Tom the Dog has a post called Movies Everybody’s Seen But Me. He, and his many fans, listed their various picks. But I’m a librarian. I need a SYSTEM. So I went to the Wikipedia and found the list of highest-grossing films, unadjusted for inflation.
1 Titanic
$1,845,034,188-YES
2 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
$1,118,888,979 NO. Never read the book, either.
3 Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in the US)
$976,475,550 YES, with my niece, even though I’ve never read any of the books.
4 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
$926,287,400 NO
5 Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
$924,317,558 YES, unfortunately.
6 Shrek 2
$920,665,658 YES
7 Jurassic Park
$914,691,118 YES
8 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
$892,213,036 NO
9 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
$876,688,482 NO
10 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
$871,368,364 YES
11 Finding Nemo
$864,625,978 YES
12 Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
$849,997,605 NO
13 Spider-Man
$821,708,551 YES
14 Independence Day
$816,969,268 NO, and I’m pretty sure it was intentional at the time.
15 E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
$792,910,554 YES
16 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
$789,804,554 NO
17 The Lion King
$783,841,776 YES
18 Spider-Man 2
$783,766,341 NO, but I really want to.
19 Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
$775,398,007 YES
20 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
$744,106,957 NO, but my wife did.
21 The Da Vinci Code
$740,961,259 NO
22 The Matrix Reloaded
$738,599,701 NO
23 Forrest Gump
$677,386,686 YES
24 The Sixth Sense
$672,806,292 YES
25 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
$653,913,918 YES
26 Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
$649,398,328 NO
27 Ice Age: The Meltdown
$644,028,218 NO
28 The Incredibles
$631,436,092 YES
29 The Lost World: Jurassic Park
$618,638,999 NO
30 The Passion of the Christ
$611,899,420 NO, intentionally so.
31 War of the Worlds
$591,416,316 NO
32 Men in Black
$589,390,539 YES
33 Armageddon
$553,709,788 NO
34 King Kong
$549,216,896 NO
35 Mission: Impossible II
$545,902,562 NO
36 Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
$544,521,411
37 The Day After Tomorrow
$542,771,772 YES
38 Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
$538,375,067 YES
39 Madagascar
$528,367,986 NO
40 Monsters, Inc.
$525,366,597 NO
41 Terminator 2: Judgment Day
$519,843,345 I don’t remember. I saw SOME T movie.
42 Meet the Fockers
$516,533,043 NO
43 Ghost
$505,702,588 YES
44 Aladdin
$504,050,219 YES
45 Troy
$497,409,852 NO
46 Twister
$494,471,524 YES
47 Toy Story 2
$485,015,179 YES
48 Bruce Almighty
$484,572,835 YES
49 Shrek
$484,409,218 YES
50 Saving Private Ryan
$481,840,909 NO
And then, since thsat list tended to skew towards the newer films with higher ticket prices, I also picked the list of highest-grossing films, adjusted for inflation, with the caveat: “Inevitably, a single inflation-adjustment cannot account for global inflationary fluctuations, and it also favors re-released films. Further, it treats all receipts as if they were earned in the initial year of release, which is clearly incorrect.
However, it does provide a more accurate (if estimated) long-term picture of financial success as it ignores current inflationary trends. Every decade since the 1930s is represented, with the exception of the 1950s.”
(If I described the films in the first list, I won’t in the second.)
1 Gone With the Wind (1939)
$2,699,710,936 NO. Keep thinking I ought to.
2 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
$2,425,862,786 YES
3 Titanic (1997)
$2,174,317,554
4 Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
$1,436,811,009
5 Jurassic Park (1993)
$1,202,648,438
6 Bambi (1942)
$1,191,311,757 YES
7 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
$1,175,528,250
8 Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in US) (2001)
$1,058,997,333
9 Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
$1,054,205,059
10 The Lion King (1994)
$1,000,588,279
11 Independence Day (1996)
$991,657,039
12 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
$985,287,400
13 The Sound of Music (1965)
$978,767,575 Not all the way through, NO.
14 Planet of the Apes (1968)
$977,132,692 YES. In fact, I saw all FIVE Apes films. On the same day. Don’t try that at home.
15 One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
$966,612,040 YES, and the lead guy in the film is named Roger.
16 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
$945,007,557
17 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
$935,804,406
18 Jaws (1975)
$912,899,628 NO. Initially, it was fear. Now, it’s just inertia.
19 Finding Nemo (2003)
$908,394,209
20 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
$891,719,985
21 Spider-Man (2002)
$877,117,127
22 The Exorcist (1973)
$870,322,714 YES
23 Forrest Gump (1994)
$864,696,421
24 E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
$851,419,200
25 Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)
$848,480,246
26 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
$811,115,427
27 Spider-Man 2 (2004)
$805,131,538
28 The Jungle Book (1967)
$802,223,303 NO
29 The Sixth Sense (1999)
$767,350,777
30 The Matrix Reloaded (2003)
$775,988,356
31 Ghost (1990)
$752,150,867
32 The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
$729,047,539
33 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
$704,795,008
34 Men In Black (1997)
$694,579,105
35 Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002)
$693,187,865
36 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
$687,015,694
37 The Sting (1973)
$679,018,919 YES
38 Doctor Zhivago (1965)
$669,977,327 YES
39 The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
$665,181,894
40 The Incredibles (2004)
$648,484,866
Other movies mentioned in Tom’s column:
Buffy the Vampiire Slayer-NO
Poseidon Adventure-YES, but not the recent remake
Clerks-NO, but I will, I will
It’s a Wonderful Life-YES, but not until I met my wife
Goodfellas-NO, not all the way through.
Casablanca-YES
Citizen Kane-Rented it, fell asleep. NO. I’ll try again.
The Wizard of Oz-YES, many times.
Godfather-Yes, but not 2 or 3
Unforgiven-YES
Million Dollar Baby-NO, but it’s high on my list.
Apocalypse Now-NO, not all the way through, though I must have seen at least 2/3 of it.
The Conversation-currently on my DVR, recorded from TCM, as are Raging Bull and Nashville because I never saw any of them, but I will this summer.
Pretty in Pink-NO.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind-YES, both versions.
Monty Python movies- only Life of Brian, and whatever was after that.
Woody Allen movies -MANY of them
Rocky- Yes, also 2 and 4.
Adam Sandler movies- just the good one.
Oh, that’s enough of this.