Wikipedia
1985 in film
The following is an overview of events in 1985 in film, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies and festivals, a list of films released and notable births and deaths.
Highest-grossing films (U.S.)
The top ten 1985 released films by box office gross in North America are as follows:
| Rank | Title | Distributor | Box-office gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Back to the Future | Universal | $210,609,762 |
| 2 | Rambo: First Blood Part II | TriStar / Carolco | $150,415,432 |
| 3 | Rocky IV | MGM | $127,873,716 |
| 4 | The Color Purple | Warner Bros. | $94,175,854 |
| 5 | Out of Africa | Universal | $87,071,205 |
| 6 | Cocoon | Fox | $76,113,124 |
| 7 | The Jewel of the Nile | $75,973,200 | |
| 8 | Witness | Paramount | $68,706,993 |
| 9 | The Goonies | Warner Bros. | $61,389,680 |
| 10 | Spies Like Us | $60,088,980 |
Context
The year was considered an unsuccessful one for film. Despite a record number of film releases, many films failed at the box office, and ticket sales were down 17% compared with 1984.[2][3] Industry executives believed the problem, in part, was a lack of original concepts.[4] Films about fantasy and magic failed, as audiences leaned towards science-fiction.[5][3] Janet Maslin said the fault for this lay partly with Steven Spielberg, who had created such a successful template with films like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Close Encounters of the Third Kind that many fantasy films had imitated them.[6] There was also a saturation of youth-oriented films targeted at those under 18. Executives were not fond of these films, but the financial rewards were too significant to ignore. The few films aimed at older audiences, like Cocoon, were surprise successes.[3][7] Only Back to the Future and Rambo: First Blood Part II were successful blockbusters, earning more than double the box office of Cocoon.[3] Films offering escapism and pro-America themes like Rambo: First Blood Part II and Rocky IV had also fared well.[7]
The glut of youth-targeted films like Return to Oz and The Black Cauldron, and science-fiction comedies like Weird Science, Real Genius, and My Science Project had resulted in a string of failures. Executives said that the films were all very similar and marketed in the same way, offering no variety for audiences.[3][5]
Events
- June 5 – The Chicago Cubs play the Atlanta Braves in a baseball game at Wrigley Field. Excerpts from the broadcast later pin this date as the day featured in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
- December 3 – Roger Moore steps down from the role of James Bond after twelve years and seven films. He is replaced by Timothy Dalton.
Awards
Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival):
- When Father Was Away on Business (Otac na službenom putu), directed by Emir Kusturica, Yugoslavia
Golden Lion (Venice Film Festival):
- Vagabond (Sans toit ni loi), directed by Agnès Varda, France / U.K.
Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival):
- Die Frau und der Fremde (The Woman and the Stranger), directed by Rainer Simon, East Germany
- Wetherby, directed by David Hare, United Kingdom
Notable films released in 1985
United States unless stated
#
A
- Adieu Bonaparte, directed by Youssef Chahine, starring Michel Piccoli - (France/Egypt)
- The Adventures of Mark Twain, starring James Whitmore
- After Hours, directed by Martin Scorsese, starring Griffin Dunne, Rosanna Arquette, Catherine O'Hara, Teri Garr, Linda Fiorentino, John Heard, Verna Bloom, Cheech Marin, Tommy Chong
- Agnes of God, directed by Norman Jewison; starring Jane Fonda, Anne Bancroft, Meg Tilly
- Alamo Bay, directed by Louis Malle, starring Ed Harris and Amy Madigan
- Alice in Wonderland, TV film, starring Natalie Gregory, Sid Caesar, Carol Channing, Sammy Davis, Jr., Telly Savalas, Ringo Starr
- The Alley Cat (Le Matou) - (Canada)
- American Flyers, starring Kevin Costner, David Marshall Grant, Rae Dawn Chong, Alexandra Paul
- American Ninja, starring Michael Dudikoff
- Angry Harvest (Bittere Ernte), starring Armin Mueller-Stahl - (West Germany)
- Anne of Green Gables, starring Megan Follows - (Canada)
- Arjun, starring Sunny Deol and Dimple Kapadia - (India)
- The Assam Garden, starring Deborah Kerr and Madhur Jaffrey - (U.K.)
- Asterix Versus Caesar (Astérix et la surprise de César) - (France)
- The Aviator, starring Christopher Reeve, Rosanna Arquette, Jack Warden
B
- Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend, starring Sean Young, William Katt and Patrick McGoohan
- Back to the Future, directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, Thomas F. Wilson
- Bad Medicine, starring Steve Guttenberg, Julie Hagerty and Alan Arkin
- Better Off Dead, starring John Cusack
- Black Arrow, starring Oliver Reed and Fernando Rey
- The Black Cauldron, directed by Ted Berman and Richard Rich, with the voices of Grant Bardsley, Susan Sheridan, Freddie Jones, Nigel Hawthorne, Phil Fondacaro and John Hurt
- Bliss - (Australia)
- The Blue Yonder
- The Boys Next Door, starring Maxwell Caulfield and Charlie Sheen
- Brazil, directed by Terry Gilliam, starring Jonathan Pryce and Robert De Niro - (U.K.)
- The Breakfast Club, directed by John Hughes, starring Emilio Estevez, Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Anthony Michael Hall, Paul Gleason
- Brewster's Millions, starring Richard Pryor and John Candy
- The Bride, starring Sting and Jennifer Beals - (UK/US)
- The Burmese Harp (Biruma no tategoto), directed by Kon Ichikawa, a remake of Ichikawa's 1956 film - (Japan)
- Butterfly and Flowers (Peesua lae dokmai) - (Thailand)
C
- Calamari Union, directed by Aki Kaurismäki - (Finland)
- Came a Hot Friday - (New Zealand)
- Cat's Eye, an anthology film starring Drew Barrymore, James Woods, Alan King, Kenneth McMillan, Robert Hays
- The Care Bears Movie, starring Mickey Rooney (voice) - (Canada)
- Cavegirl
- Chicken with Vinegar (Poulet au Vinaigre), directed by Claude Chabrol - (France)
- A Chorus Line, directed by Richard Attenborough, starring Michael Douglas and Alyson Reed
- Clue, starring Tim Curry, Eileen Brennan, Michael McKean, Lesley Ann Warren, Christopher Lloyd, Madeline Kahn, Martin Mull, Colleen Camp
- The Coca-Cola Kid, starring Eric Roberts and Greta Scacchi
- Cocoon, directed by Ron Howard, starring Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn, Brian Dennehy, Steve Guttenberg, Barret Oliver, Maureen Stapleton, Jessica Tandy, Gwen Verdon, Tahnee Welch
- Code of Silence, directed by Andrew Davis, starring Chuck Norris and Molly Hagan
- Colonel Redl, directed by István Szabó, starring Klaus Maria Brandauer - (West Germany/Hungary/Austria)
- The Color Purple, directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover, Margaret Avery, Adolph Caesar, Rae Dawn Chong, Oprah Winfrey
- Come and See (Idi i smotri) - (U.S.S.R.)
- Commando, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rae Dawn Chong, Vernon Wells, Dan Hedaya, Bill Duke, David Patrick Kelly, Alyssa Milano
- Compromising Positions, directed by Frank Perry, starring Susan Sarandon, Raúl Juliá, Judith Ivey, Joe Mantegna
- Crime Wave - (Canada)
- Crimewave, directed by Sam Raimi, starring Louise Lasser, Reed Birney, Paul L. Smith, Brion James, Sheree J. Wilson, Edward R. Pressman, Bruce Campbell
D
- D.A.R.Y.L., starring Barret Oliver, Mary Beth Hurt, Michael McKean, Josef Sommer and Colleen Camp
- Dance with a Stranger, directed by Mike Newell, starring Rupert Everett and Miranda Richardson - (U.K.)
- Day of the Dead, directed by George A. Romero, starring Lori Cardille, Terry Alexander, Joseph Pilato, Jarlath Conroy and Richard Liberty - the final part of Romero's zombie trilogy
- Death in a French Garden (Péril en la demeure) - (France)
- Death of a Salesman, directed by Volker Schlöndorff, starring Dustin Hoffman and John Malkovich - (made for TV)
- Death Wish 3, starring Charles Bronson
- Defence of the Realm, starring Gabriel Byrne and Greta Scacchi - (U.K.)
- Déjà Vu, directed by Anthony B. Richmond, starring Jaclyn Smith, Claire Bloom, Nigel Terry and Shelley Winters
- Desert Hearts, starring Patricia Charbonneau, Helen Shaver, Audra Lindley
- Desperately Seeking Susan, directed by Susan Seidelman, starring Rosanna Arquette, Madonna, Aidan Quinn, Laurie Metcalf
- Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart, directed by Wayne Wang
- Dissolved and Effused (Rozpuštěný a vypuštěný) - (Czechoslovakia)
- Dr. Otto and the Riddle of the Gloom Beam, starring Jim Varney
- Dreamchild, starring Ian Holm, Coral Browne, Peter Gallagher - (U.K.)
E
- Eleni, directed by Peter Yates, starring John Malkovich, Kate Nelligan, Linda Hunt, Glenne Headly
- The Emerald Forest, directed by John Boorman, starring Powers Boothe, Meg Foster, Charley Boorman - (U.K.)
- Enemy Mine, directed by Wolfgang Petersen, starring Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett Jr. - (West Germany/United States)
- Eoudong (Courtesan) - (South Korea)
- Ewoks: The Battle for Endor, starring Wilford Brimley and Warwick Davis
- Explorers, directed by Joe Dante, starring Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix and Jason Presson
F
- The Falcon and the Snowman, directed by John Schlesinger, starring Timothy Hutton and Sean Penn
- Family Life (La Vie de Famille) - (France)
- Fandango, starring Kevin Costner and Judd Nelson
- Festa di laurea (Graduation Party) - (Italy)
- Fever Pitch, directed by Richard Brooks, starring Ryan O'Neal, Giancarlo Giannini, Chad Everett, Catherine Hicks
- Final Justice, starring Joe Don Baker
- Fire Festival (Himatsuri) - (Japan)
- Flesh and Blood, directed by Paul Verhoeven, starring Rutger Hauer and Jennifer Jason Leigh - (United States/Netherlands/Spain)
- Fletch, starring Chevy Chase
- Fool for Love, directed by Robert Altman, starring Sam Shepard and Kim Basinger
- Fran - (Australia)
- Friday the 13th, Part V: A New Beginning, directed by Danny Steinmann, starring Melanie Kinnaman and John Shepherd
- Fright Night, starring William Ragsdale, Chris Sarandon, Roddy McDowall, Amanda Bearse
G
- Ghoulies, starring Peter Liapis, Lisa Pelikan, Michael Des Barres, Scott Thompson
- Ghulami, starring Dharmendra and Naseeruddin Shah - (India)
- Girls Just Want to Have Fun, starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt
- Give the Devil His Due (S čerty nejsou žerty) - (Czechoslovakia)
- Goodbye, New York, starring Julie Hagerty
- The Goonies, directed by Richard Donner, starring Sean Astin, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen, Corey Feldman, Kerri Green, Ke Huy Quan, Martha Plimpton
- Gotcha!, starring Anthony Edwards and Linda Fiorentino
- Grace Quigley, starring Katharine Hepburn and Nick Nolte
- La Gran Fiesta - (Puerto Rico)
- Guest from the Future (Gostya iz budushchego) - (U.S.S.R.)
- Gymkata, starring Kurt Thomas, Tetchie Agbayani, Richard Norton
H
- Hail Mary (Je vous salue, Marie), directed by Jean-Luc Godard - (France)
- Half Life: A Parable for the Nuclear Age - (Australia)
- Heaven Help Us, starring Andrew McCarthy and Mary Stuart Masterson
- Here Come the Littles - (United States/Canada/Japan/Luxembourg)
- The Holcroft Covenant, starring Michael Caine, Anthony Andrews, Victoria Tennant, Lilli Palmer
- The Home and the World (Ghare Baire), directed by Satyajit Ray - (India)
- Hour of the Star (A Hora da Estrela) - (Brazil)
- How Poets are Losing Their Illusions (Jak básníci přicházejí o iluze) - (Czechoslovakia)
I
- De IJssalon (The Ice-Cream Parlor) - (Netherlands)
- Insignificance, directed by Nicolas Roeg, starring Theresa Russell, Tony Curtis, Gary Busey - (U.K.)
- Into the Night, starring Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Pfeiffer
- Invasion U.S.A., starring Chuck Norris
J
- Jagged Edge, directed by Richard Marquand, starring Glenn Close, Jeff Bridges, Robert Loggia, Peter Coyote
- The Jewel of the Nile, directed by Lewis Teague, starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito
- Joshua Then and Now, starring James Woods and Alan Arkin - (Canada)
- The Journey of Natty Gann, starring Meredith Salenger and John Cusack
- Just One of the Guys, starring Joyce Hyser
K
- King David, starring Richard Gere - (UK/US)
- King Solomon's Mines, starring Richard Chamberlain and Sharon Stone
- Kiss of the Spider Woman (O Beijo da Mulher Aranha), directed by Héctor Babenco, starring William Hurt, Raúl Juliá, Sônia Braga - (Brazil/United States)
- Krush Groove, starring Blair Underwood, Run–D.M.C., Sheila E.
L
- Ladyhawke, starring Matthew Broderick, Michelle Pfeiffer and Rutger Hauer
- The Last Dragon, starring Taimak, Faith Prince
- The Last Polka, starring John Candy and Eugene Levy - (Canada)
- Latino, directed by Haskell Wexler
- Leave All Fair, starring John Gielgud and Jane Birkin (New Zealand/France)
- Legend, directed by Ridley Scott, starring Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, Tim Curry - (UK/US)
- The Legend of Billie Jean, starring Helen Slater, Keith Gordon, Peter Coyote, Christian Slater, Yeardley Smith
- The Legend of Suram Fortress, directed by Sergei Parajanov (Soviet Union)
- Letter to Brezhnev, starring Peter Firth and Alexandra Pigg - (U.K.)
- Lifeforce, starring Steve Railsback, Mathilda May, Peter Firth, Frank Finlay and Patrick Stewart, directed by Tobe Hooper
- Lonely Heart (Sabishinbou) - (Japan)
- Lost in America, directed by and starring Albert Brooks, with Julie Hagerty
- Lust in the Dust, directed by Paul Bartel, starring Divine, Tab Hunter, Lainie Kazan
M
- Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, starring Mel Gibson and Tina Turner - (Australia)
- The Man with One Red Shoe, starring Tom Hanks, Carrie Fisher, Lori Singer, Dabney Coleman
- Manevri na petiya etazh (Maneuvers on the Fifth Floor) - (Bulgaria)
- Marie, starring Sissy Spacek, Jeff Daniels, Fred Dalton Thompson
- Mask, directed by Peter Bogdanovich, starring Eric Stoltz, Cher and Sam Elliott
- Mask of Murder, starring Rod Taylor and Valerie Perrine - (United States/Sweden)
- The Mass Is Ended (La messa è finita), directed by and starring Nanni Moretti - (Italy)
- Maxie, starring Glenn Close, Mandy Patinkin, Ruth Gordon, Valerie Curtin
- The Mean Season, starring Kurt Russell, Mariel Hemingway and Richard Jordan
- Meri Jung, starring Anil Kapoor - (India)
- The Midnight Hour
- Mirch Masala (Spices), starring Naseeruddin Shah, Smita Patil, Om Puri - (U.K./India)
- Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, directed by Paul Schrader, starring Ken Ogata - (United States/Japan)
- Movers & Shakers, directed by William Asher, starring Walter Matthau, Charles Grodin, Gilda Radner
- Mr. Vampire (Goeng-si Sin-sang) - (Hong Kong)
- Murphy's Romance, directed by Martin Ritt, starring Sally Field, James Garner, Brian Kerwin, Corey Haim
- My Beautiful Laundrette, directed by Stephen Frears, starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Gordon Warnecke - (U.K.)
- My Life as a Dog (Mitt liv som hund), directed by Lasse Hallström - (Sweden) - Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film
- My Science Project
- My Sweet Little Village (Vesničko má středisková), directed by Jiří Menzel - (Czechoslovakia)
N
- National Lampoon's European Vacation, starring Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo
- A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge
- No End (Bez końca), directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski - (Poland)
- No Surrender, starring Michael Angelis and Bernard Hill - (U.K.)
- Nothing Left to Do But Cry (Non ci resta che piangere), directed by and starring Roberto Benigni and Massimo Troisi - (Italy)
O
- The Official Story (La historia oficial) - (Argentina) - Academy and Golden Globe Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- Once Bitten, starring Lauren Hutton and Jim Carrey (in his first major role)
- One Magic Christmas, starring Mary Steenburgen and Harry Dean Stanton - (United States/Canada)
- Ordeal by Innocence, starring Donald Sutherland, Faye Dunaway, Christopher Plummer - (U.K.)
- Out of Africa, directed by Sydney Pollack, starring Meryl Streep, Robert Redford, Klaus Maria Brandauer - Academy and Golden Globe (drama) Awards
P
- Padre nuestro (Our Father), starring Victoria Abril - (Spain)
- Pale Rider, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, with Michael Moriarty and Carrie Snodgress
- Pas în doi (Passo Doble) - (Romania)
- The Peanut Butter Solution - (Canada)
- Pee-wee's Big Adventure, directed by Tim Burton, starring Paul Reubens
- Perfect, directed by James Bridges, starring John Travolta and Jamie Lee Curtis
- Phenomena, directed by Dario Argento - (Italy)
- Pizza Connection, directed by Damiano Damiani - (Italy)
- Plenty, directed by Fred Schepisi, starring Meryl Streep, Sam Neill, Charles Dance, Tracey Ullman, Ian McKellen, Sting - (U.K.)
- Police, starring Gérard Depardieu and Sophie Marceau - (France)
- Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment, starring Steve Guttenberg, George Gaynes, Colleen Camp, Bubba Smith
- Police Story (Ging chat goo si), directed by and starring Jackie Chan - (Hong Kong)
- Private Resort, starring Johnny Depp, Rob Morrow, Andrew Dice Clay
- Prizzi's Honor, directed by John Huston, starring Jack Nicholson, Kathleen Turner, Anjelica Huston, Robert Loggia, William Hickey - Golden Globe for Best Picture (Musical or Comedy)
- The Protector, starring Jackie Chan and Danny Aiello - (Hong Kong/United States)
- The Purple Rose of Cairo, directed by Woody Allen, starring Mia Farrow, Jeff Daniels, Danny Aiello
Q
R
- Radioactive Dreams, starring Michael Dudikoff and Lisa Blount - (United States/Mexico)
- Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer - (United States/Japan)
- Rambo: First Blood Part II, starring Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, Charles Napier, Julia Nickson
- Ran, directed by Akira Kurosawa, starring Tatsuya Nakadai and Mieko Harada - (Japan)
- Re-Animator, starring Jeffrey Combs
- Real Genius, starring Val Kilmer, Gabe Jarret, William Atherton and Michelle Meyrink
- Red Kiss (Rouge Baiser) - (France)
- Red Sonja, starring Brigitte Nielsen, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sandahl Bergman
- Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, starring Fred Ward, Kate Mulgrew, Joel Grey
- Rendez-vous, starring Juliette Binoche and Jean-Louis Trintignant - (France)
- Restless Natives, directed by Michael Hoffman - (U.K.)
- The Return of the Living Dead, directed by Dan O'Bannon
- Return to Oz, starring Fairuza Balk, Piper Laurie, Jean Marsh
- Revolution, directed by Hugh Hudson, starring Al Pacino, Donald Sutherland, Nastassja Kinski - (U.K.)
- Rocky IV, directed by and starring Sylvester Stallone, with Talia Shire, Dolph Lundgren, Carl Weathers, Brigitte Nielsen, Burt Young
- A Room with a View, directed by James Ivory, starring Maggie Smith and Helena Bonham Carter - (U.K.)
- Runaway Train, directed by Andrei Konchalovsky, starring Jon Voight, Eric Roberts, Rebecca De Mornay
- The Runner (Davandeh) - (Iran)
- Rustlers' Rhapsody, directed by Hugh Wilson, starring Tom Berenger, Marilu Henner, Sela Ward, Andy Griffith, Patrick Wayne
S
- Santa Claus: The Movie, starring Dudley Moore - (UK/US)
- Scorpio Nights - (Philippines)
- Secret Admirer, starring C. Thomas Howell, Lori Loughlin, Kelly Preston, Fred Ward
- The Secret of the Sword
- Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird
- Shaker Run, starring Cliff Robertson, Leif Garrett, Lisa Harrow
- Shoah - (France)
- The Shooting Party, starring James Mason and John Gielgud - (U.K.)
- Silver Bullet, starring Gary Busey, Corey Haim, Megan Follows, Everett McGill
- Silverado, directed by Lawrence Kasdan, starring Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Danny Glover, Kevin Costner, Jeff Goldblum, Brian Dennehy, John Cleese, Rosanna Arquette, Linda Hunt
- A Simple Death (Prostaya smert) - (U.S.S.R.)
- The Slugger's Wife, directed by Hal Ashby, starring Michael O'Keefe and Rebecca De Mornay
- Smooth Talk, starring Laura Dern and Treat Williams
- Spies Like Us, starring Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase
- St. Elmo's Fire, directed by Joel Schumacher, starring Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Mare Winningham, Andie MacDowell, Martin Balsam, Jenny Wright, Joyce Van Patten
- Starchaser: The Legend of Orin
- Stick, directed by and starring Burt Reynolds, with Candice Bergen, Charles Durning, George Segal
- Subway, directed by Luc Besson, starring Isabelle Adjani and Christopher Lambert - (France)
- Summer Rental, directed by Carl Reiner, starring John Candy, Rip Torn, Richard Crenna
- The Supergrass, starring Adrian Edmondson, Jennifer Saunders, Robbie Coltrane - (U.K.)
- The Sure Thing, directed by Rob Reiner, starring John Cusack, Daphne Zuniga, Nicollette Sheridan, Viveca Lindfors, Anthony Edwards
- Sweet Dreams, a biopic of Patsy Cline, starring Jessica Lange and Ed Harris
T
- Taipei Story (Qing mei zhu ma) - (Taiwan)
- Tampopo (Dandelion) - (Japan)
- Target, starring Gene Hackman and Matt Dillon
- Tea in the Harem (Le Thé au harem d'Archimède) - (France)
- Teen Wolf, starring Michael J. Fox
- That Was Then... This Is Now, starring Emilio Estevez, Craig Sheffer
- That's Dancing!, featuring Gene Kelly, Liza Minnelli, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Sammy Davis, Jr. and others
- Thirteen at Dinner, starring Peter Ustinov, Faye Dunaway, Lee Horsley, Bill Nighy
- Three Men and a Cradle (Trois hommes et un couffin) - (France)
- The Time of the Hero (a.k.a. La ciudad y los perros) - (Peru)
- The Time to Live and the Time to Die (Tong nian wang shi) - (Taiwan)
- To Live and Die in L.A., directed by William Friedkin, starring William Petersen and Willem Dafoe
- Trancers
- Transylvania 6-5000, starring Jeff Goldblum, Ed Begley, Jr., Joseph Bologna, Teresa Ganzel, Geena Davis
- Treasure Island (L'île au trésor) - (France/Chile)
- The Trip to Bountiful, starring Geraldine Page, John Heard, Rebecca De Mornay
- Trouble in Mind, directed by Alan Rudolph, starring Kris Kristofferson, Lori Singer, Geneviève Bujold, Keith Carradine
- Tuff Turf, starring James Spader
- Turk 182!, starring Timothy Hutton, Robert Urich, Kim Cattrall
- Turtle Diary, starring Glenda Jackson and Ben Kingsley - (U.K.)
- Twice in a Lifetime, starring Gene Hackman, Ellen Burstyn, Ann-Margret, Amy Madigan, Ally Sheedy, Brian Dennehy
- The Two Lives of Mattia Pascal (Le due vite di Mattia Pascal), starring Marcello Mastroianni and Senta Berger - (Italy)
U
- UFOria, starring Fred Ward, Harry Dean Stanton, Cindy Williams
- The Unknown Soldier (Tuntematon sotilas) - (Finland)
V
- Vagabond (Sans toit ni loi), directed by Agnès Varda - (France) - Golden Lion award
- Vampire Hunter D (Kyûketsuki hantâ D) - (Japan)
- Vampires in Havana (¡Vampiros en La Habana!) - (Cuba)
- La vaquilla (The Heifer), directed by Luis García Berlanga - (Spain)
- A View to a Kill, starring Roger Moore (as James Bond) with Christopher Walken, Tanya Roberts, Grace Jones - (U.K.)
- Vision Quest, starring Matthew Modine and Linda Fiorentino
- Volunteers, starring Tom Hanks, John Candy, Rita Wilson, Tim Thomerson, George Plimpton
W
- Walking the Edge, starring Robert Forster and Nancy Kwan
- Water, starring Michael Caine, Billy Connolly, Valerie Perrine - (U.K.)
- Wetherby, directed by David Hare, starring Vanessa Redgrave and Ian Holm - (U.K.) - Golden Bear award
- Weird Science, directed by John Hughes, starring Kelly Le Brock, Anthony Michael Hall, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, Bill Paxton
- Wild Geese II, starring Scott Glenn, Barbara Carrera, Edward Fox, Laurence Olivier - (U.K.)
- When Father Was Away on Business (Otac na službenom putu) - (Yugoslavia) - Palme d'Or award
- White Nights, directed by Taylor Hackford, starring Mikhail Baryshnikov, Gregory Hines, Helen Mirren
- Witness, directed by Peter Weir, starring Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, Lukas Haas
- The Woman and the Stranger (Die Frau und der Fremde) - (East Germany) - Golden Bear award
Y
- Year of the Dragon, directed by Michael Cimino, starring Mickey Rourke and John Lone
- Yes, Madam (Huang jia shi jie), starring Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock - (Hong Kong)
- Young Sherlock Holmes (American film shot in England), directed by Barry Levinson, starring Nicholas Rowe as Holmes, Alan Cox as Watson, and Anthony Higgins
Z
- A Zed & Two Noughts, directed by Peter Greenaway - (U.K.)
1985 Wide-release films in the U.S.
January–March
April–June
July–September
October–December
Births
- January 1 - Juliana Harkavy, American actress
- January 2 - Carla Juri, Swiss actress
- January 3
- Nicole Beharie, American actress
- Leah Gibson, Canadian actress
- January 5 - Michael Cuccione, Canadian child actor, singer and dancer (died 2001)
- January 10 - Alex Meraz, American actor and dancer
- January 11 – Aja Naomi King, American actress[8]
- January 12 - Issa Rae, American actress, writer and producer
- January 13 - Ellen Wong, Canadian actress
- January 16 – Sidharth Malhotra, Indian actor[9]
- January 19 - Damien Chazelle, American film director[10]
- January 23 - Doutzen Kroes, Dutch actress and model
- January 25
- Claudia Kim, South Korean actress and model
- Hartley Sawyer, American actor
- Michael Trevino, American actor
- January 29 - Isabel Lucas, Australian actress and model
- February 5 - Paige Howard, American actress
- February 6 - Crystal Reed, American actress
- February 7
- Tina Majorino, American actress
- Deborah Ann Woll, American actress and model
- February 9
- David Gallagher, American actor and singer
- Rachel Melvin, American actress
- February 14 - Jake Lacy, American actor
- February 15 - Natalie Morales (actress), American actress and director
- February 19
- Haylie Duff, American actress and singer
- Arielle Kebbel, American actress and model
- March 1 - Michael Conner Humphreys, American actor
- March 9 - Jolyon Coy, English actor and writer
- March 10 - Cooper Andrews, American actor
- March 13 - Emile Hirsch, American actor[11]
- March 15
- Eva Amurri, American actress
- Kellan Lutz, American actor
- March 18 - Bianca King, Filipino-British former actress and model
- March 21 - Sonequa Martin-Green, American actress and producer
- March 22 - Katie Stuart, Canadian actress and stunt performer
- March 23
- Maryana Spivak, Russian actress
- March 26
- Jonathan Groff, American actor and singer
- Keira Knightley, English actress[12]
- Francesca Marie Smith, American actress and writer
- March 27 – Ram Charan, Indian film actor[13]
- March 31 - Jessica Szohr, American actress
- April 7 - Ariela Massotti, Brazilian actress
- April 9 - Tomohisa Yamashita, Japanese singer, actor and television host
- April 10
- Barkhad Abdi, Somali-American actor and director
- Christie Laing, Canadian actress
- April 12 - Hitomi Yoshizawa, Japanese former singer and actress
- April 16
- Rhiana Griffith, Australian actress
- Benjamin Rojas, Argentine actor and singer
- Gregor Schmidinger, Austrian screenwriter and director
- April 17
- Rooney Mara, American actress
- Luke Mitchell, Australian actor and model
- Maiken Pius, Estonian actress
- April 20 - Billy Magnussen, American actor
- April 22 - Kristin Fairlie, Canadian actress
- April 23 - Rachel Skarsten, Canadian actress
- April 27 - Sheila Vand, American actress
- April 30 - Gal Gadot, Israeli actress and model[14]
- May 3 - Meagan Tandy, American actress and model
- May 5
- Clark Duke, American actor, comedian and director
- Shoko Nakagawa, Japanese actress, voice actress and singer
- May 9 - Chris Zylka, American actor and model
- May 10 - Odette Annable, American actress
- May 11 - Jadyn Wong, Canadian actress
- May 14
- Lina Esco, American actress, producer and director
- Sally Martin, New Zealand actress
- May 15 - Tathagata Mukherjee, Indian actor
- May 16
- Stanislav Ianevski, Bulgarian actor
- Andrew Keenan-Bolger, American actor
- Julia Voth, Canadian actress and model
- May 17 - Sophie McShera, English actress
- May 22 - Tao Okamoto, Japanese actress and model
- May 25
- Luciana Abreu, Portuguese singer, actress and television host
- Lauren Frost, American actress and singer
- May 28 - Carey Mulligan, English actress[15]
- May 29
- Blake Foster, American actor
- Yukihiro Takiguchi, Japanese actor, singer and model (died 2019)
- May 30 - Sam Gifaldi, American actor
- May 31 - Zoraida Gómez, Mexican actress
- June 2 - Miyuki Sawashiro, Japanese voice actress
- June 4 - Bar Refaeli, Israeli model, television host and actress
- June 7 - Adam Nagaitis, British actor
- June 9 – Sonam Kapoor, Indian actress and model[16]
- June 10 - Andrew Lees (actor), Australian actor
- June 12
- Dave Franco, American actor
- Liisa Pulk, Estonian actress
- June 16 - Débora Nascimento, Brazilian actress and model
- June 18
- Sorel Carradine, American actress
- Alex Hirsch, American voice actor, animator, writer, storyboard artist and producer
- June 21 - Lana Del Rey, American singer and songwriter[17]
- June 22 - Douglas Smith (actor), Canadian actor
- June 30
- Lasarus Ratuere, Australian actor
- Hugh Sheridan, Australian actor, musician and television presenter
- July 1 - Léa Seydoux, French actress
- July 2
- Nelson Franklin, American actor
- Ashley Tisdale, American actress and singer
- July 5
- François Arnaud (actor), Canadian actor
- Stephanie McIntosh, Australian actress and singer
- July 6 - Ranveer Singh, Indian actor
- July 7 - Seo Woo, South Korean actress
- July 11 - Nitya Vidyasagar, Indian-American actress
- July 14
- Lee Kwang-soo, South Korean actor, entertainer and model
- Phoebe Waller-Bridge, English actress and writer
- July 15
- Tomer Capone, Israeli actor
- Pedro Carvalho (actor), Portuguese actor
- Agniya Kuznetsova, Russian actress
- Crowd Lu, Taiwanese singer-songwriter and actor
- Ecstasia Sanders, American-Canadian actress
- July 16
- Yōko Hikasa, Japanese voice actress and singer
- Hiroyuki Onoue, Japanese actor
- Rosa Salazar, Canadian-American actress
- Cha Ye-ryun, South Korean actress
- July 17 - Caitlin Van Zandt, American actor
- July 18
- Chace Crawford, American actor
- James Norton, English actor
- July 20 - John Francis Daley, American actor, director, producer, screenwriter and musician
- July 21 - Vanessa Lengies, Canadian actress and singer
- July 22 - Blake Harrison, English actor, voice actor and dancer
- July 25
- James Lafferty, American actor, director and producer
- Shantel VanSanten, American model and actress
- July 27
- Aljin Abella, Australian actor of Filipino descent
- Lou Taylor, American actor
- July 30 - Aml Ameen, British actor
- August 1 - Henry Lloyd-Hughes, English actor
- August 2 - Georgina Haig, Australian actress
- August 9 - Anna Kendrick, American actress and singer
- August 10 - Jared Nathan, American actor (died 2006)
- August 11 - Jacqueline Fernandez, Sri Lankan actress
- August 12 - África Zavala, Mexican actress
- August 15 - Emily Kinney, American actress, singer and songwriter
- August 16
- Arden Cho, American actress, singer and model
- Cristin Milioti, American actress and singer
- August 17 - Yū Aoi, Japanese actress
- August 18 - Desiree Casado, former actress
- August 21 - Laura Haddock, English actress
- August 23 - Juss Haasma, Estonian actor
- August 27 - Kayla Ewell, American actress
- September 2 - Yani Gellman, Canadian actor
- September 4 - Morgan Garrett, American voice actress
- September 6 - Lauren Lapkus, American actress and comedian
- September 10
- Monica Lopera, Colombian-American actress
- Elyse Levesque, Canadian actress
- September 16 - Madeline Zima, American actress
- September 21 - Robert Hoffman (actor), American actor
- September 22 - Tatiana Maslany, Canadian actress
- September 24 - Jessica Lucas, Canadian actress and singer
- September 26 - Talulah Riley, English actress
- September 27 - Grace Helbig, American actress, comedian and YouTuber
- September 30 - Ben Lewis (Canadian actor), Canadian actor and writer
- October 1 - Emerald Fennell, English screen actress and director
- October 5 - Carolina Bartczak, Canadian-Polish actress
- October 11 - Michelle Trachtenberg, American actress
- October 17 - Max Irons, English-Irish actor and model
- October 24 - Tim Pocock, Australian actor
- October 26
- Qi Wei, Chinese actress
- Asin Thottumkal, Indian actress[18]
- October 28 - Troian Bellisario, American actress
- October 31 - Kether Donohue, American actress and singer
- November 2 - Josh Grelle, American voice actor
- November 5 - Annet Mahendru, Afghan-born American actress of Indian-Russian descent
- November 7 - Lucas Neff, American actor
- November 10 - Giovonnie Samuels, American actress
- November 15 - Thue Ersted Rasmussen, Danish actor
- November 20 - Dan Byrd, American actor
- November 21 - Ronny Chieng, Malaysian comedian and actor
- November 23 - Katie Crown, Canadian-American actress, voice actress, comedian and writer
- November 27 - Alison Pill, Canadian actress
- November 30
- Gia Crovatin, American actress and producer
- Kaley Cuoco, American actress
- December 1 - Janelle Monáe, American singer, rapper and actress
- December 3 - Amanda Seyfried, American actress and singer
- December 5 - Frankie Muniz, American actor
- December 6 - Max Kasch, American actor and musician
- December 10 - Raven-Symoné, American actress and singer
Deaths
| Month | Date | Name | Age | Country | Profession | Notable films |
| January | 5 | Robert Surtees | 78 | US | Cinematographer | |
| 5 | John Paxton | 73 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| 11 | Edward Buzzell | 89 | US | Director | ||
| 12 | Paul Luty | 52 | UK | Actor | ||
| 13 | Carol Wayne | 42 | US | Actress | ||
| 14 | Jetta Goudal | 93 | Netherlands | Actress | ||
| 18 | Wilfrid Brambell | 72 | UK | Actor | ||
| 25 | Paul J. Smith | 78 | US | Composer, Orchestrator | ||
| February | ||||||
| 4 | Fred Ryan | 67 | UK | Boom Operator | ||
| 6 | Neil McCarthy | 52 | UK | Actor | ||
| 6 | James Hadley Chase | 78 | UK | Writer, Miscellaneous | ||
| 10 | Wanda Tuchock | 86 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| 11 | Henry Hathaway | 86 | US | Director, Producer | ||
| 12 | Nicholas Colasanto | 61 | US | Actor | ||
| 16 | Larry Ward | 60 | US | Actor, Writer | ||
| 19 | Dorothy Black | 85 | South Africa | Actress | ||
| 20 | Clarence Nash | 80 | US | Actor | ||
| 21 | Ina Claire | 91 | UK | Actress | ||
| 21 | Louis Hayward | 75 | UK | Actor, Director, Producer | ||
| 27 | J. Pat O'Malley | 80 | UK | Actor, Voice Actor | ||
| 27 | David Huffman | 39 | US | Actor, Producer | ||
| March | ||||||
| 1 | Alfred Zeisler | 92 | US | Producer, Director | ||
| 3 | Noel Purcell | 84 | Ireland | Actor | ||
| 5 | Thomas Little | 98 | US | Set Decorator | ||
| 8 | Edward Andrews | 70 | US | Actor | ||
| 19 | Anthony Nelson Keys | 73 | UK | Producer | ||
| 21 | Michael Redgrave | 77 | UK | Actor, Writer | ||
| 21 | Michael Trubshawe | 79 | UK | Actor | ||
| April | ||||||
| 16 | Scott Brady | 60 | US | Actor | ||
| 21 | John Welsh | 70 | UK | Actor, Production Manager | ||
| 23 | Kent Smith | 78 | US | Actor | ||
| 25 | Richard Haydn | 80 | UK | Actor | ||
| 26 | Albert Maltz | 76 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| May | 1 | George Pravda | 68 | UK | Actor | |
| 4 | Harry Earles | 83 | US | Actor | ||
| 5 | Mildred Dixon | 74 | US | Actress | ||
| 7 | Dawn Addams | 54 | UK | Actress | ||
| 8 | Susan Morrow | 53 | US | Actress | ||
| 8 | Dolph Sweet | 64 | US | Actor | ||
| 9 | Edmond O'Brien | 69 | US | Actor | ||
| 11 | Chester Gould | 84 | US | Writer, Cartoonist | ||
| 13 | Selma Diamond | 64 | US | Actress, Writer | ||
| 13 | Leatrice Joy | 91 | US | Actress | ||
| 14 | Frank Westmore | 62 | ?? | Makeup Artist | ||
| 16 | Margaret Hamilton | 82 | US | Actress | ||
| 17 | Hugh Burden | 72 | UK | Actor, Writer | ||
| 22 | Wolfgang Reitherman | 75 | US | Animator, Director, Producer | ||
| 22 | Gerald Case | 80 | UK | Actor | ||
| 25 | Robert Nathan | 91 | US | Writer, Actor | ||
| 26 | Harold Hecht | 77 | US | Producer | ||
| 30 | Talbot Jennings | 90 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| June | 1 | Richard Greene | 66 | UK | Actor, Producer | |
| 7 | Gordon Rollings | 59 | UK | Actor | ||
| 9 | Clifford Evans | 73 | UK | Actor, Writer | ||
| 10 | George Chandler | 86 | US | Actor | ||
| 17 | John Boulting | 71 | UK | Producer, Director | ||
| 24 | Valentine Dyall | 77 | UK | Actor | ||
| 28 | James Craig | 73 | US | Actor, Writer | ||
| July | 1 | Elsie Wagstaff | 86 | UK | Actress | |
| 3 | Nelson Leigh | 80 | US | Actor | ||
| 7 | Ewen Solon | 67 | NZ | Actor | ||
| 8 | Phil Foster | 71 | US | Actor | ||
| 8 | Victor Rendina | 68 | US | Actor | ||
| 17 | Margo | 68 | Mexico | Actress | ||
| 18 | Louisa Ghijs | 83 | Belgium | Actress | ||
| 19 | Henry Mollison | 80 | UK | Actor | ||
| 20 | Estelle Evans | 78 | US | Actress | ||
| 23 | Kay Kyser | 80 | US | Musician, Actor | ||
| 23 | Mickey Shaughnessy | 64 | US | Actor | ||
| 28 | Grant Williams | 53 | US | Actor | ||
| August | ||||||
| 2 | Bob Holt | 56 | US | Actor | ||
| 2 | Frank Faylen | 79 | US | Actor | ||
| 7 | Grayson Hall | 62 | US | Actress | ||
| 8 | Louise Brooks | 78 | US | Actress | ||
| 8 | Milton H. Greene | 63 | US | Producer | ||
| 10 | Kenny Baker | 72 | US | Singer, Actor | ||
| 12 | Patrick Hines | 55 | US | Actor | ||
| 13 | Marion Martin | 77 | US | Actress | ||
| 14 | Gale Sondergaard | 86 | US | Actress | ||
| 15 | Lester Cole | 81 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| 24 | Morrie Ryskind | 89 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| 28 | Ruth Gordon | 88 | US | Actress, Writer | ||
| 29 | Evelyn Ankers | 67 | US | Actress | ||
| 29 | Patrick Barr | 77 | UK | Actor | ||
| 30 | Tom Howard | 75 | UK | Special Effects | ||
| September | 4 | George O'Brien | 86 | US | Actor, Producer | |
| 6 | Johnny Desmond | 65 | US | Actor, Singer | ||
| 6 | Jane Frazee | 67 | US | Actress, Singer | ||
| 10 | Alexa Kenin | 23 | US | Actress | ||
| 14 | Julian Beck | 60 | US | Actor | ||
| 16 | Art Scholl | 53 | US | Stuntman, Actor | ||
| 23 | Harvey Parry | 85 | US | Stuntman | ||
| 24 | Paul Mann | 71 | US | Actor | ||
| 27 | Lloyd Nolan | 83 | US | Actor | ||
| 28 | L. B. Abbott | 77 | US | Special Effects | ||
| 29 | Arthur Krams | 73 | US | Set Decorator | ||
| 30 | Simone Signoret | 64 | France | Actress | ||
| 30 | Floyd Crosby | 85 | US | Cinematographer | ||
| October | 2 | George Savalas | 60 | US | Actor | |
| 2 | Rock Hudson | 59 | US | Actor | ||
| 6 | Nelson Riddle | 64 | US | Composer, Orchestrator | ||
| 10 | Yul Brynner | 65 | US | Actor | ||
| 10 | Orson Welles | 70 | US | Actor, Writer, Director | ||
| 13 | Francesca Bertini | 93 | Italy | Actress | ||
| 16 | Franklin Milton | 78 | US | Recording Supervisor | ||
| 22 | Stefano Satta Flores | 48 | Italy | Actor | ||
| 25 | Gary Holton | 33 | UK | Actor | ||
| 29 | John Davis Lodge | 82 | US | Actor, lawyer, politician | ||
| 30 | Kirby Grant | 73 | US | Actor | ||
| 30 | David Oxley | 64 | Spain | Actor | ||
| November | 1 | Phil Silvers | 74 | US | Actor | |
| 12 | Dimitar Panov | 83 | Bulgaria | Actor |
| |
| 19 | Jimmy Ritz | 81 | US | Actor, Writer | ||
| 19 | Stepin Fetchit | 83 | US | Actor | ||
| 23 | Leslie Mitchell | 80 | UK | Newsreel Commentator | British Movietone News | |
| December | 11 | Kathleen Ryan | 63 | Ireland | Actress | |
| 12 | Anne Baxter | 62 | US | Actress | ||
| 12 | Phil Karlson | 77 | US | Director | ||
| 14 | Bruce Weintraub | 33 | US | Set Decorator | ||
| 17 | Harry M. Leonard | 85 | US | Sound Recordist | ||
| 23 | Gina Kaus | 92 | Austria | Screenwriter | ||
| 26 | Margarete Schön | 90 | Germany | Actress, Director | ||
| 28 | Renato Castellani | 72 | Italy | Director, Writer | ||
| 31 | Ricky Nelson | 45 | US | Actor, Singer | ||
| 31 | Sam Spiegel | 84 | UK | Producer |
Film debuts
- Joan Allen - Compromising Positions
- Sean Astin - The Goonies
- Fairuza Balk - Return to Oz
- Randall Batinkoff - Streetwalkin'
- Jason Beghe - Compromising Positions
- Josh Brolin - The Goonies
- Tim Burton (director) - Pee Wee's Big Adventure
- Helena Bonham Carter - A Ro