Movie critics' reviews are an important tool for audiences. They’re a go-to resource that helps viewers determine which films are worth their time and money. And one of cinema’s most important and celebrated critics wasRoger Ebertof theChicago Sun-Times.Most people associate him with his famous “thumbs up, thumbs down” rating system and his partnerships with fellow film critics, Gene Siskel and later Richard Roeper. But among movie buffs and filmmakers, Ebert was best known for his honest and impassioned evaluation of movies.
Ebert’s reviews often filled theater seats for the movies that he championed – and he championed everything, from dramas to documentaries to comedies.If you check out his websiteand visit the “Great Movies” tab, you’ll find a long list of four-starred films, the highest rating that Ebert would award any given film. The very best of the best in his eyes. Some of these films will surprise you. Others are iconic masterpieces that undoubtedly deserved that four-star rating.
Here are 10 films from the1980sthat earned a perfect score from Roger Ebert, ranked by year of release.
10’Do the Right Thing' (1989)
Do the Right Thing
Throughout his career, Roger Ebert was known for supporting up-and-coming filmmakers before they became established in Hollywood. Spike Lee was one of those filmmakers.Do the Right Thingput the budding, young director on the map. Here, tensions and temperatures rise, and ultimately hit a boiling point, among a diverse cast of characters on the streets of Brooklyn.
Do the Right Thingdidn’t just launch Spike Lee’s career. It helped establish future A-listers, like Samuel L. Jackson and John Turturro, and marked the film debut of comedic actor Martin Lawrence.Do the Right Thingiswidely regarded as Spike Lee’s best film. Ebert praised the film in his review, writing:
“I have been given only a few filmgoing experiences in my life to equal the first time I saw “Do the Right Thing.” Most movies remain up there on the screen. Only a few penetrate your soul. In May of 1989 I walked out of the screening at the Cannes Film Festival with tears in my eyes. Spike Lee had done an almost impossible thing. He’d made a movie about race in America that empathized with all the participants.”
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9’Planes, Trains and Automobiles' (1987)
Planes, Trains & Automobiles
Planes, Trains and Automobilesis a classic comedy and, for many people, a must-watch film in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. It follows two mismatched travel companions and strangers who embark on a three-day odyssey of planes, trains, and automobiles, as they try to make it home in time for Thanksgiving dinner.
Directed by the beloved filmmaker John Hughes, it stars comedy legends Steve Martin and John Candy.Planes, Trains and Automobileswas a sentimental favorite of Roger Ebert’s, who claimed to watch it with his family every Thanksgiving. He wrote in his glowing review:
“Some movies are obviously great. Others gradually thrust their greatness upon us. When “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” was released in 1987, I enjoyed it immensely, gave it a favorable review and moved on. But the movie continued to live in my memory. Like certain other popular entertainments (“It’s a Wonderful Life,” “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial,” “Casablanca“) it not only contained a universal theme, but also matched it with the right actors and story, so that it shrugged off the other movies of its kind and stood above them in a kind of perfection.”
8’The Color Purple' (1985)
The Color Purple
Based on the novel of the same name,The Color Purplehighlights the challenges faced by African-American women during the early 20th century. It follows Celie Harris (Whoopi Goldberg) and her companions, showing the sexual and physical abuse, poverty, and racism they all experienced.
The Color Purpleis a significant milestone for several people.For director Steven Spielberg, it marked a departure from the blockbusters that he usually directed. It was also Oprah Winfrey’s film debut and delivered a breakthrough performance for up-and-coming actress, Whoopi Goldberg. Roger Ebert namedThe Color Purplethe best movie of 1985. He raved about Goldberg’s portrayal of Celie, writing:
“The movie may have inconsistencies, confusions and improbabilities, but there is one perfect thing at its center, and that is the character of Celie, as played by Whoopi Goldberg.”
7’Come and See' (1985)
Come And See
Come and Seeis one of the most famous films from Russian cinema. Here, a young man joins a resistance movement during Germany’s occupation of Byelorussia during World War II.
Come and Seeis widely regarded as one ofthe best war, or anti-war, movies ever made– and also one of the greatest films ever made. Critics, including Roger Ebert, lauded the film for its haunting and realistic portrayal of war and the brutal psychological effects of battle. Ebert opens his grim but positive review with:
“It’s said that you can’t make an effective anti-war film because war by its nature is exciting, and the end of the film belongs to the survivors. No one would ever make the mistake of saying that about Elem Klimov’s “Come and See.” This 1985 film from Russia is one of the most devastating films ever about anything, and in it, the survivors must envy the dead.
6’A Christmas Story' (1983)
A Christmas Story
A Christmas Storyis a family comedy based on the semi-fictional writings of author Jean Shepherd. It follows a young boy named Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) in his pursuit of the perfect Christmas gift: the Daisy Red Ryder 200-shot Carbine Action BB Gun.A Christmas Storyhas become a beloved holiday classic since its release.
Even Roger Ebert loved this movie. In his surprising four-star review, Ebert credits the film for its “many small but perfect moments” and for its nostalgia, recording “a world that no longer quite exists in America.”
5’Scarface' (1983)
This is another surprising film that you wouldn’t expect Roger Ebert to embrace. 1983’sScarfaceis a remake of the 1932 gangster film of the same name. Writer Oliver Stone and director Brian De Palma gave the 1932 classic a fresh spin by focusing on Cuban gang lords and setting the film in 1980s Miami.Scarfacefollows the notorious Cuban gangster Tony Montana (Al Pacino) and his rise to power as Miami’s biggest drug smuggler. Because of its excessive violence and profanity,Scarfacewas negatively received upon its release.
But Roger Ebert was ahead of the curve on this one. He gave the film four stars in his 1983 review, commending Pacino’s “aggressive, over the top, teeth-gnashing, arm-waving, cocaine-snorting, scenery chewing” performance. All the other critics eventually caught up to Ebert’s opinion.Scarfaceis now regarded asone of the best gangster films ever made, its iconic quotes and characters ingrained in pop culture.
4’Raiders of the Lost Ark' (1981)
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Arkintroduced audiences to one of cinema’s most famous characters, the adventurer and archaeologist Indiana Jones. In his first cinematic adventure, Indiana journeys across the world, racing against the Nazis, to uncover one of history’s most legendary lost artifacts: the Ark of the Covenant. Since its release,Raiders of the Lost Arkhas gone down asone of the greatest and most influential films ever madeand one of the best in director Steven Spielberg’s catalog.
In his retrospective review in 2000, Ebert callsRaiders of the Lost Ark"just plain fun” and acclaimed the film’s special effects, as well as Harrison Ford’s iconic performance as Indiana Jones.
3’Atlantic City' (1980)
Atlantic City
Atlantic Cityis an international production that hit American theaters in 1980. Despite its international roots,Atlantic Cityis led by two famous American actors, Burt Lancaster and Susan Sarandon. In this romantic dramedy, a Canadian woman wishing to pursue a career in the gambling industry relocates to Atlantic City, where she becomes romantically involved with an aging gangster.
Atlantic Citygarnered critical acclaim, including from Roger Ebert. He applauded the film for its bittersweet romance and heartfelt performances, awarding it with four stars.
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2’The Shining' (1980)
The Shining
Based on Stephen King’s eponymous horror novel,The Shiningwas brought to the big screen by legendary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick. InThe Shining,writer Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) and his family move into the vacant Overlook Hotel, where they’re terrorized and haunted by ghostly beings.The Shiningreceived mixed reviews when it was first released, including from Roger Ebert. He complained that it was hard to connect with any of the characters, called the film a “crashing disappointment” in his original review, and gave the movie only two stars.
So what’s this movie doing on our list? Well,The Shining’s reputation greatly improved over the years, as critics have reappraised the film – including, once again, Roger Ebert. Although he calls it a failure as a ghost story, he does say the film is a brilliant study of “madness and the unreliable narrator”. He changed his review to four stars and added it to his Greatest Movies list.The Shiningis now regarded asone of the greatest and most influential horror movies, and overall films, ever made.
1’Raging Bull' (1980)
Raging Bull
Raging Bullcovers the life of rage-fueled boxer Jake LaMotta, who became the sport’s middleweight champion in the late 40s and early 50s. Featuring a transformative performance from Robert De Niro,Raging Bullis widely regarded as Martin Scorsese’s masterpiece.
Roger Ebert declared it an instant classic when he first saw the film in theaters. He didn’t just rate it four stars.Ebert putRaging Bullin his top 10 films of all time, a sentiment that’s shared by many film critics. He wrote in his glowing review, “Raging Bull” is the most painful and heartrending portrait of jealousy in the cinema–an “Othello” for our times. It’s the best film I’ve seen about the low self-esteem, sexual inadequacy and fear that lead some men to abuse women."
