All-time Best 100 Films

For my 50 Things by 50 challenge, I wanted to do a top 50 films list, but that proved to be too difficult to decide, so I am running with 50 x 2 = 100 for this goal. 

My qualifications for creating a definitive list like this include being raised up to be a movie connoisseur from a very young age and carrying this torch my whole life. My parents would take us to the theater on opening night/weekend and the drive-in often. When at-home devices were invented, we got a Betamax and a copy of The Pirates of Penzance with Kevin Kline and Linda Ronstadt, and it was all over from there. We wore that beta tape out! One of my favorite pastimes has been movie watching and collecting. 

I hope you enjoy my take on what constitutes the best…because I am pretty confident that I am right. 

QUALIFYING FACTORS

Creativity/Innovation, Nostalgia, Quality (Performance, Production, Writing), Repeat Watchability, Personal Impact, and Societal Impact 

All-time Best 100 Films 

1930s

1. Gone with the Wind (1939) 

2. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) 

3. The Wizard of Oz (1939)

1940s

1. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

2. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

3. The Strawberry Blonde (1941)

4. This Is the Army (1943)

1950s

1. Ben-Hur (1959)

2. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

3. Gigi (1958)

4. Rear Window (1954)

5. Sleeping Beauty (1959) 

6. South Pacific (1958)

1960s

1. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

2. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

3. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966)

4. The Great Escape (1963)

5. The Happiest Millionaire (1967)

6. The Magnificent Seven (1960)

7. Mary Poppins (1964)

8. The Music Man (1962)

9. My Fair Lady (1964)

10. The Sound of Music (1965)

11. Summer Magic (1963)

12. Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967)

1970s

1. Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

2. Rocky (1976)

3. Scrooge (1970)

4. Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope (1977)

5. Superman: The Movie (1978)

6. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

1980s

1. Annie (1982)

2. Empire of the Sun (1987)

3. Girls Just Want to Have Fun (1985)

4. The Karate Kid (1984)

5. The Pirates of Penzance (1983)

6. The Princess Bride (1987)

7. Stand and Deliver (1988)

8. Steel Magnolias (1989)

9. Troop Beverly Hills (1989)

10. Victory (1981)

1990s

1. Babe (1995)

2. Chaplin (1992)

3. Clueless (1995)

4. Dances with Wolves (1990)

5. Ever After (1998)

6. Forrest Gump (1994)

7. A League of Their Own (1992)

8. The Sandlot (1993)

9. Schindler’s List (1993)

10. Selena (1997)

11. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

12. The Truman Show (1998)

13. While You Were Sleeping (1995)

2000s

1. The Bourne Identity (2002)

2. Bright Star (2009)

3. Dan in Real Life (2007)

4. Enchanted (2007)

5. Finding Neverland (2004)

6. The Great Debaters (2007)

7. The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005) 

8. Invictus (2009)

9. Miss Potter (2006)

10. My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

11. Nacho Libre (2006)

12. Ratatouille (2007)

13. Remember the Titans (2000)

14. Sherlock Holmes (2009)

15. Walk the Line (2005)

16. The Young Victoria (2009)

2010s

1. The Age of Adaline (2015)

2. Black Panther (2018)

3. Coco (2017)

4. Collateral Beauty (2016)

5. Crazy Rich Asians (2018)

6. Ford v. Ferrari (2019)

7. 42 (2013)

8. The Help (2011)

9. I Can Only Imagine (2018)

10. Inception (2010)

11. Inside Out (2015)

12. Interstellar (2014)

13. La La Land (2016)

14. Leap Year (2010)

15. The Magnificent Seven (2016) 

16. Mr. Church (2016)

17. Moneyball (2011)

18. Ophelia (2018)

19. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

20. Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse (2018)

21. A United Kingdom (2016)

22. Wonder Woman (2017)

2020s

1. Belfast (2021)

2. Cruella (2021)

3. Enola Holmes (2020

4. I Heard the Bells (2022)

5. Land (2021)

6. A Million Miles Away (2023)

7. Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022)
8. Till (2022)

BONUS: 15 All-time Best Historical Fiction or Inspired by a Book TV/Mini Series

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984)

All Creatures Great and Small (2020)

Anne of Green Gables (1985)

Downton Abbey (2010)

Great Expectations (2011)

Jane Eyre (2006)

Larkrise to Candleford (2008)

Lonesome Dove (1989)

M*A*S*H (1972)

North & South (2004)

Once Upon a Time (2011)

Poldark (2015)

Pride and Prejudice (1995)

A Series of Unfortunate Events (2017)

The Wonder Years (1988)

50 Things by 50: 2 Months Out Check-in

I did a progress report in October, and here is my 2 months until the big 5-0 report. 

I have accomplished all but the following goals: 

3. Publish a poetry only book. 

    This has not happened even in my imagination. I am unsure if it will. Cross your fingers for me, and please send comments demanding I get it up for sale in time for Valentine's Day (or sooner!).  . 

10. Go on a girls trip. 

    I have not done this yet. I hope to accomplish it in January. 

11. Go on a sibling(s) trip. 

    I have not done this yet either, but I am happy to report that one is in the works—in February. Let us all cross our fingers it works out, so I can cross this off the list. 

13. Visit a lake.  

     I almost did this but had to cancel. Not sure when/if it will happen.

15. Write letters/emails to 50 women who have been inspirational to me. 

    I have now written thirty-three letters of fifty…I need to still get writing. 

16. Find something meaningful to do for others in honor of each of my parents' birthdays. 

    I made my mom's homemade bread in honor of my mom's birthday, and I am not sure what will happen for my dad, but I am hoping to do something special soon within December as a tribute. 

17. Break the habit of worrying about things I cannot change. 

    Progress is being made. I think I will never be completely rid of the practice, as it is very human of me, but I am thankful to have taken time to become mindful of when it is happening and learn how to stop doing it. 

18. Give away ALL clothes that do not fit anymore. 

    Round one of the purge happened in the summer, but I STILL need to go through things one last time before February hits.  

20. Complete the revisions on my will. 

    Still needs to happen. 

21. Revise and renew life insurance. 

    Still needs to happen. 

23. Create an exercise plan to do for a minimum of ten weeks in a row to create healthier habits. 

    If we count physical therapy after my Boston injury, I've got it down. But if we aren't counting that, I might need to start this around Thanksgiving and/or Christmas breaks.

24. Go on a picnic. 

    Still has not happened, and it will have to be a wintertime picnic to make it happen. haha.  

26. Try a new exercise class, and stick with it at least five times. 

    I plan to try to do this over Christmas break. 

27. Organize a neighborhood cleanup. 

    After the injury, it has been weird and difficult to do stuff, so I am unsure if this will happen in time. If it does not, I will organize one in the spring once I feel more able. 

28. Complete or give/throw away all unfinished craft projects. 

    I still need to finish one project, so we will see! 

30. Watch the sun rise. 

    Still needs to happen...

33. Play at least one round of golf (probably go to the driving range a couple of times first). 

  If I can just go to a driving range a few times, I will count it since it is now wintertime.

36. Attend a city council meeting. 

    I have not done this yet. I want to make this happen after Christmas. 

37. Make a better habit of taking walks around the neighborhood/walking to church. 

    With my injury, this is a fool's errand for now, but I have been doing extra walking on my good days to meet this.  

38. Eat a sausage roll (going to York to do so is recommended but optional). 

    I need to do this still! 

42. Go dancing. 

    I will probably have to count dancing at my birthday party, but maybe I can try something better by then.   

46. Brush up on Spanish. 

    Has not happened. Still unsure if it will.  

49. Decide on a top 50 films list. 

    This is done, but I decided to do 100 films (50x2), and I will publish it on here ASAP. 

50. I decided on what to do, have been organizing it, and will send out invitations soon.