Welcome to our latest recurring feature,The Year in Film! So much of our coverage is devoted to the here-and-now of movies, and that’s all well and good. We’re still going to be bringing you that coverage. But we also love film history, so we thought it would be good to do a weekly series where we look back at a random year and design what made it special. That includes looking at the top-grossing movies, the Oscar winners, and some gems that you should put on your radar.
This week we’re headed to 1986. Let’s kick things off with the top-grossing movies:
Top 10 at the Box Office
1.Top Gun- $176,781,728
2.Crocodile Dundee- $174,803,506
3.Platoon- $138,530,565
4.The Karate Kid Part II- $115,103,979
5.Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home- $109,713,132
6.Back to School- $91,258,000
7.Aliens- $86,160,248
8.The Golden Child- $79,817,937
9.Ruthless People- $71,624,879
10.Ferris Bueller’s Day Off- $70,136,169
What a weird race to the top betweenTom Cruiseand, well,Crocodile Dundee. You can see why they made a sequel to the Austrailian smash. But it’s also really striking to see the diversity here. The year’s Best Picture winner was the #3 release (remember when Oscar winners used to be major box office hits?), and aRodney Dangerfieldcomedy nearly made $100 million. Indeed, comedies were box office catnip throughout the 80s, taking up half the spots on this Top 10. It’s also interesting to see how quality always wins out over time—Aliensdidn’t even crack the Top 5 here, andFerris Bueller’s Day Offsqueaks in at #10. Meanwhile, isRuthless Peopleeven available on DVD?
Oscar Winners
WhileFrancis Ford Coppola’s 1979 filmApocalypse Nowwas praised as an artful take on the Vietnam War,Oliver Stone’s 1986 filmPlatoonspoke to a legion of veterans who felt they’d be wronged by their own government. Stone, a Vietnam Vet himself, crafted a blatantly anti-war take withPlatoon, and the film was a huge hit both with audiences and with the Academy. The win holds up pretty well, as does the film, and overall it was a pretty good year for the Oscars.Marlee Matlinis still the only deaf actress to win the Best Actress Oscar, andWoody Allen’s dark dramaHannah and Her Sistersswept the supporting categories.
1986 was a fascinating year for movies, showcasing the best of various genres. On one end of the spectrumJohn Hugheswas killing it withPretty in PinkandFerris Bueller’s Day Offin the same year (although Hughes only wrotePink, which was directed byHowart Deutch), andRob Reinerbrought a differnet kind of coming-of-age story to the screen withStand by Me. Then you had the release of two R-rated sci-fi classics inAliensandThe Fly, which were crafted not to play to the lowest common denominator, but to challenge audiences looking for interesting sci-fi. And even in the realm of fantasy we got the future cult classicLabyrinthandJohn Carpenter’s ahead-of-its-timeBig Trouble in Little China.
Meanwhile, in the animation realm, Disney’sThe Great Mouse Detectivewould set the stage for the Disney Renaissance to come, as the film’s success convinced the studio that the animation department was worth saving after the disastrousThe Black Cauldron.
Hannah and Her Sisters– Rightly hailed as one ofWoody Allen’s best films, this ensemble also boasts some incredible performances.
Pretty in Pink– This teen romantic comedy classic was penned byJohn Hughesand would mark one ofMolly Ringwald’s final roles in these “Brat Pack” movies, as she subsequently moved on to more mature work. Still, what a way to go out.
Highlander– There can only be one!
Top Gun–Tony Scott’s ode to pilots still holds up incredibly well as a film about masculinity, and men being balancing high-testosterone theatrics with intense emotions. It’s also one ofTom Cruise’s best roles.
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off– A classic through and through,John Hughesfamously wrote the first 50 pages of the script in eight hours, when he was supposed to be doing a rewrite onSome Kind of Wonderful.
Labyrinth–Jim Henson’s fantasy spawned a whole realm of cosplay that would endure for decades to come.
Big Trouble in Little China– FilmmakerJohn Carpenter’s fantasy action-comedy flips the action hero archetype on its head, asKurt Russell’s lead character is almost always a few steps behind everyone else.
Aliens– FilmmakerJames Cameron’s sequel still stands as one of the best sequels ever made, maintaining the character richness that made the original so great, but evolving the premise to a different genre entirely—from horror to action.
Flight of the Navigator– In some ways a pretty shameless capitalization on the success ofE.T., this Disney sci-fi adventure with a young protagonist spoke to an entire generation all the same.
Howard the Duck– Not a classic in a good way. ThisGeorge Lucaspassion project was positively reviled, and stood as one of the most significant bombs of the time.
The Fly–David Cronenberg’s body horror on full display, viaJeff Goldblum.
Manhunter– Five years beforeAnthony Hopkinswon an Oscar for playing Hannibal Lecter,Michael Mannfirst adaptedThomas Harris’ bookManhunterandBrian Coxtook a first stab at the role.
Stand by Me– FilmmakerRob Reiner’s adaptation of aStephen Kingshort story results in a warm, poignant ode to childhood.
Blue Velvet– ThisDavid Lynchneo-noir mystery wasn’t exactly greeted with open armsat the time, but like most of Lynch’s work would age incredibly well.
Crocodile Dundee– And thus an Australian icon was born.
The Color of Money– This sequel to the 1959 filmThe HustlerlandedMartin Scorseseas a director and gainedPaul Newmanhis first-ever Oscar win, but it doesn’t exactly hold up as one of Scorsese’s most memorable films.
Sid and Nancy– The story of Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen largely introduced audiences toGary Oldman, and this would be the beginning of a long and fruitful career.
Hoosiers– Remember when they used to make great sports movies?
An American Tail–Steven Spielbergfamously dipped his toe into animation in a big way here by producing thisDon Bluth-directed film through Amblin Entertainment. The result was a critical and box office hit, and stood as the highest-grossing non-Disney animated film at the time.
Three Amigos!– This fairly memorable comedy was co-written bySNLcreatorLorne Michaelsduring his hiatus away from the sketch comedy series.
Little Shop of Horrors– DirectorFrank Oz’s adaptation of the off-Broadway musical still holds up today as a cult hit.
Platoon– This would stand as the first of three filmsOliver Stonemade about the Vietnam War, asBorn on the Fourth of JulyandHeaven & Earthfollowed in short order.
