The Sting (1973)

Directed by George Roy Hill

Starring Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Robert Shaw, Charles Durning, Ray Walston, Eileen Brennan, Harold Gould, John Heffernan, Dana Elcar, Jack Kehoe, Dimitra Arliss, and Robert Earl Jones

Moviegoers love thieves, especially when the guy they're stealing from is a bigger crook than them. A perfect example of this is The Sting, a crowd-pleasing delight from 1973. In this case, the audience is twice as happy, because the thieves are played by two of their favorite actors: Paul Newman and Robert Redford. The actors, including the ensemble playing Newman and Redford's crew, Robert Shaw as the villain, and Charles Durning as the crooked cop on Redford's tail, all seem to be having a great time. It's the kind of movie that is fun from start to finish, which is a very underrated quality. This movie tends to get lost in the shadows, especially because it won the Best Picture award between the first two Godfathers. However, it's one that anyone should take the time to see, especially if they enjoyed more modern movies like the Ocean's Eleven series.

Other nominees: American Graffiti (George Lucas), Cries and Whispers (Ingmar Bergman), The Exorcist (William Friedkin), and A Touch of Class (Melvin Frank)