Top 10 Film Appearances of The Statue of Liberty

The statue of Liberty is seen as an icon of freedom and a fresh start. That makes its cameo in the romantic comedy 'Splash' so appropriate. In the film, a mermaid washes up on liberty Island and transforms into a human in order to find her long lost love interest, and a fresh start in the world.

Lady Liberty is a symbol to incoming immigrants that they have finally reached the New World. In Titanic, she is seen by the rescued survivors of the crash as they enter New York Harbor, a symbol of their endurance.

Despite her status as a symbol of hope, the Statue of Liberty’s destruction has happened more than once on film. The Day After Tomorrow uses that destruction as a sign of the upcoming apocalypse. She is hit by a giant tsunami, and later can be seen completely frozen over due to the extreme climate change that has occurred.

Continuing the trend of destroying Lady Liberty, Deep Impact also saw the statue swallowed up by a giant tsunami, along with the Brooklyn Bridge and the entire island of Manhattan. Her decapitated head is later seen floating down the street, a sign that things would never be the same.

The Statue of Liberty is no stranger to damage, and Cloverfield is definitely no exception. Her decapitated head flies through New York City streets, and is one of the first signs that the city is in for some trouble.

Perhaps the worst movie on this list, Superman IV uses Lady Liberty not as a beacon, but as a weapon. She is thrown at the city by Nuclear Man, one of the film’s villains. Fortunately, Superman is able to save both the innocent citizens and Lady Liberty from impending doom, thus proving that he still stands for truth, justice and the American way.

One film that uses the Statue in its climax is X-Men. Bad guy Magneto draws the X-Men to Liberty Island, and manages to use Liberty herself as a giant magnet to trap them. An epic battle ensues, naturally, but you always know Lady Liberty will come out on top.

The 1942 Alfred Hitchcock film is one of her earlier movie appearances. A cross-country chase is finally culminated in New York City, and the film’s climax plays out atop her torch. This is the movie’s most memorable scene.

In what is one of her most famous movie roles, the Statue of Liberty is not a symbol for hope but for despair. Her half-buried carcass is seen jutting out from some sand, which alerts Charlton Heston to the fact that the Planet of the Apes was actually Earth all along.

But who can forget her most triumphant movie role? The Ghostbusters were back for a sequel, and needed something to top the Marshmallow Man from their first film. What better way to save New York and ring in the New Year than to mobilize Lady Liberty as a symbol of goodness? Her walk through Manhattan’s streets is heart-warming and memorable, and definitely her best role in a comedic film.