National Film Registry Campaign
"There's Definitely a Very Slim Chance"

Ghostbusters was officially added to the National Film Registry in 2015, owing in part to all the readers of this project who voiced their support for this film's importance.

I even had the honor of writing an essay about the movie to accompany its entry.

For nostalgia purposes and to make clear the significance of this act, I include the original text of the campaign below, minus the instructions on how to pester the government. Our work as fans helped this happen. Now a sterling master copy of the film will be preserved in the Library of Congress for future generations, ready to blow books off shelves from twenty feet away and scare the socks off some poor librarian.

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As you've probably noticed, I believe that Ghostbusters is more than just a modern classic among American comedies. I believe it's an important movie with interesting, relevant, prescient messages, not to mention a showcase for impressive visual and auditory craft and a host of technical achievements and innovations. In short, just the sort of cultural treasure that the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress ought to preserve.

Every year, the National Film Registry selects up to 25 films—features, shorts, documentaries, newsreels, music videos, you name it. Feature comedies around Ghostbusters' age to receive this honor include American Graffiti, Annie Hall, Back to the Future, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Groundhog Day, The Muppet Movie, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, This is Spinal Tap and Tootsie.

Films that owe their inclusion in the Registry in part to letter-writing campaigns include Hoosiers and Growing Up Female.

It is the Registry's mission to identify, preserve and honor America's "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant films".

I believe Ghostbusters is part of our cinematic heritage.

I know I'm not alone.

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Well, I guess I wasn't. Thanks to fans of Ghostbusters for joining the campaign, to Donna Ross at the Library of Congress for taking in and tallying our voices (not to mention letting me write the essay), and to the Board that makes the yearly decisions, for obvious reasons.