101 Greatest Screenplays
Full List
The 101 Greatest Screenplays list was announced on April 7, 2006. The writing credits noted are based on that date.
| 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 FACTS ABOUT THE FILM |
| 2. | THE GODFATHER Screenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola. Based on the novel by Mario Puzo FACTS ABOUT THE FILM |
| 3. | CHINATOWN Written by Robert Towne FACTS ABOUT THE FILM |
| 4. | CITIZEN KANE Written by Herman Mankiewicz and Orson Welles FACTS ABOUT THE FILM |
| 5. | ALL ABOUT EVE Screenplay by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Based on "The Wisdom of Eve," a short story and radio play by Mary Orr FACTS ABOUT THE FILM |
| 6. | ANNIE HALL Written by Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman FACTS ABOUT THE FILM |
| 7. | SUNSET BLVD. Written by Charles Brackett & Billy Wilder and D.M. Marshman, Jr. FACTS ABOUT THE FILM |
| 8. | NETWORK Written by Paddy Chayefsky FACTS ABOUT THE FILM |
| 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 FACTS ABOUT THE FILM |
| 10. | THE GODFATHER II Screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo. Based on Mario Puzo's novel "The Godfather" FACTS ABOUT THE FILM |
| 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 |