The results are in!
It’s been fun sifting through all the poll results for this one: this definitely had some of the most diversity of selections I’ve seen in the decade polls we’ve done.
Without further ado, here are the Top 50!
50. The Blues Brothers (dir. John Landis)
49. Wings of Desire (dir. Wim Wenders)
“Some of the most transcendent moments in film! Maybe the best film depiction of the beauty of life in it’s incompleteness and certainly one of the best depictions of the supernatural reality in film.”
48. The Scarlet and the Black (dir. Jerry London)
47. Field of Dreams (dir. Phil Alden Robinson)
46. Paris, Texas (dir. Wim Wenders)
45. The Karate Kid (dir. John G. Avildsen)
44. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (dir. Robert Zemeckis)
“The best of the cop/detective movie parodies. One of the only satires to get the right amount of character and story depth and a great final bow for the golden age of animation before the various reinventions to come.”
43. Das Boot (dir. Wolfgang Petersen)
42. Time Bandits (dir. Terry Gilliam)
41. Tender Mercies (dir. Bruce Beresford)
“TV dramatist Horton Foote’s story of a fading country star and his regeneration from alcoholism and domestic abuse to familial connection and faith is an unsung gem in American cinema. Featuring an Oscar-worthy performance from Robert Duvall, the film succeeds in ways that other faith-based films fail, which is that it offers an honest depiction of human frailty and personal regret that is elevated by the possibility of redemption and self-reflection.”
40. The Breakfast Club (dir. John Hughes)
39. Come and See (dir. Elem Klimov)
“Not one of the 80’s most popular, but one of the best. It used unconventional filmmaking methods like using non-actors, and is acclaimed as being one of the most gritty anti-warm films ever made.”
38. Henry V (dir. Kenneth Branagh)
“One of the all-time directing debuts plus a tremendous performance from Kenneth Branagh”
“When watched in the right frame of mind, this is one of those films that inspires young men to want to grow in virtue and battle the French.”
37. The Right Stuff (dir. Philip Kaufman)
“The Space Race has been covered in a lot of acclaimed films in the past century, yet none of them can top Philip Kaufman’s 1983 epic about the original NASA generation that challenged Soviet aggression through a series of astronomical landmarks leading up to the 1969 moon landing. At once crudely funny and deeply serious, the film remains a cinematic marvel through its gritty cinematography, thrilling score, and grounded performances, reflected in the stunning flight sequences done without the slop of CGI, AI, and green screens.”
36. Brazil (dir. Terry Gilliam)
“Often overlooked, this is a film that is so enjoyable to watch, it truly makes the most of the medium. Definitely one of Robert DiNiro’s most fun roles.”
35. The Fly (dir. David Cronenberg)
34. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (dir. John Hughes)
“I think about this movie so often. It really captures that awkward phase of teenage where you’re not an adult but not a kid.”
33. Ordinary People (dir. Robert Redford)
32. Once Upon a Time in America (dir. Sergio Leone)
“Maybe the only movie of the 80s to compete with the scope, emotion and formal brilliance of the Godfather films. One of the great final directorial efforts of all time.”
31. The Sacrifice (dir. Andrei Tarkovsky)
30. The Terminator (dir. James Cameron)
29. Jean de Florette/Manon of the Spring (dir. Claude Berri)
“These two French movies should really only be watched together. It’s a story of love, hate, revenge, mercy, redemption, forgiveness, and beauty featuring staggering performances by Gerard Depardieu and Emmanuelle Beart”
28. Dead Poets Society (dir. Peter Weir)
“I mean, really does much need to be said here? ‘Medicine, law, business, engineering… these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love… these are what we stay alive for’”
27. The Thing (dir. John Carpenter)
“Part of the great 80’s sub-genre, ‘The unstoppable thing that’s trying to kill everyone’”
26. Rain Man (dir. Barry Levinson)
25. The Little Mermaid (dir. John Musker and Ron Clements)
24. Castle in the Sky (dir. Hayao Miyazaki)
23. Raising Arizona (dir. The Coen Brothers)
“A touching, tearful, hilarious early success from the Coen Brothers”
22. A Room with a View (dir. James Ivory)
“Hilarious, romantic, and an early breakout role from the great Daniel Day-Lewis!”
21. Ran (dir. Akira Kurosawa)
20. The Shining (dir. Stanley Kubrick)
“This was one of the first horror movies I watched. It’s truly an incredible piece of cinema.”
19. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (dir. Steven Spielberg)
18. My Neighbor Totoro (dir. Hayao Miyazaki)
“I only recently saw this, but it truly changed movies for me. Studio Ghibli makes art films that children just happen to enjoy.”
“Cat Bus, that’s all. That’s the commentary.”
17. Ghostbusters (dir. Ivan Reitman)
16. Top Gun (dir. Tony Scott)
15. Hoosiers (dir. David Anspaugh)
14. Babette’s Feast (dir. Gabriel Axel)
“Utterly enchanting and Catholic to its bones”
13. Return of the Jedi (dir. Richard Marquand)
“I have seen Return of the Jedi more than any other film. No movie has meant more to me throughout my entire life. I could go on and on...”
“I mean, it’s arguably the most iconic movie of its time (and easily beats plenty of our own times now). Return of the Jedi is a modern epic, with an emotional score that highlights the great deeds and heartfelt anguish felt by its characters in different moments.”
12. Aliens (dir. James Cameron)
11. Moonstruck (dir. Norman Jewison)
“I need to give credit where credit is due, and this is genuinely among the most amusing, low stakes, everyman type stories I’ve seen. Nicholas ‘I’m gonna steal the Declaration of Independence’ Cage winning Cher is something I never would’ve expected, but is somehow an amazing film.”
10. The Mission (dir. Roland Joffé)
“The acting, score, and cinematography come together to create such a memorable film. Jeremy Irons’ character Father Gabriel is one of my top movie priests.”
9. Die Hard (dir. John McTiernan)
“The template for action movies. Welcome to the party, pal.”
8. Chariots of Fire (dir. Hugh Hudson)
“Arguably, one of the most deserving films to win an Academy Award for Best Picture: an inspiring, feel-good sports drama which successfully intertwines the themes of faith, conscience, and teamwork within a true-life story. From its iconic image of athletes running on a beach set against the backdrop of an amazing score to its rousing finale, Chariots of Fire is not only one of the best films ever made, but also the best testament to how one’s talents can be used for the glory of God.”
7. Blade Runner (dir. Ridley Scott)
“A masterclass in storytelling”
6. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (dir. Steven Spielberg)
“As far as 80s films go, this is one of the most iconic. A decade-defining work. If you were to put together a small box of items to explain to aliens what the 80s was like, this would probably be the best choice, for more than one reason.”
“The best film from Steven Spielberg’s wunderkind phase – a touchingly profound and epic “broken family” story about the unlikely friendship between a lonely boy and a homesick alien. Graced with beautiful music by the great John Williams, introspective camerawork, and earnest performances from its juvenile leads, E.T. remains both a staple of childhood viewing and a cinematic icon.”
5. Amadeus (dir. Miloš Forman)
“There ain’t never been another musical bio pic like this! Freely riffing on many details of the two protagonists lives and personalities to make an incredible reflection on fate, faith and ones foibles”
4. The Princess Bride (dir. Rob Reiner)
3. Back to the Future (dir. Robert Zemeckis)
“What’s more 80’s than this? Perfectly paced.”
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark (dir. Steven Spielberg)
“The movie that changed everything. Set the tone for the remainder of the decade.”
“This is great not because of the years we got out of it, but the mileage. People love an action hero who just makes things up as he goes.”
1. The Empire Strikes Back (dir. Irvin Kershner)
“The greatest sequel ever”
“This elevated what was an extremely popular movie into one of the greatest franchises in cinema history (not to mention one of the greatest plot twists in plot twist history). It improved on the first film in every way, and remains the best Star Wars film in tone and execution.”
I'm not surprised that Grave of the Fireflies didn't make it, but Glory didn't either? What a shame. I really thought it would.
On the plus side, my #3 was #2 (yeah!) and my #2 was #1 (double yeah!!). Thank you for using two of my blurbs: one for a religious movie and the other for a Star Wars movie. 😁 Overall, this list is excellent.
This is a great list. However, I think it’s missing a kids adventure movie that was perfected in the ‘80s. Something like *The Goonies*, *Explorers*, *Flight of the Navigator*, *The Last Starfighter*(an absolutely underrated gem), or *Honey, I Shrunk the Kids*.