A.I.: Artificial Intelligence

"A.I.: Artificial Intelligence" (2001)

The moment: The little robot boy finds the blue fairy under the sea and spends an eternity staring into its lifeless eyes.

Why it's great: Spielberg's benevolence and original director Stanley Kubrick's mistrust of human nature come ... moretogether in a heartbreaking scene of hopeless, guileless optimism.

Why it has lasted: Spielberg finds a science-fiction Pinocchio in Kubrick's dark, visionary fairy tale: Robot boy David (Haley Joel Osment) desires to be human despite the cruelty and hate he finds on his odyssey. Spielberg injects warmth and hope in the cold pessimism of Kubrick's future and an unflagging faith in the penultimate scene, where David patiently waits out the end of the world for his wish to come true. Had "A.I." ended here, it would have been a minor masterpiece.

(Everett Collection)