4 Star Films
More than a few people have asked me what films I've given four stars to, and though I can often remember the past half-dozen or so, going back farther than that is difficult to say the least. I've listed them alphabetically, but noted the release date as well, and offer a bit of comparison of dates at the end. While it's easy to notice that there aren't many so far for the 2010s, it's also of note that 3-4 per year was the average for a long time... not very many when you consider that I've seen an average of over 550 films/year since 1984. The pre-1980 total is far from comprehensive. Most of the films I've reviewed have been since 1980 with a few exceptions by request and for a video review column I did for a newspaper a number of years ago. I also haven't yet finished adding my reviews from the early 1980s, so there will still be a few more 4-star films that will be added as I work my way back.
I hope that I've managed to include at least a few of your favorites and that you'll find a few more to watch and add to your own list.
Adaptation (2002)
Adventures in Babysitting (1987)
Aladdin (1992)
Amadeus (1984)
American Beauty (1999)
An American Tail (1986)
Antonia's Line (1995)
As Good As It Gets (1997)
Awakenings (1990)
Back to the Future (1985)
Backdraft (1991)
The Batman (2022)
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Being John Malkovich (1999)
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)
The Big Chill (1983)
Birds of America (2008)
Blade Runner (1982)
Das Boot (1981)
Brazil (1985)
Brooklyn Brothers Beat the Best (2011)
A Bug's Life (1998)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Chaplin (1992)
Chariots of Fire (1981)
Children of a Lesser God (1986)
Cinderella (1950)
Cinema Paradiso (1988)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Collateral Beauty (2016)
The Color Purple (1985)
Crimes of the Heart (1096)
Cross My Heart (1990)
The Dresser (1983)
Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Ernest Saves Christmas (1988)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Evening (2007)
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011)
Field of Dreams (1989)
Forget Paris (1995)
Forrest Gump (1994)
The Fox and the Hound (1981)
The French Connection (1971)
Gandhi (1982)
Ghost (1990)
Harry and the Hendersons (1987)
The Help (2011)
Henry V (1989)
Her (2013)
Humboldt County (2008)
In the Heights (2021)
Interstellar (2014)
The Judge (2014)
Juno (2007)
The Killing Fields (1984)
Koyaanisqatsi (1982)
The Land Before Time (1988)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
Life is Beautiful (1997)
Life of Pi (2012)
The Lost Boys (1987)
Love Ludlow (2005)
Lucas (1986)
Manon of the Spring (1986)
Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005)
Metropolis (1927)
The Mighty (1998)
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Moonstruck (1987)
Mr. Nobody (2009)
My Left Foot (1989)
Nell (1994)
1969 (1988)
On Golden Pond (1981)
The Parent Trap (1998)
Parenthood (1989)
Paris, Je T'aime (2006)
Pocahontas (1995)
Prancer (1989)
The Prince of Tides (1991)
Psycho (1960)
Ragtime (1981)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Rain Man (1988)
Rear Window (1954)
The Remains of the Day (1993)
The Right Stuff (1983)
The Rocketeer (1991)
The Santa Clause (1994)
Savannah Smiles (1982)
Schindler's List (1993)
The Secret Garden (1993)
The Secret of Roan Inish (1994)
The Shape of Water (2017)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
She's Having a Baby (1988)
Shine (1996)
Short Term 12 (2013)
A Shot in the Dark (1964)
Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
Sleuth (1972)
Sling Blade (1996)
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Sophie's Choice (1982)
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)
Star Wars (1977)
Steel Magnolias (1989)
Synecdoche, New York (2008)
Terms of Endearment (1983)
Tootsie (1982)
Toy Story (1995)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Up in the Air (2009)
Vertigo (1958)
La Vie en Rose (2007)
The Watcher in the Woods (1980)
West Side Story (1961)
The Whale (2022)
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
Winter's Tale (2014)
Wonder (2017)
Yentl (1983)
pre 1980 - 16
1980s - 49
1990s - 32
2000s - 15
2010s - 14
2020s - 3