Back in 1999, actress Julianne Moore had quite a year. She appeared in no less than five feature films. She garnered accolades for all of them, and received an Academy Award nomination for one, The End of the Affair. I was fascinated by her run, not least because I thought she was particularly awful in each of the movies. Moore is a very gifted actress, but I thought she overextended herself and was unable to give a single honest performance. I also started a new little hobby. I began to imagine the years in Hollywood like seasons in baseball, and tried to name the MVP. In 2007 you might have chosen Cate Blanchett for her multiple Oscar nominations in a single year. Or perhaps Michael Cera for his breakout starring role in Superbad, followed by a supporting turn in the Oscar-nominated hit Juno.

Great years to be sure, but those two probably wouldn’t make the all-time top 10.

My list here is pretty unscientific, just years I’ve always noticed. There are probably many better choices, but here are four film figures who had truly outstanding years, including my pick for the greatest movie year of all time:

Number 4: In 1994 Jim Carrey was 32 years old, a veteran of more than 15 films, and his TV career was winding down with the final season of In Living Color. Carrey spun his mild TV stardom into a junky no-budget comedy: Ace Ventura, Pet Detective. The movie was roundly panned, with Carrey singled out for his annoying performance. Audiences didn’t care, turning it into the first hit of 1994. That summer Carrey came out in another movie with low expectations, The Mask. The film and Carrey received better reviews, and it was an even bigger hit than Ace Ventura. Then came Christmas, and the release of Dumb and Dumber. That film outdid both predecessors, giving Carrey an incredible trifecta of hits in a single year, propelling the rubbery actor to instant mega stardom.

Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning in the 2005 hit War of the Worlds. (Courtesy photo)

Number 3: Victor Fleming was not the original director chosen for either The Wizard of Oz or Gone With the Wind. But in both cases he was brought in to rescue the projects. The two films generally battle it out not only as the two best movies of 1939—often cited as the greatest year in American film—but as two of the most beloved films of all time. Fleming may not have steered them from beginning to end, but his name is on both.

Number 2: Imagine directing one film that was one of the biggest blockbusters of the year, then following it up in the same year with one that was nominated for best picture. That’s exactly what Steven Spielberg did in 2005, directing the massive summer hit War of the Worlds, then following it up with the winter release of Munich. Yet 2005 wasn’t even considered all that special by Spielbergian standards. And it pales in comparison to the director’s most incredible year: 1993. Spielberg pulled off the same trick, except this time the blockbuster was the year’s top grossing movie. And the Oscar nominee not only won best picture, but immediately entered the discussion of the greatest films ever made. 1993 was the year of Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List. Like Gone with the Wind and Oz, both movies became cultural events, first and fourth at the worldwide box office. And both have joined the eternal consciousness of moviegoers.

Number 1: Even Spielberg’s year doesn’t hold a candle to the greatest year I’ve found so far. Thomas Mitchell is best known as forgetful Uncle Billy in It’s a Wonderful Life. In 1939—there’s that year again—Mitchell appeared in five movies. That wasn’t unusual for the prolific character actor; he would appear in at least three movies every year from 1939 to 1946. But in 1939 Mitchell appeared in five bonafide, unassailable classics: Only Angels Have Wings, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Stagecoach, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and Gone with the Wind. Mitchell doesn’t just show up in the background of these movies either. He makes each movie better with his cheerful, canny presence. In fact, Mitchell may be associated with more all-time classics than any other actor, when you include Lost Horizon, Our Town, Devil and Daniel Webster, High Noon, and, of course, It’s a Wonderful Life. Regardless, Mitchell wins my Most Valuable Single Year in Cinema award. If anyone has other candidates, please don’t hesitate to share them.

Alex Manugian lives in Sherman Oaks, California. He grew up in Groton and has reviewed movies for Harvard residents for many years.