Top 100 Best Written Movies

Dear Me,

Here's the Top 100 best-written movies according to the Writer's Guild of America:


1. CASABLANCA
Screenplay by Julius J. & Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch.
Based on the play "Everbody Comes To Rick's" by Murray Burnett
and Joan Alison.

2. THE GODFATHER
Screenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola.
Based on the novel by Mario Puzo.

3. CHINATOWN
Written by Robert Towne.

4. CITIZEN KANE
Written by Herman Mankiewicz and Orson Welles.

5. ALL ABOUT EVE
Screenplay by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.
Based on "The Wisdom of Eve,"
a short story and radio play by Mary Orr.

6. ANNIE HALL
Written by Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman.

7. SUNSET BLVD.
Written by Charles Brackett & Billy Wilder and D.M. Marshman Jr.

8. NETWORK
Written by Paddy Chayefsky.

9. SOME LIKE IT HOT
Screenplay by Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond.
Based on "Fanfare of Love,"
a German film written by Robert Thoeren and M. Logan.

10. THE GODFATHER II
Screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo.
Based on Mario Puzo's novel "The Godfather".

11. BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID
Written by William Goldman.

12. DR. STRANGELOVE
Screenplay by Stanley Kubrick and Peter George and Terry Southern.
Based on the novel "Red Alert" by Peter George.

13. THE GRADUATE
Screenplay by Calder Willingham and Buck Henry.
Based on the novel by Charles Webb.

14. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
Screenplay by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson.
Based on the life and writings of Col. T.E. Lawrence.

15. THE APARTMENT
Written by Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond.

16. PULP FICTION
Written by Quentin Tarantino.
Stories by Quentin Tarantino & Roger Avary.

17. TOOTSIE
Screenplay by Larry Gelbart and Murray Schisgal.
Story by Don McGuire and Larry Gelbart.

18. ON THE WATERFRONT
Screen Story and Screenplay by Budd Schulberg.
Based on "Crime on the Waterfront" articles by Malcolm Johnson.

19. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
Screenplay by Horton Foote.
Based on the novel by Harper Lee.

20. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE
Screenplay by Frances Goodrich & Albert Hackett & Frank Capra.
Based on short story "The Greatest Gift" by Philip Van Doren Stern.
Contributions to screenplay Michael Wilson and Jo Swerling.

21. NORTH BY NORTHWEST
Written by Ernest Lehman.

22. THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
Screenplay by Frank Darabont.
Based on the short story "Rita Hayworth
and the Shawshank Redemption" by Stephen King.

23. GONE WITH THE WIND
Screenplay by Sidney Howard.
Based on the novel by Margaret Mitchell.

24. ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND
Screenplay by Charlie Kaufman.
Story by Charlie Kaufman & Michel Gondry & Pierre Bismuth.

25. THE WIZARD OF OZ
Screenplay by Noel Langley and Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf.
Adaptation by Noel Langley.
Based on the novel by L. Frank Baum.

26. DOUBLE INDEMNITY
Screenplay by Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler.
Based on the novel by James M. Cain.

27. GROUNDHOG DAY
Screenplay by Danny Rubin and Harold Ramis.
Story by Danny Rubin.

28. SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE
Written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard.

29. SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS
Written by Preston Sturges.

30. UNFORGIVEN
Written by David Webb Peoples.

31. HIS GIRL FRIDAY
Screenplay by Charles Lederer.
Based on the play "The Front Page" by Ben Hecht & Charles MacArthur.

32. FARGO
Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen.

33. THE THIRD MAN
Screenplay by Graham Greene.
Story by Graham Greene.
Based on the short story by Graham Greene.

34. THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS
Screenplay by Clifford Odets and Ernest Lehman.
From a novelette by Ernest Lehman.

35. THE USUAL SUSPECTS
Written by Christopher McQuarrie.

36. MIDNIGHT COWBOY
Screenplay by Waldo Salt.
Based on the novel by James Leo Herlihy.

37. THE PHILADELPHIA STORY
Screenplay by Donald Ogden Stewart.
Based on the play by Philip Barry.

38. AMERICAN BEAUTY
Written by Alan Ball.

39. THE STING
Written by David S. Ward.

40. WHEN HARRY MET SALLY
Written by Nora Ephron.

41. GOODFELLAS
Screenplay by Nicholas Pileggi & Martin Scorsese.
Based on book "Wise Guy" by Nicholas Pileggi.

42. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan.
Story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman.

43. TAXI DRIVER
Written by Paul Schrader.

44. THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES
Screenplay by Robert E. Sherwood.
Based on novel "Glory For Me" by MacKinlay Kantor.

45. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST
Screenplay by Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman.
Based on the novel by Ken Kesey.

46. THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE
Screenplay by John Huston.
Based on the novel by B. Traven.

47. THE MALTESE FALCON
Screenplay by John Huston.
Based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett.

48. THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI
Screenplay by Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson.
Based on the novel by Pierre Boulle.

49. SCHINDLER'S LIST
Screenplay by Steven Zaillian.
Based on the novel by Thomas Keneally.

50. THE SIXTH SENSE
Written by M. Night Shyamalan.

51. BROADCAST NEWS
Written by James L. Brooks.

52. THE LADY EVE
Screenplay by Preston Sturges.
Story by Monckton Hoffe.

53. ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN
Screenplay by William Goldman.
Based on the book by Carl Bernstein & Bob Woodward.

54. MANHATTAN
Written by Woody Allen & Marshall Brickman.

55. APOCALYPSE NOW
Written by John Milius and Francis Coppola.
Narration by Michael Herr.

56. BACK TO THE FUTURE
Written by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale.

57. CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS
Written by Woody Allen.

58. ORDINARY PEOPLE
Screenplay by Alvin Sargent.
Based on the novel by Judith Guest.

59. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT
Screenplay by Robert Riskin.
Based on the story "Night Bus" by Samuel Hopkins Adams.

60. L.A. CONFIDENTIAL
Screenplay by Brian Helgeland & Curtis Hanson.
Based on the novel by James Ellroy.

61. THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
Screenplay by Ted Tally.
Based on the novel by Thomas Harris.

62. MOONSTRUCK
Written by John Patrick Shanley.

63. JAWS
Screenplay by Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb.
Based on the novel by Peter Benchley.

64. TERMS OF ENDEARMENT
Screenplay by James L. Brooks.
Based on the novel by Larry McMurtry.

65. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
Screen Story and Screenplay by Betty Comden & Adolph Green.
Based on the song by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown.

66. JERRY MAGUIRE
Written by Cameron Crowe.

67. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL
Written by Melissa Mathison.

68. STAR WARS
Written by George Lucas.

69. DOG DAY AFTERNOON
Screenplay by Frank Pierson.
Based on a magazine article by P.F. Kluge and Thomas Moore.

70. THE AFRICAN QUEEN
Screenplay by James Agee and John Huston.
Based on the novel by C.S. Forester.

71. THE LION IN WINTER
Screenplay by James Goldman.
Based on the play by James Goldman.

72. THELMA & LOUISE
Written by Callie Khouri.

73. AMADEUS
Screenplay by Peter Shaffer.
Based on his play.

74. BEING JOHN MALKOVICH
Written by Charlie Kaufman.

75. HIGH NOON
Screenplay by Carl Foreman.
Based on short story "The Tin Star" by John W. Cunningham.

76. RAGING BULL
Screenplay by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin.
Based on the book by Jake La Motta with Joseph Carter and Peter Savage.

77. ADAPTATION
Screenplay by Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman.
Based on the book "The Orchid Thief" by Susan Orlean.

78. ROCKY
Written by Sylvester Stallone.

79. THE PRODUCERS
Written by Mel Brooks.

80. WITNESS
Screenplay by Earl W. Wallace & William Kelley.
Story by William Kelley and Pamela Wallace & Earl W. Wallace.

81. BEING THERE
Screenplay by Jerzy Kosinski.
Inspired by the novel by Jerzy Kosinski.

82. COOL HAND LUKE
Screenplay by Donn Pearce and Frank Pierson.
Based on the novel by Donn Pearce.

83. REAR WINDOW
Screenplay by John Michael Hayes.
Based on the short story by Cornell Woolrich.

84. THE PRINCESS BRIDE
Screenplay by William Goldman.
Based on his novel.

85. LA GRANDE ILLUSION
Written by Jean Renoir and Charles Spaak.

86. HAROLD & MAUDE
Written by Colin Higgins.

87. 8 1/2
Screenplay by Federico Fellini, Tullio Pinelli, Ennio Flaiano, Brunello Rondi.
Story by Fellini, Flaiano.

88. FIELD OF DREAMS
Screenplay by Phil Alden Robinson.
Based on the book by W.P. Kinsella.

89. FORREST GUMP
Screenplay by Eric Roth.
Based on the novel by Winston Groom.

90. SIDEWAYS
Screenplay by Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor.
Based on the novel by Rex Pickett.

91. THE VERDICT
Screenplay by David Mamet.
Based on the novel by Barry Reed.

92. PSYCHO
Screenplay by Joseph Stefano.
Based on the novel by Robert Bloch.

93. DO THE RIGHT THING
Written by Spike Lee.

94. PATTON
Screen Story and Screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H. North.
Based on "A Soldier's Story" by Omar H. Bradley
and "Patton: Ordeal and Triumph" by Ladislas Farago.

95. HANNAH AND HER SISTERS
Written by Woody Allen.

96. THE HUSTLER
Screenplay by Sidney Carroll & Robert Rossen.
Based on the novel by Walter Tevis.

97. THE SEARCHERS
Screenplay by Frank S. Nugent.
Based on the novel by Alan Le May.

98. THE GRAPES OF WRATH
Screenplay by Nunnally Johnson.
Based on the novel by John Steinbeck.

99. THE WILD BUNCH
Screenplay by Walon Green and Sam Peckinpah.
Story by Walon Green and Roy Sickner.

100. MEMENTO
Screenplay by Christopher Nolan.
Based on the short story "Memento Mori" by Jonathan Nolan.

101. NOTORIOUS
Written by Ben Hecht.

I wonder why it's 101. Anyway, I crossed out the ones that I had watched already.

4 comments:

  1. Hi Ivan,
    Looks like you have to cover a bit more- you have a lifetime to do it. I liked Tootsie- half of it I haven't watched either- but it's a handy list for when we go to the dvd rental shop. thanks for your very informative postings your topics are also thought-provoking. I always look forward to your postings. Ma'am Vicks

    ReplyDelete
  2. MA'AM VICKS, you're right! I still have a long way to go on that list....=)

    ReplyDelete
  3. dami naman laman ng blog mo.. hehehe.. i will watch zsa zsa zathurna tonight!!! :)

    happy mountaineering... :D

    -zeds-

    ReplyDelete
  4. thanks, kuya zed...hehehe. buti ka pa. I missed Ze Musicale.

    ReplyDelete


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