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I’ve seen many of the classics which predated me (I was born in 1967), but my affection for the movies I grew up with becomes readily apparent. I mean, is anyone going to ever make an argument that Can’t Buy Me Love is a better movie than Citizen Kane? The thing about favorites, though, is that it doesn’t matter if a movie can withstand the scrutiny of Film Analysis 101. It matters if the film, well, matters to you.
Note: I have included several trilogies (the original Star Wars movies, The Lord of the Rings, etc.) as separate entries, but I grouped them together since they work to tell a larger story. Anyway, without further ado, here are my top 100 personal favorite movies:
1. Star Wars – Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
2. Star Wars – Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
3. Star Wars – Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
4. The World According to Garp (1982)
5. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
6. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
7. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
8. Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)
9. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
10. Raising Arizona (1987)
11. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
12. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)
13. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
14. The Princess Bride (1987)
15. All That Jazz (1979)
16. When Harry Met Sally (1989)
17. Dead Poets Society (1989)
18. Star Wars – Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
19. Star Wars – Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
20. Star Wars – Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
21. The Fisher King (1991)
22. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
23. And Justice for All (1979)
24. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
25. Grease (1978)
26. Star Wars – Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
27. Star Wars – Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)
28. Star Wars – Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
29. Fast Time at Ridgemont High (1982)
30. Back to the Future (1985)
31. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
32. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
33. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
34. Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979)
35. The Breakfast Club (1985)
36. Dune (2021)
37. Dune: Part Two (2024)
38. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
39. A Few Good Men (1992)
40. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
41. The Untouchables (1987)
42. Forrest Gump (1994)
43. Blade Runner (1982)
44. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
45. The Karate Kid (1984)
46. Ghostbusters (1984)
47. Excalibur (1981)
48. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
49. Hook (1991)
50. Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982)
51. The Jerk (1979)
52. A Christmas Story (1983)
53. Angel Heart (1987)
54. Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)
55. The Lords of Discipline (1983)
56. Can’t Buy Me Love (1987)
57. She’s Having a Baby (1988)
58. The Music Never Stopped (2011)
59. Unbreakable (2000)
60. Memento (2001)
61. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
62. The Sixth Sense (1999)
63. Aladdin (1992)
64. Peter Pan (2003)
65. Cars (2006)
66. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
67. Before Sunrise (1995)
68. Hugo (2011)
69. Roxanne (1987)
70. The Big Lebowski (1998)
71. Camelot (1967)
72. After Hours (1985)
73. The Godfather (1972)
74. The Godfather Part II (1974)
75. Alien (1979)
76. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
77. Toy Story (1995)
78. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
79. Pinocchio (1940)
80. The Dark Knight (2008)
81. Pulp Fiction (1994)
82. High Fidelity (2000)
83. Jurassic Park (1993)
84. Rocky (1976)
85. 12 Angry Men (1957)
86. Inception (2010)
87. Big (1988)
88. The Firm (1993)
89. Joe vs. the Volcano (1990)
90. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
91. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)
92. Diner (1982)
93. The Bad News Bears (1976)
94. Mystic Pizza (1988)
95. No Way Out (1987)
96. Fearless (1993)
97. Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981)
98. The Player (1992)
99. Joker (2019)
100. West Side Story (1961)
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Originally posted 7/29/2019; last updated 9/25/2026. | 
