“Forrest Gump” has been named America’s favorite film of all time, highlighting the appeal of emotionally engaging and introspective movies. The film, featuring Tom Hanks and his portrayal of a character with unwavering optimism, leads the list with 17%. Close behind are the timeless classic “The Wizard of Oz” and James Cameron’s epic “Titanic,” each garnering 15%.
In fourth place is the 1994 animated film “The Lion King,” also with 15%, while the romantic drama “Dirty Dancing,” starring Patrick Swayze, completes the top five with 15%. These findings are based on a survey of 2,000 Americans conducted by Talker Research, which also revealed generational differences in movie preferences.
On average, Americans have watched their favorite movie 38 times. Millennials, however, have seen theirs around 50 times, closely followed by Gen Z at 49 times. For Gen Z, films like “Shrek,” “Toy Story” (25%), and the modern classic “Avengers: Endgame” (24%) are particularly significant. Interestingly, the “Jurassic Park” series resonates most with this younger generation (16%), despite its release before many of them were born.
The “Harry Potter” series also enjoys popularity among Gen Z (15%), but it is even more favored by millennials (16%). Both Gen Z and Gen X share a fondness for the “Star Wars” series (15%), while baby boomers prefer “The Godfather” (15%). Over one-third of Gen Z (34%) believe that a movie’s soundtrack is crucial to its success.
Nearly 56% of those surveyed admit that their favorite movie could be considered a guilty pleasure. Millennials are particularly engaged with their favorite films, claiming they can recite nearly half of them by heart (48%), compared to baby boomers at 23%. This might be because over a third of millennials watch their favorite movie daily (12%), a few times a week (12%), or weekly (11%), whereas 19% of baby boomers revisit theirs only every few months.
Additionally, the average American thinks they can watch their favorite film three times without growing tired of it, with Gen Z willing to watch it five times.
AMERICA’S ALL-TIME FAVORITE MOVIES
– “Forrest Gump” – 17%
– “The Wizard of Oz” – 15%
– “Titanic” – 15%
– “The Lion King” – 15%
– “Dirty Dancing” – 14%
– “John Wick” series – 13%
– “Home Alone” series – 13%
– “Fast & Furious” series – 13%
– “Star Wars” series – 12%
– “The Godfather” – 12%
– “Back to the Future” – 12%
– “Die Hard” – 12%
– “Jurassic Park” series – 12%
– “Indiana Jones” series – 11%
– “Rocky” – 11%
– “Toy Story” – 11%
– “Ghostbusters” – 10%
– “Rush Hour” – 10%
– “Top Gun” – 10%
– “Harry Potter” series – 10%
FAVORITE MOVIES BY GENERATION
– Gen Z: “Toy Story” (25%), “Avengers: Endgame” (25%), “Shrek” (24%)
– Millennials: “The Lion King” (22%), “Forrest Gump” (18%), “Titanic” (17%)
– Gen X: “Forrest Gump” (18%), “Rocky” (16%), “Star Wars” series (15%)
– Baby Boomers: “Dirty Dancing” (19%), “The Wizard of Oz” (18%), “Forrest Gump” (17%)
Survey methodology: Talker Research conducted an online survey with 2,000 American adults, consisting of 1,000 men and 1,000 women, between January 31 and February 3, 2025.