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Superman

1978 · directed by Richard Donner · 144 min
27,528 feet · Prominence
45th of 24,106 films scored
Not coveredThe 45th highest film on the mountain, and The Rewatchables has never done it.

How this film scores

Draw84

Lifetime worldwide gross $300m, re-releases included; about $1.52bn in 2026 money.

Rank63 of 11,051In 19782 of 58

How Draw works

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

Praise87

Awards claim half the headroom above the critics' score.

Critics85 baseAwards35 signal → +3 lift

Oscars1 won Special Achievement Academy Award3 nominated Film Editing, Original Score, Sound
BAFTAs1 won BAFTA Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award2 nominated Supporting acting, Craft and other
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.

Legacy85

Judged directly: Defined superhero cinema, iconic theme.

Verdict85 of 100IMDb7.4 from 206kWikipedia70k views a monthAge48 years

On the listsNational Film Registryevidence, not an input to the score
Scored beside it · 60 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 84 praise 87 legacy 85averages 85, placing it at27,528 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.

In these careers — elevation for this film

Christopher Reeve20,046 ftMargot Kidder19,240 ftGene Hackman19,155 ftMarlon Brando19,085 ftNed Beatty18,214 ftGlenn Ford18,052 ftTrevor Howard17,830 ftTerence Stamp17,664 ftHarry Andrews17,646 ftValerie Perrine17,646 ftSarah Douglas17,633 ft