The Best Kristy McNichol Movies

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Updated September 23, 2019 376 votes 116 voters
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List of the best Kristy McNichol movies, ranked best to worst with movie trailers when available. Kristy McNichol'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 Kristy McNichol movies is decided by how many votes they receive, so only highly rated Kristy McNichol movies will be at the top of the list. Kristy McNichol has been in a lot of films, so people often debate each other over what the greatest Kristy McNichol movie of all time is. If you and a friend are arguing about this then use this list of the most entertaining Kristy McNichol films to end the squabble once and for all.

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

Baby of the Bride and The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia are only the beginning of the films on this list.

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

Kristy McNichol has been in some really popular films, and is right up there with stars like Christopher Atkins and Nancy McKeon in terms of fame and success.

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  • Little Darlings
    1

    Little Darlings

    Tatum O'Neal, Kristy McNichol, Matt Dillon
    44 votes
    • Released: 1980
    • Directed by: Ronald F. Maxwell
    At camp for the summer, two teenage girls from very different backgrounds face off in an unexpected contest. Streetwise Angel (Kristy McNichol) comes from a poor neighborhood, while naïve Ferris (Tatum O'Neal) has never wanted for anything. Both girls are on the brink of womanhood and, due to some intense peer pressure, they agree to compete to see who can lose her virginity first. But their impressions of sex and love are challenged as they race toward adulthood.

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  • Only When I Laugh
    2

    Only When I Laugh

    Marsha Mason, Kristy McNichol, James Coco
    22 votes
    • Released: 1981
    • Directed by: Glenn Jordan
    Actress Georgia (Marsha Mason) gets out of treatment for alcohol addiction, only to be greeted by a host of interpersonal problems. Her two best friends are dragging her down with their self-involvement, but her friends are the least of her worries. Stress levels skyrocket when Georgia's angst-ridden teenager, Polly (Kristy McNichol), needs a place to live, and her ex-husband (David Dukes) pressures her to star in a new film that spills secrets about their defunct relationship.

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  • The Pirate Movie
    3

    The Pirate Movie

    Kristy McNichol, Christopher Atkins, Ted Hamilton
    28 votes
    • Released: 1982
    • Directed by: Ken Annakin
    Mabel (Kristy McNichol) yearns for true love. Unfortunately, she has to be knocked out to find romance. While attending a pirate festival, she falls for the dashing Frederic (Christopher Atkins), who puts on a swashbuckling sword-fighting clinic. The two are supposed to sail away together, but Mabel is left on the pier. She gets in a boat to follow him, and winds up on a desert island where she gets knocked unconscious and is propelled into the past, dreaming of pirates and, of course, romance.
  • White Dog
    4

    White Dog

    Kristy McNichol, Burl Ives, Paul Winfield
    17 votes
    • Released: 1982
    • Directed by: Samuel Fuller
    White Dog is a 1982 American drama film directed by Samuel Fuller using a screenplay written by Fuller and Curtis Hanson loosely based on Romain Gary's 1970 novel of the same title. The film depicts the struggle of a dog trainer named Keys, who is black, trying to retrain a stray dog found by a young actress, that is a "white dog"—a dog trained to viciously attack any black person. Fuller uses the film as a platform to deliver an anti-racist message as it examines the question of whether racism is a treatable problem or an incurable condition. The film's theatrical release was suppressed in the United States by Paramount Pictures out of concern of negative press after rumors began circulating that the film was racist. It was released internationally in France and the United Kingdom in 1982, and broadcast on various American cable television channels. Its first official American release came in December 2008 when The Criterion Collection released the original uncut film to DVD.

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  • Just the Way You Are
    5

    Just the Way You Are

    Kristy McNichol, Michael Ontkean, Kaki Hunter
    19 votes
    • Released: 1984
    • Directed by: Edouard Molinaro
    Despite her success as a professional flute player and the constant attention of men around her, Susan Berlanger (Kristy McNichol) feels insecure because of her lame right leg. During a European tour, Susan decides to cover her leg with a cast to see how people will react to her as a nondisabled person. At a French ski resort, Susan meets Peter Nichols (Michael Ontkean), an attractive photographer. As the two grow closer, Susan must decide whether to tell Peter about her disability.

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  • Women of Valor
    6

    Women of Valor

    Susan Sarandon, Kristy McNichol
    10 votes
    • Released: 1986
    • Directed by: Buzz Kulik
    Women of Valor is a 1986 CBS-TV movie about World War II, starring Susan Sarandon and Kristy McNichol and directed by Buzz Kulik. It premièred on November 23, 1986 and was released on DVD on March 10, 1998.

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