Happy Tuesday, dear readers! Each week, we’ll rank the top 10 films in a specific category. While we aim to tie these lists to big releases, that won’t always be the case. Our goal? For you to enjoy, share your own lists, and join in on a lively, friendly debate. This is an interactive space to build community here at The Contending.
No fancy intros, no long essays – just a category and a list. Sound good?
On Sunday night at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, Harrison Ford delivered one of the best Life Achievement Award acceptance speeches I’ve ever heard. It was funny, vulnerable, refreshingly honest, and for me, the emotional highlight of awards season. You could see how much it meant to him and how deeply his career has resonated across generations of actors in that room.
I was fortunate to meet Ford at the 29th Critics Choice Awards, where he accepted our Career Achievement Award. I told him how much his work meant to me as a fan. It remains one of my favorite moments in all my years covering film.
You can watch the speech in all its glory here.
The veteran actor has been starring in film and television for nearly 60 years and remains one of the highest-grossing stars of all time. Adjusted for inflation, his films rank among the three highest-grossing careers in box office history. He is one of the last true movie stars. It remains baffling that the Academy nominated him only once, for Witness (1985).
From the swagger of Han Solo to the grit of Indiana Jones, Ford has created some of the most enduring characters in modern cinema. But beyond the icons lies a body of work filled with nuance, restraint, and surprising vulnerability.
To continue celebrating the legend honored at the SAG Awards, here are Harrison Ford’s 10 best performances.
10. American Graffiti (Bob Falfa, 1973)
9. Working Girl (Jack Trainer, 1988)
8. Air Force One (President James Marshall, 1997)
7. The Empire Strikes Back (Han Solo, 1980)
6. The Mosquito Coast (Allie Fox, 1986)
5. Presumed Innocent (Rusty Sabich, 1990)
4. Blade Runner (Rick Deckard, 1982)
3. Raiders of the Lost Ark (Indiana Jones, 1981)
2. The Fugitive (Dr. Richard Kimble, 1993)
1. Witness (John Book, 1985)
Nice list! The Fugitive would be my #1
Hard to argue against it!