Some of my favorite movies, aside from the more obvious choices are:
Les Misérables - the version with Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush. It's a good story, the setting (French revolutions) is cool, and it's got fricken Liam Neeson and Geoffrey Rush in it! 8)
Another is
October Sky, based on the book
The Rocket Boys, it's a true story about some kids in West Virginia in the 1950's who teach themselves about rockets so they can get into college. My father and I took two trips down to the town they lived in just to look around. It's actually pretty interesting down there, with most of the tiny towns crammed in between the hills, and half of them deserted. We listened to the book on tape in the car too 'cuz we're nerds like that.
Rockets are also cool.
One more is
The Great Escape, which is also based on a true story about Allied POWs who plan a brilliant escape from their German captors. It's got a great cast, great scenes, and is probably my most favorite WW2-era film.
I'll post more when they come to me.