Top Grossing Drama Movies in 1981
| Rank | Title | Language | Domestic | Worldwide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | On Golden Pond |  EN | $119,285,432 | $119,285,810 |
| 2 | The Fox and the Hound | EN | $63,456,988 | $63,456,988 |
| 3 | The Four Seasons | EN | $50,427,646 | $50,427,646 |
| 4 | Absence of Malice | EN | $40,716,963 | $40,716,963 |
| 5 | Reds | EN | $40,382,659 | $40,382,788 |
| 6 | Tarzan the Ape Man | EN | $36,565,280 | $36,565,280 |
| 7 | Taps | EN | $35,856,053 | $35,856,053 |
| 8 | Sharky's Machine | EN | $35,610,100 | $35,610,100 |
| 9 | Excalibur | EN | $34,967,437 | $34,971,136 |
| 10 | Endless Love | EN | $31,184,024 | $32,492,674 |
| 11 | Bustin’ Loose | EN | $31,261,269 | $31,261,269 |
| 12 | Fort Apache the Bronx | EN | $29,200,000 | $29,200,000 |
| 13 | The French Lieutenant's Woman | EN | $26,890,068 | $26,890,068 |
| 14 | Only When I Laugh | EN | $25,524,778 | $25,524,778 |
| 15 | Body Heat | EN | $24,058,838 | $24,058,838 |
| 16 | Ghost Story | EN | $23,371,905 | $23,371,905 |
| 17 | Mommie Dearest | EN | $19,032,261 | $19,034,156 |
| 18 | The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia | EN | $14,923,752 | $14,923,752 |
| 19 | Ragtime | EN | $14,920,781 | $14,920,781 |
| 20 | S.O.B. | EN | $14,867,086 | $14,867,086 |
| 21 | Rich and Famous |  CN | $14,492,125 | $14,492,125 |
| 22 | True Confessions | EN | $12,850,276 | $12,850,276 |
| 23 | Atlantic City | EN | $12,729,675 | $12,729,675 |
| 24 | First Monday in October | EN | $12,480,249 | $12,480,249 |
| 25 | The Postman Always Rings Twice | EN | $12,376,625 | $12,383,416 |
| 26 | Comin’ at Ya! | EN | $12,000,000 | $12,000,000 |
| 27 | Thief | EN | $11,492,915 | $11,495,509 |
| 28 | Victory | EN | $10,853,418 | $10,853,418 |
| 29 | Rollover | EN | $10,851,261 | $10,851,261 |
| 30 | Carbon Copy | EN | $9,566,593 | $9,566,593 |
| 31 | Whose Life Is It Anyway? | EN | $8,206,145 | $8,206,145 |
| 32 | Prince of the City | EN | $8,124,257 | $8,124,257 |
| 33 | Eyewitness | EN | $6,400,000 | $6,400,000 |
| 34 | The Boy Soldier |  FR | $6,328,816 | $6,328,816 |
| 35 | Gallipoli | EN | $5,732,587 | $5,738,604 |
| 36 | The Dogs of War | EN | $5,484,132 | $5,484,132 |
| 37 | Inchon | EN | $5,200,986 | $5,200,986 |
| 38 | Zoot Suit | EN | $3,256,082 | $3,256,082 |
| 39 | The Fan | EN | $3,082,096 | $3,082,096 |
| 40 | Modern Romance | EN | $2,863,642 | $2,864,224 |
| 41 | The Hand | EN | $2,447,576 | $2,447,576 |
| 42 | Raggedy Man | EN | $1,976,198 | $1,976,198 |
| 43 | King of the Mountain | EN | $1,791,147 | $1,791,147 |
| 44 | Cutter's Way | EN | $1,729,274 | $1,752,634 |
| 45 | Silence of the North | EN | $1,622,898 | $1,622,898 |
| 46 | On Trial | - | $917,346 | |
| 47 | Lonely Heart |  JP | $777,087 | $777,087 |
| 48 | Hard Country | EN | $534,653 | $534,653 |
| 49 | Man of Iron |  PL | $492,035 | $492,035 |
| 50 | Kelly | EN | $469,777 | $469,777 |
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