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Sophie's Choice

1982 · directed by Alan J. Pakula · 151 min
25,443 feet · Prominence
365th of 24,106 films scored
Not coveredNo Rewatchables episode on file.

How this film scores

Draw55

Lifetime worldwide gross $30m, re-releases included; about $103m in 2026 money.

Rank2,883 of 11,051In 198223 of 98

How Draw works

Inflation-adjusted worldwide box office, on one global curve, and nothing else. It does not know whether a film was good.

Praise83

Awards claim half the headroom above the critics' score.

Critics72 baseAwards79 signal → +11 lift

Oscars1 won Actress4 nominated Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Costume Design, Original Score
Golden Globes1 won Actress2 nominated Motion Picture, Lead acting
BAFTAs1 nominated Lead acting
How Praise works

Critics set the score; a tiered award record, Picture and Directing carrying the most weight, claims half the headroom above it. Praise is the verdict at the time; Legacy is the verdict since.

Legacy70

Judged directly: Sophie choice entered the language.

Verdict70 of 100IMDb7.5 from 56kWikipedia62k views a monthAge44 years

On the listsAFI 100evidence, not an input to the score
Scored beside it · 312 of 4,039 films judged

If it does not belong in this company, the number is wrong.

How Legacy works

Legacy is a judgment, not a formula. A film can be adored by critics and culturally quiet, or lightly reviewed and permanently lodged in the culture, and no arithmetic over IMDb numbers tells the difference. Every signal behind it keeps updating.

draw 55 praise 83 legacy 70averages 69, placing it at25,443 ft
How the three become one number

Added, not multiplied, so a film transcendent on one pillar and weak on another is not zeroed out. A compression curve then squeezes the top, because the seven greatest films ever made should not be four thousand feet apart.

Whose apex this is

▲ Peter MacNicol▲ Rita Karin

In these careers — elevation for this film

Meryl Streep20,278 ftKevin Kline19,859 ftPeter MacNicol18,552 ftRita Karin17,761 ftTobin Bell17,638 ft