For better or worse, Alabama mostly finds itself stereotyped in Hollywood.

We aren’t unaccustomed to punchlines at our expense, condemning aspects of our past and present, or just poking fun at our accents.

But real Alabamians know the rich history our state has on the big screen, with many timeless classics (and Academy Award-winners) exploring the complexities of this place through searing dramas, fascinating documentaries, and yes, OK, some silliness.

Below are 10 films that every person from Alabama should see at least once — movies about, set or filmed in our state. And we don’t endorse every pick as the gold standard in cinematic achievement. Rather, some simply play a vital role in that industry’s depiction of the region, truthfully or…not as much.

Have you seen these movies?

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

Gregory Peck won an Oscar for his portrayal of noble attorney Atticus Finch in this 1962 adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel of the same name. Set in the fictional town of Maycomb, Ala., during the 1930s, it tells the story of Finch and his family as he defends a black man against an undeserved rape charge, and his kids against prejudice. A must-see for southerners. It won three Oscars for actor, adapted screenplay and art direction and scored five more nominations for picture, director, supporting actress (Birmingham native Mary Badham), cinematography and musical score. Widely considered an American film classic.

Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)

Birmingham native Fannie Flagg’s novel “Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe” got the big screen treatment in this popular dramedy starring Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson and Mary-Louise Parker. It tells the story of a Depression-era friendship between two women, Ruth and Idgie, and a 1980s friendship between Evelyn, a middle-aged housewife, and Ninny, an elderly woman who knew Ruth and Idgie. While much of the film is set in Alabama — and the Whistle Stop cafe is based on Irondale — much of the film was shot in Georgia. It earned two Oscar nominations, one for supporting actress (Tandy) and one for adapted screenplay (for which Flagg was nominated as co-writer).

My Cousin Vinny (1992)

Two New Yorkers are accused of murder in rural Alabama while on their way back to college, and one of their cousins — an inexperienced, loudmouth lawyer (Joe Pesci) not accustomed to Southern rules and manners — comes in to defend them. Set in Alabama but filmed exclusively in a handful of small towns in Georgia, we’d love to claim this hilarious courtroom comedy that earned Marisa Tomei a best supporting actress Oscar as our own. Whether or not you think it mocked our state is open for interpretation (“They sleep with their sisters” jokes, notwithstanding), especially considering how Pesci and Tomei’s characters adapt to their new surroundings. But you might not even care. Written by Dale Launer and directed by Jonathan Lynn, it remains a laugh-out-loud comedy that lets its stars shine for a quick two hours. Most Southern moment: In one of its best scenes, the film goes full-on fish-out-of-water when Vinny and his girlfriend Mona Lisa visit a nearby diner for breakfast. The owner serves their plates filled with eggs, bacon and an unfamiliar corner of white stuff the lawyer can’t quite place. “What’s this over here?” Vinny asks, bewildering the cook. “You never heard of grits?” the proprietor asks. “Sure, sure, I heard of grits. I just actually never seen a grit before.”

MORE: 10 facts you didn’t know about ‘My Cousin Vinny’

Forrest Gump (1994)

Robert Zemeckis’ Oscar-winning adaptation of Winston Groom’s novel tells the unbelievable fictional story of a good-natured Alabama man who witnesses and participates in many of the defining events of American history during the latter half of the 20th century. While most of the best picture-winner takes place in Alabama, Zemeckis filmed those scenes in South Carolina, Virginia and North Carolina. It won six Oscars including best picture and actor (Tom Hanks) and grossed nearly $700 million worldwide. Gump grows up in the fictional town of Greenbow, Ala., and eventually plays football for the University of Alabama under Paul “Bear” Bryant. A ‘90s cultural touchstone, “Gump” has unfortunately fallen out of favor for many who find it trendy to retroactively snark about this warmhearted fable that cares so deeply about its main character who touches generations of lives with kindness. There’s simply no other movie like it, and we still love it.

READ: 35 fascinating facts about ‘Forrest Gump’

4 Little Girls (1997)

Spike Lee’s 1997 staggering documentary about the September 15, 1963 murder of four African-American girls (Addie Mae Collins, Carol Denise McNair, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Rosamond Robertson) in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham earned the director an Academy Award nomination along with widespread critical praise. Featuring original music by longtime Lee collaborator Terence Blanchard, the film used the 1964 song “Birmingham Sunday,” sung by Joan Baez, during its opening sequence. It was also selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” It has a perfect 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the Critics Consensus saying, “4 Little Girls finds Spike Lee moving into documentary filmmaking with his signature style intact — and all the palpable fury the subject requires.” (Stream it on Max)

Sweet Home Alabama (2002)

Hopping from an historically essential documentary to this isn’t ideal, but this cheesy rom-com remains relevant to understand Hollywood’s loose comprehension of the South and our state, in particular. Reese Witherspoon plays a young woman who’s reinvented herself as a New York socialite, as she returns home to Alabama to obtain a divorce from her husband, after seven years of separation. This somewhat likable but very formulaic rom-com relies heavily on Southern stereotypes, namely featuring Civil War re-enactments (and Confederate flags), dogs named after Bear Bryant and late night partying at local bars as patrons stop everything to sing the Lynyrd Skynyrd hit in unison. Plus, they filmed most of it in Georgia, setting it in a fictional Alabama town despite specific references to cities like Tuscaloosa. Not the best depiction of our state — and critics dissed it with a 38 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes — but people enjoyed it, helping it to an impressive box office haul of $180 million worldwide.

MORE: 20 sweet things to know about ‘Sweet Home Alabama’

Big Fish (2003)

While Tim Burton’s adaptation of Daniel Wallace’s novel earned several Golden Globe nominations (without a win), it only managed one Oscar nomination for Danny Elfman’s musical score. The film was almost entirely shot in Alabama, mostly in Wetumpka and Montgomery in areas like Old Cloverdale. Some filming also took place in Tallassee and on the campus of Huntingdon College. Scenes for the town of Spectre were filmed on a custom set located on an island in Lake Jackson between Montgomery and Millbrook, adjacent to the Alabama River. It mostly scored with critics and earned several award nominations, including four at the Golden Globes. Fans also dug the modest box office hit. Is it a little hokey, and does it depict an Alabama few of us have ever actually encountered? Yes, but that’s fantasy, and most find this emotionally satisfying.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

We’re all jacked up on Mountain Dew, so we’ll come at you like a spider monkey if you make us snub Adam McKay’s NASCAR comedy (and “Anchorman” follow-up) starring Will Ferrell as an egomaniacal stock car racer named Ricky Bobby. Mostly filmed in North Carolina, the crew did make it to the Talladega Superspeedway for some key scenes, including the film’s final shot. While not as fresh and outrageous as McKay’s previous effort, critics actually dug this more overall. Stock car racing, and people’s obsession with it, is still a vital part of this state’s history and culture, and if you’ve ever spent an evening in a Talladega infield party, you’ll know why.

Muscle Shoals (2013)

Greg ‘Freddy’ Camalier’s electrifying documentary celebrates Rick Hall, the founder of FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Ala., and the signature sound he developed in timeless songs such as “I’ll Take You There,” “Brown Sugar,” and “When a Man Loves a Woman.” Features interviews with legendary artists like Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Aretha Franklin, Bono and many more, spotlighting the critical role Alabama has long played in rock and roll history. A must for music fans, or really for anyone who wants to learn more about the state’s cultural impact in America.

RELATED: The 20 best songs ever recorded in Muscle Shoals

Selma (2015)

Ava DuVernay’s gripping and reverent portrayal of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches earned an Oscar nomination for best picture and a win for best song (“Glory”). Much of the production filmed in Georgia, but key scenes were shot in Selma and Montgomery, specifically locations where the historic events actually took place. In the Rotten Tomatoes piece “50 States, 50 Essential Movies,” the site picked “Selma” as the best Alabama has to offer. “Historic locations used include Edmund Pettus Bridge, where marchers violently clashed with state troopers, and the Alabama State Capitol Building, upon whose steps King delivered an impassioned speech for the finale,” they wrote. “History isn’t always pretty. In a country as young as America, the effects of the past remain ever urgent and immediate, as states move on from hardship and flourish under the banner of civic pride. And, sometimes, that history makes for a hell of a movie.”

Bonus Pick:

Con Air (1997)

“Con Air” exemplifies all that is right with our state and all that is right with movies on the whole. Directed by Englishman Simon West (the man behind Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” music video known for those mischievous “Rick Roll” pranks), the film finds newly paroled ex-con and Army Ranger Cameron Poe (an Alabama native) trapped in a prisoner transport plane when the passengers seize control. Get past Nicolas Cage’s gloriously bonkers Southern accent (mind you, he visited the state to study the dialect), and you will understand why this might be the best movie ever made about our beloved state. The lead actress, Monica Potter, grew up in Arab, Ala. It honors veterans, respects pageants, makes barbecue jokes, and is bookended by country star Trisha Yearwood’s (Oscar-nominated) song “How Do I Live.” You hear Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” twice, even during the film’s closing credits. And Cameron Poe, a God-fearing man, is Cage’s idea of “a Southern badass.” This movie can’t get anymore Alabama.

READ: 15 reasons why ‘Con Air’ might be the best movie about Alabama

Double bonus pick:

Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

A person from Alabama wrote and directed the movie that gave Alabama its biggest night in Oscar history. Co-written and directed by Birmingham native Daniel Scheinert (with his filmmaking partner Daniel Kwan) and edited by Alabama-born Paul Rogers, the multiverse adventure “Everything Everywhere All at Once” won seven total Academy Awards, including best picture, directing, original screenplay, actress (Michelle Yeoh), supporting actor (Ke Huy Quan), supporting actress (Jamie Lee Curtis) and editing. It led all nominees with 11 at the 95th Annual Academy Awards. Born in Birmingham, Scheinert attended Oak Mountain Elementary and Middle Schools before going to high school in Shades Valley. His parents, Ken and Becky, now live in Guntersville. His dad said Scheinert got into filmmaking through local competitions and musical theater during high school. During his acceptance speech, in true Alabama fashion, Homewood High School graduate Rogers drew big laughs when he said, “This is my second film, y’all. This is crazy.” On the surface, the film may not feel like Alabama, but Scheinert told AL.com the movie is “a love letter to our parents” that deals with misunderstandings and generation gaps and with the the struggle to communicate with folks that are in a family, themes that partially reflect his own upbringing in his home state.