Best movies that are oscar winners or nominees in writing (screenplay based on material from another medium) category

Amadeus(1984)

Combined Rating:
90
Combined Critics Rating: 86

The incredible story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, told by his peer and secret rival Antonio Salieri - now confined to an insane asylum.



Apocalypse Now(1979)

Combined Rating:
86
Combined Critics Rating: 79

During the Vietnam War, Captain Willard is sent on a dangerous mission into Cambodia to assassinate a renegade colonel who has set himself up as a god among a local tribe.



Driving Miss Daisy(1989)

Combined Rating:
81
Combined Critics Rating: 76

An old Jewish woman and her African-American chauffeur in the American South have a relationship that grows and improves over the years.



Kramer vs. Kramer(1979)

Combined Rating:
80
Combined Critics Rating: 73

Ted Kramer's wife leaves her husband, allowing for a lost bond to be rediscovered between Ted and his son, Billy. But a heated custody battle ensues over the divorced couple's son, deepening the wounds left by the separation.



Ordinary People(1980)

Combined Rating:
80
Combined Critics Rating: 78

The accidental death of the older son of an affluent family deeply strains the relationships among the bitter mother, the good-natured father, and the guilt-ridden younger son.



Full Metal Jacket(1987)

Combined Rating:
80
Combined Critics Rating: 70

A pragmatic U.S. Marine observes the dehumanizing effects the Vietnam War has on his fellow recruits from their brutal boot camp training to the bloody street fighting in Hue.



The Last Emperor(1987)

Combined Rating:
80
Combined Critics Rating: 75

The story of the final Emperor of China.





Dances with Wolves(1990)

Combined Rating:
77
Combined Critics Rating: 67

Lt. John Dunbar, exiled to a remote western Civil War outpost, befriends wolves and Indians, making him an intolerable aberration in the military.



Stand by Me(1986)

Combined Rating:
76
Combined Critics Rating: 65

After the death of a friend, a writer recounts a boyhood journey to find the body of a missing boy.



The Color of Money(1986)

Combined Rating:
72
Combined Critics Rating: 63

Fast Eddie Felson teaches a cocky but immensely talented protégé the ropes of pool hustling, which in turn inspires him to make an unlikely comeback.



Born on the Fourth of July(1989)

Combined Rating:
72
Combined Critics Rating: 62

The biography of Ron Kovic. Paralyzed in the Vietnam war, he becomes an anti-war and pro-human rights political activist after feeling betrayed by the country he fought for.



Coal Miner's Daughter(1980)

Combined Rating:
70
Combined Critics Rating: 71

Biographical story of Loretta Lynn, a legendary country singer that came from poverty to worldwide fame. She rose from humble beginnings in Kentucky to superstardom and changing the sound and style of country music forever.



Fatal Attraction(1987)

Combined Rating:
70
Combined Critics Rating: 60

A married man's one-night stand comes back to haunt him when that lover begins to stalk him and his family.



The Grifters(1990)

Combined Rating:
70
Combined Critics Rating: 66

A small-time conman has torn loyalties between his estranged mother and new girlfriend--both of whom are high-stakes grifters with their own angles to play.



The Color Purple(1985)

Combined Rating:
69
Combined Critics Rating: 59

A black Southern woman struggles to find her identity after suffering abuse from her father and others over four decades.



Field of Dreams(1989)

Combined Rating:
69
Combined Critics Rating: 57

An Iowa corn farmer, hearing voices, interprets them as a command to build a baseball diamond in his fields; he does, and the 1919 Chicago White Sox come.



Reversal of Fortune(1990)

Combined Rating:
69
Combined Critics Rating: 72

Wealthy Sunny von Bülow lies brain-dead, husband Claus guilty of attempted murder; but he says he's innocent and hires Alan Dershowitz for his appeal.



Dangerous Liaisons(1988)

Combined Rating:
67
Combined Critics Rating: 56

A scheming widow and her manipulative ex-lover make a bet regarding the corruption of a recently married woman.



Sophie's Choice(1982)

Combined Rating:
65
Combined Critics Rating: 57

After spending time with his new neighbors, an aspiring writer realizes they are harboring deep secrets that will forever change him.




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