101 Greatest Screenplays Revision as of Wednesday, 26 June 2024 at 10:57 UTC

According to the Writers Guild of America West

  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
  2. THE GODFATHER - Screenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola. Based on the novel by Mario Puzo
  3. CHINATOWN - Written by Robert Towne
  4. CITIZEN KANE - Written by Herman Mankiewicz and Orson Welles
  5. ALL ABOUT EVE - Screenplay by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Based on “The Wisdom of Eve,” a short story and radio play by Mary Orr
  6. ANNIE HALL - Written by Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman
  7. SUNSET BLVD. - Written by Charles Brackett & Billy Wilder and D.M. Marshman, Jr.
  8. NETWORK - Written by Paddy Chayefsky
    9.. SOME LIKE IT HOT - Screenplay by Billy Wider & I.A.L. Diamond. Based on “Fanfare of Love,” a German film written by Robert Thoeren and M. Logan
  9. THE GODFATHER II - Screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo. Based on Mario Puzo’s novel “The Godfather”
  10. BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID - Written by William Goldman
  11. DR. STRANGELOVE - Screenplay by Stanley Kubrick and Peter George and Terry Southern. Based on novel “Red Alert” by Peter George
  12. THE GRADUATE - Screenplay by Calder Willingham and Buck Henry. Based on the novel by Charles Webb
  13. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA - Screenplay by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson. Based on the life and writings of Col. T.E. Lawrence
  14. THE APARTMENT - Written by Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond
  15. PULP FICTION - Written by Quentin Tarantino. Stories by Quentin Tarantino & Roger Avary
  16. TOOTSIE - Screenplay by Larry Gelbart and Murray Schisgal. Story by Don McGuire and Larry Gelbart
  17. ON THE WATERFRONT - Screen Story and Screenplay by Budd Schulberg. Based on “Crime on the Waterfront” articles by Malcolm Johnson
  18. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD - Screenplay by Horton Foote. Based on the novel by Harper Lee
  19. 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
  20. NORTH BY NORTHWEST - Written by Ernest Lehman
  21. THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION - Screenplay by Frank Darabont. Based on the short story “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption” by Stephen King
  22. GONE WITH THE WIND - Screenplay by Sidney Howard. Based on the novel by Margaret Mitchell
  23. ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND - Screenplay by Charlie Kaufman. Story by Charlie Kaufman & Michel Gondry & Pierre Bismuth
  24. 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
  25. DOUBLE INDEMNITY - Screenplay by Billy Wilder and Raymond Chandler. Based on the novel by James M. Cain
  26. GROUNDHOG DAY - Screenplay by Danny Rubin and Harold Ramis. Story by Danny Rubin
  27. SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE - Written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard
  28. SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS - Written by Preston Sturges
  29. UNFORGIVEN - Written by David Webb Peoples
  30. HIS GIRL FRIDAY - Screenplay by Charles Lederer. Based on the play “The Front Page” by Ben Hecht & Charles MacArthur
  31. FARGO - Written by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
  32. THE THIRD MAN - Screenplay by Graham Greene. Story by Graham Greene. Based on the short story by Graham Greene
  33. THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS - Screenplay by Clifford Odets and Ernest Lehman. From a novelette by Ernest Lehman
  34. THE USUAL SUSPECTS - Written by Christopher McQuarrie
  35. MIDNIGHT COWBOY - Screenplay by Waldo Salt. Based on the novel by James Leo Herlihy
  36. THE PHILADELPHIA STORY - Screenplay by Donald Ogden Stewart. Based on the play by Philip Barry
  37. AMERICAN BEAUTY - Written by Alan Ball
  38. THE STING - Written by David S. Ward
  39. WHEN HARRY MET SALLY - Written by Nora Ephron
  40. GOODFELLAS - Screenplay by Nicholas Pileggi & Martin Scorsese. Based on book “Wise Guy” by Nicholas Pileggi
  41. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK - Screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan. Story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman
  42. TAXI DRIVER - Written by Paul Schrader
  43. THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES - Screenplay by Robert E. Sherwood. Based on novel “Glory For Me” by MacKinley Kantor
  44. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST - Screenplay by Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman. Based on the novel by Ken Kesey
  45. THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE - Screenplay by John Huston. Based on the novel by B. Traven
  46. THE MALTESE FALCON - Screenplay by John Huston. Based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett
  47. THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI - Screenplay by Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson. Based on the novel by Pierre Boulle
  48. SCHINDLER’S LIST - Screenplay by Steven Zaillian. Based on the novel by Thomas Keneally
  49. THE SIXTH SENSE - Written by M. Night Shyamalan
  50. BROADCAST NEWS - Written by James L. Brooks
  51. THE LADY EVE - Screenplay by Preston Sturges. Story by Monckton Hoffe
  52. ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN - Screenplay by William Goldman. Based on the book by Carl Bernstein & Bob Woodward
  53. MANHATTAN - Written by Woody Allen & Marshall Brickman
  54. APOCALYPSE NOW - Written by John Milius and Francis Coppola. Narration by Michael Herr
  55. BACK TO THE FUTURE - Written by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale
  56. CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS - Written by Woody Allen
  57. ORDINARY PEOPLE - Screenplay by Alvin Sargent. Based on the novel by Judith Guest
  58. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT - Screenplay by Robert Riskin. Based on the story “Night Bus” by Samuel Hopkins Adams
  59. L.A. CONFIDENTIAL - Screenplay by Brian Helgeland & Curtis Hanson. Based on the novel by James Ellroy
  60. THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS - Screenplay by Ted Tally. Based on the novel by Thomas Harris
  61. MOONSTRUCK - Written by John Patrick Shanley
  62. JAWS - Screenplay by Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb. Based on the novel by Peter Benchley
  63. TERMS OF ENDEARMENT - Screenplay by James L. Brooks. Based on the novel by Larry McMurtry
  64. SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN - Screen Story and Screenplay by Betty Comden & Adolph Green. Based on the song by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown
  65. JERRY MAGUIRE - Written by Cameron Crowe
  66. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL - Written by Melissa Mathison
  67. STAR WARS - Written by George Lucas
  68. DOG DAY AFTERNOON - Screenplay by Frank Pierson. Based on a magazine article by P.F. Kluge and Thomas Moore
  69. THE AFRICAN QUEEN - Screenplay by James Agee and John Huston. Based on the novel by C.S. Forester
  70. THE LION IN WINTER - Screenplay by James Goldman. Based on the play by James Goldman
  71. THELMA & LOUISE - Written by Callie Khouri
  72. AMADEUS - Screenplay by Peter Shaffer. Based on his play
  73. BEING JOHN MALKOVICH - Written by Charlie Kaufman
  74. HIGH NOON - Screenplay by Carl Foreman. Based on short story “The Tin Star” by John W. Cunningham
  75. RAGING BULL - Screenplay by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin. Based on the book by Jake La Motta with Joseph Carter and Peter Savage
  76. ADAPTATION - Screenplay by Charlie Kaufman and Donald Kaufman. Based on the book “The Orchid Thief” by Susan Orlean
  77. ROCKY - Written by Sylvester Stallone
  78. THE PRODUCERS - Written by Mel Brooks
  79. WITNESS - Screenplay by Earl W. Wallace & William Kelley. Story by William Kelley and Pamela Wallace & Earl W. Wallace
  80. BEING THERE - Screenplay by Jerzy Kosinski. Inspired by the novel by Jerzy Kosinski
  81. COOL HAND LUKE - Screenplay by Donn Pearce and Frank Pierson. Based on the novel by Donn Pearce
  82. REAR WINDOW - Screenplay by John Michael Hayes. Based on the short story by Cornell Woolrich
  83. THE PRINCESS BRIDE - Screenplay by William Goldman. Based on his novel
  84. LA GRANDE ILLUSION - Written by Jean Renoir and Charles Spaak
  85. HAROLD & MAUDE - Written by Colin Higgins
  86. 8 1/2 - Screenplay by Federico Fellini, Tullio Pinelli, Ennio Flaiano, Brunello Rond. Story by Fellini, Flaiano
  87. FIELD OF DREAMS - Screenplay by Phil Alden Robinson. Based on the book by W.P. Kinsella
  88. FORREST GUMP - Screenplay by Eric Roth. Based on the novel by Winston Groom
  89. SIDEWAYS - Screenplay by Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor. Based on the novel by Rex Pickett
  90. THE VERDICT - Screenplay by David Mamet. Based on the novel by Barry Reed
  91. PSYCHO - Screenplay by Joseph Stefano. Based on the novel by Robert Bloch
  92. DO THE RIGHT THING - Written by Spike Lee
  93. 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
  94. HANNAH AND HER SISTERS - Written by Woody Allen
  95. THE HUSTLER - Screenplay by Sidney Carroll & Robert Rossen. Based on the novel by Walter Tevis
  96. THE SEARCHERS - Screenplay by Frank S. Nugent. Based on the novel by Alan Le May
  97. THE GRAPES OF WRATH - Screenplay by Nunnally Johnson. Based on the novel by John Steinbeck
  98. THE WILD BUNCH - Screenplay by Walon Green and Sam Peckinpah. Story by Walon Green and Roy Sickner
  99. MEMENTO - Screenplay by Christopher Nolan. Based on the short story “Memento Mori” by Jonathan Nolan
  100. NOTORIOUS - Written by Ben Hecht