The 12 Best Films Of All Time

By Victoria Robertson on October 12, 2014

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As the years have passed, movies have worked their way into our hearts and claimed our attention time and time again. Of course, there are hundreds of films that fit into this category, but here are 12 that are undoubtedly at the top of that list.

1. Gone With the Wind (1939):

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An oldie but a goodie, “Gone With the Wind” gave cinema one of its strongest female characters of all time: Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh).

With a classic love story, a strong female protagonist and Rhett Butler (Clark Gable)–a leading man you can’t help but love–this film sets a strong cinematic precedent for all films to follow.

2. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937):

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The first, full-length animated motion picture to be brought to the silver screen by Disney Productions, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” would be followed by countless hits and would help lead to Disney’s undeniable dominance over the animation industry.

The film can be viewed as the real start to full-length, animated feature films, and so it easily takes its spot on the list of best films of all time.

3. The Shawshank Redemption (1994):

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A film that could be demeaned to one of the most depressing stories of a man’s life brings cinema one of the most uplifting and beautiful endings all of Hollywood has to offer.

With the tagline, “Fear can hold you prisoner. Hope can set you free,” this film has one of the most positive messages for life than any other film you’ll come across. For that reason, it takes its spot on the list.

Plus, it can only help that Morgan Freeman is a central character.

4. Titanic (1997):

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This will forever be known as the movie that makes even the most emotionally uninvolved people cry. One of the best love stories of all time, “Titanic’s” love story is fictional, but based on the true events of the sinking of the unsinkable ship.

Maybe it’s the fact that many people actually died this tragic day, or perhaps it’s just our attachment to Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio), but this is one of the saddest and most heartbreaking movies of all time. No best films list would be complete without it.

5. Forrest Gump (1994):

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I don’t think there is a point in cinema where we dislike Tom Hanks, but in this film is where he is at his best. As probably one of the most quotable movies of all time, “Forrest Gump” is heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time.

Even a film as long as this captivates its audience throughout and has earned its place in cinematic history as one of the absolute best films of all time.

6. Some Like It Hot (1959):

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Anyone that knows me won’t be surprised that a Marilyn Monroe film made it on this list. But how could it not?

“Some Like It Hot” mixes female friendships with something as violent as the mafia, as two male musicians (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon) disguise themselves as women after witnessing a violent mob hit.

Combining humor, love, action and the indistinguishable voice and talent of Monroe, this film really does have it all, and that’s why it’s forever earned a spot as one of the best.

7. Braveheart (1995):

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I may not be the biggest Mel Gibson fan in the world, but to star in and direct a film that would later become as popular as it is deserves a standing ovation. “Braveheart” is one of those films you have to see in your lifetime, and it’s one that you’ll actually enjoy.

Action-packed and chivalric, the movie covers the battle between Scotland and England and the ultimate fight for freedom. Sad and action-packed as it is, this is a feel-good movie that has undoubtedly earned its spot as one of the best.

8. Good Will Hunting (1997):

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The writing debut of Ben Affleck and Matt Damon made more of an impact on cinema than anyone could have possibly expected.

Starring Affleck, Damon and Robin Williams in one of his best, most serious roles, this film battles the differences between classes and lets us know there are more important things in life than money and eminence.

9. The Breakfast Club (1985):

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Again, one of the most quotable movies of all time, “The Breakfast Club” was an instant classic. Typical cliques are broken down and analyzed in this high school detention story, and identity becomes more than outward appearances to these five teens.

While John Hughes directed plenty of classics, this is by far the most long-lived, and rightfully so.

10. A Few Good Men (1992):

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With a star-studded cast, including Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon and Kiefer Sutherland, this film was bound to be a hit.

This “courtroom thriller” makes Nicholson a bad guy you love to hate and Cruise gives one of his best performances yet. It’s just an added bonus that it gives us one of the most famous lines in cinema history: “You can’t handle the truth!”

11. The Exorcist (1973):

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While horror may not have been consistently good over the years, “The Exorcist” is a standout film that can’t be ignored.

Redefining the scary cinematic experience, this film not only terrified, but it used elements the horror industry hadn’t yet been introduced to, and its use of demonic voiceover (Mercedes McCambridge) for possessed teenager, Regan (Linda Blair), gave a new and improved outlook on the essence of possession.

12. Trouble With The Curve (2012):

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While there aren’t many new movies that have earned the right to join this list quite yet, the performances by Clint Eastwood, Amy Adams and even Justin Timberlake in this film set it apart from the rest.

Familial obligations, blooming relationships and remnants of the “underdog” dynamic dominate this film, and you don’t even need to like baseball to appreciate it.

For the acting, directing and thematic elements, this film has earned its spot as one of the best. And let’s be honest, what list of cinema’s best would be complete without Clint Eastwood?

While cinema will continue to grow as time goes on and more and more films will surface and steal our gaze, it’s important to look back to the moments in film that brought us to where we are today.

And if you haven’t yet, I suggest you get started watching all these films, because I promise you, they are the best of the best.

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