Want to know the best James Caan movies? How about the worst James Caan movies? Curious about James Caan’s box office grosses or which James Caan movie picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which James Caan movie got the best reviews from critics and audiences? Well you have come to the right place….because we have all of that information.
The other day I received a comment on my Al Pacino page talking about James Caan (1940-2022). After reading the comment it occurred to me that although James Caan was one of my favorite actors, I had yet to do a movie page on him. So this page was written to correct that horrible error I have been making for the last 10 months.
I think the first three movie stars I became aware of as a kid were, John Wayne, Michael Caine and James Caan. Four Caan movies from the 1970s really caught my attention as a kid…..Brian’s Song (one of the best television movies ever), The Godfather (I was not allowed to watch it….but all kids knew about the toll booth scene), Rollerball (I never really understood the movie as a kid, but it was a superbcool movie), and Freebie and the Bean (it seems this movie played on ABC’s Sunday night at the movies every 6 months).
As I got older I tried to watch as many of his movies that I could get my hands on….so far I have seen 45 of his movies. My favorite James Caan movies (not already mentioned) are A Bridge Too Far, Kiss Me Goodbye, Bottle Rocket and The Gambler (not the Kenny Rogers TV movie).
His IMDb page shows over 137 acting credits since 1961. This page will rank James Caan movies from Best to Worst in five different sortable columns of information. Television appearances, shorts, cameos and straight to DVD movies were not included in the rankings.
James Caan Movies Ranked In Chronological Order With Ultimate Movie Rankings Score (1 to 5 UMR Tickets) *Best combo of box office, reviews and awards.
Year
Movie (Year)
Rating
S
Year Movie (Year) Rating S
1972
The Godfather (1972)
AA Best Picture Win
AA Best Supp Actor Nom
1974
The Godfather: Part II (1974)
AA Best Picture Win
1976
Silent Movie (1976)
1990
Misery (1990)
2009
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
Voice Only
2003
Elf (2003)
1990
Dick Tracy (1990)
1977
A Bridge Too Far (1977)
1974
Freebie and the Bean (1974)
1967
El Dorado (1967)
2008
Get Smart (2008)
2013
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013)
Voice Only
1996
Eraser (1996)
1975
Rollerball (1975)
1975
Funny Lady (1975)
1979
Chapter Two (1979)
1981
Thief (1981)
1992
Honeymoon in Vegas (1992)
1973
Cinderella Liberty (1973)
1978
Comes a Horseman (1978)
1971
Brian's Song (1971)
1974
The Gambler (1974)
2013
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013)
Voice Only
1988
Alien Nation (1988)
1973
Slither (1973)
1999
Mickey Blue Eyes (1999)
1982
Kiss Me Goodbye (1982)
1996
Bottle Rocket (1996)
1993
Flesh and Bone (1993)
1975
The Killer Elite (1975)
1969
The Rain People (1969)
1976
Harry and Walter Go to New York (1976)
1965
The Glory Guys (1965)
2003
Dogville (2003)
1998
This Is My Father (1998)
1993
The Program (1993)
1980
Hide in Plain Sight (1980)
1971
T.R. Baskin (1971)
1981
Bolero (1981)
1970
Rabbit, Run (1970)
2011
Detachment (2011)
2000
The Yards (2000)
1991
For the Boys (1991)
2015
Sicilian Vampire (2015)
2021
Queen Bees (2021)
1964
Lady in a Cage (1964)
1967
Games (1967)
1977
Another Man, Another Chance (1977)
1967
Countdown (1967)
2000
The Way of the Gun (2000)
2009
Middle Men (2009)
2014
A Fighting Man (2014)
2023
Fast Charlie (2023)
Limited Release
2012
Small Apartments (2012)
2013
Blood Ties (2013)
2002
City of Ghosts (2002)
1965
Red Line 7000 (1965)
1987
Gardens of Stone (1987)
2016
The Red Maple Leaf (2016)
2008
New York, I Love You (2008)
2016
JL Ranch (2016)
2014
Preggoland (2014)
2010
Henry's Crime (2010)
1996
Bulletproof (1996)
1968
Submarine X-1 (1968)
2016
The Good Neighbor (2016)
2009
Mercy (2009)
Limited Release
2017
Undercover Grandpa (2017)
2012
That's My Boy (2012)
2001
Night at the Golden Eagle (2001)
2018
Out of the Blue (2018)
1968
Journey to Shiloh (1968)
1991
The Dark Backward (1991)
2001
In The Shadows (2001)
Video On Demand
2003
This Thing of Ours (2003)
2018
Con Man (2018)
1974
Gone with the West (1974)
James Caan Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table
The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.
- Sort by James Caan’s co-stars of his movies.
- Sort James Caan movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost.
- Sort James Caan movies by yearly box office rank
- Sort James Caan movies how they were received by critics and audiences. 60% rating or highis should indicate a good movie.
- Sort by how many Oscar® nominations and how many Oscar® wins each James Caan movie received.
- Sort James Caan movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score. UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | Review | Oscar Nom / Win | UMR Score | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Actual B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | B.O. Rank by Year | Review | Oscar Nom / Win | UMR Score | S |
| 1 | The Godfather (1972) AA Best Picture Win AA Best Supp Actor Nom |
Marlon Brando & Al Pacino |
134.10 | 926.9 | 1,687.80 | 1 | 97 | 11 / 03 | 100.0 | |
| 2 | The Godfather: Part II (1974) AA Best Picture Win |
Al Pacino & Robert DeNiro |
47.50 | 298.7 | 589.70 | 9 | 94 | 11 / 06 | 100.0 | |
| 3 | Silent Movie (1976) | Mel Brooks & Burt Reynolds |
36.10 | 199.4 | 199.40 | 14 | 77 | 00 / 00 | 96.4 | |
| 5 | Misery (1990) | Kathy Bates & Directed by Rob Reiner |
61.30 | 170.2 | 170.20 | 19 | 84 | 01 / 01 | 96.3 | |
| 5 | Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) Voice Only |
Bill Hader | 124.90 | 195.6 | 380.70 | 23 | 77 | 00 / 00 | 96.2 | |
| 6 | Elf (2003) | Will Ferrell | 173.40 | 337.9 | 429.60 | 7 | 75 | 00 / 00 | 95.7 | |
| 7 | Dick Tracy (1990) | Warren Beatty & Dustin Hoffman |
103.70 | 288.2 | 452.10 | 10 | 62 | 07 / 03 | 95.2 | |
| 7 | A Bridge Too Far (1977) | Sean Connery & Laurence Olivier |
56.80 | 299.1 | 299.10 | 9 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 94.7 | |
| 9 | Freebie and the Bean (1974) | Alan Arkin | 40.90 | 257.0 | 257.00 | 13 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 93.1 | |
| 10 | El Dorado (1967) | John Wayne & Robert Mitchum |
15.00 | 145.7 | 145.70 | 19 | 82 | 00 / 00 | 93.1 | |
| 11 | Get Smart (2008) | Steve Carell & Anne Hathaway |
130.30 | 213.3 | 377.50 | 20 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 91.2 | |
| 13 | Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013) Voice Only |
Bill Hader | 119.80 | 173.1 | 396.50 | 26 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 90.4 | |
| 12 | Eraser (1996) | Arnold Schwarzenegger & James Coburn |
101.30 | 269.3 | 644.10 | 14 | 52 | 01 / 00 | 89.0 | |
| 15 | Rollerball (1975) | John Houseman | 27.30 | 156.4 | 156.40 | 22 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 88.8 | |
| 14 | Funny Lady (1975) | Barbra Streisand | 58.50 | 335.4 | 335.40 | 6 | 45 | 05 / 00 | 87.5 | |
| 16 | Chapter Two (1979) | Marsha Mason | 40.10 | 187.9 | 187.90 | 21 | 49 | 01 / 00 | 86.4 | |
| 17 | Thief (1981) | Tuesday Weld & Willie Nelson |
11.50 | 48.6 | 48.60 | 69 | 85 | 00 / 00 | 82.6 | |
| 18 | Honeymoon in Vegas (1992) | Nicolas Cage | 35.20 | 99.7 | 99.70 | 41 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 78.8 | |
| 19 | Cinderella Liberty (1973) | Marsha Mason & Eli Wallach |
12.10 | 80.6 | 80.60 | 29 | 65 | 03 / 00 | 78.1 | |
| 20 | Comes a Horseman (1978) | Jane Fonda | 9.60 | 48.1 | 48.10 | 60 | 73 | 01 / 00 | 75.7 | |
| 21 | Brian's Song (1971) | Billy Dee Williams | 1.00 | 7.0 | 7.00 | 158 | 84 | 00 / 00 | 73.0 | |
| 22 | The Gambler (1974) | Lauren Hutton | 3.00 | 19.0 | 19.00 | 89 | 78 | 00 / 00 | 70.3 | |
| 23 | The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013) Voice Only |
Frank Marshall | 0.70 | 1.0 | 35.00 | 188 | 81 | 01 / 00 | 68.1 | |
| 24 | Alien Nation (1988) | Mandy Patinkin | 25.20 | 72.1 | 72.10 | 41 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 65.4 | |
| 25 | Slither (1973) | Peter Boyle | 4.10 | 27.3 | 27.30 | 76 | 69 | 00 / 00 | 63.1 | |
| 27 | Mickey Blue Eyes (1999) | Hugh Grant | 33.90 | 78.6 | 126.00 | 61 | 53 | 00 / 00 | 62.5 | |
| 29 | Kiss Me Goodbye (1982) | Sally Field & Jeff Bridges |
15.80 | 63.1 | 63.10 | 44 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 60.5 | |
| 26 | Bottle Rocket (1996) | Owen Wilson & Directed by Wes Anderson |
0.60 | 1.5 | 1.50 | 217 | 75 | 00 / 00 | 59.3 | |
| 28 | Flesh and Bone (1993) | Meg Ryan & Dennis Quaid |
9.70 | 27.6 | 27.60 | 111 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 58.9 | |
| 32 | The Killer Elite (1975) | Robert Duvall & Directed by Sam Peckinpah |
12.40 | 71.2 | 71.20 | 46 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 58.5 | |
| 30 | The Rain People (1969) | Robert Duvall & Directed by Francis Ford Coppola |
1.60 | 13.2 | 13.20 | 116 | 70 | 00 / 00 | 57.6 | |
| 32 | Harry and Walter Go to New York (1976) | Michael Caine & Diane Keaton |
13.90 | 76.9 | 76.90 | 48 | 49 | 00 / 00 | 56.5 | |
| 33 | The Glory Guys (1965) | Directed by Sam Peckinpah | 2.40 | 28.0 | 28.00 | 94 | 65 | 00 / 00 | 56.2 | |
| 34 | Dogville (2003) | Nicole Kidman & Lauren Bacall |
1.50 | 3.0 | 32.50 | 173 | 72 | 00 / 00 | 56.0 | |
| 34 | This Is My Father (1998) | Aidan Quinn | 1.10 | 2.7 | 2.70 | 191 | 71 | 00 / 00 | 52.9 | |
| 38 | The Program (1993) | Halle Berry | 23.00 | 65.4 | 65.40 | 66 | 48 | 00 / 00 | 48.5 | |
| 36 | Hide in Plain Sight (1980) | Danny Aiello | 3.50 | 15.8 | 15.80 | 119 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 47.7 | |
| 39 | T.R. Baskin (1971) | Candice Bergen | 3.70 | 26.4 | 26.40 | 75 | 60 | 00 / 00 | 46.0 | |
| 37 | Bolero (1981) | Geraldine Chaplin | 1.10 | 4.6 | 4.60 | 138 | 66 | 00 / 00 | 45.1 | |
| 40 | Rabbit, Run (1970) | Jack Albertson | 2.60 | 19.7 | 19.70 | 92 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 44.7 | |
| 41 | Detachment (2011) | Adrien Brody | 0.10 | 0.1 | 5.50 | 251 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 43.6 | |
| 42 | The Yards (2000) | Mark Wahlberg & Charlize Theron |
0.90 | 1.9 | 1.90 | 192 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 40.1 | |
| 45 | For the Boys (1991) | Bette Milder | 17.90 | 49.8 | 64.80 | 67 | 48 | 01 / 00 | 37.7 | |
| 43 | Sicilian Vampire (2015) | Daryl Hannah | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 296 | 63 | 00 / 00 | 34.5 | |
| 44 | Queen Bees (2021) | Ellen Burstyn & Ann-Margret |
1.30 | 1.5 | 1.50 | 102 | 62 | 00 / 00 | 34.1 | |
| 46 | Lady in a Cage (1964) | Olivia de Havilland m | 4.70 | 58.9 | 58.90 | 62 | 44 | 00 / 00 | 33.8 | |
| 46 | Games (1967) | Simone Signoret | 2.10 | 20.6 | 20.60 | 94 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 33.1 | |
| 47 | Another Man, Another Chance (1977) | Genevieve Bujold | 1.40 | 7.1 | 7.10 | 129 | 59 | 00 / 00 | 31.8 | |
| 48 | Countdown (1967) | Robert Duvall & Directed by Robert Duvall |
1.90 | 18.1 | 18.10 | 104 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 31.2 | |
| 50 | The Way of the Gun (2000) | Benicio Del Toro | 6.10 | 13.2 | 28.50 | 138 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 30.0 | |
| 51 | Middle Men (2009) | Luke Wilson | 0.80 | 1.2 | 1.20 | 205 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 27.2 | |
| 53 | A Fighting Man (2014) | Louis Gossett Jr. | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 346 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 24.9 | |
| 52 | Fast Charlie (2023) Limited Release |
Pierce Brosnan | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.20 | 256 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 24.7 | |
| 54 | Small Apartments (2012) | Billy Crystal | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 329 | 58 | 00 / 00 | 24.6 | |
| 55 | Blood Ties (2013) | Zoe Saldana & Mila Kunis |
0.10 | 0.1 | 3.50 | 244 | 57 | 00 / 00 | 23.1 | |
| 56 | City of Ghosts (2002) | Matt Dillon | 0.40 | 0.7 | 0.70 | 229 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 22.9 | |
| 59 | Red Line 7000 (1965) | Directed by Howard Hawks | 4.20 | 48.3 | 48.30 | 63 | 41 | 00 / 00 | 22.3 | |
| 57 | Gardens of Stone (1987) | Anjelica Huston & Directed by Francis Ford Coppola |
5.30 | 15.8 | 15.80 | 103 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 21.7 | |
| 58 | The Red Maple Leaf (2016) | Kris Kristofferson | 0.00 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 391 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 20.2 | |
| 60 | New York, I Love You (2008) | Orlando Bloom & Bradley Cooper |
1.60 | 2.6 | 13.20 | 195 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 17.2 | |
| 61 | JL Ranch (2016) | Jon Voight | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 365 | 53 | 00 / 00 | 16.4 | |
| 62 | Preggoland (2014) | Danny Trejo | 0.00 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 425 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 15.5 | |
| 63 | Henry's Crime (2010) | Keanu Reeves | 0.10 | 0.2 | 0.30 | 249 | 52 | 00 / 00 | 15.0 | |
| 64 | Bulletproof (1996) | Adam Sandler | 21.60 | 57.4 | 60.10 | 73 | 32 | 00 / 00 | 14.4 | |
| 66 | Submarine X-1 (1968) | David Sumner | 2.30 | 20.5 | 20.50 | 111 | 45 | 00 / 00 | 13.9 | |
| 64 | The Good Neighbor (2016) | Logan Miller | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 240 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 13.8 | |
| 65 | Mercy (2009) Limited Release |
Scott Caan | 0.00 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 384 | 51 | 00 / 00 | 13.7 | |
| 67 | Undercover Grandpa (2017) | Louis Gossett Jr. | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 311 | 50 | 00 / 00 | 12.7 | |
| 69 | That's My Boy (2012) | Adam Sandler | 36.90 | 54.5 | 85.20 | 85 | 33 | 00 / 00 | 12.4 | |
| 70 | Night at the Golden Eagle (2001) | Vinny Argiro & James Caan |
0.00 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 395 | 47 | 00 / 00 | 9.7 | |
| 71 | Out of the Blue (2018) | Patricia Clarkson | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 406 | 47 | 00 / 00 | 9.3 | |
| 72 | Journey to Shiloh (1968) | Harrison Ford | 0.40 | 3.7 | 3.70 | 170 | 45 | 00 / 00 | 8.8 | |
| 73 | The Dark Backward (1991) | Judd Nelson & Bill Paxton |
0.00 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 253 | 46 | 00 / 00 | 8.7 | |
| 74 | In The Shadows (2001) Video On Demand |
Matthew Modine | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 288 | 45 | 00 / 00 | 7.4 | |
| 74 | This Thing of Ours (2003) | Frank Vincent | 0.00 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 325 | 44 | 00 / 00 | 7.0 | |
| 76 | Con Man (2018) | Mark Hamill | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 319 | 44 | 00 / 00 | 6.9 | |
| 75 | Gone with the West (1974) | Aldo Ray | 0.90 | 5.7 | 5.70 | 134 | 35 | 00 / 00 | 2.3 |
Possibly Interesting Facts About James Caan
1. 1971’s Brian’s Song was originally a made for television movie, but was such a popular hit on television that the producers actually released Brian’s Song to theaters…..it did perform well when people had to pay to watch the movie. James Caan received an Emmy® nomination for his role.
2. James Caan played football at Michigan State University back in 1956 before transferring to Hofstra University. Caan was also a rodeo performer for many years and has a black belt in karate.
3. During his long career, James Caan has only received one Oscar® nomination (The Godfather) but he has helped numerous actresses receive Oscar® nominations…Marsha Mason in 1973’s Cinderella Liberty and 1980’s Chapter Two, Bette Midler in 1991’s For The Boys, and Kathy Bates in her Oscar® winning performance in 1990’s Misery.
4. James Caan has received more love from the Golden Globe® people as he has received 4 Golden Globe® nominations. Those four movies are 1965’s The Glory Guys, 1972’s The Godfather, 1974’s The Gambler, and 1975’s Funny Lady …he has yet to win one.
5. James Caan has directed one movie in his career….1980’s Hide in Plain Sight…a forgotten gem of a movie that is based on a true story. In the movie Caan’s children go into the Witness Protection with their mom and stepfather….leaving the real father with no way to see or contact his children.
6. James Caan has been married four times. Those four marriages have given Caan a daughter named Tara, and four sons named Scott, Alexander, James, and Jacob. Caan is currently not married. His son Scott Caan is also an actor, he can be seen on the CBS show Hawaii Five-O as well as the Oceans Eleven trilogy.
7. During one of his divorces, James Caan moved into one of his good friend’s house….that friend was Hugh Hefner and the house was the Playboy Mansion.
8. James Caan has turned down some very famous roles….some of these roles include….Blade Runner, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Kramer vs Kramer, MASH, Star Wars, Superman, and One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.
9. From 1982 to 1987 James Caan briefly retired from the movie business, during this time frame he coached a Little League baseball team, there was one incident where his team’s weakest player hit a home run that won a game. Caan claims this is one of the greatest moments of his life.
10. Check out James Caan’s career compared to current and classic actors. Most 100 Million Dollar Movies of All-Time.
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If you do a comment….please ignore the email address and website section.
I can not beleive Caan is over 70, but as you wrote it has been a 50 year career. My favorite is Thief with a very young Jim Belushi. Nice hub, see you went back to movie pagess. Looking at the comments, I know the quote is from the movie Rollerball. Next please.
Hey YankeesRule….I do believe you are correct about Steve’s trivia quote…I have not looked it up but James Caan’s name in Rollerball was Jonathan and the crowd was always cheering his name. Thief is an excellent movie, it is one of my brother’s favorite movies too…Willie Nelson is also very good in the movie and it was the first movie by Michael Mann….who would later give us Heat and Miami Vice…thanks for your contribution to the page.
Well, that was interesting about his life, married four times and that his son is on Hawaii Five-O. I remember him from the Oceans Eleven but did not know he was his son. I have enjoyed and seen many of James Caan movies. He was a bad guy in Eraser but a good role. Brian’s Song was a good but sad movie. I always enjoy the personal information you give. THANKS AGAIN. HAPPY THANKSGIVING COGERSON AND FAMILY.
Hey BERN1960…thanks for stopping by…I know A Bridge Too Far was one of dad’s favorite movies and James Caan has a small but very good role in the movie. As for his son, I think if you take a look at Scott Caan it is not very hard to see James Caan in him…and the older Scott gets the more he looks like James in his prime…thanks for your comments they are always appreciated.
James Caan has not gone unnoticed by me.I feel he has an awesomely unique strategy to acting and with his genius juxtaposition with Will Farrell in Elf made that movie a modern day icon….And as I’ve said before,Rollerball was one of my all time favorite movies…thanks Cogerson for this pro-account of a(in my eyes) movie giant.;
Hey mentalist acer….I am glad we agree that his career, which could have been better, is still filled with awesome movies from the 1960s to 2011 he has produced so fine entertainment…and he is not done yet…as he has about 4 movies in production currently…thanks as always for your contributions.
I remember AFI’s special on the top 100 of the 20th Century quite a while ago. It’s been updated since in a list that includes today’s stars as well. But in the original list, You gad to have debuted before 1950 or have died to qualify to show you career was mostly if not completely in the 20th century. For men-#1 was Bogart. For women, despite being box office poison for part of her career-K. Hepburn.
Hey Flora….well Gene Kelly will be coming soon as well…as I think he was either 14th or 15th on the list….while Peck was 12th on the list. I have all the Ginger Rogers/Fred Astaire box office numbers for the entire 1930 decade…so it should not take me very long to knock out that hub…between Thanksgiving and shopping I am sure I will have time for Fred and his 48 or so movies. Thanks as always for your contributions to my movie pages.
Thanks for the warning Cogerson! Lol
You are welcome.
You are very welcome…especially stay away from the Dark Backward…from a previous comment…”The Dark Backward(#56) is one of the strangest movies I have ever seen….Judd Nelson plays a horrible standup comic that grows a third arm in his back…Caan plays his doctor…it also stars Wayne Newton, Rob Lowe, Billy Bob Thornton, Bill Paxson and Laura Flynn-Boyle….avoid at all costs.