Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
22. Ordinary People (1980)
> Composite index score: 2.57
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (49,514 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (23,252 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 89% (55 reviews)
> Directed by: Robert Redford
> Starring: Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch
Robert Redford won his first and only Academy Award for directing this superlative domestic drama. It takes place in the wake of a terrible tragedy and depicts an upper-class family in a state of disrepair. Mary Tyler Moore cultivates unexpected gravitas as a narcissistic mother who can’t move past the death of her son.
Source: Courtesy of Gramercy Pictures
21. Dead Man Walking (1995)
> Composite index score: 2.59
> IMDb user rating: 7.5/10 (91,822 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (61,910 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 95% (61 reviews)
> Directed by: Tim Robbins
> Starring: Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn, Robert Prosky
Tim Robbins adapted this heralded drama from a 1993 non-fiction book, casting then-partner Susan Sarandon in the lead role. She plays Sister Helen Prejean, a nun whose empathy extends to both a convicted killer (Sean Penn) and the victim’s family. Her performance took home the film’s sole Academy Award.
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Courtesy of Miramax
20. Gone Baby Gone (2007)
> Composite index score: 2.59
> IMDb user rating: 7.6/10 (262,239 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (210,008 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (181 reviews)
> Directed by: Ben Affleck
> Starring: Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, Casey Affleck
Ben Affleck took pretty much everyone by surprise with this self-assured directorial feature debut. It takes place in a rough Boston neighborhood and follows two private detectives (Casey Affleck and Michelle Monaghan) through a twisty kidnapping investigation. Morgan Freeman, Ed Harris, and Amy Ryan co-star.
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
19. Blazing Saddles (1974)
> Composite index score: 2.59
> IMDb user rating: 7.7/10 (131,541 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (218,474 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (59 reviews)
> Directed by: Mel Brooks
> Starring: Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Slim Pickens
Director Mel Brooks skewers both the Hollywood Western and the American West in this blockbuster parody. Unsparing in its mockery of racism, the story puts a Black sheriff (Cleavon Little) in charge of a small town circa 1874. When adjusted for inflation, it’s one of the highest-grossing original films ever made.
Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate
18. Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
> Composite index score: 2.60
> IMDb user rating: 8.1/10 (467,761 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 91% (55,854 votes)
> Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 84% (280 reviews)
> Directed by: Mel Gibson
> Starring: Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey
This WWII drama sends a pacifist soldier (Andrew Garfield) into battle and features ironic levels of shocking violence. It culls from a true story and goes to show that someone can still be a war hero without firing a shot. Director Mel Gibson once again highlights noble characters who aren’t afraid to sacrifice their life for the greater good.
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