First for the real contenders:
- The Wizard of Oz: Oz was of course what started this all. It has going for it a very high rate of cultural support. Most people are exposed to references to Oz enough to be aware of it, even if they haven't seen it, which means that people are willing to watch it. It also has time on it's hands. Half the people that saw it in it's original theatrical run were dead before half the movies on this page even existed. Finally, high volume and frequent TV broadcasts, a family friendly story, and it's ground breaking film innovations all give this one a good chance for the title.
- It's a Wonderful Life: The biggest reason this one makes the list is it's broadcast every Christmas without fail, giving regular access to viewing for decades. Obviously many of these viewings will be repeat viewings, but every year new individuals are added, especially, millions of children who are watching it for their first time, all under a year old, a demographic not often thought about in movie viewing analysis. You might wait until junior's down to put in a movie, but if you're watching your annual christmas special on TV, the baby may just be up for this one. Who knows? Maybe enough infants are out there each Christmas to give this one the edge.
- Valter Brani Sarajevo: This one is very interesting. I think there's a huge potential for this one in that it may be the most watched film in China, which accounts for enough of the world population that it very likely takes the top spot. There is the fact that it's not quite as family friendly as most films on this list, but, then again, there's way more people in China than kids in America, so there's plenty of opportunity for this one to be our winner. Most of South Asia considers this a classic, so, why not?
- The Jesus Film: This one may be the clear winner and may also be the worst quality movie on the list. That's not because I've got a problem with Christianity, but just that this film is not even in the top ten films about Christ and his life I've seen. However, all it takes is one group of super dedicated missionaries dedicated to showing this to every person in the world, and we've got a contender. Translated into hundreds of languages and shown by religious missionaries throughout the world, there's a much smaller chance for repeat viewings, and a huge potential audience. None of the other films here can claim that they've had screenings at hundreds of small villages throughout Africa, and that alone could be enough to push this one to the top. The group that shows this estimates about 6 billion viewings, which makes you wonder, if even as many as half were repeat viewings, that's still an insane number of individuals. And yes, there may be some bias from the missionaries, but still, religion is a powerful motivator, and if you read in the Bible to go to all of God's children and share his word, that, for some people, is enough to make the most watched film of all time.
- Star Wars: There has never, and potentially never will again, be a film that impacts global culture as thoroughly as Star Wars. It's the newest film on the list, but only by a few years and it has one advantage all it's own... sequels. Ever few years, there's a huge reason to get excited about Star Wars again. Each generation that's come since the original has had it's own trilogy to keep the Star Wars flame burning brightly. And even if you didn't like the prequels (I'll admit disappointment, but not the outrage of most), you still probably watched Star Wars during the big Phantom Menace promotion. The global impact of Star Wars and the regular boost from sequels and prequels may be enough to claim the title. If it isn't now, in a decade or so, it very likely will be.
The probably nots that people keep thinking might be:
- Titanic: Okay, so a lot of people went to see this. It's original claim to fame was being the highest grossing movie ever until Avatar beat it. Even if you're just looking at ticket sales, not actual cost, it's not too far down the list. It was one of the last really successful films to be released on VHS, but DVD was around already, so people could buy it in both formats on it's release (I still had it on VHS until just recently). There's a lot to be said, but I feel there's no way more people have seen this. First off, with the adult themes and nudity, all the kids with semi-concerned parents get tossed out of the count. Second, the big claim to fame was the box office results, which really doesn't mean much, as many people saw it several times during it's theatrical run, and many more people didn't see it at all. Box office results really have nothing to do with this question. Finally, there's not been enough time. 1997 wasn't that terribly long ago.
- Avatar: Sorry again, Cameron, but Avatar may have made more money, but it also had expensive IMAX and 3D tickets getting it to the record, plus it's really new. So there's no way it's had more people see it than almost any of the films on this list. I may guess of everything in my list, Avatar may be last.
- Awaara: This is what I selected from several people that suggested a Bollywood film is the most watched film of all time. That's not a bad thought, considering the huge population of India, but more hollywood classics penetrate the global market, and too many people in India are not part of the movie going crowd based on poverty, remoteness, cultural disinterest, and other factors. There may be more people there, but a much smaller percentage actually is active in the movie consuming market.
- Citizen Kane: Wouldn't the best movie ever made be seen by the most people? Yeah, right. That's why this isn't even carried in my local movie rental store. It's a work of art, to be consumed by those that view themselves as movie connoisseurs. If you don't take a film class in college, you'll likely never see it.
- Gone with the Wind: More people saw this in theaters than any other film ever. That is a fact. However, it's extensive runtime, meandering plot, and more theatrical styling make it less accessible to modern audiences. Though few didn't see it when it came out, and it had an incredibly long run in theaters, it is, nonetheless, rarely viewed today except by those impressed by it's former status as the greatest. Alas, it is view by fewer and fewer as time goes by (I should have saved that line for Casablanca, right?).
- The Sound of Music: Lots going for this one. Many of the same factors going for Oz or Wonderful Life, but just doesn't have the same cultural roots or seasonal interest. It's one of the most watched, but since there are a few that qualify on similar grounds, but they have a clear advantage over Sound of Music, I unfortunately had to put it in the not so much category.
- Casablanca: Okay, this is another one that is viewed less and less often, and though it's doing a little better culturally than Sound of Music, it's still not up there with Oz, and it definitely doesn't have as regular broadcasts as the other classics listed. Though it's one of my absolute favorites, it's loosing steam in the overall world of movie viewing, and faster than almost any other film on this list.
Honorable mentions:
Several Disney Films, Snow White, The Lion King, Frozen, Toy Story, and Finding Nemo are strong contenders for most watched if one counts each repeat viewing. I've seen a couple kids watch the Lion King 18 in one week. If each kid watching it counts each time, plus we throw in each time a parent or older sibling watched a significant majority of the film with them, we're coming close to 100 viewings in one week in one household. From parents I've talked to, this is not unusual, so if half of the kids in America fell in love with Frozen at the same time, we're talking a billion viewings in just a handful of weeks. That may be a little over estimated, but still shows just how these films have their own right to most watched fame.
