The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes the Oscars, the most prestigious awards in the entertainment industry. The star of the night is the Best Picture category, and the films that receive this honor go down in history as popular films.
Best Picture award winners make a lot of money at the box office. It's quite another thing to look at the most successful Best Picture Oscar winners in general, but when looking at the Box Office Mojo numbers adjusted for inflation, it's surprising to see how the experience of seeing these films has evolved over the years.
10) 'My Fair Lady,' one of the most significant romantic musical classics (1964)
My Fair Lady, a three-hour musical about a professor who accepts a pledge to make a street vendor presentable in high society, is inspired by a classic Greek tale about a sculptor who falls in love with a statue he created.
The film remains one of the finest unique and enjoyable romantic stories to ever hit the silver screen, with a remarkable degree of production and elegance comparable to the source material. Audiences in the 1960s believed so, as this Best Picture winner had a adjusted lifetime gross of $549,469,026 dollars.
9) The Most Epic Fantasy Trilogy 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' (2003): The Conclusion
The Lord of the Rings trilogy, lauded as one of the finest movie trios ever produced, concluded with The Return of the King, where the battle for Middle-earth's fate reached its climax.
The 11 historic Oscar nominations for the fantasy epic were more than enough, as were the adjusted gross of $563,900,522 USD. It's a majestic film that excels on every level, from the stunning visuals to the moving narrative that keeps you moving forward.
'Around the World in 80 Days,' (1956) is one of the most forgotten best picture winners.
Phileas Fogg (David Niven) is a Victorian Englishman who makes a wager that he may go around the world in a span of only eighty days in this comedic adaptation of Jules Verne's classic novel.
The film hasn't aged very well, becoming one of the lowest-rated Best Picture nominees on IMDb and falling into tragic obscurity. However, viewers at the time were quite eager to see the two-and-a-half-hour adventure comedy, which raised $591,123,218 at the box office.
7) Is There Anything This Guy Didn't Do?'Forrest Gump' (1994)
Forrest Gump is a touching story about a character with the same name (played by Tom Hanks), and viewers get to see numerous historical events unfold from his humorous and unique viewpoint.
This Oscar nominee directed by Robert Zemeckis has made as many references to American history and culture as it has universal themes that anyone can connect to. It's been a smash hit since it was released, and it's had adjusted earnings of $719,398,403 dollars to prove it.
6) 'The Godfather' (1972) Is a Historical Landmark in American Motion Picture History
It's difficult to find anything to say about The Godfather that hasn't been said before. The crime epic about the aging patriarch of a mafia family (Marlon Brando) who must hand over control of his empire to his reluctant youngest son (Al Pacino) may be dubbed the greatest American film ever.
When adjusted for inflation, the film made $722,009,337 USD, and it merited every dollar. Magnificently written, superbly directed, and with multiple stunning performances, it is more than worthy of its reputation.
5) 'The Sting' (1973): All It Takes Is a Little Confidence
The Sting, an elaborate narrative about a small-time crook and a veteran con man who seeks vengeance against an evil crime lord, was the last of the only two collaborations of one of cinema's most famous duos: Paul Newman and Robert Redford.
The film has won seven Oscars, including Best Picture, and deserved every one of them. It's undoubtedly one of the best caper films ever made, with exceptional technical abilities and two compelling lead roles. For all its merits, it earned a total of $815,508,963 dollars.
'Ben-Hur' (1959): A Mythical Piece of Epic Entertainment
Ben-Hur, one of the few movies that have won 11 Oscars, is a nearly four-hour adventure drama about a Jewish prince who is betrayed by a friend and sent into slavery, who reclaims his freedom and returns to defeat his opponent.
Ben-Hur is a stunning film throughout its entire runtime, earning them with its massive scale, beautiful narrative, and action sequences that endure for over half a century.
3) Nothing on Earth Could Succeed in the Love of 'Titanic' (1997)
Titanic, the last entry in a trilogy of 11 Academy Awards, is a romantic comedy about a young aristocrat girl (Kate Winslet) who falls in love with a kind poor artist (Leonardo DiCaprio) aboard the luxurious but tragic R.M. Titanic.
Titanic was as much a cultural phenomenon as the ship itself, as demonstrated by its adjusted earnings of $1,240,054,754 dollars at the worldwide box office. It's a true modern classic in every sense of the word; a visual spectacle, a beautifully written narrative, and a fantastic Best Picture winner in every sense.
2) Audiences' Favorite Sound in the World 'The Sound of Music' (1965)
The Sound of Music is one of the most beautiful musicals ever produced from classic Hollywood, part joyful comfort film, part profound drama set during World War II. It's about a former nun in Austria who becomes a governess in the house of a widowed naval captain with seven children, bringing newfound joy and music into their lives.
The 3 hour runtime of the film is flawless thanks to its profoundly touching characters and narrative, beautiful Austrian landscapes, and most importantly its timeless and iconic score and soundtrack, which have been adoring since the film was released, despite the fact that it cost $1,303,502,105 USD.
'Gone With the Wind,' the undisputed box office champion (1939),
Gone With the Wind by Victor Fleming is a four-hour drama about the manipulative daughter of a plantation owner and her tense relationship with a charismatic rascal during the American Civil War and the Reconstruction Era.
With adjusted earnings of $1,850,581,586 dollars, it's anyone's guess that a film will ever clinch its throne. It deserves it, too, with a scale that's unheard of even today, stellar performances, and a narrative that's truly engaging.