100 Top Grossing Movies of All Time

The fifth Star Wars film released failed to perform as well as many others in the franchise, yet it still managed to rank among the 100 top grossing movies of all time. It is also one of the lower rated films in the saga, with a 65% critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, beating only “Episode I – The Phantom Menace” and the recent “The Rise of Skywalker.”

The sequel to “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981) proved a financial success, grossing the second largest amount at the domestic box office of all movies in 1984, behind only “Ghostbusters.” The Steven Spielberg-directed flick won one Oscar for Best Visual Effects in 1985.

Robert Altman’s film about those working in a military field hospital during the Korean War is the director’s highest grossing movie to date. It won a single Oscar for writing and went on to inspire the exceptionally popular television series.

Director Milos Forman’s counterculture staple “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” was both a financial and critical success. In addition to selling an estimated 53.7 million tickets in the U.S. and Canada since its release, the movie won five Oscars, including Best Picture. The movie, which stars Jack Nicholson as the manic free spirit who is checked into an insane asylum, maintains a 93% critic and 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

This Walt Disney production follows a shipwrecked family whose self-built island hideaway is invaded by pirates. The movie was the top grossing film of 1960, outperforming movies such as “Psycho” and “Spartacus.”

The comedy about an eclectic group of motorists racing to claim a stash of stolen cash was the first comedy feature directed by Stanley Kramer, who is also known for movies including “Judgment at Nuremberg” (1961) and “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” (1967). “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” won one Oscar and two Golden Globe awards, including Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical.

“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” grossed what amounts to more than $481 million in today’s dollars upon release, making it the top grossing movie of 2009. Like the first Transformers film, released in 2007, director Michael Bay helmed this sequel and brought back lead actors Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, and Josh Duhamel. Only 20% of critics on Rotten Tomatoes gave it a positive review, compared with 57% of audiences.

Director David Lean’s movie about British prisoners being forced to build a railway bridge for their Japanese captors during World War II is the top grossing movie released in 1957. It swept the Academy Awards the following year, winning seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Alec Guinness.

The comedy about a secret government agency that tracks extraterrestrials on Earth grossed more than any other movie in 1997. The flick spawned three sequels, each of which did worse than the prior one at the box office.

Two years after the release of his action hit “Speed,” director Jan de Bont followed with “Twister” — a story about two storm chasers, played by Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton. The movie grossed nearly twice as much as “Speed.”

The first film in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy grossed the least of the three, though it also was distributed to the fewest number of theaters. The movie — which follows the hobbit Frodo as he sets out on his journey to save Middle Earth — won four Oscars.

“The Poseidon Adventure” is a disaster film in which a group of survivors attempts to escape the confines of a flipped cruise ship. The movie’s star-studded cast features Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Shelley Winters, and Red Buttons. In addition to winning an Oscar for Best Music (for the song “The Morning After”) the film received a Special Achievement Award from the Academy for its exceptional visual effects.

This drama about three World War II veterans returning from overseas was a huge hit when released around the holidays in 1946, selling an estimated 55 million tickets since its release. The film went on to win seven Oscars at the 1947 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

Written by and starring Sylvester Stallone, “Rocky” is the film that put the action star on the map. The movie about an unusually driven young boxer was the top grossing film released in 1976 and has produced seven sequels to date, including the recent Creed flicks.

The musical cult classic has drawn millions of viewers over the years, many of whom are repeat viewers who partake in the movie’s unique culture of audience participation. The film continues to be periodically screened at theaters across the country to this day.

David Lean’s epic about British Lieutenant T.E. Lawrence leading Arab troops into battle against the Turks was the top grossing film released in 1962. The Best Picture-winner has been re-released multiple times, the most successful run being in 1989, when it grossed nearly $7 million.

The animated Disney classic’s unadjusted domestic gross of $93.6 million was achieved in three wide releases: the original release in 1955, a re-release in 1980, and another release in 1986. The tale of two dogs from opposite sides of the tracks received a live action remake in 2019, which received significantly worse reviews from both critics and audience members than the original.

Steven Spielberg’s 1977 flick about a man’s experiences following an alien encounter wowed audiences. It currently has a 95% Freshness rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and an 85% approval rating from audiences. While nominated for eight Oscars, it only won one for cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond.

The musical about two lovers from rival New York gangs was a smash success, winning 10 Oscars, including Best Picture, in 1962. It’s the second highest grossing movie released in 1961, behind Disney’s “101 Dalmatians.”

While the 2011 sequel “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” is the top grossing movie in the Harry Potter franchise when not adjusting for inflation, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” takes the top position when adjusting to 2020 dollars. Despite the financial success of this first film in the series, there are five Harry Potter movies with higher Rotten Tomatoes critics ratings.

The sequel to “Finding Nemo” (2003) was a huge success, grossing more than half a billion dollars at the domestic box office when adjusted for inflation. The movie stars Ellen DeGeneres as the absent-minded fish Dory on a mission to find her lost parents.

Last year’s entry to the Star Wars franchise, “The Rise of Skywalker” has the lowest critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes of all movies in the series at 52%. Despite the negative reviews, the movie is the 79th top grossing movie of all time, having sold more than 56 million tickets since its release.

There have been numerous versions of “Beauty and the Beast” released over the years, with Disney’s 2017 live action remake being the most successful at the domestic box office. For comparison, Disney’s 1991 animated version grossed $405 million, adjusted for inflation.

With an estimated production budget of less than $5 million, “Smokey and the Bandit” sped to the top of the box office, grossing more than $126 million in 1977. The movie follows Burt Reynolds’ Bandit as he accompanies Jerry Reed’s Cledus on a mission to pick up a truckload of beer in Texarkana, TX, and deliver it back in Atlanta, GA, in 28 hours.

Dustin Hoffman stars as Michael Dorsey — a down on his luck actor who pretends to be a woman in order to get work — in this Oscar-winning film from director Sydney Pollack. The intelligent and moving comedy was the second-highest grossing movie released in 1982, behind “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.”

The popularity of superhero movies is not a new phenomenon, as evidenced by the success of “Superman” in 1978. The movie, which currently has a 94% Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes, spawned three sequels with star Christopher Reeve.

Filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan’s engrossing movie about a boy who sees — and can communicate with — the deceased was the second highest grossing movie in 1999 behind only “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.” The movie is also Shyamalan’s most critically successful to date, with a Rotten Tomatoes Freshness rating of 86%.

Director Christopher Nolan’s follow-up to “The Dark Knight” (2008) is the second most successful Batman movie to date at the domestic box office. It is also the second most critically successful live-action Batman movie, behind only its predecessor.

The second film in the trilogy, “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” outgrossed the first film, “The Fellowship of the Ring,” which was released one year prior. The Oscar-winning sequel has the highest rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes among franchise films, with an exceptional 95% Freshness rating.

Michael J. Fox stars as Marty McFly — a teenager who finds himself transported 30 years into the past — in this comedy from director Robert Zemeckis. The movie was the top grossing film of 1985 and currently possesses a 96% rating from critics and 94% from audience members on Rotten Tomatoes.

The final entry in George Lucas’s second Star Wars trilogy is the highest rated of the three by critics on Rotten Tomatoes, with a Freshness score of 80%. As with most Star Wars films, “Episode III” was a massive box office hit, grossing more than $108 million on its opening weekend and more than $380 million total, unadjusted for inflation.

Mel Gibson directed and co-wrote this film about the hours leading up to Jesus Christ’s crucifixion. Despite relatively poor reviews from critics — the movie currently has a 49% rating on Rotten Tomatoes — it is the top grossing religious film of all time.

The comedy classic about a mischievous Faber College fraternity brought in slightly more than a quarter million dollars on its opening weekend. It would eventually gross $141.6 million at the domestic box office, or $534.8 million adjusted for inflation. The film was an early success for director John Landis, who would follow it up with “The Blues Brothers” (1980) and “An American Werewolf in London” (1981).

Cecil B. DeMille’s circus-centered drama, featuring Hollywood stars James Stewart and Charlton Heston, won the Oscar for Best Picture — and sold an estimated 60 million tickets since its release. The movie has generally poor reviews, however. On Rotten Tomatoes it has positive ratings from only 43% of critics and 55% of audiences, and its rating on IMDb is a middling 6.6 out of 10.

Famed musical “My Fair Lady” follows pompous Professor Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison) as he attempts to transform working girl Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn) into a cultured woman. The movie won eight Oscars, including Best Picture, and three Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical.

The Spider-Man franchise has been extremely profitable, producing four films that have grossed more than $350 million after adjusting for inflation. Among these is “Spider-Man 2,” which brought in $537 million in 2020 dollars. Much of the original cast of “Spider-Man” (2002) returned for the sequel, as did director Sam Raimi.

The classic tale of hapless Cinderella whose fairy godmother helps her attend a royal ball is the 64th top-grossing movie of all time, having brought in more than $538 million at the domestic box office, adjusted for inflation. The movie’s three directors — Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and Hamilton Luske — also worked on other hit animated films, including “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Peter Pan,” and “Pinocchio.”

Released in July 2019, Disney’s computer-animated remake of “The Lion King” grossed $538.8 million at the domestic box office, becoming the second biggest movie of the year. While the visually impressive movie was popular with audiences, it received relatively poorly by critics and has a 53% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” is a standalone Star Wars film about a group of rebels attempting to steal the plans for the Death Star. The movie, which had a reported production budget of $200 million, grossed $155 million in its opening weekend and remained the country’s top film at the box office for five weeks in a row.

Disaster movie “The Towering Inferno” follows a group of people trapped inside a massive burning building. The film’s ensemble cast includes Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Fred Astaire, and O.J. Simpson. The movie won three Oscars in 1975, including Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing.

The Pixar-produced movie about a clownfish in search of his missing son topped the domestic box office in 2003. The movie, which took home the Oscar for Best Animated Film, is also the best-selling DVD of all time.

The final film in Peter Jackson’s exceedingly popular Lord of the Rings trilogy was the most successful at the domestic box office, grossing more than $550 million adjusted for inflation. The fantasy flick won 11 Oscars, including Best Picture.

The sequel to Best Picture-winner “Going My Way” (1944) was the most profitable picture ever released by the famed RKO Studios, which also produced “Citizen Kane” and “King Kong.” The movie starred Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman as Father O’Malley and Sister Benedict, who work to save and expand a Catholic school.

Tim Burton’s “Batman” — starring Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Jack Nicholson as Jack Napier/Joker — was a relatively early superhero blockbuster. The movie topped the domestic box office in 1989, grossing over $50 million more than the second-highest grossing movie of the year, “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” The movie reportedly cost $35 million to make.

Mel Brooks’ iconoclastic comedy “Blazing Saddles” is about a corrupt governor who appoints the first black sheriff of a Western town. The movie is equally loved by critics and viewers, both of whom have given it 91% positive ratings on Rotten Tomatoes.

Disney’s animated film about a young deer has become one of the all time top-grossing movies because of its multiple releases. The movie has had seven domestic wide releases since 1942, with the most recent being in 1988. The now-classic film actually lost money on its first release.

This nearly three-hour adventure film about an upper class Englishman racing to travel the world in 80 days was a smash hit at the box office and later at the Academy Awards, where it won five Oscars, including Best Picture. Modern audiences may be less enthusiastic than those in 1956, however. The movie currently has a score of 57% approval rating from users on Rotten Tomatoes.

Despite scoring significantly lower ratings than its predecessor from both critics and audiences on sites like Rotten Tomatoes, this second entry to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is the top grossing of the series. “Dead Man’s Chest” was also the top-grossing movie of 2006 and only the third movie to ever gross more than $1 billion (unadjusted) worldwide out of 46 total.

Biblical drama “The Robe” was the first film commercially released in widescreen CinemaScope. Led by Richard Burton in the role of Marcellus Gallio — the Roman soldier ordered to put Christ to death — the movie grossed more than seven times its production budget at the domestic box office.

George Lucas’s second directorial effort (following “THX 1138”) was a box office smash. The film, which follows a group of high school graduates in the 1960s, was reportedly made for under $1 million. Lucas would, of course, go on to have even greater financial success with his numerous Star Wars movies.

Director George Seaton’s “Airport” helped kick-off the disaster movie craze of the 1970s. The movie depicts numerous problems faced by the personnel at a major U.S. airport. Starring Burt Lancaster, Dean Martin, and Jean Seberg, the movie received 10 Oscar nominations. Lancaster later called the movie, “the biggest piece of junk ever made.”

Fourteen years passed between the original “The Incredibles” movie and this sequel about the family of superheroes. Fans were clearly eager to see it, as the follow-up grossed $592 million (in 2020 dollars) at the domestic box office. The first film grossed $375 million.

“Goldfinger,” the third entry in the long-running James Bond franchise, is the top rated Bond film on Rotten Tomatoes with a Freshness rating of 97%. The movie is among the highest grossing in the series, when adjusting for inflation, falling behind only “Thunderball.”

Though he had previously starred in “48 Hrs.” (1982) and “Trading Places” (1983), “Beverly Hills Cop” is the movie that launched Eddie Murphy to superstardom. Starring as street smart Detroit cop Axel Foley — who finds himself working in the alien Beverly Hills — Murphy had the biggest hit of his career with the comedy.

Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and Rex Harrison star as Cleopatra, Mark Antony, and Julius Caesar, respectively, in this historical epic directed by Oscar-winner Joseph L. Mankiewicz. The movie grossed nearly $58 million in 1963. However, it was also the most expensive movie produced at that point in time, with a $44 million production budget.

Disney’s “Pinocchio” is among the earliest released movies to appear among the 100 top grossing. It was the company’s only second feature-length animated film, yet very technically advanced for 1940. The film had two additional domestic theatrical releases after its original: in 1984 and in 1992.

The first, and as of right now, only Star Wars film from director Rian Johnson was a hit, outgrossing all but five Star Wars films after adjusting for inflation. The movie was well received by critics, earning a 91% Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences, however, were less enthusiastic, giving it a 53% rating on the site.

The family comedy about an 8-year-old boy who must defend himself and his home from a pair of criminals after his family leaves him accidentally alone over Christmas was released just in time for the 1990 holiday season. It topped the domestic box office for 10 weeks in a row, beginning in mid-November, and peaked once again in February 1991.

“Independence Day” was released the weekend of its namesake and went on to become the top grossing film of 1996. The alien invasion flick spent a total of 78 weeks in theaters, selling an estimated 69.3 million tickets.

The emotional romance movie “Love Story” was the top grossing film of 1970, grossing the equivalent of $625 million today at the domestic box office. The movie was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture, but won only one for Best Score.

This revisionist Western helped jolt the careers of its two leading actors, Paul Newman and Robert Redford. The anti-hero Oscar-winner won over critics and audiences, and it currently has 90% positive reviews from the former and 92% from the latter on Rotten Tomatoes.

“Spider-Man,” starring Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, was both the top grossing film of 2002 and the most successful of the franchise. At the time, the movie was the most successful superhero movie ever, though that’s no longer the case. Director Sam Raimi followed the blockbuster with two Spider-Man sequels that both did well at the box office.

Of the five Shrek films released to date — including “Puss in Boots” — “Shrek 2” leads with regards to total domestic box office gross. The movie had the biggest opening weekend ever for an animated film, grossing more than $108 million. This record would later be topped by “Shrek the Third.”

“Ghostbusters” dominated the domestic box office in 1984, besting such films as “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” “Gremlins,” and “The Karate Kid.” The movie, about a group of New York City ghost exterminators, has an exceptionally high Rotten Tomatoes Freshness score of 97%.

The superhero blockbuster pits the Avengers and allies in an epic battle against Thanos, who is set on destruction of the universe. The movie, which cost an estimated $321 million to make, grossed more than a quarter billion dollars over its opening weekend. The movie is the 19th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise.

Disney’s 16th animated feature tells the story of Princess Aurora, who is put to sleep by a spell cast by the evil fairy Maleficent. The movie was the last Disney produced that was based on a fairy tale until “The Little Mermaid” was released 30 years later.

Based on the writings of English author Rudyard Kipling, “The Jungle Book” tells the story of a feral boy living among animals in nature. The movie’s unadjusted total domestic box office gross is the result of three theatrical releases: the original release in 1967, a re-release in 1984, and another in 1990.

Director Christopher Nolan’s second Batman movie is the top-grossing Batman film ever. The gritty superhero flick is notable in part due to the performance of Heath Ledger as Joker. Ledger died soon after completing filming and posthumously received an Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role.

This James Bond movie finds 007 in the Bahamas as he seeks to retrieve multiple nuclear warheads. The movie’s production budget was $9 million, and its domestic gross in 1965 was $63.6 million. Adjusted for inflation, the movie grossed nearly $668 million — the most of any Bond film.

“Black Panther” led the domestic box office in 2018, outgrossing blockbusters such as “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Incredibles 2.” The movie was the first from Marvel to feature a black superhero as the title character. It received seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and won three.

“Jurassic World” was released 14 years after the previous film in the franchise, “Jurassic Park III.” The movie covered its $150 million production budget already in its opening weekend, when it grossed more than $208 million. With a 72% Freshness rating, “Jurassic World” is the second best rated film in the franchise by critics on Rotten Tomatoes, behind the original “Jurassic Park.”

“The Avengers” — the sixth entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — was the top grossing movie of 2012, taking in $175 million more than the second highest grossing movie that year, “The Dark Knight Rises.” The superhero flick has a 91% approval rating from both critics and audience members on Rotten Tomatoes.

Actor John Travolta followed up his successful role in “Saturday Night Fever” (1977) with another smash hit, “Grease,” in which he starred alongside Australian sensation Olivia Newton-John. The musical romance about a 1950s greaser and a goody-two-shoes outgrossed all movies in 1978, including “National Lampoon’s Animal House” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”

“Mary Poppins” won five Oscars (out of 13 nominations), including Best Actress for lead Julie Andrews. The musical, which combines animated sequences with live-action, was a smash hit for Disney, selling an estimated 78.2 million tickets since its release.

The movie about a dim-witted, though well-intentioned, man whose life is entangled with bits of American history won six Oscars, including Best Picture. The movie grossed in 1994 more at the domestic box office than all other movies but one. Disney’s “The Lion King,” which was released two weeks after “Forrest Gump,” grossed slightly over $1 million more that year.

Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather” is not only considered to be one of the greatest films of all time but it is also one of the top grossing movies ever. The Best Picture-winner about a New York City crime family was the most financially successful movie of the year at the domestic box office and also grossed more than its two sequels combined.

Disney’s “Fantasia” is a collection of animated vignettes set to classical music by noted composers such as Bach and Tchaikovsky. The movie’s production budget of more than $2 million was especially costly at the time. Thanks to multiple releases, the movie has made that money back in spades. It was re-released in the U.S. in both 1985 and 1990.

The movie about a college grad (played by Dustin Hoffman), who finds himself romantically involved with an older woman and her daughter is a staple of 1960s youth culture. The influential drama grossed nearly $105 million ($764 million when adjusted for inflation) on an estimated budget of only $3 million. Director Mike Nichols won an Oscar for his work on the film.

Steven Spielberg’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark” has a 95% Freshness rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and 96% approval rating from audiences. The beloved adventure film grossed more than twice the amount of its sequel “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” (2008), after adjusting for inflation, despite the latter film being shown in more than four times as many theaters at both movies’ widest release.

Paul Newman and Robert Redford — whose earlier collaboration “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” (1969) appears at No. 40 on this list — star in this comedy-drama about two con men out to score big. In addition to its box office success, the movie won seven Oscars, including Best Picture.

“The Lion King” combined innovative animation techniques with an unforgettable soundtrack — that earned two Oscars — to create an animated Disney classic. The movie had a higher gross at the domestic box office in 1994 than any other film, then had a successful IMAX release in 2002 and a 3D release in 2011.

“Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” has relatively poor reviews online, winning over 53% of critics and 59% of audiences on Rotten Tomatoes. Moviegoers were undoubtedly eager for a new Star Wars film, however, having waited 16 years since the release of “Return of the Jedi.” “The Phantom Menace” spent its first four weekends at No. 1 at the domestic box office and a total of 11 weekends in the top 10.

“Jurassic Park,” about a dinosaur theme park that descends into chaos, was the highest grossing movie in 1993 at the domestic box office, bringing in nearly double the gross of its closest competitor, “The Fugitive.” In addition to the money grossed during its initial release, “Jurassic Park” made more than $45 million during a 2013 re-release.

The concluding chapter of George Lucas’s original Star Wars trilogy sold an estimated 94.1 million tickets since its release. The movie grossed over $100 million that year, more than 1983’s second biggest earner, “Tootsie.”

“Avengers: Endgame” is the top grossing film in the hugely popular Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise. The movie — which runs for more than three hours — once again finds the Avengers teaming up to restore order to the universe in the wake of Thanos’s destructive actions. The film was widely enjoyed by critics, who gave it a 94% Freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Filmmaker James Cameron’s movie about a Marine on a mission in a beautiful alien world is notable in part thanks to its cutting-edge visuals, for which it won an Oscar. The movie cost $237 million to produce, and it grossed more than triple that at the domestic box office.

Historical epic “Ben-Hur” won 11 Academy Awards in 1960, including Best Picture. The massive film cost $15 million to make (an exceptional amount at the time) and could have potentially bankrupted MGM Studios. The risk paid off, and the movie’s domestic run lasted for 111 weeks.

The second film in the Star Wars saga has the highest rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes of all the movies in the saga, at 94%. The movie’s intricate plot and fleshed out characters made it a massive blockbuster and helped develop the Star Wars universe. It won one Oscar for Best Sound and was also given a Special Achievement Award for its advanced special effects.

The production team behind “One Hundred and One Dalmatians” used inexpensive animation methods to keep costs low. The movie’s production budget came out to an estimated $4 million, with the film eventually grossing $144.9 million (unadjusted) at the domestic box office. The movie had numerous theatrical re-releases — in 1969, 1979, 1985, and 1991 — each of which more lucrative than the previous one.

Director J.J. Abrams’ “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens” takes place 30 years after the events portrayed in “Return of the Jedi.” For the first time, Star Wars creator George Lucas was not involved in the film, which was released a decade after “Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.” “The Force Awakens,” which cost an estimated $245 million to make, grossed $248 million its opening weekend.

Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” is the top grossing animated film of all time when adjusting for inflation. It is the first animated feature to include sound and be in color. In addition to its theatrical success, the movie sold the most VHS copies of any film.

Based on the novel by William Peter Blatty, director William Friedkin’s film about a young girl who is possessed by an evil spirit frightened millions in theaters across the country. The controversial movie is one of the few horror films nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Though it didn’t win that award, it took home two Oscars, including Best Writing – Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium.

Director David Lean followed up his immensely successful “Lawrence of Arabia” (No. 85 on this list) with the epic romance film “Doctor Zhivago” about the life of a Russian poet and doctor during and after the Russian Revolution. The movie, which stars Omar Sharif and Julie Christie, was nominated for 10 Oscars and won five.

Released in 1975, “Jaws” is often considered to be the first summer blockbuster. The film, about a great white shark that is terrorizing a beach town, offers a master class in suspense and scared countless viewers away from the ocean. The movie currently has a 98% Freshness score on Rotten Tomatoes, with audience members giving it a rating of 90%.

Charlton Heston stars as Moses in this three hour and 40 minute Biblical epic from director Cecil B. DeMille. The movie, which is a remake of a 1923 film by DeMille, is the highest grossing movie of the 1950s. The film won just one Oscar (out of seven nominations) for Best Special Effects.

Director James Cameron (“Avatar”) packed theaters across the country with this tale of an upper class woman falling in love with a poor artist aboard the doomed Titanic. Part romance and part disaster film, the movie was No. 1 at the domestic box office for 15 weekends straight. “Titanic” is also tied for most Oscar wins (11) and nominations (14) in Academy Award history.

Out of all of Steven Spielberg’s many blockbuster films, “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” brought in the most money at the domestic box office. The movie, in which a young boy helps a small alien return to his home planet, grossed more than its production budget during its first wide release weekend and proceeded to spend a total of 17 weeks at the top of the box office. It won four Oscars, but lost Best Picture to “Gandhi.”

“The Sound of Music” stars Julie Andrews as Austrian nun Maria, who leaves her convent to take a position as a governess for a large family in the lead-up to World War II. Andrews had won an Oscar for Best Actress in “Mary Poppins” (No. 27 on this list) previously. “The Sound of Music” won five Oscars, including Best Picture.

Massive blockbuster “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope,” originally released simply as “Star Wars,” launched one of cinema’s most beloved franchises. The inventive tale of good versus evil triggered a worldwide following, leading to its initial theatrical release running for 135 continuous weeks. The movie won a total of six Oscars.

Historical epic “Gone With the Wind,” the most expensive Hollywood film ever produced at the time, has gone on to become the top grossing of all time. When looking at its multiple domestic releases, it is the only movie to sell more than 200 million tickets since its release. It is often considered to be among the most definitive Hollywood films. It won eight Oscars, including Best Picture.