The Top 10 Movies of All Time According to Our Instagram Followers
Every week we give away $500 or more in gift cards to local businesses on our Instagram Birmingham page. A few weeks ago, in order to enter one of our giveaways, we asked our followers to tell us their favorite movie, of all time, in the comments.
We learned a lot about our followers with their answers. There were plenty of classics peppered throughout the results, like Goodfellas, Dead Poets Society, No Country for Old Men, Sound of Music, Sixteen Candles, and Braveheart. There were a few of my own personal favorites on the list, like Donnie Darko, the Jerk (“He hates these cans!”), True Romance, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Surprisingly, my least favorite movie of all time, Hope Floats, made the list. Although I’m not sure if it was the movie that was bad, or that I was dealing with some of my own personal issues while it was playing in the background. I think the latter.
In any event, here are the top 10 movies of all time according to our Instagram Followers.
Honorable Mention: The Last Unicorn
Release Date: 1982
Rotten Tomato Score: 63%
One voter placed the Last Unicorn at the top of their all-time favorite movie list. At first I thought this might be a joke. But after taking a closer look, it’s a well regarded animate movie featuring Jeff Bridges. The animation also looks quite a bit like Spirited Away, possibly my favorite animated movie of all time. I’m sorry, Last Unicorn lover, that I suspected you were a troll. I think it’s probably true that the Last Unicorn is your favorite movie, and that it’s actually one of the more reasonable choices on the list.
On to the list!
#10 Tommy Boy
Release Date: 1995
Rotten Tomato Score: 44%
Any list that kicks off with Chris Farley is off to a strong start. It’s hard to believe that Chris Farley died 20 years ago. My favorite Chris Farley sketch is probably his Chippendale dance-off with Patrick Swayze.
Take a moment and enjoy a top ten list within a top ten list, Chris Farley’s Top 10 Moments.
#9 Titanic
Release Date: 1997
Rotten Tomato Score: 88%
Fun fact. In college a friend rigged our cable box for free pay per view. One of the pay per view channels played Titanic non stop for several months. I estimate that I’ve spent over 75 hours of my life watching Titanic. It’s embarrassing, yet I’m proud of the accomplishment. It doesn’t matter if you hate Titanic or love it. Once it starts playing on TV you’re watching it.
As popular as Titanic was, and as much time as I spent watching it, I’ve always been disappointed that James Cameron didn’t make a sequel. I mean, he’s making like 4 more Avatar movies.
#8 Pretty Woman
Release Date: 1990
Rotten Tomato Score: 61%
Our three movies so far are all from the 1990’s. Can you believe the 90’s were 17 years ago? Can you believe Pretty Woman is almost 30 years old??!?
#7 Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Release Date: 1986
Rotten Tomato Score: 81%
Finally, a movie that’s not from the 90’s. Oh wait, it’s from the 80’s.
Ferris Bueller’s Day off is certainly deserving of placement on any top movie list. I’ve always particularly liked the museum scene.
There’s just something about this scene. From the background track, to the way Cameron stares into the painting Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grand Jatte, it all really works for me. In fact, I’m pretty sure I wrote a paper about pointillism (paintings made up of tiny dots) in high school because of this scene.
#6 Top Gun
Release Date: 1986
Rotten Tomato Score: 55%
Wow, two movies in a row from 1986. I had no idea that both Top Gun and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off were released in the same year. Looking at IMDB, 1986 was a strong year for movies. Top Gun and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off are joined by:
- Stand by Me
- Pretty in Pink
- Aliens
- Platoon
- Crocodile Dundee
- Short Circuit
- ¡Three Amigos!
- The Color of Money
- The Hitcher (This movie, with C. Thomas Howell, is terrifying. It was remade recently. Watch the original.)
Not to mention one of my all time favorites. Seriously, I hope several of you reading this blog stop what you are doing right now and watch this movie. Kurt Russell. Kim Cattrall. Big Trouble in Little China.
Ok, back to the list. So far we’re halfway done, and not a single movie from this millennium.
#5 Mean Girls
Release Date: 2004
Rotten Tomato Score: 83%
The 2000’s (and Lindsay Lohan) are on the board.
#4 Love Actually
Release Date: 2003
Rotten Tomato Score: 63%
Every year, sometime in December, I end up watching Love Actually. It’s on the list of guilty pleasures. I remember the first time I saw the movie liking this scene, where Kiera Knightly’s fiancé’s best friend (and best man at their wedding, right?) proclaims his love on her porch. In hindsight though, it’s kind of a jerk move. You can’t go to your best friends house and pull a Say Anything / Bob Dylan (INXS) note card combo on his wife. Uncool.
#3 Goonies
Release Date: 1985
Rotten Tomato Score: 70%
Ah, back to the 1980’s. I let my three grade school kids watch Goonies the other day. A surprising amount of cursing.
#2 Forest Gump
Release Date: 1994
Rotten Tomato Score: 71%
I remember when I saw Forest Gump in the theaters. It was packed and I had to sit in the front row, looking straight up for 2 hours and 22 minutes. But, I was with a girl that I liked, so it was worth it.
Fun story. Sometimes when I catch my wife Jennifer admiring one of our sons when they are playing and being calm, I’ll walk up to her and put my arm around her shoulder and in my best Gump voice say “He’s so smart, Jenny”.
Now, finally. According to our Instagram followers, the very best movie of all time.
#1 How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
Release Date: 2003
Rotten Tomato Score: 42%
Not much of a surprise here. Anytime you see a list of the greatest movies of all time, a few always seem to make the cut. Citizen Kane. The Godfather I & II. Schindler’s List. And of course the Matthew McConaughey rom-com, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
This is the only movie in the top 10 that I haven’t seen. Apparently Kate Hudson has to try and be such a horrible girlfriend that Matthew McConaughey breaks up with her. And he for some reason isn’t allowed to break up with her. In any case, I’m going to wager that they fall in love and get together in the end.
We’re going to have a special Instagift Birmingham screening of this movie in the next few weeks so that we weigh in on whether it is in fact the greatest movie of all time. Stay tuned. We’ll make sure and report back.
Congrats How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. You’re the greatest movie of all time!
