Highest-Grossing Palme d'Or Winners
The top prize at the Cannes Film Festival is a very prestigious honor, though it doesn't necessarily translate to box office success in the U.S. Here's a list of the Top 10 highest-grossing Palme d'Or winners ever, with domestic box office gross included.
1.
Fahrenheit 9/11
(2004 Documentary)
Michael Moore's view on what happened to the United States after September 11; and how the Bush Administration allegedly used the tragic event to push forward its agenda for unjust wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. (122 mins.)
Director: Michael Moore
“ Box Office: $119.2 million
Michael Moore’s controversial movie remains the highest-grossing documentary ever – by a large margin. ” - IMDb Editors
Michael Moore’s controversial movie remains the highest-grossing documentary ever – by a large margin. ” - IMDb Editors
2.
Pulp Fiction
(1994)
The lives of two mob hit men, a boxer, a gangster's wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption. (154 mins.)
Director: Quentin Tarantino
“ Box Office: $107.9 million
Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 sensation ranks fifth on IMDb’s Top 250 list. While it’s no longer Quentin Tarantino’s highest-grossing movie ever, it does rank higher than Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained when adjusting for ticket price inflation. ” - IMDb Editors
Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 sensation ranks fifth on IMDb’s Top 250 list. While it’s no longer Quentin Tarantino’s highest-grossing movie ever, it does rank higher than Inglourious Basterds and Django Unchained when adjusting for ticket price inflation. ” - IMDb Editors
3.
Apocalypse Now
(1979)
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. (153 mins.)
Director: Francis Coppola
“ Box Office: $83.5 million
Francis Ford Coppola’s Vietnam movie had a notoriously challenging shoot. Ultimately, it paid off: the movie earned $78.8 million in its initial release, which is the equivalent of around $262 million today. ” - IMDb Editors
Francis Ford Coppola’s Vietnam movie had a notoriously challenging shoot. Ultimately, it paid off: the movie earned $78.8 million in its initial release, which is the equivalent of around $262 million today. ” - IMDb Editors
4.
The Piano
(1993)
A mute woman along with her young daughter, and her prized piano, are sent to 1850s New Zealand for an arranged marriage to a wealthy landowner, and she's soon lusted after by a local worker on the plantation. (121 mins.)
Director: Jane Campion
“ Box Office: $40.2 million
The Piano was nominated for Best Picture, and won three other Oscars. That included a trophy for newcomer Anna Paquin, who became the second-youngest winner of an Academy Award. All of that buzz drove strong, consistent arthouse sales: the movie grossed $40.2 million, but never earned more than $2.5 million on a single weekend. ” - IMDb Editors
The Piano was nominated for Best Picture, and won three other Oscars. That included a trophy for newcomer Anna Paquin, who became the second-youngest winner of an Academy Award. All of that buzz drove strong, consistent arthouse sales: the movie grossed $40.2 million, but never earned more than $2.5 million on a single weekend. ” - IMDb Editors
5.
All That Jazz
(1979)
Director/choreographer Bob Fosse tells his own life story as he details the sordid life of Joe Gideon (Roy Scheider), a womanizing, drug-using dancer. (123 mins.)
Director: Bob Fosse
“ Box Office: $37.8 million
All That Jazz opened around Christmas in 1979, and won four Oscars at the Academy Awards in early 1980. It then played in competition at Cannes in May, where it tied for the Palme D’Or with Akira Kurosawa’s Kagemusha. ” - IMDb Editors
All That Jazz opened around Christmas in 1979, and won four Oscars at the Academy Awards in early 1980. It then played in competition at Cannes in May, where it tied for the Palme D’Or with Akira Kurosawa’s Kagemusha. ” - IMDb Editors
6.
The Pianist
(2002)
A Polish Jewish musician struggles to survive the destruction of the Warsaw ghetto of World War II. (150 mins.)
Director: Roman Polanski
“ Box Office: $32.6 million
The Pianist was a solid box office performer given its dire World War II setting. Still, it was the lowest-grossing Best Picture nominee in 2003 behind The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Chicago (the winner), Gangs of New York and The Hours. ” - IMDb Editors
The Pianist was a solid box office performer given its dire World War II setting. Still, it was the lowest-grossing Best Picture nominee in 2003 behind The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Chicago (the winner), Gangs of New York and The Hours. ” - IMDb Editors
7.
Taxi Driver
(1976)
A mentally unstable Vietnam war veteran works as a night-time taxi driver in New York City where the perceived decadence and sleaze feeds his urge for violent action, attempting to save a preadolescent prostitute in the process. (113 mins.)
Director: Martin Scorsese
“ Box Office: $28.3 million
Taxi Driver went on to become one of Martin Scorsese’s bigger early career hits: adjusted for inflation, it’s roughly on par with The Wolf of Wall Street. ” - IMDb Editors
Taxi Driver went on to become one of Martin Scorsese’s bigger early career hits: adjusted for inflation, it’s roughly on par with The Wolf of Wall Street. ” - IMDb Editors
8.
Sex, Lies, and Videotape
(1989)
A sexually repressed woman's husband is having an affair with her sister. The arrival of a visitor with a rather unusual fetish changes everything. (100 mins.)
Director: Steven Soderbergh
“ Box Office: $24.7 million
With $24.7 million, this was a strong box office debut for director Steven Soderbergh. Instead of going commercial, though, Soderbergh opted to make more experimental fare: his next five movies combined for less than $3 million. ” - IMDb Editors
With $24.7 million, this was a strong box office debut for director Steven Soderbergh. Instead of going commercial, though, Soderbergh opted to make more experimental fare: his next five movies combined for less than $3 million. ” - IMDb Editors
9.
The Mission
(1986)
18th century Spanish Jesuits try to protect a remote South American Indian tribe in danger of falling under the rule of pro-slavery Portugal. (125 mins.)
Director: Roland Joffé
“ Box Office: $17.2 million
This movie received eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and featured major movie star Robert DeNiro. Still, it couldn’t quite connect with audiences, and wound up earning a somewhat disappointing $17.2 million. ” - IMDb Editors
This movie received eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and featured major movie star Robert DeNiro. Still, it couldn’t quite connect with audiences, and wound up earning a somewhat disappointing $17.2 million. ” - IMDb Editors
10.
Wild at Heart
(1990)
Young lovers Sailor and Lula run from the variety of weirdos that Lula's mom has hired to kill Sailor. (125 mins.)
Director: David Lynch
“ Box Office: $14.6 million
Director David Lynch’s work has never been particularly accessible. While Wild at Heart was no exception, it did open at the peak of Lynch’s popularity – it’s his Blue Velvet follow-up, and hit theaters right after the first season of Twin Peaks – and starred the ever-popular Nicolas Cage. That was enough to get it to a very modest $14.6 million. ” - IMDb Editors
Director David Lynch’s work has never been particularly accessible. While Wild at Heart was no exception, it did open at the peak of Lynch’s popularity – it’s his Blue Velvet follow-up, and hit theaters right after the first season of Twin Peaks – and starred the ever-popular Nicolas Cage. That was enough to get it to a very modest $14.6 million. ” - IMDb Editors
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