1. "Patton"
Franklin J. Schaffner's 1970 biographical war movie won seven Academy Awards, including Best Actor for George C. Scott, who refused to accept the award. The film tells the life of General George S. Patton who led America's Third Army across Africa and Europe in WWII. Beginning with an iconic speech against the backdrop of a huge American flag, "Patton" is a classic.
2. "Chinatown"
Roman Polanski's classic neo-noir film was nominated for nearly all of the major awards at the 1974 Oscars, but only walked away with Best Original Screenplay. The film is based on the historic California Water Wars, a long-running dispute over land and water rights in southern California. Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway and John Huston star.
3. "Good Will Hunting"
This 1997 drama was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won two — Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Robin Williams and Best Original Screenplay for Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. The cast is star-studded and each actor plays his role excellently, evoking the right emotions at the right times and drawing the audience into the story, the life of a young man from South Boston who is secretly a genius. It's no wonder this film was nominated for so many awards and holds a special place in the hearts of so many.
4. "Kramer vs. Kramer"
This Oscar-dominating film follows a father, mother and their young son as the family undergoes a nasty divorce. The story is a fascinating study of the effects of divorce on everyone involved. It won five Oscars in 1979 Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Dustin Hoffman), Best Supporting Actress (Meryl Streep) and Best Adapted Screenplay.
5. "Philadelphia"
The first of Tom Hanks' two-in-a-row Best Actor Oscar wins came from his starring role as a lawyer fighting against his wrongful dismissal. Andrew Beckett (Hanks) is fired from his law firm when it is revealed he is suffering from AIDS. To fight the suit, he turns to the homophobic personal injury lawyer Joe Miller (Denzel Washington) for help.
