1979 in film

The year 1979 in film involved many significant events.

Highest grossing films (U.S.)

The top ten 1979 released films by North American gross are as follows:

Major events

• 39 films were released this year with the same actor playing the lead role, Prem Nazir.
• March 5 - Production begins on The Empire Strikes Back.
• May 25 - Alien, a landmark of the science fiction genre, is released.
• May 31 - The Muppet Movie, Jim Henson's Muppets' first foray into the world of feature-length motion pictures, is released in United Kingdom.
• June 11 - John Wayne dies.
• June 29 - Moonraker, The 11th film in the James Bond franchise is released in the United States and goes on to become the highest grossing film of the year worldwide.
• September 19 - Don Bluth and a group of fellow animators resign from The Walt Disney Company's animation department to set up a rival studio, Don Bluth Productions.
• November 1 - Production begins on Raiders of the Lost Ark.
• December 7 - Star Trek: The Motion Picture debuts in the United States to mixed reviews but strong box office, launching a film franchise that leads to 11 films over the next 30 years. It also leads to the creation of four spin-off television series based upon Gene Roddenberry's creation.

Awards

Academy Awards:

Best Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer - Jaffe, Columbia

Best Director: Robert Benton - Kramer vs. Kramer

Best Actor: Dustin Hoffman - Kramer vs. Kramer

Best Actress: Sally Field - Norma Rae

Best Supporting Actress: Meryl Streep - Kramer vs. Kramer

Best Supporting Actor: Melvyn Douglas - Being There

Best Foreign Language Film: The Tin Drum (Die Blechtrommel), directed by Volker Schlöndorff, W. Germany

Golden Globe Awards:

Drama:

Best Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer

Best Actor: Dustin Hoffman - Kramer vs. Kramer

Best Actress: Sally Field - Norma Rae

Musical or comedy:

Best Picture: Breaking Away

Best Actor: Peter Sellers - Being There

Best Actress: Bette Midler - The Rose

Other

Best Director: Francis Ford Coppola - Apocalypse Now

Best Foreign Language Film: La Cage aux Folles (France)

Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival):

Apocalypse Now, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, United States

The Tin Drum (Die Blechtrommel), directed by Volker Schlöndorff, W. Germany

Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival):

David, directed by Peter Lilienthal, West Germany

Notable films released in 1979

U.S.A. unless stated

#

• 10, directed by Blake Edwards, starring Dudley Moore, Julie Andrews, Bo Derek, Robert Webber, Brian Dennehy
• 1941, directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Tim Matheson, Nancy Allen, Toshiro Mifune, Treat Williams, Warren Oates, Robert Stack

A

• The Actress, the Dollars and the Transylvanians (Artista, dolarii şi ardelenii) - (Romania)
• L'adolescente (The Adolescent), directed by Jeanne Moreau, starring Simone Signoret - (France)
• The Adventure of Sudsakorn, the first and only cel-animated feature film from [[List of Thai films|Thailand]
• Adventures of Sinbad
• Agatha, directed by Michael Apted, starring Vanessa Redgrave and Dustin Hoffman - (U.K.)
• Ah! Nomugi Toge (Nomugi Pass) - (Japan)
• Air Crew (Ekipazh) - (U.S.S.R.)
• Alien, directed by Ridley Scott, starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, John Hurt, Ian Holm, Harry Dean Stanton, Yaphet Kotto - (U.S.A./U.K.)
• All Quiet on the Western Front, a TV film directed by Delbert Mann, starring Richard Thomas and Ernest Borgnine
• All That Jazz, directed by Bob Fosse, starring Roy Scheider, Ann Reinking, Ben Vereen, John Lithgow, Jessica Lange
• An Almost Perfect Affair, starring Keith Carradine and Monica Vitti
• Americathon, starring John Ritter and Harvey Korman
• The Amityville Horror, directed by Stuart Rosenberg, starring James Brolin, Margot Kidder, Rod Steiger
• ...And Justice for All, directed by Norman Jewison, starring Al Pacino, John Forsythe, Jack Warden, Christine Lahti, Craig T. Nelson, Jeffrey Tambor
• Anti-Clock, directed by Jane Arden - (U.K.)
• Apocalypse Now, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, starring Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Martin Sheen, Dennis Hopper, Laurence Fishburne, Frederic Forrest
• The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again, starring Don Knotts and Tim Conway
• Arabian Adventure, starring Christopher Lee and Emma Samms - (U.K.)
• Ashanti, directed by Richard Fleischer, starring Michael Caine and Peter Ustinov
• Autumn Marathon (Osenniy marafon) - (U.S.S.R.)

B

• Baby Snakes, directed by Frank Zappa
• Ball Lightning (Kulový blesk) - (Czechoslovakia)
• Ballad of Tara (Tcherike-ye Tara) - (Iran)
• Bear Island, starring Donald Sutherland, Vanessa Redgrave, Richard Widmark, Barbara Parkins
• Being There, directed by Hal Ashby, starring Peter Sellers, Shirley MacLaine, Melvyn Douglas, Jack Warden
• The Bell Jar, starring Marilyn Hassett, Julie Harris, Anne Jackson
• Best Boy, award-winning documentary
• Beyond the Poseidon Adventure, directed by Irwin Allen, starring Michael Caine, Telly Savalas, Sally Field, Karl Malden, Shirley Jones
• Birth of the Beatles, directed by Richard Marquand
• The Bitch, starring Joan Collins - (U.K.)
• The Black Hole, directed by Gary Nelson, starring Maximilian Schell, Anthony Perkins, Ernest Borgnine, Yvette Mimieux
• The Black Stallion, directed by Carroll Ballard, starring Mickey Rooney, Hoyt Axton, Teri Garr, Kelly Reno
• Bloodline, directed by Terence Young, starring Audrey Hepburn, Ben Gazzara, James Mason, Gert Fröbe, Beatrice Straight
• Bloody Kids, directed by Stephen Frears - (U.K.)
• Boardwalk, starring Ruth Gordon, Lee Strasberg, Janet Leigh
• Boulevard Nights, directed by Michael Pressman
• Breaking Away, directed by Peter Yates, starring Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern, Jackie Earle Haley, Paul Dooley
• Breakthrough, starring Richard Burton, Robert Mitchum, Rod Steiger, Curd Jürgens
• Les Bronzés font du ski (a.k.a. French Fried Vacation 2), directed by Patrice Leconte - (France)
• The Brood, directed by David Cronenberg, starring Oliver Reed and Samantha Eggar - (Canada)
• Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, starring Gil Gerard and Erin Gray
• Buffet froid, directed by Bertrand Blier, starring Gérard Depardieu, Bernard Blier, Jean Carmet - (France)
• The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie
• Butch and Sundance: The Early Days, starring Tom Berenger and William Katt
• The Butterfly Murders (Die bian), directed by Tsui Hark - (Hong Kong)
• Bye Bye Brazil - (Brazil/France/Argentina)

C

• C.H.O.M.P.S., directed by Don Chaffey, starring Wesley Eure, Valerie Bertinelli, Conrad Bain, Red Buttons
• California Dreaming, starring Glynnis O'Connor, Dennis Christopher, Tanya Roberts
• Caligula, directed by Tinto Brass, written by Gore Vidal, starring Malcolm McDowell, Teresa Ann Savoy, Helen Mirren, Peter O'Toole - (Italy/U.S.A.)
• Camera Buff. directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski - (Poland)
• The Castle of Cagliostro (Rupan sansei: Kariosutoro no shiro), an anime film by Hayao Miyazaki - (Japan)
• The Cat and the Canary, starring Honor Blackman, Carol Lynley, Olivia Hussey - (U.K.)
• The Champ, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, starring Jon Voight, Faye Dunaway, Ricky Schroder, Jack Warden, Arthur Hill
• Chapter Two, starring James Caan, Marsha Mason, Joseph Bologna, Valerie Harper
• The China Syndrome, directed by James Bridges, starring Jack Lemmon, Jane Fonda, Michael Douglas
• Christ Stopped at Eboli (Cristo si è fermato a Eboli), directed by Francesco Rosi, starring Gian Maria Volontè - (Italy/France)
• City on Fire, starring Susan Clark and Ava Gardner
• The Concorde ... Airport '79, starring Alain Delon, Susan Blakely, Robert Wagner, George Kennedy
• Cuba, directed by Richard Lester, starring Sean Connery, Brooke Adams, Chris Sarandon

D

• David - (West Germany) - Golden Bear winner
• Derek and Clive Get the Horn, starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore - (U.K.)
• Dirty Ho (Lan tou He), starring Gordon Liu - (Hong Kong)
• Don Giovanni, directed by Joseph Losey, starring Ruggero Raimondi, John Macurdy, Kiri Te Kanawa - (Italy/France/U.K./West Germany)
• Dracula, directed by John Badham, starring Frank Langella, Laurence Olivier, Trevor Eve - (U.S.A./U.K.)
• Dreamer, starring Tim Matheson

E

• Eagle's Wing, starring Martin Sheen and Sam Waterston - (U.K.)
• The Electric Horseman, directed by Sydney Pollack, starring Robert Redford, Jane Fonda, Valerie Perrine, John Saxon, Willie Nelson
• Escape from Alcatraz, directed by Don Siegel, starring Clint Eastwood, Patrick McGoohan, Fred Ward
• Escape to Athena, starring Roger Moore, David Niven, Elliott Gould, Stefanie Powers, Claudia Cardinale, Telly Savalas - (U.K.)
• The Europeans, directed by James Ivory, starring Lee Remick, Lisa Eichhorn, Kristin Griffith - (U.K.)

F

• Fast Break, starring Gabe Kaplan and Bernard King
• Felicity, starring Glory Annen - (Australia)
• Folkes, aka North Sea Hijack, starring Roger Moore, James Mason, Anthony Perkins, Michael Parks - (U.K.)
• The Fifth Musketeer, starring Sylvia Kristel, Ursula Andress, Beau Bridges, Ian McShane, Rex Harrison - (Austria/West Germany)
• Firepower, starring Sophia Loren, James Coburn, O. J. Simpson - (U.K.)
• First Case, Second Case (Qazieh, Shekl-e Avval, Shekl-e Dovom), directed by Abbas Kiarostami - (Iran)
• The First Great Train Robbery, starring Sean Connery, Lesley-Anne Down, Donald Sutherland - (U.K.)
• A Force of One, starring Chuck Norris and Jennifer O'Neill
• French Postcards, starring Miles Chapin, David Marshall Grant, Debra Winger

G

• Gal Young Un, directed by Victor Nuñez
• The Genealogy (Jokbo) - (South Korea)
• Going in Style, directed by Martin Brest, starring George Burns, Art Carney, Lee Strasberg
• The Glove, starring John Saxon and Roosevelt Grier
• Gol Maal (Confusion) - (India)
• Goldengirl, starring Susan Anton, James Coburn, Leslie Caron
• Grass Labyrinth (Kusa Meikyū) - (Japan)
• The Great Santini, starring Robert Duvall, Michael O'Keefe, Blythe Danner, Lisa Jane Persky, Stan Shaw
• The Great Riviera Bank Robbery, starring Ian McShane - (U.K.)

H

• Hair, directed by Miloš Forman, starring John Savage, Treat Williams, Beverly D'Angelo
• Hanover Street, directed by Peter Hyams, starring Harrison Ford, Lesley-Anne Down, Christopher Plummer - (U.S.A./U.K.)
• Hardcore, directed by Paul Schrader, starring George C. Scott and Peter Boyle
• Heart of the Forest (El corazón del bosque) - (Spain)
• Heartland, directed by Richard Pearce, starring Rip Torn and Conchata Ferrell - Golden Bear winner, Sundance Grand Jury Prize
• Hot Stuff, directed by and starring Dom DeLuise, with Suzanne Pleshette, Ossie Davis, Jerry Reed
• The Human Factor, starring Richard Attenborough, John Gielgud, Derek Jacobi - (U.K.)
• Hurricane, starring Mia Farrow, Jason Robards, Max von Sydow, Trevor Howard
• The Hussy (La drôlesse) - (France)
• The Hypothesis of the Stolen Painting (L'Hypothèse du tableau volé), directed by Raúl Ruiz - (France)

I

• I as in Icarus (I... comme Icare), starring Yves Montand - (France)
• The In-Laws, directed by Arthur Hiller, starring Alan Arkin and Peter Falk

J

• Jack Frost, directed by Rankin/Bass, starring Robert Morse
• Jaguar - (Philippines)
• The Jerk, directed by Carl Reiner, starring Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters
• Jesus, directed by Peter Sykes and John Krisch, starring Brian Deacon - (Australia/U.S.A./U.K.)
• Just You and Me, Kid, starring George Burns and Brooke Shields

K

• Kaala Patthar (Black Stone), starring Shashi Kapoor - (India)
• Kassbach – Ein Porträt (Kassbach - A Portrait) - (Austria)
• The Kids Are Alright, a rockumentary featuring The Who - (U.K.)
• Knockabout, directed by and starring Sammo Hung - (Hong Kong)
• Kramer vs. Kramer, directed by Robert Benton, starring Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep (both won Oscars), Justin Henry, JoBeth Williams, Jane Alexander

L

• Lady Oscar, starring Catriona MacColl and Patsy Kensit - (France/Japan)
• The Lady Vanishes, starring Elliott Gould, Cybill Shepherd, Angela Lansbury
• Last Embrace, directed by Jonathan Demme, starring Roy Scheider and Janet Margolin
• The Last of the Knucklemen - (Australia)
• A Little Romance, directed by George Roy Hill, starring Laurence Olivier, Diane Lane, Sally Kellerman - (France/U.S.A.)
• Little Tragedies (Malenkie tragedii) - (U.S.S.R.)
• Love and Bullets, directed by Stuart Rosenberg, starring Charles Bronson, Jill Ireland, Rod Steiger
• Love at First Bite, starring George Hamilton and Susan Saint James
• Love on the Run (L'amour en fuite), directed by François Truffaut - (France)
• Lovers and Liars (Viaggio con Anita), starring Goldie Hawn and Giancarlo Giannini - (Italy/France)
• La Luna, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, starring Jill Clayburgh - (Italy)

M

• Mad Max, directed by George Miller, starring Mel Gibson - (Australia)
• The Magician of Lublin, starring Alan Arkin, Louise Fletcher, Valerie Perrine
• Magnificent Butcher (Lin shi rong), starring Sammo Hung - (Hong Kong)
• The Main Event, starring Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal
• Mamá cumple cien años (Mama Turns 100), directed by Carlos Saura, starring Geraldine Chaplin - (Spain)
• Manhattan, directed by and starring Woody Allen, with Diane Keaton, Michael Murphy, Mariel Hemingway
• A Man, a Woman, and a Bank, starring Donald Sutherland and Brooke Adams
• The Marriage of Maria Braun, directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, starring Hanna Schygulla - (West Germany)
• Mattie the Goose-boy (Lúdas Matyi) - (Hungary)
• Maula Jatt - (Pakistan)
• Meatballs, directed by Ivan Reitman, starring Bill Murray - (Canada)
• The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed (Mesto vstrechi izmenit nelzya) - (U.S.S.R.)
• Meetings with Remarkable Men, Gurdjieff biography directed by Peter Brook - (U.K.)
• Meteor, directed by Ronald Neame, starring Sean Connery, Natalie Wood, Karl Malden, Henry Fonda, Martin Landau, Trevor Howard
• Monty Python's Life of Brian, directed by Terry Jones, starring Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Michael Palin - (U.K.)
• Moonraker, directed by Lewis Gilbert, starring Roger Moore (as James Bond), with Lois Chiles, Michael Lonsdale, Richard Kiel - (U.K.)
• More American Graffiti, starring Candy Clark, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams
• Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears - (U.S.S.R.) - Academy Award for Best Foreign-Language Film
• Mr. Mike's Mondo Video, starring Michael O'Donoghue, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray
• The Muppet Movie, made by Jim Henson, with Charles Durning and Dom DeLuise
• Murder by Decree, starring Christopher Plummer (as Sherlock Holmes) and James Mason - (U.K./Canada)
• My Brilliant Career, directed by Gillian Armstrong, starring Judy Davis and Sam Neill - (Australia)

N

• Nightwing, directed by Arthur Hiller, starring Nick Mancuso and Kathryn Harrold
• Noorie, directed by Manmohan Krishna - (India)
• Norma Rae, directed by Martin Ritt, starring Sally Field, Ron Leibman, Beau Bridges
• The North Avenue Irregulars, starring Karen Valentine, Barbara Harris, Susan Clark
• North Dallas Forty, starring Nick Nolte, Mac Davis, G. D. Spradlin, Dayle Haddon, Bo Svenson, John Matuszak
• Nosferatu the Vampyre (Nosferatu: Phantom der Nach), directed by Werner Herzog, starring Klaus Kinski, Isabelle Adjani, Bruno Ganz - (West Germany)

O

• The Odd Angry Shot, starring Bryan Brown - (Australia)
• The Odd Couple (Bo ming chan dao duo ming qiang), starring Sammo Hung - (Hong Kong)
• The Onion Field, directed by Harold Becker, starring James Woods, John Savage, Franklyn Seales, Ted Danson
• Operación Ogro, directed by Gillo Pontecorvo, starring Gian Maria Volontè - (Spain/Italy)
• Over the Edge, directed by Jonathan Kaplan, starring Matt Dillon

P

• The Passage, starring Anthony Quinn, James Mason, Malcolm McDowell, Patricia Neal, Kay Lenz
• A Perfect Couple, directed by Robert Altman, starring Paul Dooley and Marta Heflin
• Peruvazhiyambalam, directed by Padmarajan - (India)
• Les petites fugues (The Little Fugitives) - (Switzerland)
• Phantasm, directed by Don Coscarelli
• The Plank, directed by and starring Eric Sykes, with Arthur Lowe - (U.K.)
• The Plumber, directed by Peter Weir, starring Judy Morris - (Australia)
• Prince Nezha's Triumph Against Dragon King (Nezha nao hai), an animated film - (China)
• The Prisoner of Zenda, starring Peter Sellers, Lynne Frederick and Lionel Jeffries
• The Prize Fighter, starring Don Knotts and Tim Conway
• Prophecy, directed by John Frankenheimer, starring Talia Shire, Robert Foxworth, Richard Dysart, Armand Assante

Q

• Quadrophenia, directed by Franc Roddam, starring Phil Daniels, Leslie Ash, Ray Winstone, with music by The Who - (U.K.)

R

• Real Life, directed by and starring Albert Brooks, with Charles Grodin
• Richard Pryor: Live in Concert
• Rich Kids, starring Trini Alvarado and John Lithgow
• Rock 'n' Roll High School, produced by Roger Corman, featuring The Ramones
• Rocky II, directed by and starring Sylvester Stallone, with Carl Weathers, Talia Shire, Burgess Meredith, Burt Young
• The Rose, directed by Mark Rydell, starring Bette Midler, Alan Bates, Frederic Forrest
• Running, starring Michael Douglas

S

• Saint Jack, directed by Peter Bogdanovich, starring Ben Gazzara
• Scavenger Hunt, starring Cloris Leachman, Cleavon Little, Vincent Price, Tony Randall
• Scum, starring Ray Winstone - (U.K.)
• A Scream from Silence (Mourir à tue-tête) - (Canada)
• The Seduction of Joe Tynan, starring Alan Alda, Meryl Streep, Melvyn Douglas, Barbara Harris, Rip Torn
• A Sense of Freedom, directed by John Mackenzie - (U.K.)
• Série noire (Black Series), directed by Alain Corneau - (France)
• Siberiade, directed by Andrei Konchalovsky - (U.S.S.R.)
• Sisters, or the Balance of Happiness (Schwestern oder Die Balance des Glücks), directed by Margarethe von Trotta - (West Germany)
• Skatetown, U.S.A., starring Scott Baio, Flip Wilson, Maureen McCormick, Patrick Swayze
• Something Out of Nothing, directed by Nikola Rudarov, starring Asen Kisimov, Stefan Danailov, Aneta Sotirova - (Bulgaria)
• Stalker, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky - (U.S.S.R.)
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture, directed by Robert Wise, starring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Persis Khambatta, Stephen Collins
• Starting Over, directed by Alan J. Pakula, starring Burt Reynolds, Jill Clayburgh, Candice Bergen, Charles Durning
• Suhaag (a.k.a. Sign of Marriage), starring Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, Rekha - (India)
• The Survivors (Los sobrevivientes) - (Cuba)

T

• Take Down, starring Lorenzo Lamas and Maureen McCormick
• Tale of Tales (Skazka skazok), an animated film - (U.S.S.R.)
• Tarka the Otter, narrated by Peter Ustinov - (U.K.)
• The Tempest, directed by Derek Jarman, starring Toyah Willcox - (U.K.)
• Tess, directed by Roman Polanski, starring Nastassja Kinski - (France/U.K.)
• That Summer!, starring Ray Winstone - (U.K.)
• The Third Generation (Die Dritte Generation), directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, starring Hanna Schygulla - (West Germany)
• Those Wonderful Movie Cranks (Báječní muži s klikou), directed by Jiří Menzel - (Czechoslovakia)
• La Tía Alejandra (Aunt Alejandra) - (Mexico)
• Tim, starring Mel Gibson and Piper Laurie - (Australia)
• Time After Time, directed by Nicholas Meyer, starring Malcolm McDowell, David Warner, Mary Steenburgen
• The Tin Drum (Die Blechtrommel), directed by Volker Schlöndorff, starring David Bennent - (West Germany) - Palme d'Or winner
• To Forget Venice (Dimenticare Venezia), starring Mariangela Melato and Erland Josephson - (Italy)
• Tourist Trap, starring Chuck Connors and Tanya Roberts

U

• Ultraman - (Japan)
• Ultraman: Great Monster Decisive Battle - (Japan)
• Uncle Marin, the Billionaire (Nea Mărin miliardar) - (Romania)

V

• Vengeance Is Mine (fukushū suru wa ware ni ari), directed by Shohei Imamura, starring Ken Ogata - (Japan)
• The Villain, directed by Hal Needham, starring Kirk Douglas, Ann-Margret, Arnold Schwarzenegger
• The Visitor, starring John Huston, Glenn Ford, Shelley Winters

W

• Wanda Nevada, directed by and starring Peter Fonda, with Brooke Shields
• The Wanderers, starring Ken Wahl and Karen Allen
• The Warriors, directed by Walter Hill, starring Michael Beck, James Remar, David Patrick Kelly, Deborah Van Valkenburgh
• When a Stranger Calls, starring Charles Durning and Carol Kane
• Winter Kills, starring Jeff Bridges, John Huston, Anthony Perkins
• Wise Blood, directed by and starring John Huston, with Brad Dourif - (U.S.A./West Germany)
• Woman Between Wolf and Dog (Femme entre chien et loup) - (Belgium/France)
• Woyzeck, directed by Werner Herzog, starring Klaus Kinski and Eva Mattes - (West Germany)
• The Wretches Are Still Singing (Τα Κουρέλια Τραγουδάνε Ακόμα), directed by Nikos Nikolaidis - (Greece)

XYZ

• Yanks, directed by John Schlesinger, starring Richard Gere, Lisa Eichhorn, Vanessa Redgrave - (U.S.A./U.K.)
• Yesterday's Hero, directed by Neil Leifer, starring Ian McShane, Suzanne Somers, Adam Faith and Paul Nicholas - (U.K.)
• Zombi 2, directed by Lucio Fulci, starring Tisa Farrow, Ian McCulloch, Richard Johnson - (Italy)
• Zulu Dawn, starring Peter O'Toole, Burt Lancaster, Simon Ward - (U.S.A./South Africa/Netherlands)

1979 film releases

January–March

• February 1979
  • February 2
    • The First Great Train Robbery
  • February 9
    • Agatha
    • The Warriors
    • The North Avenue Irregulars
• March 1979
  • March 2
    • Norma Rae
    • Real Life
  • March 14
    • Hair
  • March 16
    • The China Syndrome

April–June

• April 1979
  • April 4
    • The Champ
  • April 25
    • Manhattan
• May 1979
  • May 4
    • Last Embrace
  • May 10
    • Apocalypse Now
  • May 11
    • Winter Kills
  • May 25
    • Alien
  • May 31
    • The Muppet Movie
• June 1979
  • June 1
    • Phantasm
  • June 15
    • Butch and Sundance: The Early Days
    • The In-Laws
    • Prophecy
    • Rocky II
  • June 22
    • Escape from Alcatraz
    • The Main Event
  • June 26
    • Moonraker
  • June 27
    • The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again

July–September

• July 1979
  • July 13
    • Dracula
  • July 27
    • The Amityville Horror
  • July 26
    • Unidentified Flying Oddball
• August 1979
  • August 3
    • More American Graffiti
  • August 17
    • Monty Python's Life of Brian
    • The Prisoner of Zenda
  • August 25
    • Zombi 2
  • September 28
    • The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie

October–December

• October 1979
  • October 26
    • When a Stranger Calls
• November 1979
  • November 9
    • The Rose
• December 1979
  • December 7
    • Star Trek: The Motion Picture
  • December 14
    • 1941
    • The Jerk
  • December 21
    • The Black Hole

Births

• January 8 - Sarah Polley, Canadian actress
• January 12 - Isidra Vega, actress
• January 27 - Rosamund Pike, English actress
• February 9 - Zhang Ziyi, Chinese actress and dancer
• February 13 - Mena Suvari, actress
• February 21 - Jennifer Love Hewitt, actress and singer
• March 9 - Oscar Isaac, actor
• March 10 - Danny Pudi, actor
• April 4
  • Bunko Kanazawa, Japanese actress
  • Heath Ledger, Australian actor (d. 2008)
  • Natasha Lyonne, actress
• April 12 - Claire Danes, actress
• April 19 - Kate Hudson, actress
• April 21 - James McAvoy, actor
• April 23 - Jaime King, actress
• May 9 - Rosario Dawson, actress
• May 28 - Monica Keena, actress
• June 7 - Anna Torv, Australian actress
• June 24 - Mindy Kaling, American writer and actress
• June 27 - Benjamin Speed, Australian film composer
• July 3 - Ludivine Sagnier, French actress
• July 31 - BJ Novak, American writer and actor
• August 3 - Evangeline Lilly, Canadian actress
• August 27 - Aaron Paul, actor
• August 31 - Yuvan Shankar Raja, Indian film composer
• September 8 - Pink, singer and actress
• September 11 - Ariana Richards, actress
• October 4 - Rachael Leigh Cook, actress
• October 6 - Sareh Bayat, actress
• October 8 - Kristanna Loken, actress
• October 29 - Maya Karin, Malaysian actress
• December 7 - Kristofer Hivju, Norwegian actor
• December 23 - Summer Altice, model and actress
• December 26 - Chris Daughtry, actor and singer

Notable deaths

Debuts

• Rosanna Arquette - More American Graffiti
• Matt Craven - Meatballs
• Ted Danson - The Onion Field
• Keith David - Disco Godfather
• Matt Dillon - Over the Edge
• Cary Elwes - Yesterday's Hero
• Danny Glover - Escape from Alcatraz
• Diane Lane - A Little Romance
• Hayao Miyazaki (director) - The Castle of Cagliostro
• David Paymer - The In-Laws
• Chris Penn - Charlie and the Talking Buzzard
• Jean Reno - The Hypothesis of the Stolen Painting
• Mickey Rourke - 1941
• Ricky Schroder - The Champ
• Wallace Shawn - Manhattan
• Martin Short - Lost and Found
• Timothy Spall - Quadrophenia
• Daniel Stern - Breaking Away
• Patrick Swayze - Skatetown, U.S.A.
• Ray Winstone - That Summer!
• JoBeth Williams - Kramer vs. Kramer

References