Most people will be familiar with the following list of movies:
| Rank | Title | Lifetime Gross | ||
| 1 | Titanic | $600,788,188 | ||
| 2 | The Dark Knight | $533,345,358 | ||
| 3 | Star Wars | $460,998,007 | ||
| 4 | Shrek 2 | $441,226,247 | ||
| 5 | E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial | $435,110,554 | ||
| 6 | Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace | $431,088,301 | ||
| 7 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest | $423,315,812 | ||
| 8 | Spider-Man | $403,706,375 | ||
| 9 | Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith | $380,270,577 | ||
| 10 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | $377,027,325 |
It's the top ten highest grossing movies ever domestically in the US. A quick scan of the lists shows that they are mostly big-budget, special effects blockbusters, designed to rake in money rather than to aim for anything higher. There are a few exceptions, but on the whole, that's what it is. Plus, it's common sense that the movie industry, as well as the music industry, concentrate more on the big money bringers as this is what keeps them alive and it is something relatively easy for them to do, year after year.
Making a critically acclaimed movie (not that us critics' opinions mean anything) is more of a gamble. Will the movie actually be any good? Will the audience enjoy it? Will enough of them go and see it? Fortunately there are still plenty of movies that have more weight to them than the standard 'summer blockbuster' that we get acclimatised to these days and there's a steady balance between the two, although the latter sometimes get overlooked due to a lower budget advertising campaign and release.
What if we were to take the box office figures from all movies and adjust them for inflation? This would give us a clearer look at how movies in the past fared against those in the above list. It also helps to see how commercially successful it was as the standard figures would be hard for us to interpret. For example, back in 1941, Fantasia made $76 million domestically on it's release. Now we know that this figure these days isn't much at all, so to us it isn't that helpful as a figure to show how well it did. If we were to take that figure and adjust it for inflation, though, it makes Fantasia the 20th highest grossing movie ever! That $76 million now becomes $596 million these days, which immediately springs out as a high figure and an indicator as to how well it did.
Now I will show the adjusted top ten in reverse order and offer brief comments on the movie and its position.
Making a critically acclaimed movie (not that us critics' opinions mean anything) is more of a gamble. Will the movie actually be any good? Will the audience enjoy it? Will enough of them go and see it? Fortunately there are still plenty of movies that have more weight to them than the standard 'summer blockbuster' that we get acclimatised to these days and there's a steady balance between the two, although the latter sometimes get overlooked due to a lower budget advertising campaign and release.
What if we were to take the box office figures from all movies and adjust them for inflation? This would give us a clearer look at how movies in the past fared against those in the above list. It also helps to see how commercially successful it was as the standard figures would be hard for us to interpret. For example, back in 1941, Fantasia made $76 million domestically on it's release. Now we know that this figure these days isn't much at all, so to us it isn't that helpful as a figure to show how well it did. If we were to take that figure and adjust it for inflation, though, it makes Fantasia the 20th highest grossing movie ever! That $76 million now becomes $596 million these days, which immediately springs out as a high figure and an indicator as to how well it did.
Now I will show the adjusted top ten in reverse order and offer brief comments on the movie and its position.
10: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Year: 1937
Unadjusted Gross: $184,925,486
Adjusted Gross: $782,620,000
9: The Exorcist
Year: 1973
Unadjusted Gross: $232,671,011
Adjusted Gross: $793,883,100
8: Doctor Zhivago
Year: 1965
Unadjusted Gross: $111,721,910
Adjusted Gross: $891,292,600
7: Jaws
Year: 1975
Unadjusted Gross: $260,000,000
Adjusted Gross: $919,605,900
6: Titanic
Year: 1997
Unadjusted Gross: $600,788,188
Adjusted Gross: $921,523,500
5: The Ten Commandments
Year: 1956
Unadjusted Gross: $65,500,000
Adjusted Gross: $940,580,000
4: E.T. : The Extra-Terrestrial
Year: 1982
Unadjusted Gross: $435,110,554
Adjusted Gross: $1,018,514,100
3: The Sound of Music
Year: 1965
Unadjusted Gross: $158,671,368
Adjusted Gross: $1,022,542,400
2: Star Wars
Year: 1977
Unadjusted Gross: $460,998,007
Adjusted Gross: $1,278,898,700
1: Gone With the Wind
Year: 1939
Unadjusted Gross: $198,676,459
Adjusted Gross: $1,450,680,400
Year: 1937
Unadjusted Gross: $184,925,486
Adjusted Gross: $782,620,000
It's no surprise that this movie did well. This was the first ever animated feature, Walt Disney's first, and it was presented in glorious Technicolor. I can imagine no other more magical even in the theater in that era other than Wizard of Oz which was released two years later. It went straight to the top of highest grossing movies at that time and kept it's crown for only two years. It really is a beautiful movie and the style of the animation looks great today, probably Disney's best release.
9: The Exorcist
Year: 1973
Unadjusted Gross: $232,671,011
Adjusted Gross: $793,883,100
Again, no surprise here on the success it achieved. This was a highly talked about movie, from people talking about how scary it was, religious groups wanting it banned and stories of accidents during production. The Exorcist was originally banned in the UK on video from 1984 up until 1998. All of these stories made people rush to the cinemas to see it, a lot didn't even last for the whole showing as people were generally terrified by what they saw.
One of the most important horror movies ever made and one of the most unique in the way it was presented, it still holds up very well today and is better than most horrors that were released since.
One of the most important horror movies ever made and one of the most unique in the way it was presented, it still holds up very well today and is better than most horrors that were released since.
8: Doctor Zhivago
Year: 1965
Unadjusted Gross: $111,721,910
Adjusted Gross: $891,292,600
This is an odd entry, despite the fact that it was a huge commercial success at the time, it also received many criticisms on it's length and pacing, which director David Lean took into account. He edited around 17 minutes from the final cut but also stated that he wouldn't make any more movies, he did however due to Doctor Zhivago's box office success.
I haven't seen this, it doesn't really interest me as the story didn't do much for me, but please post your opinions of this is you have seen it.
I haven't seen this, it doesn't really interest me as the story didn't do much for me, but please post your opinions of this is you have seen it.
7: Jaws
Year: 1975
Unadjusted Gross: $260,000,000
Adjusted Gross: $919,605,900
The one that started them all, Jaws is the original Summer Blockbuster, it was the movie that put Spielberg on the map as a major player in the movie business and was the first movie to open nationwide, setting the trend for the rest of the big movies since.
Unlike summer movies of today, Jaws is intelligently directed, perfectly building up suspense and scares, mostly due to the technical problems with the shark. The cast is great and John Williams famous score take it to a whole other level. Still a great, entertaining watch to this day, one of Spielberg's best.
Unlike summer movies of today, Jaws is intelligently directed, perfectly building up suspense and scares, mostly due to the technical problems with the shark. The cast is great and John Williams famous score take it to a whole other level. Still a great, entertaining watch to this day, one of Spielberg's best.
6: Titanic
Unadjusted Gross: $600,788,188
Adjusted Gross: $921,523,500
Paramount studios were worried about Titanic. It famous became the most expensive movie to make at that time and they wondered whether or not it will make any money. Their worries were eased when people flocked to see the tale of the legendary 'ship that couldn't sink', they wanted to see the disaster of the sinking, the groundbreaking special effects and, for some reason, Winslet and DiCaprio getting it on. Months later it crushed it's competition at the Oscars.
Today, Titanic is an ok-ish movie. The effects, by now, are weak in places but do not detract too much. The main weakness is the script. Take away the effects and the fact that it is the Titanic, and we are left with a fairly run-of-the-mill romance that doesn't seem to deliver as much as it should. The acting is ok, but again, could have been a lot stronger. It is still a good watch, but it's length would prevent someone watching it on a whim.
Today, Titanic is an ok-ish movie. The effects, by now, are weak in places but do not detract too much. The main weakness is the script. Take away the effects and the fact that it is the Titanic, and we are left with a fairly run-of-the-mill romance that doesn't seem to deliver as much as it should. The acting is ok, but again, could have been a lot stronger. It is still a good watch, but it's length would prevent someone watching it on a whim.
5: The Ten Commandments
Year: 1956
Unadjusted Gross: $65,500,000
Adjusted Gross: $940,580,000
Put a famous biblical account on the big screen and you're already guaranteed a big audience. But when you put something as epic as The Ten Commandments on the big screen then expect one of the biggest movies ever. Everybody wanted to see this epic, especially how it would portray certain events like the ten plagues and the parting of the Red Sea. Throw in Charlton Heston and Yul Brynner and you got a smash on your hands.
It's a very enjoyable movie, despite it's length. It certainly does have that 'epic' feel to it, in scope, production and time. The effects still look good when you think that this is over 50 years old, they don't cut it like the CGI today but you are always wondering how they did everything back then. Glorious colour and a cast of hundreds. Definitely worth seeing once.
It's a very enjoyable movie, despite it's length. It certainly does have that 'epic' feel to it, in scope, production and time. The effects still look good when you think that this is over 50 years old, they don't cut it like the CGI today but you are always wondering how they did everything back then. Glorious colour and a cast of hundreds. Definitely worth seeing once.
4: E.T. : The Extra-Terrestrial
Year: 1982
Unadjusted Gross: $435,110,554
Adjusted Gross: $1,018,514,100
The first movie on this list to have over $1 Billion. Spielberg, by 1982, had established himself as one of the top Hollywood directors and his previous movies all had great success, but I don't think even he was prepared for how popular E.T. would become. With this movie Spielberg had perfected the formulaic family film that he would go on to replicate numerous times.
A family movie that children could enjoy and learn from and where adults can be taken back to their youth and a movie where, no matter what your age, you end up crying at. One of Spielberg's best 'family' movies, though his later ones tend to tarnish the memory of this somewhat. Check out the original and not the special edition 20th anniversary dvd.
A family movie that children could enjoy and learn from and where adults can be taken back to their youth and a movie where, no matter what your age, you end up crying at. One of Spielberg's best 'family' movies, though his later ones tend to tarnish the memory of this somewhat. Check out the original and not the special edition 20th anniversary dvd.
3: The Sound of Music
Year: 1965
Unadjusted Gross: $158,671,368
Adjusted Gross: $1,022,542,400
There's something about this movie, something that will divide an audience, a lot of people hate this movie or find it intensely boring, yet others love it. It seems there are more who love it than hate it which is why it is so high in this chart. It's beautiful scenery and popular tunes direct from the musical drew vast crowds to the theater. It's huge success is said to have saved Fox studio after Cleopatra nearly made it bankrupt. Definitely the most popular and successful movie musical, Sound of Music regularly tops lists of favourite musicals and movies.
2: Star Wars
Year: 1977
Unadjusted Gross: $460,998,007
Adjusted Gross: $1,278,898,700
Not much needs to be said about the original Star Wars. It changed how movies would be made forever, thanks to Industrial Light and Magic, the company that was set up to create the (then) great effects. And this is where the movie shines; audiences had never seen anything like what Star Wars had to offer with it's exciting space battles, weird creatures, cool light sabers and walking carpets. I still think this is badly written and directed, especially compared to the next two sequels, but the vision that Lucas had and the determination to get it made despite not having much financial backing is incredible. John Williams' score catapults it above and beyond what even Lucas could have envisioned.
1: Gone With the Wind
Year: 1939
Unadjusted Gross: $198,676,459
Adjusted Gross: $1,450,680,400
For its time, Gone With the Wind was a beast of a movie, it blew all competition out of the water. It became the highest grossing movie of that time, and now, adjusting for inflation, it is the top of our list. It won ten academy awards, which it held as a record for nearly 20 years.
Another epic movie but this didn't have special effects to blow audiences away, instead it had a story and characters that the audience could love and relate to. It's a big movie to sit through but make sure you do it at least once in your life.
So there we have the list of highest grossing movies ever if adjusted for inflation. Quite a difference from the standard list. I have to say that I do prefer this list; although I don't think that the ten movies are the ten best, they mostly deserve their place and it is easy to see how they warrant their success. this second list seems to be more three-dimensional than the first. They are films that are important, films that people spoke about before and after viewing. They aren't mindless stories written around computer generated action scenes. They have depth and character, yet are all different from one another. For the most part, they are movies which were made with loving care by the directors and producers, some raised the bar for what should follow, others set a new way of making movies and dared others to do better. By doing this, they not only achieved a work of art that would endure, but they also drew audiences in and reaped vast amounts of cash for the studios. Proof that a commercial success doesn't have to be an artistic wasteland.
Let's hope that there will continue to be directors, writers and producers who have the desire to achieve great things, let's hope that they will gain the support of the studios to make their dreams but also to distribute and advertise them well so that people will get a desire to see them.
For a look at the full list you can view it here
Another epic movie but this didn't have special effects to blow audiences away, instead it had a story and characters that the audience could love and relate to. It's a big movie to sit through but make sure you do it at least once in your life.
So there we have the list of highest grossing movies ever if adjusted for inflation. Quite a difference from the standard list. I have to say that I do prefer this list; although I don't think that the ten movies are the ten best, they mostly deserve their place and it is easy to see how they warrant their success. this second list seems to be more three-dimensional than the first. They are films that are important, films that people spoke about before and after viewing. They aren't mindless stories written around computer generated action scenes. They have depth and character, yet are all different from one another. For the most part, they are movies which were made with loving care by the directors and producers, some raised the bar for what should follow, others set a new way of making movies and dared others to do better. By doing this, they not only achieved a work of art that would endure, but they also drew audiences in and reaped vast amounts of cash for the studios. Proof that a commercial success doesn't have to be an artistic wasteland.
Let's hope that there will continue to be directors, writers and producers who have the desire to achieve great things, let's hope that they will gain the support of the studios to make their dreams but also to distribute and advertise them well so that people will get a desire to see them.
For a look at the full list you can view it here
