James Caan amassed 137 acting credits listed on IMDb during his expansive career, appearing in some of the all-time greatest movies ever made. Perhaps most notably, in 1973, Caan earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his riveting turn as Sonny Corleone in The Godfather.
Updated on July 8th, 2022 by Mark Birrell: James Caan has died at 82. It is currently believed the iconic actor’s final performance will be seen in the movie Fast Charlie, slated to be released in 2023.
10 Thief (1981) – 7.4
Available to stream on Tubi and Pluto TV
Michael Mann made his narrative feature film debut with Thief in 1981, starring James Caan in the title role. Caan plays Frank, a hot-shot safecracker and jewel thief who vows one last job before going on the straight and narrow.
Blinded by his desire to leave the life of crime behind, Frank takes a high-risk job of stealing invaluable goods for Chicago mob boss Leo (Robert Prosky). When an undercover surveillance operation catches wind of the scam, Frank’s dream life takes a turn for the worst.
9 A Bridge Too Far (1977) – 7.4
Available to stream on HBO Max
In Richard Attenborough’s three-hour World War II epic, James Caan joined the A-list ensemble of Sean Connery, Michael Caine, Gene Hackman, Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Olivier, Robert Redford, and many more to cross A Bridge Too Far.
The BAFTA-winner concerns the real-life Allied mission in 1944 called Operation Market Garden, which called for the capture of a bevy of strategically located bridges throughout Holland as the Nazi forces advanced.
8 Brian’s Song (1971) – 7.5
Available to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime Video
Known for its ability to make grown men weep without fail, Brian’s Song is a made-for-TV tear-jerker based on the real-life kinship between Chicago Bears teammates Gale Sayers (Billy Dee Williams) and Brian Piccolo (James Caan).
When future Hall-of-Fame running back Gale Sayers joins the Chicago Bears, he is instantly met with kindness by a fellow tailback, Brian Piccolo. Despite competing with one another, the two become fast friends. When Brian is suddenly stricken with terminal cancer, Gale consoles his best friend at his bedside with heartwarming support.
7 El Dorado (1966) – 7.5
Available to rent or purchase on Amazon Prime Video
James Caan took third billing to such Hollywood heavyweights as John Wayne and Robert Mitchum in the highly-acclaimed western El Dorado.
Directed by Howard Hawks, the story finds the hired gun Cole Thornton (Wayne) reuniting with his old Sheriff pal J.P Harra (Mitchum) to bring down a corrupt rancher stealing water from his town. Caan plays Mississippi, a rambunctious handyman who assists Cole in his return to the titular town.
6 Detachment (2011) – 7.7
Available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, Tubi, Crackle, Pluto TV, and Peacock
James Caan takes a relatively small–but memorable–supporting role in this high school drama as a veteran teacher in a troubled school, adding a little humor to an otherwise bleak situation.
Though it received a harsher reception from critics, Detachment ranks as one of the best James Caan movies ever on IMDb. The story follows Henry Barthes (Adrien Brody), a caring-but-emotionally-distant substitute teacher, and is full of emotional scenes revolving around serious issues found in the education system, not to mention many other stars in the impressive supporting cast. These range from Caan’s main scene partner, Lucy Liu, to smaller supporting roles from the likes of Bryan Cranston and Tim Blake Nelson.
5 Misery (1990) – 7.8
Available to stream on Showtime
Directed by Rob Reiner and based on Stephen King’s novel, Misery is a terrifying two-hander for which Kathy Bates won Best Leading Actress at the Oscars.
Paul Sheldon (James Caan) is a popular novelist who holes up in the Colorado mountains to write his newest book in solitude. Upon returning home, Paul nearly dies in a car crash, only to be rescued and nursed back to health by his biggest fan, Annie Wilkes (Bates). However, when Paul fails to write the novel Annie wants to read, she physically tortures him to near death until he mounts an escape.
4 The Tale Of Princess Kaguya (2013) – 8.0
Available to stream on HBO Max
For the English-language version of the highly acclaimed Japanese animated movie The Tale of Princess Kaguya, James Caan lent his voice to the role of The Bamboo Cutter. He was joined by Chloe Grace-Moretz, Lucy Liu, James Marsden, John Cho, Oliver Platt, and more.
The story tracks a miniature princess named Kaguya who is discovered dwelling in the bamboo forests by an old man. When Kaguya grows of age, she is proposed to by five marital suitors, who she tasks with finding the perfect wedding gift. When they fail to do so, Kaguya is courted by the Japanese Emperor.
3 Dogville (2003) – 8
Written and directed by Danish auteur Lars Von Trier, Dogville is a nine-chapter experimental crime film starring Nicole Kidman as Grace, a woman on the lam hiding from ruthless gangsters in a small Colorado mining town.
The controversial film also features a stellar American ensemble cast, including James Caan as The Big Man, Grace’s mobster lover she flees from at the beginning of the story.
2 The Godfather: Part II (1974) – 9
Available to stream on Paramount+
Although he only appears in an uncredited flashback cameo, James Caan can still lay claim to having The Godfather: Part II listed in his decorated filmography.
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, the highly-acclaimed sequel shows Don Vito Corleone’s (Robert De Niro) early days coming of age as a criminal in Sicily before moving to New York to set up a mafia empire. The film won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and currently ranks #4 on IMDB’s Top 250.
1 The Godfather (1972) – 9.2
Available to stream on Paramount+
James Caan earned the sole Oscar nomination of his career for his explosive turn as Sonny Corleone in The Godfather, the #2 ranking movie on IMDB’s Top 250 Movies Of All Time.
Winner of three Oscars including Best Picture, Leading Actor (Marlon Brando), and Adapted Screenplay, this all-time classic traces the criminal exploits of the Corleone family, an enterprising Italian mafia outfit that relocated from Sicily to New York to become one of the most powerful and influential crime syndicates in history.
About The Author
