Harrison Ford's 21 best (and 7 worst) movies, ranked
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Harrison Ford is one of our biggest, most iconic movie stars. Much like Gary Cooper and Clint Eastwood, he tends to play tough, stoic men who don’t necessarily wear their hearts on their sleeves, though he’ll sprinkle in bits of warmth, humor, panic, and self-doubt, as required. The carpenter-turned-actor will celebrate his 81st birthday in July, and he’s still at it, trying something new (television, with terrific turns in 1923 and Shrinking) and once again returning to the role that helped make him a legend; he plays Indiana Jones for the last time in the series capper, Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny. To mark Ford’s final turn as Indy as well as his birthday, The A.V. Club has developed a comprehensive list of his 21 best films and, since they can’t all be gems when you’ve been in the game for almost 50 years, his seven worst films.
Best: 21. The Frisco Kid (1979)
The Frisco Kid - Original Theatrical Trailer
Perhaps the deepest of deep dives on this list, The Frisco Kid ranks as a sentimental favorite for a handful of Ford aficionados. Gene Wilder stars as Rabbi Avram Belinski, who arrives from Poland only to make the acquaintance of some bad guys, who rob him blind, and Tommy Lillard (Ford), a bank robber who shows him kindness. It’s a sweet, silly, borderline inconsequential film, but Ford and Wilder play off each other beautifully. And try not to smile when Rabbi Belinski jumps his horse off a cliff, shouting, “Sheeeeeet!,” followed by Lillard yelling, “Oy, gevalt!”
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Best: 20. Apocalypse Now (1979)
Apocalypse Now | Official Trailer
Come on, admit it. You didn’t even remember that Ford popped up oh-so-briefly in Francis Ford Coppola’s Vietnam War epic, Apocalypse Now. In his one scene, Ford played the soft-spoken, bespectacled Colonel G. Lucas—a tribute, of course, to George Lucas—who orders Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) to hunt down the deranged Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando) and, as he phrases it, “terminate his command.” A bit more of Ford as Lucas appears in Apocalypse Now Redux.
Best: 19. American Graffiti (1973)
American Graffiti Official Trailer #1 - Richard Dreyfuss Movie (1973) HD
As the hot rod-driving, cowboy hat-wearing Bob Falfa, Ford brings charm, swagger, and a killer smile to American Graffiti, his first major role—and his first collaboration with director George Lucas. Some moviegoers even think they spy a touch of a young Han Solo in Falfa. And we can’t disagree. Not many people recall that Ford reprised the role briefly in the underrated sequel, More American Graffiti, released in 1979, after Star Wars had established him as a superstar.
Best: 18. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)
Official Anchorman 2 Trailer
Ford starred as a television news anchor in 2010’s Morning Glory, but in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues he makes an extended cameo as Mack Tannen, a news legend who fires Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell) and promotes Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate). Even better, he gets in on the film’s completely crazy all-star fight, with Tannen declaring, “When there’s an early moon, I almost feel like a stallion again,” as he transforms into a were-hyena. It’s fun and funny stuff, and Ford gets into the spirit of the moment.
Best: 17. The Mosquito Coast (1986)
The Mosquito Coast - Trailer #1
Witness director Peter Weir and Ford reunited for The Mosquito Coast, the much-debated adaptation of the Paul Theroux book about a man (Ford) who uproots his family from the big city to lead a new life in the Central American jungle. Why the debate? Some critics and fans think Ford nailed the character’s descent into madness, while others felt the demands of the role slightly exceeded his reach as an actor. We, frankly, can see both sides of the argument. Interestingly, Ford and Helen Mirren, who played his wife here, reunited decades later for 1923.
Best: 16. Patriot Games (1992)
Patriot Games (1992) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p]
Ford played CIA analyst Jack Ryan in two of the five feature films based on author Tom Clancy’s bestselling novels. Patriot Games was his first, followed by Clear And Present Danger in 1994. Ford approached Ryan very differently from his predecessor, Alec Baldwin, who played the character as more passionate, even a bit fiery. Ford delivered more of a slow burn. Who was better? Po-tay-to … po-tot-o. Still, it was fun to watch Ford involve himself with yet another franchise.
Best: 15. Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
BLADE RUNNER 2049 - Official Trailer
Blade Runner 2049 pretty much bombed in the U.S., but it’s a superb movie, an engaging sequel, and a terrific sci-fi experience. Surrounded by a young, energized cast that includes Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas, Mackenzie Davis, and Jared Leto, Ford loosens up considerably, and conjures a far lighter, even playful version of his Blade Runner character, Rick Deckard. His moments with Gosling in particular spark, and the movie’s final scenes provide Deckard, Ford, and longtime Blade Runner fans the emotional payoff they deserve.
Best: 14. Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens (2015)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer (Official)
A sense of dread hung over The Force Awakens as moviegoers sat through it in theaters because everyone knew someone major was going to die. And that someone was Han Solo, slain by his own son, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), moments after Han seemed to connect with one of Kylo’s better angels. Talk about a disturbance in the Force! The moment was huge, closing out decades of love for a fictional character who felt so real, and Ford sold it beautifully and heartbreakingly.
Best: 13. Working Girl (1988)
Working Girl | #TBT Trailer | 20th Century FOX
Nearly a decade after The Frisco Kid, Ford gave comedy another shot in Working Girl, romancing both Melanie Griffith (as an ambitious secretary) and Sigourney Weaver (as a nasty boss) in this easygoing critical and box office hit from esteemed director Mike Nichols. Griffith, Weaver, and a scene-stealing Joan Cusack got all the accolades (and Oscar nominations), but Ford delivers a light, amiable, and complementary performance as a cranky but decent finance guy who lets the ladies shine.
Best: 12. Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back - Trailer
The Empire Strikes Back rates as, by far, the best installment in the original Star Wars trilogy, and a lot of that has to do with Han Solo playing such a major role in the story. Ford is at the top of his game: handsome, heroic, romantic, and just all-around cool. And the chemistry between Ford and Carrie Fisher is off the charts. It’s also no secret Ford ad-libbed the movie’s most-beloved line. When Fisher’s Princess Leia proclaims her love for Han just before he’s frozen in carbonite, he replies, “I know.” Perfection.
Best: 11. Clear And Present Danger (1994)
Clear and Present Danger (1994) Trailer #1 | Movieclips Classic Trailers
Clear And Present Danger is the (slightly) better of Ford’s pair of Jack Ryan movies, but he’s terrific in both, giving us a Ryan who’s heroic, stoic, believable, and, in his quieter moments, an honorable family man, too. Alec Baldwin, as noted, preceded Ford, and Ben Affleck, Chris Pine, and (on television) John Krasinski have all subsequently—and admirably—played the role. But most Clancy fans think Ford personified it, and we agree.
Best: 10. Frantic (1988)
Frantic (1988) Official Trailer - Harrison Ford, Roman Polanski Movie HD
Widely considered director Roman Polanski’s comeback film and a return to form, Frantic casts Ford as Dr. Richard Walker, an American who arrives in Paris, only for his wife (Betty Buckley) to vanish while he showers. And so, Dr. Walker embarks on a—say it with us—frantic race against time to save his wife. Polanski drops the audience right into the action, so we don’t really get to know or care about Dr. Walker, though Ford sells the character’s ever-growing frustration, as he deals with everything from a language barrier to a gorgeous mystery gal to the reason behind his wife’s abduction.
Best: 9. Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade (1989)
INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE | Official Trailer | Paramount Movies
After the second Indiana Jones adventure, the dark and disappointing Temple Of Doom, the Steven Spielberg-George Lucas-Harrison Ford troika delivered the crowd-pleasing Last Crusade. Ford looked like he was enjoying himself again and, best of all, Sean Connery joined the party as Indy’s estranged dad, Henry. Ford and Connery bicker and crack wise, and the chemistry between them works far, far better than it does between Ford and Alison Doody as the duplicitous Elsa Schneider. Connery and Ford brought out the best in each other.
Best: 8. 42 (2013)
42 Official Trailer #2 (2013) - Harrison Ford Movie - Jackie Robinson Story HD
Baseball groundbreaker Jackie Robinson got the biopic treatment with 42, an unexpectedly winsome drama from writer-director Brian Helgeland. It’s very old-school and makes no apologies for being so. Chadwick Boseman gracefully anchors the proceedings as Robinson, but Helgeland thought outside the box for much of his casting: Christopher Meloni as Leo Durocher, Alan Tudyk as Ben Chapman, Max Gail as Burt Shotton, and especially Ford as Dodgers owner Branch Rickey. Ford low-key chews the scenery and sparks with Boseman, and he deserved an Oscar nomination for his work here.
Best: 7. Presumed Innocent (1990)
Presumed Innocent (1990) - Official Trailer
Ford heads a stellar ensemble cast—among them Brian Dennehy, Bonnie Bedelia, Greta Scacchi, Raul Julia, and Paul Winfield—in Presumed Innocent, an adaptation of Scott Turow’s novel of the same name. They up Ford’s game, and he brings it as a prosecutor charged with the brutal death of a colleague. We don’t know, right up until the end, whodunnit, and Ford brilliantly lets moviegoers hang in the wind, as they wonder if his character is the good guy, the killer, or something in between.
Best: 6. Air Force One (1997)
AIR FORCE ONE [1997] - Official Trailer (HD)
Ford turned up in way too many duds between 1995 and the early 2010s, but he scored a critical and box office hit with Air Force One, director Wolfgang Petersen’s action-thriller that cast him as a butt-kicking president of the United States. And the butts he kicks are those of Russian terrorists, led by Gary Oldman, who hijack Air Force One. Ford grounds the action as a good, honorable man and leader determined to fend off a bad guy and save his family. The final face-off between Ford and Oldman alone is worth the price of admission.
Best: 5. Witness (1985)
WITNESS - Trailer - (1985) - HQ
Director Peter Weir and Ford teamed up for the first time in the superior drama, Witness. Ford plays an injured cop who gets away from his corrupt colleagues by hiding amongst the Amish community in rural Pennsylvania. There, he meets a smart and beautiful Amish widow played by Kelly McGillis. Ford gives his warmest, most humane performance, and the sizzle between McGillis and Ford imbues the film with additional heart and realism. For his performance, Ford earned his one and only Oscar nomination to date.
Best: 4. The Fugitive (1993)
The Fugitive (1993) Official Trailer #1 - Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones Movie
Did anyone really expect much of The Fugitive, the big-screen iteration of the popular 1960s television show of the same name? Probably not. Yet Ford is riveting as Dr. Richard Kimble, a man wrongfully accused of killing his wife. He goes on the run, chased relentlessly by a deputy marshal (Tommy Lee Jones) and his team, with Kimble trying to figure out the connection between his (corrupt) friend and a mysterious one-armed man (Andreas Katsulas). Action-thrillers don’t get much better than this, and, once again, nobody does the wronged everyman more convincingly than Ford.
Best: 3. Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope (1977)
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope - Trailer
Yes, The Empire Strikes Back is the best original trilogy entry, and, yes, Ford killed it even more in Empire than here, but A New Hope changed the game for Ford, for moviegoers, for the film industry, and for pop culture. Ford delivered great work as the swashbuckling, cocky Han Solo. Alec Guinness was terrific, Mark Hamill showed still-raw promise, and Carrie Fisher gave as good as she got, but Ford wielded the star power.
Best: 2. Blade Runner (1982)
Blade Runner (1982) Official Trailer - Ridley Scott, Harrison Ford Movie
If you like your sci-fi dark and dystopian, nothing tops Blade Runner. And if you love your movie heroes disillusioned, brooding, and not particularly talkative (unless it’s in voiceover), then behold the archetype as brought to life by Ford. More to the point, 40-plus years after its release, fans—and even people intimately involved with the film—debate whether or not Deckard was a Replicant. That’s the definition of a powerful, evocative, haunting performance.
Best: 1. Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)
INDIANA JONES AND THE RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK | Official Trailer | Paramount Movies
Films like Raiders Of The Lost Ark don’t win their leading men Oscars, but they can make them superstars—or help them maintain their superstar status. Raiders is an entertaining, sprawling, inventive ride of a movie, with Ford front and center for every great scene, stunt, joke, and bit of romance. The whole enterprise rests on his shoulders and he carries it like a champ. And consider this: When The Dial Of Destiny reaches theaters, he’ll have officially played Indy for more than half his life.
Worst: 7. What Lies Beneath (2000)
What Lies Beneath (2000) Theatrical Trailer
A $100 million supernatural horror movie starring Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer, directed by Robert Zemeckis? It should be brilliant and terrifying. Instead, What Lies Beneath is often laughably bad with a miscast Ford looking disinterested at first, and then going way, way over the top as a man who may have killed someone—and would do so again to protect his secret. The scariest thing about the film is that it somehow conjured up just shy of $300 million worldwide.
Worst: 6. Six Days Seven Nights (1998)
Six Days, Seven Nights
Action-comedy romances are a bear to pull off successfully; the alchemy either works or it doesn’t. The promising combination of Ford, Anne Heche, and director Ivan Reitman spat out the utter disappointment Six Days Seven Nights. Ford’s a pilot, Heche is an editor, and they’ve both got significant others (Jacqueline Obradors and David Schwimmer, respectively). But when their plane goes down, all bets are off. The action feels forced, Ford could have played Heche’s father, and it just goes nowhere, chaotically and not enjoyably (with waaaay too much yelling).
Worst: 5. Regarding Henry (1991)
Regarding Henry (1991) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HQ]
As an actor, Ford typically maneuvers most convincingly within a certain range: bemused, stoic, man of few words, everyman, gruff, slightly stiff, etc. Regarding Henry casts him as a world-class jerk, a womanizing, scheming lawyer, and a terrible husband and father who takes a bullet to the brain and becomes a wholly different, better, simpler man. Ford does what he can here, but writer J.J. Abrams and director Mike Nichols spin a manipulative rich man’s tearjerker that’s nowhere near as redemptive as it thinks it is.
Worst: 4. Firewall (2006)
Firewall Trailer HD
Ford, as noted, hit a wall between 1995 and the early 2010s, during which he starred in multiple misfires. As we compiled the “Worst” portion of this list, we bandied around Sabrina, The Devil’s Own, K-19: The Widowmaker, Crossing Over, Extraordinary Measures, and Morning Glory. Ford at least seemed to be trying in those other films. In Firewall, Ford stars as a bank security chief trying to save his family from Paul Bettany’s cyber-baddy. Ford walks through this one, even unconvincingly tapping keyboard keys. And when Ford and Bettany duke it out, you almost get the feeling Ford wants Bettany to just kill him and get it over with. We kind of felt that way, too.
Worst: 3. Hollywood Homicide (2003)
Hollywood Homicide (2003) Trailer
Hollywood Homicide resembles nothing more than a $75 million sitcom. Ford and Josh Hartnett play police officer partners with wacky side interests. The former sells real estate and the latter moonlights as a yoga instructor and aspires to be an actor. Cue the laughs. Or not. Ford and Hartnett are wincingly awful, together and separately. Writer-director Ron Shelton coaxed loosey-goosey charm out of Kevin Costner in Bull Durham and Tin Cup, but he can’t pull a similar rabbit out of the hat with Ford who, to his credit, gives it his best shot.
Worst: 2. Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (2008)
INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL | Official Trailer | Paramount Movies
Crystal Skull ranks as Ford’s most polarizing film. Some folks loved it, and others despised it. Few considered it just OK. We walked out of the theater impressed by Ford’s commitment and sturdiness, but dumbfounded by the movie’s utter badness. Consider the recycled plot threads, go-nowhere father-son storyline (involving Shia LaBeouf), overwrought Russian baddie (played hammily by Cate Blanchett), and intriguing sci-fi twist ruined by unconvincing visual effects. And even within a franchise featuring ridiculous action sequences (the rolling ball, runaway mine car, raft dropping from the sky, etc.), Crystal Skull jettisoning Indy to safety in a fridge during a nuclear blast totally jumped the shark.
Worst: 1. Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
Cowboys & Aliens Trailer
Expectations can be unfair, but they’re a reality. Any movie that brings together Ford, Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde, Paul Dano, cult fave Clancy Brown, Sam Rockwell, Adam Beach, Walton Goggins, Abigail Spencer, and director Jon Favreau should be freakin’ fabulous. Sadly, the Western/sci-fi combo Cowboys & Aliens falls flat. Ford and Craig are fine as, respectively, a despotic cattle baron and a displaced amnesiac, and they do get to display their acting chops. But as a tandem they seem out of sync and don’t share enough scenes (Craig stars, Ford supports). It’s all too visually slick with sets that look like … sets, and CGI aliens that look like CGI. So, at the end of the day, Cowboys & Aliens ranks as both a bad film and Ford’s biggest disappointment.
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