Top Grossing Movies 1979

Each week, we examine the top 10 films at the U.S. box office from a specific year, which brings us to the top grossing movies 1979. Only one film cracked the $100 million mark, while four finished with $37 million or less. By way of comparison, a large number of modern blockbusters make more in their opening weekend than the top film on this list made during its entire run. And Avatar has made more than every film on this list combined. Can’t wait to see what it looks like in another 30 years.

  • Kramer vs. Kramer ($104,986,000) – Winner of the Best Picture Oscar for 1979, Kramer vs. Kramer stars Meryl Streep and Dustin Hoffman as a couple whose marriage falls apart. When his wife (Streep) walks out on him, a busy ad exec (Hoffman) is forced to spend more time with his young son. While this arrangement causes some initial tension, we soon find the bond between the two stronger than ever before. And then the wife shows back up. A number of issues are dealt with, including both the court’s habit of granting custody to the mother and the difficulties of raising a child alone. Hoffman and Streep would also win Oscars for their roles.
  • Alien ($78,944,891) – After being rerouted to a desolate planetoid, the crew of a mining spaceship encounters a hostile alien lifeform. But they have no idea how hostile until it comes ripping through the chest of one of their colleagues. This sci-fi/horror classic was directed by Ridley Scott and stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Harry Dean Stanton and Ian Holm. It’s often been described as “Jaws in space.”

  • Apocalypse Now ($78,784,010) – When Colonel Walter Kurtz (Marlon Brando) goes insane during the Vietnam War and sets himself up as a god in the jungles of Cambodia, Captain Benjamin Willard (Martin Sheen) is sent in to assassinate him. The surreal journey documents the descent into madness of Willard and his crew. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, the film also stars Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper, Harrison Ford and Laurence Fishburne. For a double dose of cinematic goodness, be sure to watch Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse, a fascinating look at the making of the film.
  • Star Trek: The Motion Picture ($56,000,000) – As an alien cloud approaches Earth and destroys everything in its path, Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and the crew of the Enterprise are called upon to save the day. All your old favorites are here, including Spock, Scotty, Dr. McCoy, Chekov, Mr. Sulu and Uhura.
  • The Rose ($42,990,000) – Loosely based on the life of Janis Joplin, Bette Midler (in her screen debut) stars as a ‘60s rock star battling alcoholism, the pressures of fame, and her less-than-considerate business manager. Nominated for four Academy Awards, The Rose also stars Alan Bates, Frederic Forrest, Harry Dean Stanton, David Keith and Doris Roberts.

  • Rocky II ($42,169,000) – After going 15 rounds with heavyweight champ Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) gets another shot at the title. But this time around, he must also deal with the complications surrounding his wife’s pregnancy, an injured eye, and a supremely motivated opponent. Still, if you can’t guess the outcome, then you’re obviously a newcomer to the franchise.
  • 10 ($37,000,000) – Bo Derek puts her hair into cornrows and becomes the object of Dudley Moore’s obsession. Directed by Blake Edwards, the film features his usual blend of comedy and adult themes. A middle-aged man (Moore) becomes enamored with a younger woman (Derek) and sets out to bed her. The score is by Henry Mancini, and 10 turned both Derek and Moore into box office superstars.
  • Moonraker ($35,000,000) – The 11th film in the James Bond franchise, this one features 007 (Roger Moore) journeying into space to fight the villainous Hugo Drax. Richard Kiel is memorable as the steel-toothed Jaws, and Lois Chiles plays a CIA agent named, uh, Holly Goodhead.
  • Starting Over ($33,924,000) – Burt Reynolds shaves his moustache to star in this comedy about a man torn between his ex-wife (Candice Bergen) and his latest girlfriend (Jill Clayburgh). Both female leads would receive Oscar nominations.
  • The China Syndrome ($32,000,000) – Nominated for four Oscars, this thriller stars Jane Fonda as a TV reporter who comes to believe that a nuclear power plant outside of Los Angeles isn’t as safe as advertised. The sentiment is shared by the planet’s shift supervisor (Jack Lemmon), but the shadowy owners would rather have him killed than actually fix the problem. Michael Douglas co-stars as Fonda’s cameraman. Ironically, the film was released 12 days before the events of Three Mile Island.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this list of the top grossing movies 1979. If you’re feeling all nostalgic, why not head over to Amazon and pick up some of these titles? They’re all there, and the low prices and selection simply can’t be beat. Sure, we get a small commission for sending you there, but I was recommending Amazon to friends long before I started this blog. Go find out why.

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 11th, 2010 at 12:16 pm and is filed under Box Office Results, Good Movies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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2 Responses to “Top Grossing Movies 1979”

  1. Top Grossing Movies of 2000 says:
    May 6, 2010 at 3:56 pm

    [...] Top Grossing Movies 1979 [...]

  2. Jeffery Belli says:
    May 17, 2010 at 4:14 pm

    Hey, I searched for this page on Yahoo and just wanted to say thank you for adding this list. I would have to agree with it, thanks again!

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