# Best Single Year for Film? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 30, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-year-for-film/642572 "2012-11-30T14:51:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Human\_Action](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@Human\_Action](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Human_Action)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-year-for-film/642572/1 "2012-11-30T14:51:05Z")
What single year was the best for film? We can define this as being based on the films released, rather than behind-the-scenes factors like the end of the studio system or the Hays code. My pick is 1994. It’s hightlighted by _The Shawshank Redemption_ and _Pulp Fiction_, released on the same day, October 14th. But it also boasted: _Clerks_ _Ed Wood_ _Forrest Gump_ _Heavenly Creatures_ _Hoop Dreams_ _The Hudsucker Proxy_ _Leon_ _Shallow Grave_ What do you think? ---
**Author:** ![Oedipus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Oedipus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oedipus)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-year-for-film/642572/2 "2012-11-30T15:06:26Z")
I think I remember '68 or '69 being some great year, but I’m not in a position to Google it right now. However, I wholeheartedly agree that '94 is probably the best year. 2012 had some real potential in it and I think for the most part it has lived up to a lot of expectations. 2012 would’ve been a little bit better if Gatsby hadn’t been pushed back to 2013. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-year-for-film/642572/3 "2012-11-30T15:06:35Z")
How about 1939? The Best Picture nominees that year: Dark Victory Gone With the Wind Goodbye, Mr. Chips Love Affair Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Ninotchka Of Mice and Men Stagecoach The Wizard of Oz Wuthering Heights Other films released in the same year: Gunga Din The Little Princess (Shirley Temple) Another Thin Man A couple of Andy Hardy films A Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan film A Mr Moto film The Hound of the Baskervilles starring Basil Rathbone Admittedly, not all Great films, but _many_ films that stood the test of time. ---
**Author:** ![Oedipus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Oedipus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oedipus)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-year-for-film/642572/4 "2012-11-30T15:24:11Z")
1968: 2001: A Space Odyssey Romeo and Juliet (with 15-year-old Olivia Hussey) Bullitt The Love Bug Charly Candy Thomas Crown Affair Oliver! Rosemary’s Baby Planet of the Apes Night of the Living Dead Yours, Mine, and Ours Hang 'Em High ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE MUTHERFUCKING WEST. (AKA greatest western ever) EDIT: 1977 and 1999 are good contenders too, but I’ll let someone else talk. Double edit: the entire 90s decade is just good year after good year of movies. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-year-for-film/642572/5 "2012-11-30T15:32:18Z")
There’s a 1998 article in _The Washingon Post_ by Stephen Hunter in which he argues that not only is _Gone with the Wind_ not the best film of 1939, but that there are 28 better films that year. There are a lot of people that argue that it’s the best year for movies: > **[1939 in film](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1939_in_film)** > > The year 1939 in film is widely considered the greatest year in film history. The ten Best Picture-nominated films that year include classics in multiple genres. > The top ten 1939 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows: > Film historians often rate 1939 as "the greatest year in the history of Hollywood". Hollywood films produced in Southern California are at the height of their Golden Age (in spite of many cheaply made or undistinguished films also being produced, so... ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-year-for-film/642572/6 "2012-11-30T15:35:19Z")
No question, 1939. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-year-for-film/642572/7 "2012-11-30T16:24:43Z")
> [@Oedipus](#): > > ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE MUTHERFUCKING WEST. (AKA greatest western ever) The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance came out in '62, just like How The West Was Won – same year Sean Connery debuted as James Bond, and Gregory Peck was Atticus Finch when he wasn’t squaring off against Robert Mitchum in Cape Fear – sure as Robert Preston was The Music Man, and Peter O’Toole was Lawrence Of Arabia. The Manchurian Candidate! Lolita! The Miracle Worker! Days Of Wine And Roses! Gypsy! ---
**Author:** ![edwards\_beard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@edwards\_beard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/edwards_beard)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-year-for-film/642572/8 "2012-11-30T17:31:54Z")
1984 Looking at the 20 top grossing films on Wiki…there is only two I haven’t seen. I can watch any of the others on there multi times gladly. From the top 20 my faves: Ghostbusters Beverly Hills Cop Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (This is my second favorite in the series) Gremlins Karate Kid Footloose Police Acadamy Star Trek III - (don’t hurt me) Romancing the Stone Splash Tightrope The Natural Revenge of the Nerds Bachelor Party 2010 Other films released in 1984: All of Me Adventures Of Bukaroo Banzai Body Double (Loved this as a preteen…melanie griffith in the telescope MMM) Cloak and Dagger Cotton Club Friday the 13th Part 4 (my favorite of the series) The Last Starfighter (I know…guilty pleasure) Moscow on the Hudson Nightmare on Elm Street Neverending Story The Razor’s Edge Repo Man Sixteen Candles The Terminator This is Spinal Tap ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-year-for-film/642572/9 "2012-11-30T17:35:51Z")
> [@edwards\_beard](#): > > Other films released in 1984: You missed _ **1984** _. ---
**Author:** ![Wilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@Wilson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-year-for-film/642572/10 "2012-11-30T17:44:07Z")
It probably doesn’t beat 1939, but 1954 was a darn good year - On the Waterfront Rear Window The Barefoot Contessa The Caine Mutiny White Christmas A Star is Born 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Sabrina The Country Girl Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Brigadoon Carmen Jones the original Godzilla Hobson’s Choice Johnny Guitar Seven Samurai ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-year-for-film/642572/11 "2012-11-30T17:56:47Z")
> [@Oedipus](#): > > I think I remember '68 or '69 being some great year . . . I agree, 1969 was excellent: [Midnight Cowboy](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064665/) [Easy Rider](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064276/) [Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064115/)[The Wild Bunch](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065214/) [Z](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065234/) But then again, it also had [Paint Your Wagon](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064782/) :eek: ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-single-year-for-film/642572/12 "2012-11-30T19:45:53Z")
Paint Your Wagon was a fun movie; Eastwood and Marvin playing against type.