The Best Anne Bancroft Movies

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Updated September 13, 2023 1.0K votes 164 voters
Over 100 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of The Best Anne Bancroft Movies
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List of the best Anne Bancroft movies, ranked best to worst with movie trailers when available. Anne Bancroft's highest grossing movies have received a lot of accolades over the years, earning millions upon millions around the world. The order of these top Anne Bancroft movies is decided by how many votes they receive, so only highly rated Anne Bancroft movies will be at the top of the list. Anne Bancroft has been in a lot of films, so people often debate each other over what the greatest Anne Bancroft movie of all time is. If you and a friend are arguing about this then use this list of the most entertaining Anne Bancroft films to end the squabble once and for all.

If you think the best Anne Bancroft role isn't at the top, then upvote it so it has the chance to become number one. The greatest Anne Bancroft performances didn't necessarily come from the best movies, but in most cases they go hand in hand.

This list below has a variety of films, like The Naked Street and Home for the Holidays, in it.

"This list answers the questions, "What are the best Anne Bancroft movies?" and "What are the greatest Anne Bancroft roles of all time?"

David Lynch and Ridley Scott are among those who directed Anne Bancroft at one point or another during their careers in the film industry. If you're a fan of Anne Bancroft, then check out our lists of the best Vera Miles and Jean Harlow movies as well.

Most divisive: Silent Movie
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  • 'night, Mother
    1

    'night, Mother

    Sissy Spacek, Anne Bancroft, Ed Berke
    14 votes
    • Released: 1986
    • Directed by: Tom Moore
    Jessie Cates (Sissy Spacek) packs her belongings into bags intended for donation to charity. She's doing so because, as she tells her mother, Thelma (Anne Bancroft), she plans to kill herself that very evening. This film, inspired by an esteemed stage production, centers on the interactions between an elderly woman and her daughter, whose depression has pushed her to the brink of suicide. As Jessie steels herself for her last act, Thelma gallantly encourages her to opt for life.

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  • The Miracle Worker
    2

    The Miracle Worker

    Anne Bancroft, Patty Duke, Victor Jory
    36 votes
    • Released: 1962
    • Directed by: Arthur Penn
    Blind and deaf after suffering a terrible fever as a baby, young Helen Keller (Patty Duke) has spent years unable to communicate, leaving her frustrated and occasionally violent. As a last chance before she is institutionalized, her parents (Inga Swenson, Andrew Prine) contact a school for the blind, which sends half-blind Annie Sullivan (Anne Bancroft) to teach Helen. Helen is initially resistant, but Annie gradually forms a bond with her and shows Helen ways of reaching others.

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  • 84 Charing Cross Road
    3

    84 Charing Cross Road

    Anne Bancroft, Anthony Hopkins, Judi Dench
    14 votes
    • Released: 1987
    • Directed by: David Jones
    New York City bibliophile Helene Hanff (Anne Bancroft) writes to the London bookshop Marks & Co in search of some titles she has not been able to turn up locally. Store manager Frank Doel (Anthony Hopkins) responds politely to her chatty letter, and over the course of two decades, a deep, long-distance friendship evolves. Based on Hanff's epistolary memoir and its later two-person stage adaptation, the film version incorporates new characters, including Doel's wife, Nora (Judi Dench).

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  • The Slender Thread
    4

    The Slender Thread

    Sidney Poitier, Anne Bancroft, Telly Savalas
    13 votes
    • Released: 1965
    • Directed by: Sydney Pollack
    As a volunteer at a crisis center, Alan Newell (Sidney Poitier) is working the late shift when he hears from a desperate woman named Inga Dyson (Anne Bancroft) who has attempted to overdose on sleeping pills. As Alan tries to keep Inga on the line, Detective Judd Ridley (Edward Asner) and Dr. Joe Coburn (Telly Savalas), a psychiatrist, both become involved in the increasingly tense situation. While they try to determine Inge's location in order to save her, time is quickly running out.

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  • Nightfall
    5

    Nightfall

    Aldo Ray, Brian Keith, Anne Bancroft
    13 votes
    • Released: 1956
    • Directed by: Jacques Tourneur
    In rural Wyoming, James Vanning (Aldo Ray) aids stranded motorists John (Brian Keith) and Red (Rudy Bond). But after James finds out that the men just pulled off a huge bank heist, they try to kill him. When a harsh storm suddenly hits, the crooks lose their loot, and James manages to escape to Los Angeles, where he goes into hiding. He receives an unwelcome visit, however, from John and Red, who believe that James knows more about their lost money than he's letting on.
  • The Graduate
    6

    The Graduate

    Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross
    42 votes
    • Released: 1967
    • Directed by: Mike Nichols
    The Graduate is a classic drama film of the late 60s. Central to the story is Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman), a recent college graduate, lost in his newfound adulthood. His life takes an extraordinary turn when he becomes romantically involved with Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), an older, married woman. But the plot thickens when Benjamin falls for her daughter Elaine (Katharine Ross). Directed by Mike Nichols, this film won an Academy Award for Best Director. Notable for its iconic soundtrack by Simon and Garfunkel, The Graduate is a significant cultural touchstone that portrays the post-college existential crisis with wit and poignancy.

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