The Most Popular Movie the Year You Were Born

Every year, babies are born. And in those same years, movies are released. Coincidence? I think not. But what do the movies released on your birth year say about you? The answer is nothing—but that doesn't mean it's not fun to know what was buzzing when your diet exclusively consisted of formula. From Academy Award-winning movies to fan-obsessed franchises, these are the biggest movies to hit theaters in the past five decades.

Robert Altman's dark comedy, M*A*S*H, is based on a novel by Richard Hooker called MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors. The film follows the antics of a medical unit during the Korean War and was one of the biggest movies of the year—spurring a hit TV series of the same name in 1972.

Sean Connery took on the role of James Bond in 1963's Dr. No and continued to star in the franchise over the years. In 1971, his portrayal of the secret operative in Diamonds Are Forever topped the box office and left big shoes for actors who followed him in the role to fill.

Francis Ford Coppola's first movie in the epic trilogy starred Marlon Brando and earned the actor an Academy Award for his portrayal of Vito Corleone. Audiences loved the mafia crime drama so much that it grossed more than $200 million worldwide.

Paul Newman and Robert Redford drew crowds to the theaters in 1973's The Sting. The old-school caper film set in the peak of the Great Depression won multiple Academy Awards and has lived on as one of Hollywood's most beloved movies.

The satirical Western comedy was one of the most well-known films from Cleavon Little and was written and directed by Mel Brooks. Once the film hit theaters, it became an instant classic—it didn't hurt that it featured a post-Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory Gene Wilder either.

Since the summer of 1975, Martha's Vineyard has drawn crowds of beachgoers, yes, as well as cinephiles thanks to Steven Spielberg's iconic film Jaws being filmed there. Not only was the movie a box office phenomenon, it has been heralded as the start of a new era in films.

Sylvester Stallone was struggling to make it as an actor in Hollywood when he wrote the screenplay for Rocky—in three days, no less. The film, which he also starred in, was the hit of the year and won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

It wasn't until he starred in Saturday Night Fever that John Travolta's career took off. The 1977 film became a box office hit in an era that craved anything disco.

All of Marvel's action stars have Christopher Reeve to thank. The actor is credited as being Hollywood's first superhero when he starred as Clark Kent (a.k.a. Superman) in 1978. The film went on to become a massive box office and critically acclaimed hit.

Dennis Hopper and Martin Sheen are only some of the big names who starred in Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now. The wartime epic premiered in 1979 to rave reviews and was the film to see back in the late '70s.

Back in 1980 the horror movie starring Jack Nicholson was the talk of the town. The psychologically thriller is one of the actor's most popular performances and grossed more than $44 million at the box office.

Raiders of the Lost Ark was the first film in the now massive Indiana Jones series. Harrison Ford starred in the hit and the Star Wars actor proved he could carry not one, but two, mega successful franchises.

If you could only see one movie in 1982, Steven Spielberg's E.T. the Extra Terrestrial was the one to beat. Not only did the film launch Drew Barrymore's career at the age of seven, but the tale of friendship between Elliot and E.T. remains iconic to this day.

When Scarface first premiered, it was controversial and faced a host of bad press due to production drama and strong disapproval from Miami's Cuban community. The Al Pacino movie still managed to rake in $65.9 million at the box office and left a permanent mark on pop culture.

Back in 1984, this movie about a group of paranormal scientists was all the rage and was one of the biggest films of the summer. Today, it's still iconic and even got a remake in 2016.

There was no shortage of teen-centric movies in the '80s, but Marty McFly, his friend Doc Brown, and their tricked-out DeLorean are still the gold standard of '80s cinema. The movie was so popular, it inspired two sequels and launched Michael J. Fox into super stardom.

The vernacular in some films remain engrained in pop culture forever, which is the case for the opening monologue in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?). The 1986 blockbuster was Matthew Broderick's breakout movie and a fan favorite from the decade.

When Lost Boys premiered in 1987, the film's edgy characters and unique sub-genre of comedy and horror called on the widespread culture shift happening in the late '80s. The film, starring Kiefer Sutherland, not only did well at the time, but has maintained a steady fanbase as a cult classic.

In 1988, the world was introduced to John McClean and Christmas hasn't been the same since. The Bruce Willis film serves equal parts action and holiday—is there anything better?

Fans of the superhero were in luck when Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson took on iconic roles in Hollywood's latest installment of Batman. The actors are credited with portraying the comic book characters in some of the fan base's favorite films.

Macaulay Culkin melted America's hearts when he schemed his way through the holidays as Kevin McCallister in the 1990 film. The movie is still one of the most popular Christmas movies of all time.

When the best-selling novel, Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris, was adapted into a horror film of the same name, it became the hottest film of the year. With stars like Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster, it also had critical success and swept the 1992 Academy Awards.

Even though this erotic thriller barely got away with an R-rating, due to it's long and explicit sex scenes, it was a hit. The Sharon Stone and Michael Douglas film broke $352.9 million at the box office and became one of the most popular movies of the '90s.

Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park is based on a science fiction novel of the same name by Michael Crichton. The movie was a huge success and led to five sequels.

Pulp Fiction brought huge success to Quentin Tarantino, who wrote and directed the movie, as well as stars Uma Thurman, John Travolta, and Samuel L. Jackson, who are famously attached to the cult classic project.

Not many people missed Mel Gibson's Braveheart in 1995, a period piece that followed the war story of Scotland's William Wallace as he stands up to King Edward I in the First War of Scottish Independence. The film won five Academy Awards, including Best Director for Gibson's directorial debut.

Frances McDormand and William H. Macy star in this quirky film about a pretend kidnapping gone wrong. When the dark comedy, known for its dry humor and Minnesota accents, debuted, it was an instant box office success (pulling in over $60 million) and won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

Titanic was the highest grossing film in movie history—until director James Cameron toppled his own record in 2009 with Avatar. But even if it doesn't still hold that record, the dramatic love story portrayed by Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio is iconic and timeless.

Saving Private Ryan is considered one of the great war movies of the past few decades. Directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks, amongst others, it portrays a heartwarming and harrowing story of a team of soldiers who are tasked with bringing a family's last son home from World War II.

We'd tell you about Fight Club, but we'd be violating the first rule of Fight Club. So instead, we'll just say that the 1999 film starred Brad Pitt and Edward Norton, earned $100.9 million in theaters worldwide, and if you haven't seen it, go stream it on Amazon Prime right now. Seriously, we'll wait.

J.K. Rowling was a single mom struggling to make ends meet before the success of her Harry Potter novels. In 2001, her success (and those of the young stars) continued to skyrocket as the first film in the Harry Potter franchise premiered. It would cause pandemonium, with teenagers lining up outside of theaters—some in costume—to catch the film.

Leonardo DiCaprio shared the screen with Christopher Walken and Tom Hanks when he portrayed Frank Abagnale, a real-life con man who evaded the FBI for years as he traveled across the country impersonating professionals and scamming banks with forged paychecks in this 2002 film.

In 2003, Uma Thurman signed on for another Quentin Tarantino movie. The action film, with no shortage of violence, was a hit amongst fans, as was the sequel.

Following the success of The Bourne Identity, adapted from spy novelist Robert Ludlum's trilogy, Matt Damon reprised his role as Jason Bourne in The Bourne Supremacy. This second installment of the series was a massive success, bringing in $288.5 million at the box office and beating out the original film.

Steve Carrell was one of the newest names in comedy in the early 2000s and his role in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, alongside Paul Rudd and Seth Rogan, solidified his place in Hollywood. The film has been heralded as one of the best comedies of the decade—rewatch the chest waxing scene and you'll agree.

Some of Hollywood's biggest names joined forces in 2006 for The Departed. We're talking Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, and Martin Scorsese. The crime film is considered one of the genre's great successes.

Based on a novel of the same name by Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild, starring Emile Hirsch, portrays the tragic coming-of-age story of Chris McCandless and his journey in the Alaskan wilderness.

Liam Neeson became universally hailed as the toughest guy in Hollywood when he portrayed a renegade father fighting to find his daughter in Taken, which was the year's biggest action movie.

Everything James Cameron touches turns to Oscar gold, so it's no surprise that his sci-fi film, starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, and Sigourney Weaver, was the highest grossing film in history to date (until 2019) and was heavily acclaimed during awards season.

Black Swan was the most talked-about film of 2010. The psychological thriller about two competing ballerinas in the New York City Ballet company not only won star Natalie Portman an Oscar for Best Actress, but pulled in over $329 million at the box office.

After the success of The Hangover in 2009, writer and director Judd Apatow decided to get the gang back together for another wedding...we mean movie. All of the original stars returned, which made it one of the most highly-anticipated releases of the year.

Audiences flooded theaters in 2012 to see Christian Bale don the Batman suit for the last time in The Dark Knight Rises. The film marked the end of Christopher Nolan's run as the franchise's director, in which he revived the hero's dwindling fan base.

Jordan Belfort has firmly taken his place in the zeitgeist after Leonardo DiCaprio portrayed his fraudulent, arrogant, and extravagant ways in the box office hit, The Wolf of Wall Street.

Moviegoers were left in awe after witnessing the events of Interstellar unfold. Without sharing any spoilers, the Anne Hathaway and Matthew Mcconaughey film was the buzziest of the year thanks to the surprise twist at the end.

When the latest installment of Star Wars made its premiere in 2015, audiences went nuts for the nostalgia it brought with it. As a result, it became the fourth highest-grossing film of all time.

The tale of Captain Sullenberger, or "Sully," was an intense and heroic story. So who better than Tom Hanks to portray the skilled commercial airline pilot, who saved hundreds of passengers by landing on the Hudson River?

Jordan Peele's horror film Get Out was one of the most highly-acclaimed and talked-about of the decade, with Daniel Kaluuya emerging as a rising star.

Crazy Rich Asians broke boundaries with its all Asian cast and has been hailed as a film that has helped fill the gap in the lack of representation of Asian Americans in Hollywood. Adapted from a best-selling novel, the film received rave reviews and is set for a sequel.

This past year was the year of spoiler-phobia—first, with Game of Thrones and then with Avengers: Endgame. The final installment in the Avengers franchise premiered in April and included a pretty big plot twist.