Films have an afterlife that is not always predictable, but for that matter the reaction to a film when it first appears is not really predictable. Films appeal to audiences of their time for a wide variety of reasons, and that appeal may continue into the future or may dissipate for mysterious reasons. Films today have a longer immediate life because of video. That is, where a film in the past would have shown in theaters and then disappeared for a time before showing up, perhaps years later, on television, today films reach the video store within a few months and cable shortly after that. This keeps their titles, at least, alive for a much longer initial period and may build an audience that might come back to the film in subsequent years. Still, some films will hold interest over time, while others will be viewed through whatever medium is available and then will be forgotten.
Because there is something mysterious and uncertain happening in the way films do or do not connect with viewers, doing more than estimating which films will fall into each category is impossible, but certain criteria can be used to make such an assessment. Among the current crop of films, Rob Roy is likely to last into the future for a number of reasons, while a film such as Losing Isaiah, no matter how popular it may be immediately, is not likely to last in popularity beyond a year or two. Among the reasons are subject matter, treatment, stars, and the strength of the reception on initial release.
This last point should be considered first, that the strength of the reception of a film on initial release has something to do with how long it last. A film that is well-received by critics and audiences, even if it is not the most popular film in theaters at the time, has a greater chance of lasting into the future because what is being created is a form of trademark. The title of the film becomes ingrained in the public memory as something good, w...