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The Funniest Comedies of the 1980s

The Funniest Comedies of the 1980s

Every decade brings forth its own unique cinematic styles and the 1980s were no exception. In terms of comedy, the output was nearly slapdash in its silliness and yet not without its pointed themes or three-dimensional characters.

The best titles have duly endured in the pop cultural consciousness, a testament to their relatability and rewatchability alike. Each one also proves that there’s nothing wrong with simply having a good time at the movies. (In the mood for a laugh at home? Here are the best comedy movies available to stream right now).

When one thinks of 1980s comedy, certain titles and certain seminal figures leap to mind. Among the most obvious of the latter is director John Hughes, who helmed some of the decade’s most popular films. That includes such classics as “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “The Breakfast Club,” and “Planes, Trains, & Automobiles,” all of which punctuate sophomoric humor with moments of genuine insight.

In front of the camera, meanwhile, actors like Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray, and Goldie Hawn, among others, reigned over the genre with impressive consistency, becoming Hollywood royalty in the process.

Of course, times have changed and norms have changed along with them. As a result, many 1980s comedies might seem offensive at least in part, at least to some viewers. Then again, movies like “The Princess Bride” and “Beetlejuice” — to name just two quick examples — are no less as charming now than they were when they first debuted. (Check out the best romantic comedies of all time).

Putting retroactive critiques aside, it was a robust period for the genre. Leave your judgments behind and you just might enjoy yourself.

Methodology

To identify the best comedies of the 1980s, 24/7 Tempo created an index composed of each film’s rating on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, as well as its Audience Score and Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator. Data on domestic ticket sales came from The Numbers, an online movie database owned by consulting firm Nash Information Services, and is adjusted for inflation using the Consumer Price Index and historic movie ticket prices. 

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

75. Twins (1988)
> IMDb rating: 6.1/10 (115,333 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 43% (42 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $111.9 million
> Directed by: Ivan Reitman
> Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito, Kelly Preston, Chloe Webb

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

74. National Lampoon’s European Vacation (1985)
> IMDb rating: 6.2/10 (59,407 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 34% (29 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $49.4 million
> Directed by: Amy Heckerling
> Starring: Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Dana Hill, Jason Lively

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

73. Dragnet (1987)
> IMDb rating: 6.0/10 (32,135 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 51% (35 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $57.4 million
> Directed by: Tom Mankiewicz
> Starring: Dan Aykroyd, Tom Hanks, Christopher Plummer, Harry Morgan

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

72. Fletch Lives (1989)
> IMDb rating: 6.2/10 (19,965 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 37% (30 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $33.3 million
> Directed by: Michael Ritchie
> Starring: Chevy Chase, Hal Holbrook, Julianne Phillips, R. Lee Ermey

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

71. Spies Like Us (1985)
> IMDb rating: 6.5/10 (44,784 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 32% (25 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $59.5 million
> Directed by: John Landis
> Starring: Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Mark Stewart, Sean Daniel

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

70. Airplane II: The Sequel (1982)
> IMDb rating: 6.2/10 (49,623 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 42% (19 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $25.0 million
> Directed by: Ken Finkleman
> Starring: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Lloyd Bridges, Raymond Burr

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

69. The Cannonball Run (1981)
> IMDb rating: 6.3/10 (33,567 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 30% (33 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $57.5 million
> Directed by: Hal Needham
> Starring: Burt Reynolds, Roger Moore, Farrah Fawcett, Dom DeLuise

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

68. Moving (1988)
> IMDb rating: 6.2/10 (5,260 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 33% (06 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $10.8 million
> Directed by: Alan Metter
> Starring: Richard Pryor, Beverly Todd, Stacey Dash, Raphael Harris

Source: Courtesy of TriStar Pictures

67. Look Who’s Talking (1989)
> IMDb rating: 5.9/10 (77,829 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 56% (36 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $140.1 million
> Directed by: Amy Heckerling
> Starring: John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Olympia Dukakis, George Segal

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

66. Turner & Hooch (1989)
> IMDb rating: 6.2/10 (65,539 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 52% (29 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $71.1 million
> Directed by: Roger Spottiswoode
> Starring: Tom Hanks, Mare Winningham, Craig T. Nelson, Reginald VelJohnson

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

65. Ernest Goes to Camp (1987)
> IMDb rating: 5.6/10 (10,909 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 62% (13 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $23.5 million
> Directed by: John R. Cherry III
> Starring: Jim Varney, Victoria Racimo, John Vernon, Iron Eyes Cody

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

64. Beverly Hills Cop II (1987)
> IMDb rating: 6.5/10 (109,621 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 47% (32 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $153.7 million
> Directed by: Tony Scott
> Starring: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, Jurgen Prochnow, Ronny Cox

Source: Courtesy of TriStar Pictures

63. See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989)
> IMDb rating: 6.9/10 (49,249 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 28% (29 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $46.9 million
> Directed by: Arthur Hiller
> Starring: Richard Pryor, Gene Wilder, Joan Severance, Kevin Spacey

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

62. The Money Pit (1986)
> IMDb rating: 6.4/10 (52,921 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 50% (22 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $37.5 million
> Directed by: Richard Benjamin
> Starring: Tom Hanks, Shelley Long, Alexander Godunov, Maureen Stapleton

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

61. Bachelor Party (1984)
> IMDb rating: 6.3/10 (35,926 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 54% (26 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $38.4 million
> Directed by: Neal Israel
> Starring: Tom Hanks, Tawny Kitaen, Adrian Zmed, George Grizzard

Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures

60. Three Amigos! (1986)
> IMDb rating: 6.5/10 (69,192 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 45% (40 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $39.2 million
> Directed by: John Landis
> Starring: Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, Martin Short, Alfonso Arau

Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures

59. Throw Momma from the Train (1987)
> IMDb rating: 6.3/10 (33,933 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 63% (35 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $53.4 million
> Directed by: Danny DeVito
> Starring: Danny DeVito, Billy Crystal, Kim Greist, Anne Ramsey

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

58. Ghostbusters II (1989)
> IMDb rating: 6.6/10 (185,101 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 53% (38 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $112.5 million
> Directed by: Ivan Reitman
> Starring: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis

Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures

57. Easy Money (1983)
> IMDb rating: 6.3/10 (8,067 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 60% (10 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $29.3 million
> Directed by: James Signorelli
> Starring: Rodney Dangerfield, Joe Pesci, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Candice Azzara

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

56. The Great Outdoors (1988)
> IMDb rating: 6.7/10 (40,590 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 44% (16 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $41.5 million
> Directed by: Howard Deutch
> Starring: Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Stephanie Faracy, Annette Bening

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

55. Three Men and a Baby (1987)
> IMDb rating: 6.1/10 (48,913 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 76% (37 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $167.8 million
> Directed by: Leonard Nimoy
> Starring: Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, Ted Danson, Nancy Travis

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

54. One Crazy Summer (1986)
> IMDb rating: 6.5/10 (14,127 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 56% (16 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $13.4 million
> Directed by: Savage Steve Holland
> Starring: John Cusack, Demi Moore, Linda Warren, Joel Murray

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

53. The Dream Team (1989)
> IMDb rating: 6.6/10 (12,920 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 57% (14 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $26.8 million
> Directed by: Howard Zieff
> Starring: Michael Keaton, Christopher Lloyd, Peter Boyle, Stephen Furst

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

52. Police Academy (1984)
> IMDb rating: 6.7/10 (115,964 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 55% (29 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $81.2 million
> Directed by: Hugh Wilson
> Starring: Steve Guttenberg, G.W. Bailey, Kim Cattrall, Bubba Smith

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

51. Summer School (1987)
> IMDb rating: 6.6/10 (17,727 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 63% (30 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $35.1 million
> Directed by: Carl Reiner
> Starring: Mark Harmon, Kirstie Alley, Robin Thomas, Patrick Labyorteaux

Source: Courtesy of MGM/UA Distribution Company

50. Overboard (1987)
> IMDb rating: 6.9/10 (53,484 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 45% (33 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $26.7 million
> Directed by: Garry Marshall
> Starring: Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, Edward Herrmann, Katherine Helmond

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

49. Weird Science (1985)
> IMDb rating: 6.6/10 (81,076 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 57% (35 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $16.3 million
> Directed by: John Hughes
> Starring: Anthony Michael Hall, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, Kelly LeBrock, Bill Paxton

Source: Courtesy of TriStar Pictures

48. Short Circuit (1986)
> IMDb rating: 6.7/10 (57,535 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 59% (37 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $40.7 million
> Directed by: John Badham
> Starring: Ally Sheedy, Steve Guttenberg, Fisher Stevens, Austin Pendleton

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

47. The ‘Burbs (1989)
> IMDb rating: 6.9/10 (69,663 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 53% (38 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $35.4 million
> Directed by: Joe Dante
> Starring: Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher, Corey Feldman

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

46. Mr. Mom (1983)
> IMDb rating: 6.6/10 (21,298 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 78% (23 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $64.8 million
> Directed by: Stan Dragoti
> Starring: Michael Keaton, Teri Garr, Frederick Koehler, Taliesin Jaffe

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

45. Tin Men (1987)
> IMDb rating: 6.6/10 (7,922 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 77% (22 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $25.4 million
> Directed by: Barry Levinson
> Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Danny DeVito, Barbara Hershey, John Mahoney

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

44. Revenge of the Nerds (1984)
> IMDb rating: 6.7/10 (49,409 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 69% (42 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $40.9 million
> Directed by: Jeff Kanew
> Starring: Robert Carradine, Anthony Edwards, Timothy Busfield, Andrew Cassese

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

43. Uncle Buck (1989)
> IMDb rating: 7.1/10 (86,933 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 63% (24 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $66.8 million
> Directed by: John Hughes
> Starring: John Candy, Macaulay Culkin, Jean Louisa Kelly, Gaby Hoffmann

Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

42. Spaceballs (1987)
> IMDb rating: 7.1/10 (173,636 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 56% (43 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $38.1 million
> Directed by: Mel Brooks
> Starring: Mel Brooks, John Candy, Rick Moranis, Bill Pullman

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

41. Crocodile Dundee (1986)
> IMDb rating: 6.6/10 (93,912 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 88% (34 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $174.8 million
> Directed by: Peter Faiman
> Starring: Paul Hogan, Linda Kozlowski, John Meillon, David Gulpilil

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

40. Adventures in Babysitting (1987)
> IMDb rating: 7.0/10 (39,152 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 72% (29 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $33.8 million
> Directed by: Chris Columbus
> Starring: Elisabeth Shue, Maia Brewton, Keith Coogan, Anthony Rapp

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

39. Three O’Clock High (1987)
> IMDb rating: 7.2/10 (11,105 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 67% (12 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $3.7 million
> Directed by: Phil Joanou
> Starring: Casey Siemaszko, Annie Ryan, Richard Tyson, Stacey Glick

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

38. Used Cars (1980)
> IMDb rating: 6.8/10 (13,815 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 77% (30 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $11.7 million
> Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
> Starring: Kurt Russell, Jack Warden, Gerrit Graham, Frank McRae

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

37. Innerspace (1987)
> IMDb rating: 6.8/10 (54,915 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 82% (44 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $19.8 million
> Directed by: Joe Dante
> Starring: Dennis Quaid, Martin Short, Meg Ryan, Kevin McCarthy

Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures

36. Back to School (1986)
> IMDb rating: 6.7/10 (28,699 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 86% (35 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $91.3 million
> Directed by: Alan Metter
> Starring: Rodney Dangerfield, Sally Kellerman, Burt Young, Keith Gordon

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

35. 9 to 5 (1980)
> IMDb rating: 6.9/10 (28,624 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 83% (41 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $103.3 million
> Directed by: Colin Higgins
> Starring: Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, Dabney Coleman

Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures

34. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)
> IMDb rating: 7.0/10 (120,512 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 81% (53 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $40.5 million
> Directed by: Stephen Herek
> Starring: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, George Carlin, Terry Camilleri

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

33. Fletch (1985)
> IMDb rating: 6.9/10 (48,303 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 77% (30 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $46.7 million
> Directed by: Michael Ritchie
> Starring: Chevy Chase, Joe Don Baker, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, Richard Libertini

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

32. Coming to America (1988)
> IMDb rating: 7.1/10 (193,028 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 72% (53 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $128.2 million
> Directed by: John Landis
> Starring: Eddie Murphy, Paul Bates, Garcelle Beauvais, Feather

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

31. 48 Hrs. (1982)
> IMDb rating: 6.9/10 (71,716 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 93% (41 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $75.9 million
> Directed by: Walter Hill
> Starring: Nick Nolte, Eddie Murphy, Annette O’Toole, Frank McRae

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

30. Back to the Future Part II (1989)
> IMDb rating: 7.8/10 (487,720 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 66% (61 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $118.5 million
> Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
> Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Thomas F. Wilson

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

29. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
> IMDb rating: 7.6/10 (162,596 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 68% (47 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $71.8 million
> Directed by: Jeremiah S. Chechik
> Starring: Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki

Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures

28. Caddyshack (1980)
> IMDb rating: 7.3/10 (106,409 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 73% (59 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $39.8 million
> Directed by: Harold Ramis
> Starring: Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Murray, Ted Knight

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

27. Better Off Dead… (1985)
> IMDb rating: 7.1/10 (41,802 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 76% (25 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $10.3 million
> Directed by: Savage Steve Holland
> Starring: John Cusack, David Ogden Stiers, Kim Darby, Demian Slade

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Distribution Company

26. Ruthless People (1986)
> IMDb rating: 6.9/10 (26,113 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 94% (35 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $71.6 million
> Directed by: Jim Abrahams and David Zucker
> Starring: Bette Midler, Danny DeVito, Judge Reinhold, Helen Slater

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

25. Stripes (1981)
> IMDb rating: 6.9/10 (66,497 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 88% (40 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $85.3 million
> Directed by: Ivan Reitman
> Starring: Bill Murray, John Candy, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

24. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
> IMDb rating: 7.3/10 (167,960 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 83% (52 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $234.8 million
> Directed by: Martin Brest
> Starring: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Lisa Eilbacher

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

23. Major League (1989)
> IMDb rating: 7.2/10 (62,798 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 83% (40 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $49.8 million
> Directed by: David S. Ward
> Starring: Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Corbin Bernsen, Margaret Whitton

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

22. Sixteen Candles (1984)
> IMDb rating: 7.1/10 (106,840 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 84% (43 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $23.7 million
> Directed by: John Hughes
> Starring: Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Justin Henry, Michael Schoeffling

Source: Courtesy of Columbia TriStar Home Video

21. The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980)
> IMDb rating: 7.3/10 (53,142 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 85% (26 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $30.0 million
> Directed by: Jamie Uys
> Starring: N!xau, Marius Weyers, Sandra Prinsloo, Louw Verwey

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

20. Beetlejuice (1988)
> IMDb rating: 7.5/10 (266,669 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 85% (59 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $73.8 million
> Directed by: Tim Burton
> Starring: Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Michael Keaton, Annie McEnroe

Source: Courtesy of Buena Vista Pictures

19. Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)
> IMDb rating: 7.3/10 (127,838 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 90% (42 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $123.9 million
> Directed by: Barry Levinson
> Starring: Robin Williams, Forest Whitaker, Tom. T. Tran, Chintara Sukapatana

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

18. The Blues Brothers (1980)
> IMDb rating: 7.9/10 (185,325 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 73% (89 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $57.2 million
> Directed by: John Landis
> Starring: John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Cab Calloway, John Candy

Source: Courtesy of Orion Pictures

17. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988)
> IMDb rating: 7.4/10 (65,634 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 88% (42 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $42.0 million
> Directed by: Frank Oz
> Starring: Steve Martin, Michael Caine, Glenne Headly, Anton Rodgers

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

16. The Goonies (1985)
> IMDb rating: 7.8/10 (247,632 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 76% (59 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $62.3 million
> Directed by: Richard Donner
> Starring: Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

15. Trading Places (1983)
> IMDb rating: 7.5/10 (139,766 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 88% (48 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $90.4 million
> Directed by: John Landis
> Starring: Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

14. The Naked Gun: from the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
> IMDb rating: 7.6/10 (155,061 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 88% (57 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $78.0 million
> Directed by: David Zucker
> Starring: Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, O.J. Simpson, Ricardo Montalban

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

13. Raising Arizona (1987)
> IMDb rating: 7.3/10 (128,360 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 91% (58 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $22.8 million
> Directed by: Joel and Ethan Coen
> Starring: Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter, Trey Wilson, John Goodman

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

12. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
> IMDb rating: 7.8/10 (324,929 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 79% (68 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $70.1 million
> Directed by: John Hughes
> Starring: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jeffrey Jones

Source: Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox

11. Big (1988)
> IMDb rating: 7.3/10 (201,908 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 97% (74 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $115.0 million
> Directed by: Penny Marshall
> Starring: Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins, Robert Loggia, John Heard

Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

10. National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983)
> IMDb rating: 7.4/10 (98,841 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 93% (44 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $61.4 million
> Directed by: Harold Ramis
> Starring: Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Imogene Coca, Randy Quaid

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

9. Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)
> IMDb rating: 7.6/10 (126,177 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 92% (59 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $49.5 million
> Directed by: John Hughes
> Starring: Steve Martin, John Candy, Laila Robins, Michael McKean

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

8. Midnight Run (1988)
> IMDb rating: 7.5/10 (77,016 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 94% (53 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $38.4 million
> Directed by: Martin Brest
> Starring: Robert De Niro, Charles Grodin, Yaphet Kotto, John Ashton

Source: Courtesy of MGM/UA Entertainment Company

7. A Christmas Story (1983)
> IMDb rating: 7.9/10 (133,620 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 89% (57 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $20.6 million
> Directed by: Bob Clark
> Starring: Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, Scott Schwartz

Source: Courtesy of Touchstone Pictures

6. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
> IMDb rating: 7.7/10 (183,958 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 97% (66 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $154.1 million
> Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
> Starring: Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy, Charles Fleischer

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

5. The Breakfast Club (1985)
> IMDb rating: 7.8/10 (361,440 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 89% (65 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $45.9 million
> Directed by: John Hughes
> Starring: Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Ally Sheedy

Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

4. Airplane! (1980)
> IMDb rating: 7.7/10 (217,677 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 97% (67 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $83.5 million
> Directed by: Jim Abrahams and David Zucker
> Starring: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Source: Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

3. Ghostbusters (1984)
> IMDb rating: 7.8/10 (359,716 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 97% (73 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $242.2 million
> Directed by: Ivan Reitman
> Starring: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis

Source: wingedwolf / iStock via Getty Images

2. The Princess Bride (1987)
> IMDb rating: 8.0/10 (397,292 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 97% (77 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $30.9 million
> Directed by: Rob Reiner
> Starring: Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright, Chris Sarandon

Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures

1. Back to the Future (1985)
> IMDb rating: 8.5/10 (1,075,227 votes)
> RT Tomatometer score: 96% (84 reviews)
> Domestic box office: $212.3 million
> Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
> Starring: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover

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