The 50+ Best Tim Matheson Movies

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Updated April 16, 2024 53 items
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List of the best Tim Matheson movies, ranked best to worst with movie trailers when available. Tim Matheson'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 Tim Matheson movies is decided by how many votes they receive, so only highly rated Tim Matheson movies will be at the top of the list. Tim Matheson has been in a lot of films, so people often debate each other over what the greatest Tim Matheson movie of all time is. If you and a friend are arguing about this then use this list of the most entertaining Tim Matheson films to end the squabble once and for all.

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

Examples of films on this list include Impulse and The House of God.

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

Notable directors that have worked with Tim Matheson include names like Steven Spielberg, Rob Reiner and John Landis.

  • National Lampoon's Animal House
    1
    John Belushi, Kevin Bacon, Donald Sutherland
    18 votes
    In the raucous comedy National Lampoon's Animal House, party-crazed fraternity Delta Tau Chi, led by Bluto Blutarsky (John Belushi), is in a constant state of war with the college administration, personified by Dean Wormer (John Vernon). The film, set in 1962, navigates through wild parties, pranks and chaos. As the Dean plots to expel the fraternity, the misfits plan their revenge. A mix of slapstick humor and social satire, this John Landis directed movie remains a classic in its genre. It won People's Choice Award for Favorite Non-Musical Motion Picture.
  • Up the Creek
    2
    Tim Matheson, Jennifer Runyon, Stephen Furst
    12 votes
    In order to graduate from college, four students must give in to their blackmailing dean's demand that they enter a raft race. Bob McGraw (Tim Matheson), Max (Dan Monahan), Gonzer (Stephen Furst) and Irwin (Sandy Helberg) must compete against a team from Ivy University as well as a hardened team from a nearby military school. Sparks fly between Bob and a new teammate, while the captain of the military team plots revenge against the foursome, and the Ivy team schemes its way to the top.
  • 1941
    3
    John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Lorraine Gary
    14 votes
    After Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, residents of California descend into a wild panic, afraid that they might be the next target. Among them are Wild Bill Kelso (John Belushi), a crazed National Guard pilot; Sgt. Frank Tree (Dan Aykroyd), a patriotic, straight-laced tank crew commander; Ward Douglas (Ned Beatty), a civilian willing to help with the American war effort at any cost; and Maj. Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell (Robert Stack), who tries his hardest to maintain sanity amid the chaos.
  • Sometimes They Come Back
    4
    Tim Matheson, Brooke Adams, William Sanderson
    11 votes
    High school teacher Jim Norman (Tim Matheson) reluctantly returns to his hometown with his wife (Brooke Adams) to pursue a job. Jim is haunted by the childhood memory of his brother being murdered by a group of teenagers, who were then struck by a train before they could kill him, too. To Jim's horror, he finds that the teenagers have returned to town as they appeared before they died, and are transferring into his class. When his students start dying off, Jim becomes the prime suspect.
  • National Lampoon's Van Wilder
    5
    Ryan Reynolds, Tara Reid, Tim Matheson
    7 votes
    He's the biggest man on campus. He's the boss with the sauce. He's the guy all the girls want and all the guys want to be. 'Cause in the collegiate jungle, there can be only one king ... and at Coolidge College it's Van Wilder. In the grand tradition of comedy classics like "National Lampoon's Animal House" and "National Lampoon's Vacation," "National Lampoon's Van Wilder" will charm you, move you and gross you out.
  • Fletch
    6
    Chevy Chase, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, Tim Matheson
    12 votes
    A veritable chameleon, investigative reporter Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher (Chevy Chase) might drive his editor (Richard Libertini) up the wall, but he always produces great pieces for the newspaper. When his next story is about the drug trade taking place on the beach, Fletch goes undercover as a homeless man. Unaware of Fletch's true identity, businessman Alan Stanwyk (Tim Matheson) offers Fletch $50,000 to kill him. Intrigued, Fletch decides to unearth the full story behind the offer.
  • Magnum Force
    7
    Clint Eastwood, Hal Holbrook, David Soul
    9 votes
    Rogue San Francisco cop "Dirty Harry" Callahan (Clint Eastwood) doesn't believe in blind obedience to the rules, but when a vigilante group starts executing criminals who have escaped punishment on technicalities, that's going too far. Against the orders of his commanding officer, Lt. Briggs (Hal Holbrook), Callahan begins investigating his hunch that another policeman is behind the killings -- with his primary suspect being his tightly wound ex-partner, Charlie McCoy (Mitchell Ryan).
  • The Story of Us
    8

    The Story of Us

    Bruce Willis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Tim Matheson
    9 votes
    After 15 years of marriage, Katie (Michelle Pfeiffer) and her husband, Ben (Bruce Willis), have grown apart. While they keep up the facade of having a contented marriage, mostly to not worry their children, they aren't happy together and argue frequently. While the kids are away at camp, Katie and Ben decide to separate and try to reassess their relationship to see if they should stay together or split up for good. Can they find enough that's positive in their marriage to keep it going?
  • A Very Brady Sequel
    9
    Shelley Long, Gary Cole, Tim Matheson
    6 votes
    The trusting and anachronistic Brady family gets a harsh jolt of 1990s reality when scheming con artist Trevor Thomas (Tim Matheson) shows up at their home, claiming that he's the long-missing first husband of Brady matriarch Carol (Shelley Long). Her real husband, good-natured Mike (Gary Cole), is none too happy about their house guest. The Brady kids eventually catch wind of the deception, leading to an antic-filled excursion to Hawaii when the impostor steals a prized family possession.
  • The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again
    10
    Tim Conway, Don Knotts, Tim Matheson
    6 votes
    Ne'er-do-well bandits Amos (Tim Conway) and Theodore (Don Knotts), aka the Apple Dumpling Gang, make their way on their mule named Clarise to the western outpost of Junction City. But soon they're mixed up in a bank heist they didn't commit, with Marshal Woolly Bill Hitchcock (Kenneth Mars) on their trail. They run away and land at a military base, where Capt. Phillips (Tim Matheson) is trying to track down an escaped double-crosser who might be involved with the real robbers.
  • Black Sheep
    11
    Chris Farley, David Spade, Tim Matheson
    11 votes
    Mike (Chris Farley), a slovenly gym teacher, has a terrible habit of showing up at the wrong time and embarrassing his brother, Al (Tim Matheson), who happens to be running for governor. Hoping to save his campaign, Al assigns his aide, Steve (David Spade), to take Mike to a remote cabin and hide out there for the remainder of the campaign. In the woods, the two men discover dangers that make them long for the sleazy political operatives back in the big city.
  • Yours, Mine and Ours
    12
    Lucille Ball, Henry Fonda, Van Johnson
    8 votes
    Navy officer Frank Beardsley (Henry Fonda) is struggling to raise his 10 children in the wake of his wife's death. Frank soon begins dating Helen North (Lucille Ball), a widowed nurse with eight children of her own. After learning of their similar situations, the two are reluctant to pursue a relationship. But with the help of a mutual friend, Darrel Harrison (Van Johnson), the two eventually fall in love and must decide about forming one big, unconventional family.
  • She's All That
    13
    Freddie Prinze, Rachael Leigh Cook, Matthew Lillard
    8 votes
    She's All That is a 1999 romantic comedy, directed by Robert Iscove. The film centers around high school jock Zack Siler (Freddie Prinze Jr.) who, after being dumped by his girlfriend, makes a bet that he can turn any girl into prom queen within six weeks. Enter Laney Boggs (Rachael Leigh Cook), an introverted art student, the subject of Zack's transformation experiment. As Zack navigates the challenges of this undertaking, unexpected feelings begin to emerge. This lighthearted film explores themes of popularity, authenticity, and the unpredictability of love in the high school setting.
  • Forever Love
    14
    Reba McEntire, Scott Foley, Tim Matheson
    5 votes
    Forever Love is a 1998 television film, partially based on Anne Shapiro's awakening, starring Reba McEntire and Bess Armstrong.
  • To Be or Not to Be
    15
    Mel Brooks, Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning
    7 votes
    Frederick Bronski (Mel Brooks) and his adulterous wife, Anna (Anne Bancroft), are a pair of hammy actors running a low-rent theater in Warsaw, Poland. When the Nazis invade, the Bronskis find their theater becoming a makeshift refuge for local Jews and a gateway to the Polish underground. Using their limited acting skills, the members of the theater troupe attempt to deceive the Nazis and lead an escape. Meanwhile, a Polish pilot (Tim Matheson) thinks he has found a spy in England.
  • Impulse
    16
    Bill Paxton, Meg Tilly, Tim Matheson
    7 votes
    Impulse is a 1984 science fiction thriller film.
  • Drop Dead Fred
    17
    Phoebe Cates, Rik Mayall, Marsha Mason
    10 votes
    An unhappy housewife (Phoebe Cates) gets a lift from the return of her imaginary childhood friend, Drop Dead Fred (Rik Mayall).
  • American Pie Presents: The Book of Love
    18
    Eugene Levy, Bug Hall, Kevin M. Horton
    6 votes
    Three high-school buddies (Bug Hall, Kevin M. Horton) use a legendary sex manual to lose their virginity.
  • Speed Zone
    19
    Alyssa Milano, Brooke Shields, John Candy
    7 votes
    Speed Zone, released in 1989, is a comedy set around a cross-country race. The premise is that all the racers are arrested before the race begins, and the sponsors have to quickly line up new racers.
  • Redline
    20
    Nathan Phillips, Nadia Bjorlin, Angus Macfadyen
    8 votes
    Natasha (Nadia Bjorlin) is an aspiring singer and an ace driver. She gets a gig illegally racing flashy sports cars for wealthy music producer Infamous (Eddie Griffin), who, with his millionaire friends Jerry (Tim Matheson) and Michael (Angus Macfadyen), bets big money on street races. But the already dangerous contests spiral out of control when the conniving Michael decides to do whatever it takes to get Natasha racing for him instead of for Infamous -- even if that means kidnapping her.
  • A Little Sex
    21
    Tim Matheson, Kate Capshaw, Edward Herrmann
    8 votes
    Although Michael (Tim Matheson) is an unrepentant sex addict who has cheated on his girlfriend, Katherine (Kate Capshaw), repeatedly throughout their relationship, she's so convinced he'll change once they're married that he also begins to believe it. But, despite the advice of his psychologist brother, Tommy (Edward Herrmann), Michael begins to feel the urge to stray when he meets classical musician Philomena (Wendie Malick), and soon his young marriage is in crisis.
  • Divorce American Style
    22
    Dick Van Dyke, Debbie Reynolds, Jason Robards
    8 votes
    Suburban couple Richard Harmon (Dick Van Dyke) and his wife, Barbara (Debbie Reynolds), have exhausted their patience in their marriage. Bored and no closer to fixing their problems through counseling, the couple opts to divorce, and the proceeding tug-of-war over children, money and possessions reveals that maintaining their marriage was far easier than ending it. Along the way are attempts for both at new relationships, with the subject of alimony playing a hidden role in matters.
  • How to Commit Marriage
    23

    How to Commit Marriage

    Bob Hope, Tina Louise, Leslie Nielsen
    6 votes
    How to Commit Marriage is a 1969 comedy, music and romance film written by Michael Kanin and Ben Starr and directed by Norman Panama.
  • The Quest
    24

    The Quest

    Kurt Russell, Tim Matheson
    3 votes
    The Quest is a 1976 film directed by Lee H. Katzin.
  • Chump Change
    25
    Stephen Burrows, Tim Matheson, Traci Lords
    5 votes
    A failed actor (Stephen Burrows) returns to his native Wisconsin and regales a hometown gal (Traci Lords) with tales about his misadventures in Hollywood.
  • Sleeping with the Devil
    26
    Shannen Doherty, Tim Matheson
    3 votes
    Sleeping with the Devil is a 1997 American television film directed by William A. Graham. The film is based upon the novel of the same name by Suzanne Finstad.
  • Solar Crisis
    27
    Charlton Heston, Jack Palance, Peter Boyle
    5 votes
    Solar Crisis is a 1990 science fiction film from Japan America Picture Company. The screenplay was written by Joe Gannon and Tedi Sarafian, based on the novel Kuraishisu niju-goju nen by Takeshi Kawata, and directed by Richard C. Sarafian credited as Alan Smithee. The cast featured Tim Matheson as Steve Kelso, Charlton Heston as Adm. 'Skeet' Kelso, Peter Boyle as Arnold Teague, Annabel Schofield as Alex Noffe, Corin Nemec as Mike Kelso and Jack Palance as Travis. The executive producers were Takeshi Kawata and Takehito Sadamura, with Richard Edlund and veteran sound editor James Nelson as its producers. This film received a MPAA rating of PG-13, and was filmed in color with Dolby SR stereo sound. Estimated budget was about $55,000,000. It had a very limited theatrical release.
  • Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia
    28
    Joe Manganiello, Mr. Kennedy, Keith David
    3 votes
    When a United States Navy SEALs unit is sent on a mission to Colombia, the situation quickly deteriorates. After a lethal attack on both sides of the country's factions, the American soldiers, including Lt. Sean Macklin and Master Chief Petty Officer Carter Holt, are falsely accused of the violence. Soon, Macklin and company face off against a legion of Colombian troops and must clear their names while struggling to survive in the hostile environment.
  • Dreamer
    29
    Tim Matheson, Susan Blakely, Jack Warden
    4 votes
    Dreamer (Tim Matheson) is the bowling king in his small town, but he yearns for the big time. Although outwardly self-confident, he still depends on the knowledge and support of his grizzled coach, a former pro bowler named Harry (Jack Warden). Dreamer also leans on his faithful girlfriend, Karen (Susan Blakely). Eventually, everything gels for Dreamer, and he gets his shot at glory when he finds himself in a face-to-face showdown with a national champion.
  • Martha, Inc.: The Story of Martha Stewart
    30
    Cybill Shepherd, Joanna Cassidy, Tim Matheson
    4 votes
    Martha, Inc.: The Story of Martha Stewart is a 2003 NBC TV movie starring Cybill Shepherd as Martha Stewart in which the life of Martha Stewart is outlined starting from her life in New Jersey to the scandal behind her arrest. The film was shot in Nova Scotia. Shepherd also played Martha Stewart in the 2005 CBS TV movie Martha: Behind Bars.