I Am Hollywood’s Bitch, Part 1

Okay, another movie list meme. This one courtesy of Tom Bridge. Here, we’re looking at the 100 top-grossing films of all time (domestic grosses, that is). As per meme instructions, I am putting films I’ve seen in italics, films I liked in boldface (an admittedly vague designation), and attaching an asterisk to films I liked on original viewing, but which no longer have quite the same appeal (basically, movies I probably wouldn’t watch again, or at least not repeatedly).

Since the list appeared on Tom’s site, I’ve adjusted the rankings to keep them up-to-date (as of today), and omitted the actual dollar figures (I’m just too lazy to keep typing them in). For an up-to-date (and complete) list, check out the regularly maintained list at Box Office Mojo.

So here we go:

1. Titanic (1997)
   
2. Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
   
3. Shrek 2 (2004)
   
4. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
   
5. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace* (1999)
   
6. Spider-Man (2002)
   
7. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
   
8. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
   
9. The Passion of the Christ (2004)
   
10. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
    
11. Jurassic Park (1993)
    
12. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
    
13. Finding Nemo (2003)
    
14. Forrest Gump (1994)
    
15. The Lion King (1994)
    
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001)
    
17. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
    
18. Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
    
19. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
    
20. Independence Day* (1996)
    
21. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
    
22. The Sixth Sense (1999)
    
23. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
    
24. Home Alone* (1990)
    
25. The Matrix Reloaded* (2003)
    
26. Meet the Fockers (2004)
    
27. Shrek (2001)
    
28. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
    
29. The Incredibles (2004)
    
30. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
    
31. Jaws (1975)
    
32. Monsters, Inc. (2001)
    
33. Batman (1989)
    
34. Men in Black (1997)
    
35. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
    
36. Toy Story 2 (1999)
    
37. Bruce Almighty (2003)
    
38. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
    
39. Twister (1996)
    
40. My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
    
41. Ghostbusters (1984)
    
42. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
    
43. Cast Away (2000)
    
44. The Exorcist (1973)
    
45. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)
    
46. Signs (2002)
    
47. Rush Hour 2 (2001)
    
48. Mrs. Doubtfire* (1993)
    
49. Ghost* (1990)
    
50. Aladdin (1992)
    
51. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
    
52. Mission: Impossible II* (2000)
    
53. X2: X-Men United (2003)
    
54. Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
    
55. Back to the Future (1985)
    
56. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me* (1999)
    
57. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
    
58. The Mummy Returns (2001)
    
59. Armageddon (1998)
    
60. Gone with the Wind (1939)
    
61. Pearl Harbor (2001)
    
62. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
    
63. Toy Story (1995)
    
64. Men in Black II (2002)
    
65. Grease (1978)
    
66. Gladiator (2000)
    
67. The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
    
68. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
    
69. Dances With Wolves (1990)
    
70. Batman Forever (1995)
    
71. The Fugitive (1993)
    
72. Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
    
73. What Women Want (2000)
    
74. The Perfect Storm (2000)
    
75. Liar Liar (1997)
    
76. Jurassic Park III (2001)
    
77. Mission: Impossible (1996)
    
78. Planet of the Apes (2001)
    
79. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom* (1984)
    
80. Hitch (2005)
    
81. Pretty Woman* (1990)
    
82. Tootsie (1982)
    
83. Top Gun (1986)
    
84. There’s Something About Mary (1998)
    
85. Ice Age (2002)
    
86. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
    
87. Crocodile Dundee (1986)
    
88. Apollo 13 (1995)
    
89. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
    
90. Elf (2003)
    
91. National Treasure (2004)
    
92. Air Force One (1997)
    
93. Rain Man (1988)
    
94. Madagascar (2005)
    
95. The Matrix (1999)
    
96. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
    
97. Tarzan (1999)
    
98. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
    
99. Chicago (2002)
    
100. Three Men and a Baby* (1987)

So what’s the big lesson? One, I see a lot of movies — 90 out of 100 on this list. Furthermore, I’m easily pleased — 65 out of those 90; add in the ones I liked when I originally saw them and we’re up to 76. And we’re talking about mainstream movies here, prime Hollywood product, so any illusions about my being primarily an indie fan are out the window.

I think I’ll look at it this way: This just goes to show that discriminating taste and mainstream sensibilities are not mutually exclusive.

Now pass me another Budweiser.