New York's next mayor will face a litany of pressing problems to tackle—failing schools, aging infrastructure, a shrinking middle class—which is why it is vitally important to learn what the candidates' favorite movies are. Today the Daily News published one of those cutesy surveys that finally reveals which candidate prefers to watch Brad Pitt and Eric Bana waste $175 million above all other works of cinema.

But first, let's look at the state of mind each one of these candidates (or their assistants) were in when they filled this thing out.

What was the scariest moment of your life?

Christine Quinn: 9/11 and assassination of Council Member James Davis

Bill Thompson: 9/11

John Liu: Toddler son Joey had strong allergic reaction, had to rush to hospital

Bill De Blasio: Traveling through a war zone on the road to Nuevo Leon in Nicaragua, 1988

Sal Albanese: Waiting to find out if I passed the bar exam, talk about anxiety!

Joe Lhota: The day my doctor told me I had cancer

Adolfo Carrion: When I pulled my daughter out of violent riptide on Long Beach Island

John Catsimatidis: Landing a plane with one dead engine

George McDonald: First time I heard the 2nd Ave. subway explosion and every day since

Talk about not being a Patriot or a serious public servant, Sal! Clearly, Albanese and George McDonald are unfit for office, and their flippant answers deserve the most unyielding scorn.

Favorite book?

Quinn: Book of Mychal (by Mike Daly)

Thompson: The Godfather (by Mario Puzo)

Liu: Brown Bear (by Bill Martin)

De Blasio: Nothing to Fear (by Adam Cohen)

Albanese: It's How Children Succeed (Paul Tough)

Lhota: My favorite is always book I'm currently reading. Today's favorite is Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power (by Jon Meacham)

Carrion: Atlas Shrugged (by Ayn Rand)

Catsimatidis: Mainly read newspapers and business publications

McDonald: Team of Rivals (by Doris Kearns Goodwin)

These are all wrong answers (the correct response: How To Be A Mayor For The Children Who Is Tough On Crime And Pleasantly Vague On Specific Policies, by Fiorello Roosevelt Lincoln Wagner Rockefeller La Guardia) but Brown Bear! We'll just assume that by "newspapers and business publications," Catsimatidis means all of them.

What's the most played song on your iPod?

Quinn: Land of Hopes and Dreams, Bruce Springsteen

Thompson: My Girl by the Temptations

Liu: Empire State of Mind, Jay-Z

De Blasio: Don't use it much, but Bob Marley

Albanese: Ring of Fire, Johnny Cash

Lhota: Do not own an iPod (but favorite song is "Jessica" by the Allman Brothers)

Carrion: Celia Cruz radio

Catsimatidis: Bobby Vinton's How old do you get?

McDonald: Leonard Cohen’s Coming home

Yeah, Bob Marley is pretty great, but did you hear that other cool song, Sublime? Also, can you tell me where the party is tonight and will I be able to meet a youth named Molly there?

Favorite movie?

Quinn: Dirty Dancing

Thompson: Casablanca

Liu: Troy

DeBlasio: The Candidate

Albanese: Braveheart

Lhota: The Godfather

Carrion: The Deer Hunter

Catsimatidis: Casablanca

McDonald: Meet John Doe

We hereby invite all the candidates to an exclusive screening of Immortals followed by a panel discussion about how Mickey Rourke's character represents teacher contracts.

[UPDATE] In a shocking breach of public trust, it appears that Liu either lied or is extremely fickle about the most grave designation of "Favorite Movie." From a 2011 Sunday Routine profile in the Times:

Sunday night, I go over what’s coming up during the week. I don’t do bubble baths. I like to watch a film to relax. My favorite is “The Matrix.” Lots to look at, not much to think about.

We'd have more to say about this if we had actually seen The Matrix.