Wild River (1960) - Tennessee Valley

Filmed on location in the Tennessee Valley, Wild River is set in the early 1930s. Montgomery Clift plays an idealistic TVA agent, assigned to convince the locals to move from their property so that a beneficial dam can be built. The principal holdout is feisty octogenarian Jo Van Fleet, who refuses to budge from her land, convinced that she will die if she ever gives an inch. Her prophecy turns out to be true, as Van Fleet becomes yet another sacrifice to progress. Clift also runs into opposition because of his fair treatment of the local black population. Lee Remick costars as Van Fleet's granddaughter, who comes to love and understand the sensitive Clift. Watch for an uncredited Bruce Dern in his film debut. 

Some dated fuzzy-headed liberalism aside, Wild River is a masterful recreation of a difficult, complex period in American history. In 2002 it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.