewart, Humphrey Bogart, Barbara Stanwyck or Bette Davis. The history of American films contains a treasury of ideas, heart-touching moments, real-life fears and varying ideas that stimulate the thought processes.

But young people might not realize that many of today's hot-button topics − political corruption, election issues, love triangles, dysfunctional families, casual violence, racism − were the subjects of movies in the Silent Era and in the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, and so on.

With that in mind, here is this author's list of must-see and culturally iconic classic movies for children to see before they turn 17 to better understand American culture.

11 - "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" (1948)

Starring the amazing actor Humphrey Bogart, this story relates the experience of three men who travel to a mountain in Mexico to mine gold -- and how the discovery of treasure affects each one mentally and morally. Highlight: The acting of grizzled old graybeard miner Walter Huston.

10 - "October Sky" (1999)

Based on a true story, this movie is set in the 1950s and centers on the efforts of teenage boys in a small coal mining town in West Virginia to learn about building rockets, inspired by America's effort to conquer space. They meet with stiff resistance from parents, a school official and others -- including the police. Just when their quest seems hopeless, they refuse to give up. Highlight: One of the final scenes, when the main teenager talks with his father at the coal mine office.

9 - "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" (1962)

This is a John Wayne offering, but also stars tough guys James Stewart and Lee Marvin. It is set in the 1800s and centers on a young brash lawyer (Stewart) who decides to practice in a small western town that has very little law. Wayne is the town's most respected (and feared) citizen. Valance (Marvin) is a bloodthirsty mercenary who challenges Stewart to a gunfight. Highlight: Wayne's flashback to the night of the gunfight.

8 - "Since You Went Away" (1944)

Although this movie is a little long, it is an excellent depiction of what life was like for families back home suffering the privations and shortages caused by the World War II effort. It focuses on the hardships and small triumphs of a mother and her two teenage daughters (one of them Shirley Temple) as they deal with the absence of the man of the house, who in his 40s joined the Army to be part of the military effort. Highlight: The brief monologue of Col. Smollett as he stands by a fireplace after he learns his only grandson has been killed in the war.

7 - "Brian's Song" (1971)

This is a fairly close-to-the-truth biopic about the friendship of a black football player (Gale Sayers) and a white football player (Brian Piccolo) who are teammates in the late 1960s with the Chicago Bears. They became the first black and white hotel roommates in team history. It examines the depth of their relationship when one of them is diagnosed with life-altering cancer. Highlight: The final narration.

6 - "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946)

James Stewart stars in this story about Harry Bailey, a distraught man who is going to kill himself on Christmas Eve but then finds out what the world would have been like had he never been born. Highlight: The final scene when Harry Bailey learns his true worth.

5 - "Secondhand Lions" (2003)

A delightful story about a maladjusted pre-teen who spends the summer with two crusty bachelor uncles (Michael Caine, Robert Duvall) on their rundown farm property in Texas. The boy improves his self-image and trust in people. At the end, the uncles proved "they really lived." Highlights Many. Two of them include the return of the boy to the farm after it appears he has left forever, and the "what every boy needs to know about being a man" speech by one of the uncles.

4 - "Star Wars - A New Hope" (1977)

A story about military and philosophical conflict in a galaxy "far, far away," features themes of courage, trust, symbiotic relationships and clearly defined concepts of good (The Force) vs. evil (The Dark Side). Highlight: The sacrifice of Obi-Wan Kenobi to let his friends escape the Death Star.

3 - "To Kill a Mockingbird" (1962)

Starring Gregory Peck in perhaps his best performance, this story focuses on a widowed lawyer and his two young children as they bump into issues of racism, ignorance and social status in a small, poor Southern town during the Great Depression. Highlight: The scene near the end of the story when the little girl finally meets Boo Radley.

2 - "The Magnificent Seven" (1960)

Seven professional gunmen agree to protect a small Mexican village from a murderous bandit band that steals most of their food and goods. Highlight: Charles Bronson's speech to youngsters about the courage of their fathers.

1 - "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939)

James Stewart plays an idealistic rookie U.S. senator who is assaulted personally and in the press by a greedy political machine and fights back against seemingly impossible odds to try to get people to believe the truth. Highlight: Stewart's one-man filibuster on the Senate floor.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Top 11 movies every American kid should see before age 17