According to a group of Italian researchers who analyzed 47,000 films across 26 genres, the most influential movie ever made is . . . The Wizard of Oz. No surprise there, as the fantasy blockbuster starring Judy Garland as Dorothy, a girl who gets whisked away to a magical realm, has long been considered a game changer in Hollywood. Now theres a neat bit of data to back it up.
The data was collected by a group of researchers from the University of Turin, whose study was published in Applied Network Science. They were aiming to measure the success and significance of certain films, based on metrics other than box-office success and critical reviews. So they focused on data that shows references to films in subsequent movies, looking through citations available on IMDb. They analyzed 47,000 films from around the world, noting release years, genres, and countries of production in order to cull further trends and patterns. That said, the group notes in their findings that IMDb is “highly biased toward European and North American movies and personalities,” which had an impact on the results.
According to The Guardian, the other films that join the Wizard of Oz in the top five are Star Wars, Psycho, King Kong (1933), and 2001: A Space Odyssey. The rest of the top 20 is peppered with the usual suspects, including Casablanca, Citizen Kane, Metropolis, Dr. Strangelove, and The Godfather.
The study also ranked the influence of certain directors and actors. Alfred Hitchcock topped the directors list, followed by Steven Spielberg, while Samuel L. Jackson topped the actors list, followed by Tom Cruise. The actress list was slightly less predictable: Carrie Fisher was named the most influential (due, no doubt, to Star Wars), while Lois Maxwell, who played Miss Moneypenny in 14 James Bond films, was named second most influential.
In the study, the researchers also note when different countries have been at their most influential. Italy released its most influential films around the 1960s (post neorealism, but right in the Fellini sweet spot), for example, while Germany released its most influential films in the 1930s. Genre also impacted the findings; Japanese monster movies (“kaiju” films) from the 1950s specifically influenced Western cinema.
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Get Vanity Fairs HWD NewsletterSign up for essential industry and award news from Hollywood.Full ScreenPhotos:6 Classic Foodie Moments from Nancy Meyers Movies
The Parent Trap
Oreos and peanut butter? The pivotal snack brings the main characters, Annie and Hallie, together . . . and probably inspired millions to rethink how they eat the classic cookie.Photo: From Walt Disney/Everett Collection.
Its Complicated
Meryl Streep and Steve Martin getting high, then going into a beautiful bakery and making chocolate croissants is one of the purest, gentlest moments in film.
Somethings Gotta Give
There are so many delicious moments in this film, from Diane Keatons characters many lush dinners to the midnight snacks cooked up in her stunning kitchen (a Meyers specialty). But perhaps the most indelible moment arrives courtesy of Keanu Reeves—playing a hot young doctor who lends everything, even shopping at a local farmers market, a flirtatious appeal. What is it about peaches?Photo: From Columbia Pictures/Everett Collection.
Father of the Bride
In the film, an aggravated Steve Martin goes to the grocery store and tears into bags of hot-dog buns, griping that he only wants 8, not the pre-packaged 12. Its not quite a gourmand-level scene, but it is silly and real and will maybe make you crave bread.
The Holiday
In a film full of obscenely cozy moments, this one might be the coziest: Cameron Diaz grocery shopping in a quaint, but impeccably designed English shop, guzzling straight from a wine bottle as she pushes her cart full of goodies.
Home Again
Meyers produced this rom-com directed by her daughter Hallie Meyers-Shyer—a film that proves the apple doesnt fall far from the cinematic tree. Home Again mostly takes place in and around Alices (Reese Witherspoon) gorgeous California home, with a million satisfying feasts laid out on her huge table.Photo: By Karen Ballard/Open Road Films/Everett Collection.PreviousNext
The Parent Trap
Oreos and peanut butter? The pivotal snack brings the main characters, Annie and Hallie, together . . . and probably inspired millions to rethink how they eat the classic cookie.From Walt Disney/Everett Collection.
Its Complicated
Meryl Streep and Steve Martin getting high, then going into a beautiful bakery and making chocolate croissants is one of the purest, gentlest moments in film.
Somethings Gotta Give
There are so many delicious moments in this film, from Diane Keatons characters many lush dinners to the midnight snacks cooked up in her stunning kitchen (a Meyers specialty). But perhaps the most indelible moment arrives courtesy of Keanu Reeves—playing a hot young doctor who lends everything, even shopping at a local farmers market, a flirtatious appeal. What is it about peaches?From Columbia Pictures/Everett Collection.
Father of the Bride
In the film, an aggravated Steve Martin goes to the grocery store and tears into bags of hot-dog buns, griping that he only wants 8, not the pre-packaged 12. Its not quite a gourmand-level scene, but it is silly and real and will maybe make you crave bread.
The Holiday
In a film full of obscenely cozy moments, this one might be the coziest: Cameron Diaz grocery shopping in a quaint, but impeccably designed English shop, guzzling straight from a wine bottle as she pushes her cart full of goodies.
Home Again
Meyers produced this rom-com directed by her daughter Hallie Meyers-Shyer—a film that proves the apple doesnt fall far from the cinematic tree. Home Again mostly takes place in and around Alices (Reese Witherspoon) gorgeous California home, with a million satisfying feasts laid out on her huge table.By Karen Ballard/Open Road Films/Everett Collection.
Yohana DestaYohana Desta is a Hollywood writer for VanityFair.com.
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