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245 voters

The Best John Lithgow Movies

Updated June 30, 2019 2.0k votes 245 voters 27.7k views69 items

List RulesVote for your favorite movies, regardless of critic reviews or how big the role was.

List of the best John Lithgow movies, ranked best to worst with movie trailers when available. John Lithgow'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 John Lithgow movies is decided by how many votes they receive, so only highly rated John Lithgow movies will be at the top of the list. John Lithgow has been in a lot of films, so people often debate each other over what the greatest John Lithgow movie of all time is. If you and a friend are arguing about this then use this list of the most entertaining John Lithgow films to end the squabble once and for all.

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

List is made up of many different films, including Traveling Man and Kinsey.

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

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Footloose
Sarah Jessica Parker, Kevin Bacon
Footloose is a 1984 American musical-drama directed by Herbert Ross. It tells the story of Ren... more
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#2467 of 3,110 The Greatest Albums of All-Time#55 of 782 The Greatest Chick Flicks Ever Made
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87
24
Raising Cain
John Lithgow, Lolita Davidovich
Raising Cain is a 1992 psychological thriller film written and directed by Brian De Palma, and... more
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77
26
Cliffhanger
Sylvester Stallone, John Lithgow
Cliffhanger is a 1993 American action adventure film directed by Renny Harlin and starring... more
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#21 of 92 The Most Rewatchable Action Movies#37 of 102 The Best 1990s Action Movies
4
64
24
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
James Franco, Freida Pinto
Rise of the Apes is in pre-production as of May 2010. This origin story for a new franchise... more
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#46 of 180 The Best Dystopian And Near Future Movies#45 of 136 The Scariest Animal Horror Movies Ever Made
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40
13
Memphis Belle
John Lithgow, Sean Astin
Memphis Belle is a 1990 film directed by Michael Caton-Jones and written by Monte Merrick. The... more
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#386 of 440 Your Favorite Movies of the 1990s#14 of 222 The Greatest World War II Movies of All Time
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35
9
Santa Claus: The Movie
John Lithgow, Dudley Moore
Santa Claus: The Movie is a 1985 British/American Christmas film starring David Huddleston,... more
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45
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The Pelican Brief
Julia Roberts, Denzel Washington
The Pelican Brief is a 1993 legal thriller based on the novel of the same name by John... more
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#20 of 38 The Best Movies Coming to Netflix in May 2021#121 of 340 The Best Political Films Ever Made
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38
14
Blow Out
John Travolta, John Lithgow
Blow Out is a 1981 thriller film, written and directed by Brian De Palma. The film stars John... more
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#199 of 230 The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time#995 of 1,506 The Most Rewatchable Movies
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36
13
The Day After
John Lithgow, Steve Guttenberg
The Day After is a 1983 American television film that aired on November 20, 1983, on the ABC... more
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36
17
The Tuskegee Airmen
John Lithgow, Cuba Gooding Jr.
The Tuskegee Airmen is a 1995 HBO television movie based on the exploits of an actual... more
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#138 of 376 The 50+ Best War Movies Ever Made, Ranked#73 of 665 The Best Black Movies Ever Made, Ranked

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34
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Ricochet
Denzel Washington, Ice-T
Ricochet is a 1991 crime-thriller film, directed by Russell Mulcahy and starring Denzel... more
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#90 of 95 The Best Black Movies Of The 1990s#32 of 53 The Best Denzel Washington Movies
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41
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Twilight Zone: The Movie
Dan Aykroyd, John Lithgow
Twilight Zone: The Movie is a 1983 American anthology science-fiction fantasy horror film... more
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#80 of 112 Movies That Need Sequels#70 of 117 The Best Movies Based on TV Shows
13
26
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The World According to Garp
Robin Williams, Glenn Close
The World According to Garp is 1982 American comedy-drama film directed by George Roy Hill and... more
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#180 of 305 The Funniest '80s Movies#28 of 106 The Best Movies About Writers
14
27
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The Life and Death of Peter Sellers
Charlize Theron, Heidi Klum
This film is a 2004 British/American film about the life of English comedy actor Peter... more
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21
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2010
Helen Mirren, John Lithgow
2010 is a 1984 American science fiction film written and directed by Peter Hyams. It is a... more
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#192 of 225 The Worst Sequels Of All Time#122 of 186 The Best Alien Movies Ever Made
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33
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Harry and the Hendersons
John Lithgow, Don Ameche
Harry and the Hendersons is a 1987 American fantasy comedy film directed and produced by... more
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#143 of 375 'Old' Movies Every Young Person Needs To Watch In Their Lifetime#56 of 79 The Best Live Action Animal Movies for Kids
17
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Obsession
John Lithgow, Cliff Robertson
Obsession is a 1976 psychological thriller/mystery directed by Brian De Palma, starring Cliff... more
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#492 of 552 The Best '70s Movies#454 of 557 The Greatest Film Scores of All Time
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7
The Manhattan Project
John Lithgow, Cynthia Nixon
The Manhattan Project is an American film, released in 1986. Named after the WWII-era program... more
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#410 of 675 The Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars#110 of 172 The Greatest Teen Movies Of The 1980s
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Don Quixote
John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini
Don Quixote is a 2000 television film adaptation of the classic novel Don Quixote by Miguel de... more
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A Civil Action
John Travolta, Robert Duvall
A Civil Action is a 1998 American drama film that was directed by Steven Zaillian, that stars... more

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Orange County
Chevy Chase, Ben Stiller
Orange County is a 2002 American comedy film starring Colin Hanks and Jack Black. It was... more
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Celebrities Who Live in Orange County, California#688 of 923 The All-Time Greatest Comedy Films
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22
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Leap Year
Amy Adams, John Lithgow
Leap Year is a 2010 Irish-American romantic comedy film directed by Anand Tucker and written... more
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#91 of 126 The Greatest Date Movies Of All Time#13 of 25 If Your Partner Suggests Any Of These Movies, They Want An Engagement Ring
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Homegrown
Jake Gyllenhaal, Jamie Lee Curtis
When a Pot Baron (Lithgown) is killed in a remote field in Northern California and his three... more
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#14 of 53 The Best Billy Bob Thornton Movies#38 of 47 The Best Jamie Lee Curtis Movies
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Confessions of a Shopaholic
Isla Fisher, John Goodman
Confessions of a Shopaholic is a 2009 American romantic comedy film based on the Shopaholic... more
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#264 of 374 The Best Movies Based On Books#42 of 72 The Greatest Female-Led Comedy Movies
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Shrek
Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy
Shrek is a 2001 American computer-animated fantasy-comedy film produced by PDI/DreamWorks,... more
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Shrek Fan Theories That Add Another Chapter To The Fairytale#401 of 1,195 Every Oscar Winning Film Ever