The 25 Best films of William Hurt
by jacobyjhn-18-315763 | created - 18 Oct 2011 | updated - 08 Feb 2016 | PublicWonderful, talented actor, William Hurt, burst on the movie acting scene in 1980 in his film debut, Altered States, followed by an amazing list of film characterizations over the decade. William Hurt, was arguably, the most popular and important actor of the decade of the 80's having appeared in several important and successful films, including Body Heat, The Big Chill, Broadcast News, Children of a Lesser God, The Accidental Tourist, and his Oscar winning turn in Kiss of the Spider Woman. His acting is consistently excellent. After one of my favorite roles in "The Doctor" (1991), his career fell off considerably. Nevetheless, Hurt's run in the 80's is remarkable. Here are 25 of his best films.
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1. Body Heat (1981)
R | 113 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
During an extreme heatwave, a beautiful Florida woman and a seedy lawyer engage in an affair while plotting the murder of her rich husband.
Director: Lawrence Kasdan | Stars: William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Richard Crenna, Ted Danson
Votes: 40,093 | Gross: $24.06M
2. Broadcast News (1987)
R | 133 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Take two rival television reporters: one handsome, one talented, both male. Add one producer, female. Mix well, and watch the sparks fly.
Director: James L. Brooks | Stars: William Hurt, Albert Brooks, Holly Hunter, Robert Prosky
Votes: 34,059 | Gross: $51.25M
3. The Doctor (1991)
PG-13 | 122 min | Drama
When a self-centered doctor is diagnosed with cancer, he becomes better able to empathize with his patients and appreciate a life outside his career.
Director: Randa Haines | Stars: William Hurt, Christine Lahti, Elizabeth Perkins, Mandy Patinkin
Votes: 5,920 | Gross: $38.12M
4. Children of a Lesser God (1986)
R | 119 min | Drama, Romance
A new speech teacher at a school for the deaf falls in love with the janitor, a deaf woman speechless by choice.
Director: Randa Haines | Stars: William Hurt, Marlee Matlin, Piper Laurie, Philip Bosco
Votes: 18,644 | Gross: $31.85M
5. Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)
R | 120 min | Drama
A gay man and a political prisoner are together in a prison. The gay man narrates the stories of two fake movies and his own life.
Director: Hector Babenco | Stars: William Hurt, Raul Julia, Sonia Braga, José Lewgoy
Votes: 17,329 | Gross: $17.04M
6. The Accidental Tourist (1988)
PG | 121 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
An emotionally distant writer of travel guides must carry on with his life after his son is killed and his marriage crumbles.
Director: Lawrence Kasdan | Stars: William Hurt, Kathleen Turner, Geena Davis, Amy Wright
Votes: 17,259 | Gross: $32.63M
7. Too Big to Fail (2011 TV Movie)
TV-MA | 99 min | Biography, Drama, History
Chronicles the financial meltdown of 2008 and centers on Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.
Director: Curtis Hanson | Stars: James Woods, John Heard, William Hurt, Erin Dilly
Votes: 19,064
8. The Good Shepherd (2006)
R | 167 min | Drama, History, Thriller
The tumultuous early history of the Central Intelligence Agency is viewed through the prism of one man's life.
Director: Robert De Niro | Stars: Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Robert De Niro, Alec Baldwin
Votes: 108,505 | Gross: $59.95M
9. Syriana (2005)
R | 128 min | Drama, Thriller
A politically charged epic about the state of the oil industry in the hands of those personally involved in and affected by it.
Director: Stephen Gaghan | Stars: George Clooney, Matt Damon, Amanda Peet, Kayvan Novak
Votes: 134,212 | Gross: $50.82M
10. Eyewitness (1981)
R | 103 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A janitor who claims he's seen a murder becomes romantically involved with the glamorous TV reporter covering the story.
Director: Peter Yates | Stars: William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Christopher Plummer, James Woods
Votes: 5,716 | Gross: $6.40M
11. Gorky Park (1983)
R | 128 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A Moscow police officer investigates a vicious triple homicide and stumbles upon a high-level international political conspiracy.
Director: Michael Apted | Stars: William Hurt, Lee Marvin, Brian Dennehy, Ian Bannen
Votes: 15,805 | Gross: $15.90M
12. The Big Chill (1983)
R | 105 min | Comedy, Drama
A group of seven former college friends gather for a weekend reunion at a South Carolina vacation home after the funeral of another of their college friends.
Director: Lawrence Kasdan | Stars: Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt
Votes: 41,322 | Gross: $56.20M
13. Altered States (1980)
R | 102 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
A psycho-physiologist experiments with drugs and a sensory-deprivation tank and has visions he believes are genetic memories.
Director: Ken Russell | Stars: William Hurt, Blair Brown, Bob Balaban, Charles Haid
Votes: 38,602 | Gross: $19.85M
14. Smoke (1995)
R | 112 min | Comedy, Drama
A Brooklyn smoke shop is the center of neighborhood activity, and the stories of its customers.
Director: Wayne Wang | Stars: Harvey Keitel, William Hurt, Giancarlo Esposito, José Zúñiga
Votes: 38,060 | Gross: $8.35M
15. Michael (1996)
PG | 105 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Two tabloid reporters checking out a report of the Archangel Michael living with an old woman find that it's true. But that's not the only surprise.
Director: Nora Ephron | Stars: John Travolta, Andie MacDowell, William Hurt, Bob Hoskins
Votes: 45,046 | Gross: $95.32M
16. One True Thing (1998)
R | 127 min | Drama
A career woman reassesses her parents' lives after she is forced to care for her cancer-stricken mother.
Director: Carl Franklin | Stars: Meryl Streep, Renée Zellweger, William Hurt, Tom Everett Scott
Votes: 12,691 | Gross: $23.25M
17. Bonnie & Clyde (2013)
TV-14 | 87 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, an infamous American robbery team, were responsible for a 21-month crime spree from 1932. They robbed gas stations, restaurants, and small-town banks, chiefly operating in Texas, Oklahoma, and other states
Stars: Emile Hirsch, Holliday Grainger, Sarah Hyland, Elizabeth Reaser
Votes: 5,912
18. Vantage Point (2008)
PG-13 | 90 min | Action, Crime, Drama
The attempted assassination of the American President is told and re-told from several different perspectives.
Director: Pete Travis | Stars: Dennis Quaid, Forest Whitaker, Matthew Fox, Bruce McGill
Votes: 154,021 | Gross: $72.27M
19. Into the Wild (2007)
R | 148 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
After graduating from Emory University, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandons his possessions, gives his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters that shape his life.
Director: Sean Penn | Stars: Emile Hirsch, Vince Vaughn, Catherine Keener, Marcia Gay Harden
Votes: 657,512 | Gross: $18.35M
20. Mr. Brooks (2007)
R | 120 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A well-respected businessman is sometimes controlled by his murder and mayhem-loving alter ego.
Director: Bruce A. Evans | Stars: Kevin Costner, Demi Moore, William Hurt, Dane Cook
Votes: 156,209 | Gross: $28.48M
21. Changing Lanes (2002)
R | 98 min | Drama, Thriller
A young lawyer and a businessman share a small automobile accident, and their mutual road rage escalates into a feud.
Director: Roger Michell | Stars: Ben Affleck, Samuel L. Jackson, Kim Staunton, Toni Collette
Votes: 74,589 | Gross: $66.82M
22. A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
PG-13 | 146 min | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
A highly advanced robotic boy longs to become "real" so that he can regain the love of his human mother.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Haley Joel Osment, Jude Law, Frances O'Connor, Sam Robards
Votes: 322,786 | Gross: $78.62M
23. Winter's Tale (2014)
PG-13 | 118 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
A burglar falls for an heiress as she dies in his arms. When he learns that he has the gift of reincarnation, he sets out to save her.
Director: Akiva Goldsman | Stars: Colin Farrell, Jessica Brown Findlay, Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connelly
Votes: 56,690 | Gross: $0.02M
24. The Host (2013)
PG-13 | 125 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
When an unseen enemy threatens mankind by taking over their bodies and erasing their memories, Melanie Stryder risks everything to protect the people she cares about.
Director: Andrew Niccol | Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons, Jake Abel, Diane Kruger
Votes: 118,522 | Gross: $26.63M
25. Hellgate (2011)
Not Rated | 93 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A western businessman, his Thai wife and son experience a horrible accident while visiting Bangkok. In the aftermath, they find there is a shadow world between life and death where endless darkness lies.
Director: John Penney | Stars: William Hurt, Cary Elwes, Ploy Jindachote, Paula Taylor
Votes: 840
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