| Rank | Release
| Genre
| Budget
| Running Time
| Gross | Theaters | Total Gross | Release Date | Distributor
| Estimated
|
|---|
| 1 | Tootsie | - | - | - | $79,680,846 | 1,222 | $177,200,000 | Dec 17 | Columbia Pictures | false |
| 2 | 48 Hrs. | - | - | - | $34,307,656 | 1,050 | $78,868,508 | Dec 10 | Paramount Pictures | false |
| 3 | The Verdict | - | - | - | $27,464,944 | 904 | $53,977,250 | Dec 10 | Twentieth Century Fox | false |
| 4 | An Officer and a Gentleman | - | - | - | $19,756,684 | 1,050 | $129,795,554 | Jul 30 | Paramount Pictures | false |
| 5 | Gandhi | - | - | - | $19,389,784 | 825 | $52,767,889 | Dec 10 | Columbia Pictures | false |
| 6 | The Dark Crystal | - | - | - | $17,021,001 | 1,052 | $40,577,001 | Dec 17 | Universal Pictures | false |
| 7 | The Toy | - | - | - | $15,926,372 | 1,542 | $47,118,057 | Dec 10 | Columbia Pictures | false |
| 8 | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | - | - | - | $15,614,424 | 1,778 | $359,197,037 | Jun 11 | Universal Pictures | false |
| 9 | Best Friends | - | - | - | $15,528,069 | 1,080 | $36,821,203 | Dec 17 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 10 | Sophie's Choice | - | - | - | $12,520,015 | 548 | $30,036,000 | Dec 10 | Universal Pictures | false |
| 11 | The Entity | - | - | - | $11,166,463 | 1,035 | $13,277,558 | Feb 4 | Twentieth Century Fox | false |
| 12 | The House on Sorority Row | - | - | - | $10,604,986 | 153 | $10,604,986 | Jan 21 | Film Ventures International (FVI) | false |
| 13 | Kiss Me Goodbye | - | - | - | $7,988,431 | 803 | $15,782,759 | Dec 24 | Twentieth Century Fox | false |
| 14 | Without a Trace | - | - | - | $7,653,249 | 721 | $9,632,062 | Feb 4 | Twentieth Century Fox | false |
| 15 | Peter Pan 1982 Re-release | - | - | - | $7,274,069 | 800 | $17,200,000 | Dec 17 | Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | false |
| 16 | The Lords of Discipline | - | - | - | $6,638,885 | 800 | $11,787,127 | Feb 18 | Paramount Pictures | false |
| 17 | The Man from Snowy River | - | - | - | $6,315,332 | 517 | $20,659,423 | Nov 5 | Twentieth Century Fox | false |
| 18 | Airplane II: The Sequel | - | - | - | $6,078,358 | 1,300 | $27,150,534 | Dec 10 | Paramount Pictures | false |
| 19 | Lovesick | - | - | - | $6,007,511 | 744 | $10,171,304 | Feb 18 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 20 | The Sting II | - | - | - | $5,653,000 | 1,294 | $6,347,072 | Feb 18 | Universal Pictures | false |
| 21 | They Call Me Bruce | - | - | - | $5,218,000 | 324 | $16,894,678 | Nov 12 | Film Ventures International (FVI) | false |
| 22 | The Year of Living Dangerously | - | - | - | $3,857,890 | 690 | $10,278,575 | Jan 21 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 23 | Let's Spend the Night Together | - | - | - | $3,821,199 | 475 | $3,821,199 | Feb 11 | Embassy Pictures | false |
| 24 | Trail of the Pink Panther | - | - | - | $2,705,453 | 806 | $9,056,073 | Dec 17 | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) | false |
| 25 | Videodrome | - | - | - | $2,120,439 | 600 | $2,120,439 | Feb 4 | Universal Pictures | false |
| 26 | Six Weeks | - | - | - | $1,495,025 | 613 | $6,668,025 | Dec 17 | Universal Pictures | false |
| 27 | The Pirates of Penzance | - | - | - | $694,497 | 91 | $694,497 | Feb 18 | Universal Pictures | false |
| 28 | Table for Five | - | - | - | $187,900 | 181 | $2,439,705 | Feb 18 | Warner Bros. | false |
| 29 | The King of Comedy | - | - | - | $179,241 | 76 | $2,536,242 | Feb 18 | Twentieth Century Fox | false |
| 30 | Local Hero | - | - | - | $23,567 | 207 | $5,895,761 | Feb 18 | Warner Bros. | false |
