1. | CASABLANCA Screenplay by Julius J. & Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch. Based on the play “Everybody Comes to Rick’s” by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison
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2. | THE GODFATHER Screenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola. Based on the novel by Mario Puzo
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3. | CHINATOWN Written by Robert Towne
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4. | CITIZEN KANE Written by Herman Mankiewicz and Orson Welles
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5. | ALL ABOUT EVE Screenplay by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Based on “The Wisdom of Eve,” a short story and radio play by Mary Orr
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6. | ANNIE HALL Written by Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman
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7. | SUNSET BLVD. Written by Charles Brackett & Billy Wilder and D.M. Marshman, Jr.
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8. | NETWORK Written by Paddy Chayefsky
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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
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10. | THE GODFATHER II Screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo. Based on Mario Puzo’s novel “The Godfather”
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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 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 MacKinley 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 Rond. 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 |
Chinatown should have been #1, no question. It is structurally and formally the most perfect screenplay ever written.
ReplyDeleteBut an even more serious complaint: what the hell is with the WGA's aversion to foreign language films? Only two crack the list, and they're both near the bottom. Whoops, no room for Fanny and Alexander or Rashômon, but we absolutely NEED to include Eric Roth's dishonest screenplay for Forrest Gump! Give me a break...
Chinatown is top 5 for me, but not #1.
ReplyDeleteAs for Roth, I like the script to Gump a lot...much better than the book, to be honest.
I stick with Annie Hall in my top spot.
ReplyDeleteBut you would agree that the international presence on this list is sorely lacking?
ReplyDeleteUndoubtedly, but with the Writers Guild of AMERICA...are you really shocked?
ReplyDeleteAlso, outside of the more obscure groups, when isn't this the case?
ReplyDeleteIf they wanted to focus on only domestic works, they should have had the balls to just call it "100 Best AMERICAN Screenplays of All Time," the way the AFI does with their lists. Just throwing in two token classics in the bottom 50 and calling it a day is insulting.
ReplyDeleteThe guild thinks the way that the guild thinks. No sense in belittling that, better to use the space to put forward the choices omitted you feel are most deserving, like I did in my 2 cents.
ReplyDeleteWell, I kinda already did that when I singled out Fanny and Alexander and Rashômon. I just wanted to make a larger point in doing so, especially since it's a trend that I find bothersome in general.
ReplyDeleteOf course, and feel free to add more.
ReplyDeleteYeah the lack of foreign screenplays is crazy. I can't even begin to name the worst snubs but Fanny and Alexander and Rashomon are excellent examples.
ReplyDeleteI love that Being John Malkovich made the list, but sad that Gosford Park and Lost in Translation were left out. Before Sunrise also had a nice script.
ReplyDeleteJim- Fair enough.
ReplyDeleteManus- Agreed.
ReplyDelete