AFI 100 Years, 100 Movies: No. 82


Back in 1998, the American Film Institute unveiled its list of the 100 greatest films as voted on by members of the cinematic community. The year, I'm looking at the films on that list, re-ranked according to my preference. Check back Fridays and Saturdays throughout the year as we walk through this list of classic films.

Ratso Rizzo: I'm walking here! I'm walking here!

Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Original List Ranking: 36
Starring: Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight
Director: John Schlesinger
About: This is another Best Picture winner. It also earned an Academy Award for the director, Schlesinger, and for the Adapted Screenplay. It factored much higher on the original list, and remained fairly high (43) on the 2007 update. And it's not hard to see why. It's a film that's oft remembered and oft quoted. While Hoffman didn't win for his performance, it's a memorable part of the film. Even those who haven't seen it in full have seen clips, including the one that features the quote above. For me, the reason it's further down, is the story. It's not a happy story and it's a difficult watch at times. I appreciate the craft and the friendship that develops between these two characters, but it's not a movie I'm apt to throw on very often.

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