The Best Biographical Films and TV shows (From Oldest to Newest)
by MoKiadeh | created - 28 Jan 2012 | updated - 21 Sep 2019 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Viva Zapata! (1952)
Approved | 113 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata, who led a rebellion against the corrupt, oppressive dictatorship of President Porfirio Díaz in the early 20th century.
Director: Elia Kazan | Stars: Marlon Brando, Jean Peters, Anthony Quinn, Joseph Wiseman
Votes: 12,443
2. Julius Caesar (1953)
Not Rated | 120 min | Drama, History
The growing ambition of Julius Caesar is a source of major concern to his close friend Brutus. Cassius persuades him to participate in his plot to assassinate Caesar but they have both sorely underestimated Mark Antony.
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz | Stars: Louis Calhern, Marlon Brando, James Mason, John Gielgud
Votes: 12,846
3. Désirée (1954)
Approved | 110 min | Biography, Drama, History
The rise and fall of Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France.
Director: Henry Koster | Stars: Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Merle Oberon, Michael Rennie
Votes: 3,471 | Gross: $9.81M
4. Interrupted Melody (1955)
Passed | 106 min | Biography, Drama, Music
This movie chronicles Australian-born opera star Marjorie Lawrence's success, her battle with polio, and her eventual career comeback.
Director: Curtis Bernhardt | Stars: Glenn Ford, Eleanor Parker, Roger Moore, Cecil Kellaway
Votes: 1,188
5. Napoleon (1955)
190 min | Biography, Drama, War
Napoléon Bonaparte's life, loves and exceptional destiny from 1769 to 1821, but as seen through the eyes of Talleyrand, the cynical and ironic politician who once was the Emperor of France's Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Director: Sacha Guitry | Stars: Jean-Pierre Aumont, Jeanne Boitel, Pierre Brasseur, Gianna Maria Canale
Votes: 614
6. The Ten Commandments (1956)
G | 220 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
Moses, raised as a prince of Egypt in the Pharaoh's household, learns of his true heritage as a Hebrew and his divine mission as the deliverer of his people from slavery.
Director: Cecil B. DeMille | Stars: Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter, Edward G. Robinson
Votes: 77,749 | Gross: $93.74M
7. Throne of Blood (1957)
Not Rated | 110 min | Drama
A war-hardened general, egged on by his ambitious wife, works to fulfill a prophecy that he would become lord of Spider's Web Castle.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Minoru Chiaki, Isuzu Yamada, Takashi Shimura
Votes: 55,868
8. Spartacus (1960)
PG-13 | 197 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
The slave Spartacus survives brutal training as a gladiator and leads a violent revolt against the decadent Roman Republic, as the ambitious Crassus seeks to gain power by crushing the uprising.
Directors: Stanley Kubrick, Anthony Mann | Stars: Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Charles Laughton
Votes: 143,063 | Gross: $30.00M
9. Oscar Wilde (1960)
Not Rated | 96 min | Biography, Drama, History
Playwright Oscar Wilde's homosexuality is exposed when he brings a libel action against his lover's father, leading to his own prosecution.
Director: Gregory Ratoff | Stars: Robert Morley, Phyllis Calvert, Ralph Richardson, John Neville
Votes: 630
10. El Cid (1961)
Approved | 182 min | Biography, Drama, History
The fabled Spanish hero Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar (a.k.a. El Cid) overcomes a family vendetta and court intrigue to defend Christian Spain against the Moors.
Director: Anthony Mann | Stars: Charlton Heston, Sophia Loren, Raf Vallone, Geneviève Page
Votes: 15,660 | Gross: $26.62M
11. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Approved | 218 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
The story of T.E. Lawrence, the English officer who successfully united and led the diverse, often warring, Arab tribes during World War I in order to fight the Turks.
Director: David Lean | Stars: Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins
Votes: 313,940 | Gross: $44.82M
12. The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (1962)
G | 135 min | Adventure, Biography, Comedy
The story of Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm, and three of their stories.
Directors: Henry Levin, George Pal | Stars: Laurence Harvey, Claire Bloom, Karlheinz Böhm, Walter Slezak
Votes: 2,157 | Gross: $14.17M
13. Cleopatra (1963)
G | 192 min | Biography, Drama, History
Queen Cleopatra VII of Egypt experiences both triumph and tragedy as she attempts to resist the imperial ambitions of Rome.
Directors: Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Rouben Mamoulian | Stars: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, Pamela Brown
Votes: 37,373 | Gross: $57.78M
14. Saul e David (1964)
TV-G | 105 min | Adventure, Drama
David of Bethlehem slays the giant and becomes a rival to King Saul.
Director: Marcello Baldi | Stars: Norman Wooland, Gianni Garko, Luz Márquez, Virgilio Teixeira
Votes: 113
15. Born Free (1966)
PG | 95 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
The story of George and Joy Adamson and the orphaned lion cub, Elsa, they adopt.
Directors: James Hill, Tom McGowan | Stars: Virginia McKenna, Bill Travers, Geoffrey Keen, Peter Lukoye
Votes: 7,008
16. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
R | 111 min | Action, Biography, Crime
Bored waitress Bonnie Parker falls in love with an ex-con named Clyde Barrow and together they start a violent crime spree through the country, stealing cars and robbing banks.
Director: Arthur Penn | Stars: Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Michael J. Pollard, Gene Hackman
Votes: 120,523
17. Che! (1969)
PG | 96 min | Biography, Drama, History
An intentionally noncommittal version of the Cuban revolution told through flashbacks, the film recounts Che's switch from doctor to politico in Castro's campaign.
Director: Richard Fleischer | Stars: Omar Sharif, Jack Palance, Cesare Danova, Robert Loggia
Votes: 1,079 | Gross: $5.45M
18. The Honeymoon Killers (1970)
R | 107 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
An obese, embittered nurse doesn't mind if her toupee-wearing boyfriend romances and fleeces other women, as long as he takes her along on his con jobs.
Directors: Leonard Kastle, Donald Volkman | Stars: Shirley Stoler, Tony Lo Bianco, Mary Jane Higby, Doris Roberts
Votes: 5,823 | Gross: $0.46M
19. Julius Caesar (1970)
G | 117 min | Drama, History, War
The growing ambition of Julius Caesar is a source of major concern to his close friend Brutus. Cassius persuades him to participate in his plot to assassinate Caesar, but they have both sorely underestimated Mark Antony.
Director: Stuart Burge | Stars: Charlton Heston, Jason Robards, John Gielgud, Richard Johnson
Votes: 1,996
20. Evel Knievel (1971)
GP | 88 min | Action, Biography, Drama
Biography of the famed motorcycle daredevil, much of which was filmed in his home town of Butte, Montana. The film depicts Knievel reflecting on major events in his life just before a big jump.
Director: Marvin J. Chomsky | Stars: George Hamilton, Sue Lyon, Bert Freed, Rod Cameron
Votes: 1,047 | Gross: $0.04M
21. Macbeth (1971)
R | 140 min | Drama, History
A ruthlessly ambitious Scottish lord seizes the throne with the help of his scheming wife and a trio of witches.
Director: Roman Polanski | Stars: Jon Finch, Francesca Annis, Martin Shaw, Terence Bayler
Votes: 14,946
22. Ludwig (1973)
R | 238 min | Biography, Drama, History
The reign of the tormented Ludwig, king of Bavaria, from 1864 to 1886.
Director: Luchino Visconti | Stars: Helmut Berger, Romy Schneider, Trevor Howard, Silvana Mangano
Votes: 5,987
23. Living Free (1972)
G | 90 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
When Elsa's three mischievous cubs begin wreaking havoc on the nearby villages, Joy and her husband are forced to move them hundreds of miles to a game preserve.
Director: Jack Couffer | Stars: Nigel Davenport, Susan Hampshire, Geoffrey Keen, Edward Judd
Votes: 637 | Gross: $0.19M
24. Dillinger (1973)
R | 107 min | Action, Biography, Crime
John Dillinger and his gang go on a bank robbing spree across the midwest, but one G-Man is determined to bring him down.
Director: John Milius | Stars: Warren Oates, Ben Johnson, Michelle Phillips, Cloris Leachman
Votes: 5,844 | Gross: $2.00M
25. The Last American Hero (1973)
PG | 95 min | Drama, Sport
A young hellraiser quits his moonshine business to try to become the best NASCAR racer the south has ever seen.
Director: Lamont Johnson | Stars: Jeff Bridges, Valerie Perrine, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Ned Beatty
Votes: 2,172
26. Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)
G | 106 min | Drama, History, Musical
Film version of the musical stage play, presenting the last few weeks of Christ's life told in an anachronistic manner.
Director: Norman Jewison | Stars: Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson, Yvonne Elliman, Barry Dennen
Votes: 29,859 | Gross: $24.48M
27. Papillon (1973)
R | 151 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
A French convict in the 1930s befriends a fellow criminal as the two of them begin serving their sentence in the South American penal colony on Devil's Island, which inspires the man to plot his escape.
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner | Stars: Steve McQueen, Dustin Hoffman, Victor Jory, Don Gordon
Votes: 138,270 | Gross: $53.27M
28. Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973)
R | 122 min | Biography, Drama, Western
Pat Garrett is hired as a lawman on behalf of a group of wealthy New Mexico cattle barons to bring down his old friend Billy the Kid.
Director: Sam Peckinpah | Stars: James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson, Richard Jaeckel, Katy Jurado
Votes: 21,065 | Gross: $0.95M
29. Serpico (1973)
R | 130 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
An honest New York cop named Frank Serpico blows the whistle on rampant corruption in the force only to have his comrades turn against him.
Director: Sidney Lumet | Stars: Al Pacino, John Randolph, Jack Kehoe, Biff McGuire
Votes: 134,570 | Gross: $29.80M
30. Walking Tall (1973)
R | 125 min | Action, Biography, Crime
Based on the life of Tennessee sheriff Buford Pusser, who almost single-handily cleaned up his small town of crime and corruption, but at a personal cost of his family life and nearly his own life.
Director: Phil Karlson | Stars: Joe Don Baker, Elizabeth Hartman, Leif Garrett, Dawn Lyn
Votes: 6,737 | Gross: $4.75M
31. The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974)
Not Rated | 110 min | Biography, Drama, History
A young man named Kaspar Hauser suddenly appears in Nuremberg in 1828, barely able to talk or walk, and bearing a strange note.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Bruno S., Walter Ladengast, Brigitte Mira, Willy Semmelrogge
Votes: 18,882
32. Lenny (1974)
R | 111 min | Biography, Drama
The story of acerbic 1960s comic Lenny Bruce, whose groundbreaking, no-holds-barred style and social commentary was often deemed by the Establishment as too obscene for the public.
Director: Bob Fosse | Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Valerie Perrine, Jan Miner, Stanley Beck
Votes: 17,525 | Gross: $8.43M
33. Mahler (1974)
PG | 115 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Composer Gustav Mahler's (Robert Powell) life, told in a series of flashbacks as he and his wife (Georgina Hale) discuss their failing marriage during a train journey.
Director: Ken Russell | Stars: Robert Powell, Georgina Hale, Lee Montague, Miriam Karlin
Votes: 3,053
34. Stavisky (1974)
PG | 120 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
A swindler's activity indirectly caused a political crisis in France in the last years before World War II.
Director: Alain Resnais | Stars: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Charles Boyer, François Périer, Anny Duperey
Votes: 2,486 | Gross: $0.01M
35. The Story of Jacob and Joseph (1974 TV Movie)
PG | 120 min | Drama, History
A movie telling the Biblical stories of the last of the Hebrew Patriarchs in the Book of Genesis.
Director: Michael Cacoyannis | Stars: Keith Michell, Tony Lo Bianco, Colleen Dewhurst, Herschel Bernardi
Votes: 298
36. Capone (1975)
R | 101 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The story of the rise and fall of the infamous Chicago gangster Al Capone and the control he exhibited over the city during the prohibition years.
Director: Steve Carver | Stars: Ben Gazzara, Susan Blakely, Harry Guardino, Sylvester Stallone
Votes: 3,214 | Gross: $1.66M
37. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
R | 125 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Three amateur bank robbers plan to hold up a bank. A nice simple robbery: Walk in, take the money, and run. Unfortunately, the supposedly uncomplicated heist suddenly becomes a bizarre nightmare as everything that could go wrong does.
Director: Sidney Lumet | Stars: Al Pacino, John Cazale, Penelope Allen, Sully Boyar
Votes: 272,824 | Gross: $50.00M
38. Galileo (1975)
PG | 145 min | Biography, Drama
This biopic is about Galileo Galilei, the seventeenth century Italian who laid the foundations of modern science. Galileo made himself one of the world's first telescopes and discovered the... See full summary »
Director: Joseph Losey | Stars: Topol, Edward Fox, Colin Blakely, Georgia Brown
Votes: 667
39. The Happy Hooker (1975)
R | 96 min | Biography, Comedy
In the first of three films on the life of Xaviera Hollander, the famous hooker from Holland traces her career as madam of the biggest and most profitable bordellos in New York.
Director: Nicholas Sgarro | Stars: Lynn Redgrave, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Lovelady Powell, Tom Poston
Votes: 873
40. Bruce Lee and I (1976)
R | 87 min | Biography, Drama
The story of action star Bruce Lee's life in the days leading up to untimely death.
Director: Mar Lo | Stars: Betty Ting Pei, Danny Lee, Sha Wang, Chun-Ku Lu
Votes: 185
41. Eleanor and Franklin (1976)
203 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
The story of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, from early youth to his election as President of the United States, as told from Eleanor's point of view.
Stars: David Huffman, Mackenzie Phillips, Lilia Skala, Ed Flanders
Votes: 387
42. Gable and Lombard (1976)
R | 131 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
A biography about the love affair between 1930s Hollywood superstars Clark Gable and Carole Lombard.
Director: Sidney J. Furie | Stars: James Brolin, Jill Clayburgh, Allen Garfield, Red Buttons
Votes: 653
43. James Dean (1976 TV Movie)
PG-13 | 94 min | Biography, Drama
A dramatization of the story of legendary movie actor James Dean. The film's writer, William Bast, had roomed with Dean in the early '50s, when both were trying to break into films as actors.
Director: Robert Butler | Stars: Michael Brandon, Stephen McHattie, Brooke Adams, Julian Burton
Votes: 329
44. Sybil (1976)
TV-14 | 66 min | Biography, Drama
A young woman whose childhood was so harrowing to her that she developed sixteen different personalities is treated by a doctor.
Stars: Joanne Woodward, Sally Field, Brad Davis, Martine Bartlett
Votes: 7,455
45. The Message (1976)
PG | 177 min | Biography, Drama, History
This epic historical drama chronicles the life and times of Prophet Muhammad and serves as an introduction to early Islamic history.
Director: Moustapha Akkad | Stars: Anthony Quinn, Irene Papas, Michael Ansara, Johnny Sekka
Votes: 50,774
46. The Greatest (1977)
PG | 101 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
Muhammad Ali plays himself in a reconstruction of the events that brought him to fame.
Directors: Tom Gries, Monte Hellman | Stars: Muhammad Ali, Ernest Borgnine, John Marley, Lloyd Haynes
Votes: 1,624 | Gross: $8.28M
47. Birth of the Beatles (1979)
104 min | Biography, Drama, Music
An account of The Beatles during the Hamburg years, their signing with Brian Epstein and their inevitable rise during the early sixties.
Director: Richard Marquand | Stars: Stephen MacKenna, Rod Culbertson, John Altman, Ray Ashcroft
Votes: 701
48. The Brontë Sisters (1979)
Not Rated | 120 min | Biography, Drama, History
In a small presbytery in Yorkshire, living under the watchful eyes of their aunt and father, a strict Anglican pastor, the Bronte sisters write their first works and quickly become literary sensations.
Director: André Téchiné | Stars: Isabelle Adjani, Marie-France Pisier, Isabelle Huppert, Pascal Greggory
Votes: 1,215
49. Elvis (I) (1979 TV Movie)
168 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Biographical movie about the famous rock singer Elvis Presley.
Director: John Carpenter | Stars: Kurt Russell, Shelley Winters, Bing Russell, Robert Gray
Votes: 5,126
50. Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
PG | 112 min | Action, Biography, Crime
Alcatraz is the most secure prison of its time. It is believed that no one can ever escape from it, until three daring men make a possibly successful attempt at escaping from one of the most infamous prisons in the world.
Director: Don Siegel | Stars: Clint Eastwood, Patrick McGoohan, Roberts Blossom, Jack Thibeau
Votes: 147,287 | Gross: $43.00M
51. The Elephant Man (1980)
PG | 124 min | Biography, Drama
A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man who is mistreated while scraping a living as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous façade, there is revealed a person of kindness, intelligence and sophistication.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud
Votes: 258,168
52. Heart Beat (1980)
R | 110 min | Drama
The life and friendship among the icons of the Beat Generation: Neal Cassady, Carolyn Cassady, and Jack Kerouac.
Director: John Byrum | Stars: Nick Nolte, Sissy Spacek, John Heard, Ray Sharkey
Votes: 740
53. The Hunter (1980)
PG | 97 min | Action, Biography, Comedy
Bounty hunter Ralph "Papa" Thorson is receiving death threats from a criminal he helped put away. This while his girlfriend is about to give birth, an event he isn't looking forward to.
Director: Buzz Kulik | Stars: Steve McQueen, Eli Wallach, Kathryn Harrold, LeVar Burton
Votes: 7,146
54. Raging Bull (1980)
R | 129 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
The life of boxer Jake LaMotta, whose violence and temper that led him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci, Frank Vincent
Votes: 379,732 | Gross: $23.38M
55. Where the Buffalo Roam (1980)
R | 99 min | Biography, Comedy
Semi-biographical film based on the experiences of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson.
Director: Art Linson | Stars: Peter Boyle, Bill Murray, Bruno Kirby, Rene Auberjonois
Votes: 12,666 | Gross: $6.66M
56. Chariots of Fire (1981)
PG | 125 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
Two British track athletes, one a determined Jew and the other a devout Christian, are driven to win in the 1924 Olympics as they wrestle with issues of pride and conscience.
Director: Hugh Hudson | Stars: Ben Cross, Ian Charleson, Nicholas Farrell, Nigel Havers
Votes: 65,809 | Gross: $58.97M
57. Gandhi (1982)
PG | 191 min | Biography, Drama, History
The life of the lawyer who became the famed leader of the Indian revolts against the British rule through his philosophy of nonviolent protest.
Director: Richard Attenborough | Stars: Ben Kingsley, John Gielgud, Rohini Hattangadi, Roshan Seth
Votes: 240,094 | Gross: $52.77M
58. The Return of Martin Guerre (1982)
Not Rated | 112 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
In medieval France, some villagers challenge a man's claim of identity when he (as he says) returns home from some time in the army.
Director: Daniel Vigne | Stars: Gérard Depardieu, Nathalie Baye, Maurice Barrier, Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu
Votes: 4,817 | Gross: $0.02M
59. Silkwood (1983)
R | 131 min | Biography, Drama, History
A worker at a plutonium processing plant is purposefully contaminated, psychologically tortured and possibly murdered to prevent her from exposing worker safety violations at the plant.
Director: Mike Nichols | Stars: Meryl Streep, Kurt Russell, Cher, Craig T. Nelson
Votes: 22,176 | Gross: $35.62M
60. Kennedy (1983)
282 min | Biography, Drama, History
Biography of the 1961-1963 Presidency of John F. Kennedy with Martin Sheen and Blair Brown. Covers the momentous presidential years and the lives, loves, and triumphs of one of the most controversial families of the twentieth-century.
Stars: John Shea, E.G. Marshall, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Andrew Rayden
Votes: 590
61. Grace Kelly (1983 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 100 min | Biography, Drama
The fairy tale story of the actress who became a princess is told in this biography that traces her rise from Philadelphia socialite to Hollywood movie star.
Director: Anthony Page | Stars: Cheryl Ladd, Lloyd Bridges, Diane Ladd, Alejandro Rey
Votes: 357
62. The Bounty (1984)
PG | 132 min | Adventure, Drama, History
Fed up with their Captain's harsh discipline, a sailing ship's crew decides to take action.
Director: Roger Donaldson | Stars: Mel Gibson, Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Olivier, Edward Fox
Votes: 30,363 | Gross: $8.60M
63. The Killing Fields (1984)
R | 141 min | Biography, Drama, History
A journalist is trapped in Cambodia during tyrant Pol Pot's bloody 'Year Zero' cleansing campaign, which claimed the lives of two million 'undesirable' civilians.
Director: Roland Joffé | Stars: Sam Waterston, Haing S. Ngor, John Malkovich, Julian Sands
Votes: 59,045 | Gross: $34.70M
64. Samson and Delilah (1984 TV Movie)
95 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
The long haired biblical strongman Samson falls in love with beautiful temptress Delilah in Philistine.
Director: Lee Philips | Stars: Max von Sydow, Belinda Bauer, Stephen Macht, Daniel Stern
Votes: 250
65. Mask (1985)
PG-13 | 120 min | Biography, Drama
A teenager with a massive facial skull deformity and biker gang mother attempt to live as normal a life as possible under the circumstances.
Director: Peter Bogdanovich | Stars: Cher, Eric Stoltz, Sam Elliott, Estelle Getty
Votes: 32,498 | Gross: $48.23M
66. Castaway (1986)
R | 117 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
Middle-aged Gerald Kingsland advertises in a London paper for a female companion to spend a year with him on a desert island.
Director: Nicolas Roeg | Stars: Oliver Reed, Amanda Donohoe, Georgina Hale, Frances Barber
Votes: 3,519 | Gross: $0.48M
67. The Untouchables (1987)
R | 119 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
During Prohibition, Treasury agent Eliot Ness sets out to stop ruthless Chicago gangster Al Capone, and assembles a small, incorruptible team to help him.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Kevin Costner, Sean Connery, Robert De Niro, Charles Martin Smith
Votes: 330,457 | Gross: $76.27M
68. Elvis and Me (1988 TV Movie)
240 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The story of Priscilla Presley's life with rock and roll star Elvis Presley.
Director: Larry Peerce | Stars: Susan Walters, Dale Midkiff, Linda Miller, Jon Cypher
Votes: 1,027
69. Lincoln (1988)
188 min | Drama, History, War
After arriving in Washington in 1861 after his election, Abraham Lincoln struggles with personal and political problems during his Presidency.
Stars: Sam Waterston, Mary Tyler Moore, Richard Mulligan, Deborah Adair
Votes: 449
70. Young Guns (1988)
R | 107 min | Action, Drama, Western
A group of young gunmen, led by Billy the Kid, become deputies to avenge the murder of the rancher who became their benefactor. But when Billy takes their authority too far, they become the hunted.
Director: Christopher Cain | Stars: Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Charlie Sheen
Votes: 67,946 | Gross: $45.66M
71. Blaze (1989)
R | 120 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
A middle-aged Louisiana governor falls in love with a young stripper, which jeopardizes his political career and the radical policies which have made him a controversial figure.
Director: Ron Shelton | Stars: Paul Newman, Lolita Davidovich, Jerry Hardin, Gailard Sartain
Votes: 4,177 | Gross: $19.13M
72. Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
R | 145 min | Biography, Drama, War
The biography of Ron Kovic. Paralyzed in the Vietnam war, he becomes an anti-war and pro-human rights political activist after feeling betrayed by the country for which he fought.
Director: Oliver Stone | Stars: Tom Cruise, Bryan Larkin, Raymond J. Barry, Caroline Kava
Votes: 115,794 | Gross: $70.00M
73. Communion (1989)
R | 107 min | Biography, Drama, Horror
On December 26th Whitley Strieber has a strange nightmare. In the following days, plagued by painful headaches, his behavior becomes increasingly erratic. Later, under hypnosis, he realizes that his dream was not a dream at all.
Director: Philippe Mora | Stars: Christopher Walken, Lindsay Crouse, Frances Sternhagen, Andreas Katsulas
Votes: 7,539 | Gross: $1.92M
74. Francesco (1989)
PG-13 | 119 min | Biography, Drama, History
Docudrama about the life of St-Francis of Assisi.
Director: Liliana Cavani | Stars: Mickey Rourke, Helena Bonham Carter, Andréa Ferréol, Nikolaus Dutsch
Votes: 1,690
75. Great Balls of Fire! (1989)
PG-13 | 108 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The life and career of wildly controversial rock 'n' roll star Jerry Lee Lewis.
Director: Jim McBride | Stars: Dennis Quaid, Winona Ryder, John Doe, Stephen Tobolowsky
Votes: 18,870 | Gross: $13.74M
76. Henry V (1989)
PG-13 | 137 min | Biography, Drama, History
In the midst of the Hundred Years War, the young King Henry V of England embarks on the conquest of France in 1415.
Director: Kenneth Branagh | Stars: Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jacobi, Simon Shepherd, James Larkin
Votes: 31,632 | Gross: $10.16M
77. Goodfellas (1990)
R | 145 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The story of Henry Hill and his life in the mafia, covering his relationship with his wife Karen and his mob partners Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco
Votes: 1,255,599 | Gross: $46.84M
78. Young Guns II (1990)
PG-13 | 104 min | Action, Drama, Western
Billy the Kid and his band of outlaws are pursued across New Mexico territory by Sheriff Pat Garrett, whom the young gunslingers must face-off with if they are to reach the safety of the border.
Director: Geoff Murphy | Stars: Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Christian Slater
Votes: 38,990 | Gross: $44.14M
79. Bugsy (1991)
R | 136 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The story of how Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel started Las Vegas.
Director: Barry Levinson | Stars: Warren Beatty, Annette Bening, Harvey Keitel, Ben Kingsley
Votes: 30,973 | Gross: $49.11M
80. The Doors (1991)
R | 140 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The story of the famous and influential 1960s rock band The Doors and its lead singer and composer, Jim Morrison, from his days as a UCLA film student in Los Angeles, to his untimely death in Paris, France at age 27 in 1971.
Director: Oliver Stone | Stars: Val Kilmer, Meg Ryan, Kyle MacLachlan, Frank Whaley
Votes: 98,975 | Gross: $35.18M
81. Impromptu (1991)
PG-13 | 107 min | Biography, Comedy, Music
In 1830s France, pianist/composer Frédéric Chopin is pursued romantically by the determined, individualistic woman who uses the name George Sand.
Director: James Lapine | Stars: Judy Davis, Hugh Grant, Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters
Votes: 5,505 | Gross: $4.08M
82. JFK (1991)
R | 189 min | Drama, History, Thriller
New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison discovers there's more to the Kennedy assassination than the official story.
Director: Oliver Stone | Stars: Kevin Costner, Gary Oldman, Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau
Votes: 169,780 | Gross: $70.41M
83. Dalí (1991)
106 min | Biography, Drama
Biography of famed artist Salvador Dali, focusing mainly on his relationship with girlfriend Gala and the time they spent in New York City in 1940 and his early days in Spain collaborating with filmmaker Luis Bunuel.
Director: Antoni Ribas | Stars: Lorenzo Quinn, Sarah Douglas, Michael Catlin, Katherine Wallach
Votes: 143
84. Once Upon a Time in China (1991)
R | 134 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Legendary martial arts hero Wong Fei-Hung fights against foreign forces' plundering of China. When Aunt Yee arrives back from America, Wong Fei-Hung assumes the role of her protector.
Director: Hark Tsui | Stars: Jet Li, Rosamund Kwan, Biao Yuen, Jacky Cheung
Votes: 19,868
85. Tous les matins du monde (1991)
Not Rated | 115 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of Monsieur de Sainte Colombe, fierce and somber man, grand master of the viola da gamba and professor of Marin Marais, prestigious musician in the court of Louis XIV.
Director: Alain Corneau | Stars: Gérard Depardieu, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Anne Brochet, Guillaume Depardieu
Votes: 7,934 | Gross: $3.09M
86. The Babe (1992)
PG | 115 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
Babe Ruth becomes a baseball legend but is unheroic to those who know him.
Director: Arthur Hiller | Stars: John Goodman, Kelly McGillis, Trini Alvarado, Bruce Boxleitner
Votes: 11,500 | Gross: $17.53M
87. Chaplin (1992)
PG-13 | 143 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
An elderly Charlie Chaplin discusses his autobiography with his editor, recounting his amazing journey from his poverty-stricken childhood to world-wide success after the ingenious invention of the Little Tramp.
Director: Richard Attenborough | Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Geraldine Chaplin, Paul Rhys, John Thaw
Votes: 62,163 | Gross: $9.49M
88. Hoffa (1992)
R | 140 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The story of the notorious American labor union figure Jimmy Hoffa, who organizes a bitter strike, makes deals with members of the organized crime syndicate and mysteriously disappears in 1975.
Director: Danny DeVito | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Danny DeVito, Armand Assante, J.T. Walsh
Votes: 24,771 | Gross: $24.28M
89. Malcolm X (1992)
PG-13 | 202 min | Biography, Drama, History
Biographical epic of the controversial and influential Black Nationalist leader, from his early life and career as a small-time gangster, to his ministry as a member of the Nation of Islam and his eventual assassination.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Delroy Lindo, Spike Lee
Votes: 101,948 | Gross: $48.17M
90. Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993)
PG-13 | 120 min | Action, Biography, Drama
A fictionalized account of the life of the martial arts superstar.
Director: Rob Cohen | Stars: Jason Scott Lee, Lauren Holly, Robert Wagner, Michael Learned
Votes: 32,855 | Gross: $35.11M
91. Schindler's List (1993)
R | 195 min | Biography, Drama, History
In German-occupied Poland during World War II, industrialist Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley, Caroline Goodall
Votes: 1,448,672 | Gross: $96.90M
92. Ed Wood (1994)
R | 127 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
Ambitious but troubled movie director Edward D. Wood Jr. tries his best to fulfill his dreams despite his lack of talent.
Director: Tim Burton | Stars: Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Sarah Jessica Parker, Patricia Arquette
Votes: 183,869 | Gross: $5.89M
93. Frank & Jesse (1994)
R | 105 min | Biography, Drama, Western
Western starring Rob Lowe and Bill Paxton, based on the lives of Frank and Jesse James. After the Civil War Frank and Jesse return to their family's farm. When their younger brother is murdered they embark on a mission for revenge.
Director: Robert Boris | Stars: Rob Lowe, Bill Paxton, Randy Travis, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson
Votes: 1,620
94. Braveheart (1995)
R | 178 min | Biography, Drama, War
Scottish warrior William Wallace leads his countrymen in a rebellion to free his homeland from the tyranny of King Edward I of England.
Director: Mel Gibson | Stars: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, Angus Macfadyen
Votes: 1,090,379 | Gross: $75.60M
95. The Basketball Diaries (1995)
R | 102 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
A teenager finds his dreams of becoming a basketball star threatened after he free falls into the harrowing world of drug addiction.
Director: Scott Kalvert | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Lorraine Bracco, Marilyn Sokol, James Madio
Votes: 120,911 | Gross: $2.42M
96. Casino (1995)
R | 178 min | Crime, Drama
In Las Vegas, two best friends - a casino executive and a mafia enforcer - compete for a gambling empire and a fast-living, fast-loving socialite.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Sharon Stone, Joe Pesci, James Woods
Votes: 563,161 | Gross: $42.44M
97. Jefferson in Paris (1995)
PG-13 | 139 min | Biography, Drama, History
Widower Thomas Jefferson (3rd US president 1801-09) lives in Paris 1785-90 with his daughter. He has a pretty slave girl accompany his other daughter to France. He has an alleged affair with her resulting in children.
Director: James Ivory | Stars: Nick Nolte, Greta Scacchi, Gwyneth Paltrow, Estelle Eonnet
Votes: 3,192 | Gross: $2.47M
98. Nixon (1995)
R | 192 min | Biography, Drama, History
A biographical story of former U.S. President Richard Nixon, from his days as a young boy, to his eventual Presidency, which ended in shame.
Director: Oliver Stone | Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Joan Allen, Powers Boothe, Ed Harris
Votes: 32,698 | Gross: $13.56M
99. Evita (1996)
PG | 135 min | Biography, Drama, History
The hit musical based on the life of Eva Perón (Evita Duarte), a B-picture Argentinian actress who eventually became the wife of Argentinian president Juan Domingo Perón, and the most beloved and hated woman in Argentina.
Director: Alan Parker | Stars: Madonna, Jonathan Pryce, Antonio Banderas, Jimmy Nail
Votes: 37,551 | Gross: $50.05M
100. The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996)
R | 130 min | Biography, Drama
The story of controversial pornography publisher Larry Flynt, and how he became a defender of free speech.
Director: Milos Forman | Stars: Woody Harrelson, Courtney Love, Edward Norton, Brett Harrelson
Votes: 100,655 | Gross: $20.19M
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