65 Great Screenplays to Read

Below is a list of perhaps the best, most well-crafted screenplays ever written which ended up being turned into outstanding motion pictures.  Reading any of these scripts will give you an outstanding, well-rounded education of scripts, as well as insight into how to get a story down on paper in screenplay form.  And you should watch and study them all.  Note almost all different genres are well represented here.

TONY SAVANT’S TOP 25 SCREENPLAYS TO READ
1. CHINATOWN
2. BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID
3. COOL HAND LUKE
4. ALL THE PRESIDENTS MEN
5. KRAMER VS. KRAMER
6. CASABLANCA
7. IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT
8. THE GRADUATE
9. NETWORK
10. THE APARTMENT
11. DOG DAY AFTERNOON
12. ABSENCE OF MALICE
13. THE AFRICAN QUEEN
14. ON THE WATERFRONT
15. THE MISFITS
16. THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR
17. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
18. JAWS
19. TERMS OF ENDEARMENT
20. EAST OF EDEN
21. MARTY
22. TOOTSIE
23. AND JUSTICE FOR ALL
24. ORDINARY PEOPLE
25. THE CINCINNATI KID

OTHER 40 SCRIPTS TO CONSIDER READING
26. A FACE IN THE CROWD
27. A PLACE IN THE SUN
28. ALL ABOUT EVE
29. ANNIE HALL
30. AS GOOD AS IT GETS
31. CITIZEN KANE
32. E.T.
33. FORREST GUMP
34. FROM HERE TO ETERNITY
35. GENTLEMAN’S AGREEMENT
36. HANNAH AND HER SISTERS
37. HUD
38. JERRY MCGUIRE
39. LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE
40. MIDNIGHT COWBOY
41. MISSISSIPPI BURNING
42. NORTH BY NORTHWEST
43. ON GOLDEN POND
44. ONE FLEW OVER A CUCKOO’S NEST
45. OUT OF AFRICA
46. PAPILLON
47. RAGING BULL
48. REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE
49. SCHINDLER’S LIST
50. SERPICO
51. SOPHIE’S CHOICE
52. SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS
53. TENDER MERCIES
54. THE CHAMP
55. THE COLOR PURPLE
56. THE FRENCH CONNECTION
57. THE GODFATHER (& GODFATHER II)
58. THE GREAT SANTINI
59. THE HUSTLER
60. THE LONG HOT SUMMER
61. THE MALTESE FALCON
62. THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
63. THELMA & LOUISE
64. WHEN HARRY MET SALLY
65. WITNESS