Top 100 Movies of All Time

Here are the Top 100 movies of all time. And here's the criteria: This is my list. It was not compiled to be chic or politically correct. My favorite movies entertain. To be frank, I found "Casablanca" a little boring and "Gone With the Wind" needed major editing. They're not here. This gives you a sense of the list.

One final thought: I have not seen every movie. So if there's a notable omission, it may mean I haven't seen it. If you're so inspired, feel free to add your movie to the comments.

Enjoy the list.

1. The Breakfast Club
Landmark snapshot of high school cliques

2. Field of Dreams
History, baseball, fantasy and Fenway

3. Good Will Hunting
Wonderful story vaults Damon and Affleck to stardom

4. The Graduate
Both Hoffman and soundtrack superb

5. Titanic
James Cameron's epic emotionally draining

6. Jaws
In the summer of '75, even bathtubs were scary

7. The Wizard of Oz
Color in '39 a groundbreaking feature

8. Wuthering Heights (1939)
Best love story of all time

9. Back to the Future
Cool, complicated concept that delivers

10. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Gollum makes this the best of the trilogy

11. The Sixth Sense
Attention to detail with a surprise ending

12. Raiders of the Lost Ark
Perhaps best action-adventure ever

13. Ghost
Whoopi is wacky in unique love story

14. Rock Star
Wahlberg and Aniston light up the screen

15. Working Girl
Griffith breaks through the glass ceiling

16. Vanilla Sky
Cruise, script and direction top-notch

17. Forrest Gump
Nostalgic recreations and soundtrack carry film

18. Fargo
Macy redefines car salesman stereotype

19. The Birdcage
Williams, Lane and Azaria sizzle on South Beach

20. Rain Man
Hoffman and Cruise deliver in touching drama

21. Awakenings
Wonderfully acted tear-jerker

22.The School of Rock
Jack Black is a tour de force

23. Big
Tom Hanks gets the girl and the top bunk

24. The Great Escape
One of the best war movies ever made

25. The Italian Job
Modern-day thriller works Napster into the mix

26. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Sequel is equally strong

27. Born on the Fourth of July
Oliver Stone's best directorial effort

28. The Shawshank Redemption
Tim Robbins brings Stephen King short story to life

29. Back to the Future Part II
Time-travel sequel intricately works with the original script

30. Signs
Another well-done scary movie from M. Knight Shyamalan

31. Rocky
Inspirational classic vaults Stallone to stardom

32. The Out-of-Towners (1970)
Jack Lemmon is teed off and taking names

33. The Fisher King
Jeff Bridges' best film

34. The Poseidon Adventure
Best of the '70s disaster movies

35. Jerry Maguire
Cruise has Zellweger at hello

36. The Doors
Val Kilmer is amazingly believable as Jim Morrison

37. Honeymoon in Vegas
Cage jumps out of a plane for Parker

38. This is Spinal Tap
Probably deserves to be turned up to 11

39. Tootsie
Hoffman in drag makes a classic comedy

40. Boogie Nights
"Sister Christian" takes on a whole new meaning

41. A Beautiful Mind
Russell Crowe soars in beautifully directed true story

42. The Terminator
Brain-dead entertainment from California's mayor

43. Romancing the Stone
Douglas, Turner and DeVito on a thrill ride

44. Shallow Hal
Underrated film has a great message

45. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
One of Hollywood's classic sci-fi tales

46. Groundhog Day
Bill Murray's best film

47. Galaxy Quest
Laugh-out-loud funny from start to finish

48. Quiz Show
First-rate acting brings dark TV days to life

49. The Sting
Newman and Redford deliver classic performances

50. The Big Chill
College reunion comes off as genuine with killer soundtrack

51. Nick of Time
Depp and Walken in edge-of-your-seat thriller

52. Some Like it Hot
Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon deliver in drag classic

53. The African Queen
Bogart and Hepburn sparkle with chemistry

54. Schindler’s List
Harrowing account of dark days in Europe

55. Apocalypse Now
Brilliantly directed with a dead-on soundtrack

56. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Meticulously shot finale a big-screen powerhouse

57. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Gene Wilder in his finest hour

58. Citizen Kane
Orson Welles' classic breaks artistic ground

59. Seabiscuit
Heartwarming and well-acted with glimpses of Saratoga

60. Terminator II
Arnold is back but so is Hamilton - and she's ripped

61. The Pianist
Tragic take on the horrors of the Holocaust

62. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
Bette Davis and Joan Crawford in creepy classic

63. For Whom the Bell Tolls
Best adaptation of a Hemingway novel

64. The Matrix
Special effects make Neo a household name

65. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
And the story begins...

66. Pulp Fiction
Tarantino inspires Travolta's comeback

67. The Shining
Nicholson seals reputation as one of Hollywood's best

68. Psycho (1960)
Best of the Hitchcock movies

69. Apollo 13
Modern-day "Marooned" chronicles '60s tragedy

70. Neighbors
Belushi and Aykroyd switch personalities

71. Cape Fear (1991)
Just may be De Niro's best film

72. Moulin Rouge!
Kidman and McGregor soar over Paris

73. Master and Commander
One of the best movies from the high seas

74. Quadrophenia
Pete Townshend's story of mods vs. rockers

75. Fatal Attraction
Why men should never cheat on their wives

76. Scream
Neve Campbell is campy is this teen slash flick

77. Play Misty for Me
Why DJs shouldn't ever take requests

78. Cool Hand Luke
Individuality is a virtue and keep those eggs coming

79. It
The clown standing across the water incites nightmares

80. Something’s Gotta Give
Modern-day chemistry between two old-timers

81. The Silence of the Lambs
Foster and Hopkins collaborate in sicko crime flick

82. Pretty Woman
Roberts and Gere shine in modern-day Cinderella

83. The Exorcist
Perhaps the scariest movie ever made

84. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Why walking through cemeteries is a bad idea

85. Private Parts
Howard Stern funny as himself

86. Braveheart
Mel Gibson somehow both stars in and directs this epic

87. Die Hard
Bruce Willis is out of control in this brain-dead thriller

88. Friday the 13th
Low-budget slasher flick introduces a boy named Jason 

89. The Caine Mutiny
One of Bogart's best performances

90. The Godfather
Classic mob film ahead of its time

91. Spawn
Great one-liners from a creepy clown

92. The Abyss
Ed Harris and his crew provide deep thrills

93. The Wedding Singer
Sparks fly between Sandler and Barrymore

94. Saturday Night Fever
Signature movie of disco era

95. Westworld
Yul Brynner downright evil

96. Say Anything
Cusack and his tape deck define romance

97. Woodstock
Historic event captures essence of '60s

98. Lean on Me
Morgan Freeman's best work

99. Jurassic Park
The digital revolution comes of age

100. Dog Day Afternoon
Pacino has too much coffee

Comments

[Karen]

Cool list. But what about Caddyshack and Animal House?

[Liz]

Nice list but what about the movie that changed the industry, Star Wars! I believe it is the one that started the special effects revolution.

[Richard]

Dan,

I recognize that this list results from two years of work and I appreciate that. The result, as you forewarn, is entirely subjective; thus providing a bullet-proof defense against any criticism.

That said, one word of protest. The Breakfast Club at Numbero Uno while The Godfather is at #90? That does take guts. And, while I'm sure that 80's burnouts and Simple Minds fan will approve of your number one, what say you to Molly Ringwald fans who bemoan the absence of both Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink from your list? Heck, I didn't even see St. Elmo's Fire!

[Dan]

"The Breakfast Club" is far superior to both "Sixteen Candles" and "Pretty in Pink." There is no better study of high school cliques, and almost the entire movie was shot in a library. The dialogue is deep with meaning, and anyone who has walked high school halls as an 11th-grader can relate. It's a beautiful film with excellent acting all-around. The jock, the stoner, the motorhead, the prima donna, the brain and the whacked-out weird girl (we all knew one) showcases high school better than anything on film.

I simply wasn't crazy about "The Godfather." I recognize its importance, but it didn't resonate with me.

"Star Wars" was good, and I recognize its importance to the film industry, but I just wasn't captivated by it. Just my opinion.

Dan

[Cyn]

I agree on your choice of the Breakfast Club and many other choices and non-choices. I'm really only missing Ferris Bueller's Day Off--it captivated me with it's theme of youthful rebellion mixed with impulsivity, stirred in to the message of living each day, etc. The fabulous setting (Chicago landmarks) and snappy dialogue completed " the picture".

[Dan]

Cyn -- "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" is indeed a classic, perhaps the best "playing hookey" movie ever made. I'm sure Sarah Jessica Parker watched this when it came out and said, "hey, that Matthew Broderick is cute."

Chicago is a wonderful city.
Dan

[Kip]

This is the best top 100 list I have ever seen. All of my favorites are here including Field of Dreams, Groundhog Day, Back To The Future, Ghost and Rockstar. My favorite movie not here is Liar Liar :) Well done! The non-clusion of some of the older and more classicly respected films is appriciated, because a lot of them don't connect with my generation so well.

[Dan]

Kip - glad you enjoyed the list. Jim Carrey rocks.

Dan

[Valiant]

There were some great movies that others have noted. Ferris Bueller's day off, The Star Wars Trilogy, but also Total recall, Glory, Saving Private Ryan, Top Gun and The Never Ending Story. I was a kid once too you know.

But generally I like your list. There are none that suck there. Just a few I'd add, maybe the list could be top 107!?

[Dan]

"Saving Private Ryan" was very good, agreed. I never saw "The Neverending Story." I'll put it in my Netflix queue. Thanks for the recommendation.

Dan

[daviid]

Poor LIST a little film named SCARFACE do anything for you...

[Dan]

David - I liked "Scarface" but it wasn't one of my favorite movies. Pacino has had better moments (but he was very good in this).

[Hombre]

Man, there are a few movies you need to watch that would make it on that list. Almost Famous, Go, and Requiem for a Dream. But at least you got The Doors.

[Dan]

Hombre - good call on "Almost Famous." Loved the movie. Probably deserves a place here.

Dan

[Kevin]

uh...I hope you have bulletproof defense...how exactly is it that you defend placing Galaxy Quest and Shallow Hal above Pulp Fiction, Psycho, and Apocolypse Now...How do you claim that The School of Rock has a better meaning, or is more moving than, or is just overall a better movie than Braveheart? I notice that though Saving Private Ryan, and The Green Mile failed to be mentioned, Private Parts claims the 85th spot on the list... But back to Braveheart, how can you claim that you subjectively put a movie (needless to say won like 3 or 5 academy awards including best actor and director, same guy) that inspires courage, a movie that is a love story, and action movie, and a heartbreaking tragedy all in one, a movie that does all of those things, and still manages to show some comic relief while boasting an amazing soundtrack, a movie that is above all else based on a true man, a true story, how can you claim that you subjectively put that movie at the 86th spot, while Rock star is given the 14th best movie spot EVER, ultimately losing out to what is apparently the greatest cinematic achievement in history, The Breakfast Club.

[Dan]

Kevin - thanks for your comments. The list is my list and I wasn't trying to write for anyone else. I agree that "Braveheart" is terrific, but it doesn't entertain me the way "Rock Star" and "The Breakfast Club" do. The beauty of a list is that it creates good public debate. If I can incite a reaction, creating the list was worthwhile.

i can respect that, but based on entertainment...to say that birdcage is more profoundly more entertaining than jurassic park, the matrix, and the shawshank redemption?...i know there is nothing i can say that will change your viewpoint, because this list is your opinion...i guess it's simply a great difference in opinion.

[Dan]

Kevin - if you like, give me your top 10 movies of all time with a short sentence and I'll publish your list as a blog entry. Would love to see your list and share it with people.

Dan

[aaron]

try watching eternal sunshine of the spotless mind. its like the best movie ever. also being john malcovich is good. Charlie kaufman is awesome.

[john smith 704324]

Shit list.

[Just stumbled upon this...]

Wow! That's a really nice list! I like how you didn't just put in those supposedly "good" movies, but instead put in movies that people actually enjoyed watching. I've never seen Casablanca, so I can't judge. I myself have never been a fan of Star Wars - so what if it's a revolutionary blah blah blah? It's a tedious movie with a horrible plot!

Anyway, my favourites on that list include Titanic, The Wizard of Oz, Back To The Future, Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Vanilla Sky, Forrest Gump, The Shawshank Redemption (...so good), and Groundhog's Day. Love 'em! :D

[Dan]

Agreed, D. Thanks for your feedback and for stopping by.

[Wow]

This list is mind-blowing horrible. Reading this list made me sick to my stomach. You CLEARLY have absolutely no knowledge about filmmaking in the very least possible sense of the word, and you couldn't have possibly been more amazingly wrong. It's not that all of your picks were bad necessarily, the primary fault with this list is the order. That couldn't be more wrong. I might reconsider killing myself if the order was completely different. I would give examples of why your order is so terrible, but it would be a waste of time because there's an infinite number of examples. The worst part is that you're actually serious. People who are idiots will read this list and will sadly agree with you because they also have zero knowledge. Disgusting.

[Dan]

Wow - I love your passion. Can you honestly tell me "The Godfather" is better than "The Breakfast Club" or "Rock Star"?

I didn't think so.