Search Movie Plot Summaries & Endings Explained

Animation · Light tone · Happy ending

Tooth Brushing (1978)

After a dentist visit, Charlie Brown walks away clutching a pamphlet that explains the proper way to brush teeth. Determined to put the advice into practice, he gathers Linus and even Snoopy, turning the simple routine into a playful effort to master proper brushing technique.

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Drama · Melancholic tone · Bittersweet ending

Rocking Horse (1978)

A film adaptation of Yoram Kaniuk’s novel follows an Israeli artist who abandons his wife and daughter in New York and returns to Israel after years abroad. Confronted with the loss of his friends in war, the destruction of his paintings and his sense of personal failure, he sets out to make a film about himself, his parents and Tel Aviv, destroying the work.

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Action · Tense tone · Ambiguous ending

Born Invincible (1978)

An arrogant, white‑haired Tai Chi master and his two henchmen descend on a quiet village, sowing terror among its residents and their families. Three local champions join forces to confront the trio, but their only chance of victory lies in uncovering the master’s ever‑changing secret weakness, which he can alter at will.

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Comedy · Light tone · Happy ending

The Fox in the Chicken Coop (1978)

Amitz Dolniker, a loquacious Israeli politician, suffers a heart attack mid‑speech. The doctor orders complete rest and no public speaking. Rejecting Switzerland, Dolniker vows to stay in Israel and picks a remote village where no one knows him—or modern comforts like water, electricity, phones, TV or newspapers. The clash of his urban habits with their primitive life turns chaotic.

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Drama · Dark tone · Bleak ending

Death Drug (1978)

His first hit comes with no price, launching a Los Angeles dream of becoming a star singer. After signing a major record contract, fame and money flood in, but he quickly develops a PCP addiction that jeopardizes his career and personal life.

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Drama · Bittersweet tone · Bittersweet ending

Kitaab (1977)

Director Sampooran Singh Gulzar’s insightful comic drama aims to capture the unique perspective of childhood.

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Fantasy · Light tone · Happy ending

About the Little Red Riding Hood (1977)

In this sequel to the classic Little Red Riding Hood tale, the wolf’s surviving family seeks revenge for his death. They trick Red by claiming her grandmother is ill, luring her into a trap where they intend to eat her. The story flips the familiar fairy‑tale with a darker, vengeance‑driven twist.

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Horror · Tense tone · Happy ending

Tarantulas: The Deadly Cargo (1977)

A cargo plane loaded with coffee beans from South America is overtaken by a swarm of tarantulas that kill the pilots and crash over a California orange town. The escaped spiders infest the community and the town’s orange‑processing plant, causing deaths. Residents battle back, using a bee sound to immobilize the arachnids and clear the factory.

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Crime · Dark tone · Bleak ending

The Black Panther (1977)

What you are about to see is TRUE…it actually happened! A gung-ho ex-military man pursues a secret life of crime, culminating in the kidnapping of a teenage heiress.

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Comedy · Light tone · Happy ending

High Anxiety (1977)

A bumbling Harvard psychiatrist takes over the Psycho-Neurotic Institute for the Very, Very Nervous, only to find himself embroiled in a darkly comedic mystery. As he investigates the institute's unsettling history and a series of present-day murders, he becomes entangled in a web of suspicion and is even accused of the crimes. Throughout the chaotic events, the psychiatrist battles his own mounting anxiety.

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Adventure · Light tone · Happy ending

Yeti: The Giant of the 20th Century (1977)

Following King Kong and Godzilla, Professor Wassermann is hired by industrialist Morgan Hunnicut to lead an expedition examining a massive Yeti frozen in an ice block off Newfoundland’s coast. Unaware Hunnicut intends to use the prehistoric beast as a corporate emblem, the professor soon faces the dire consequences of this hubristic plan.

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Romance · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

One Wild Moment (1977)

Pierre, 44 and divorced, vacations on the Côte d’Azur with his teenage daughter, his friend Jacques, and Jacques’ daughter Françoise. While on Saint‑Tropez’s topless beaches they discuss marriage and parenting. At a night party Françoise flirts with Pierre, and they begin an affair. After a few trysts he wants out, but she declares love, tells her father without naming him, and Jacques asks Pierre to identify the seducer, leaving him in a painful dilemma.

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Action · Tense tone · Happy ending

The Gauntlet (1977)

A tough police officer, Ben Shockley, is tasked with protecting Augustina "Gus" Mally, a spirited woman, during a dangerous journey from Las Vegas to Phoenix. Facing relentless pursuit from ruthless bikers and encountering corrupt law enforcement along the way, Shockley's initial doubts evolve into a desperate fight for survival. He must navigate a perilous gauntlet of threats while questioning who he can trust.

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Mystery · Dark tone · Bittersweet ending

Sweet Revenge (1977)

A man and a woman meet after a murder, a tragic love. Masao is wrongly convicted of killing a loanshark he owed, and his sister Kiriko goes from Kitakyushu to Tokyo to beg Otsuka, a lawyer, to take his case. Otsuka dismisses her. A year later Masao kills himself after a failed appeal. Kiriko returns to Tokyo to avenge her brother by confronting Otsuka.

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Thriller · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

Telefon (1977)

They’ll do anything to stop Telefon, a plot that could unleash 51 time‑bombs. Mad KGB operative Nicolai Dalchimski steals a notebook of “sleeping” Soviet agents planted in the U.S. during the 1950s, programmed to awaken only when a line from a Robert Frost poem is spoken. Dalchimski flees to America, phones sleepers, sparking sabotage against targets.

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Adventure · Hopeful tone · Happy ending

Candleshoe (1977)

A clever thief named Harry Bundage devises a plan to locate treasure hidden within Lady St. Edmund’s Manor, enlisting the help of her three young wards and the faithful butler, Priory. As Bundage’s scheme progresses, unexpected friendships develop as the group works together to prevent the manor from falling into financial hardship. Casey Brown finds herself at the heart of the playful and chaotic events unfolding, navigating a delightful mix of adventure and intrigue.

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Drama · Bittersweet tone · Happy ending

Saturday Night Fever (1977)

In 1970s Brooklyn, Tony Manero finds solace and recognition on the disco dance floor, where he's known as the king. During the week, he works a mundane job at a paint store, but Saturday nights are his time to shine, adorned in stylish floral shirts. Seeking more than his limited surroundings offer, Tony's life takes a turn as he encounters Stephanie, an ambitious dancer with dreams beyond their neighborhood, and his troubled priest brother.

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Comedy · Light tone · Happy ending

ABBA: The Movie (1977)

Frontstage, Backstage & On The Road - Take The Tour A radio DJ in pursuit of an exclusive interview follows ABBA during their mega-successful tour of Australia.

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Drama · Bittersweet tone · Ambiguous ending

Peppermint Soda (1977)

In the fall of 1963, teenage Anne returns to Paris with her mother and older sister Frédérique after a summer at the seaside with their father. As school begins, the family faces the challenges of a turbulent year, navigating adolescence, family bonds, and the restless mood of the era.

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Comedy · Bittersweet tone · Bittersweet ending

Our Day Out (1977)

When a teacher takes a group of troubled school children on a school trip to Conwy in Wales, the children understand life outside of Liverpool.

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Comedy · Light tone · Happy ending

A Flintstone Christmas (1977)

Santa has an accident at Fred’s house on Christmas Eve, Fred and Barney have to continue his run for him.

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Drama · Bittersweet tone · Bittersweet ending

The Gathering (1977)

Dying patriarch Adam Thornton (Ed Asner) learns he has only weeks left and summons his fractured family for a final Christmas. He abandoned his wife years ago and fell out with his youngest son, who vanished after a bitter argument. Though his doctor warns against travel, they gather, and Adam must confront resentment and seek reconciliation.

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Animation · Hopeful tone · Happy ending

A Cosmic Christmas (1977)

Three alien visitors like the Magi land on Earth to discover Christmas’s meaning. Young Peter and his goose Lucy meet them; when the town gives no answer, he brings the trio to his family’s cabin. After a chase ends with boys falling through ice, the rescue chain fails, so the aliens intervene to save them, seeing the spirit of Christmas.

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Drama · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

In the Name of the Pope King (1977)

In 1867, as Garibaldi’s forces near annexing Rome to the Italian kingdom, Monsignor Colombo da Priverno, a weary papal judge, faces a crisis of conscience. Disillusioned by the violent tactics the papacy employs to retain secular authority, he seeks to resign.

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Family · Hopeful tone · Happy ending

Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey (1977)

Set in the Roman Empire, a tiny donkey named Nestor is born with extraordinarily long ears—so large they could cover six donkeys and touch the ground. His oversized ears constantly land him in mischief. One freezing night he is locked out, forcing him to drift alone across the desert, sparking his unlikely adventure. His huge ears point the way.

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Horror · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

It Happened at Lakewood Manor (1977)

They’ll Make Your Nightmares Come True. A lakeside resort comes under attack by a seemingly infinite hoard of flesh-eating ants.

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Horror · Dark tone · Bleak ending

Inquisition (1977)

A period drama set during the Inquisition follows a zealous witch‑finder general tasked with eradicating heresy. He falls hopelessly in love with the village’s striking beauty, a woman who has secretly made a pact with the devil to seduce and doom the mysterious figure who is systematically killing off Satan’s servants.

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Thriller · Tense tone · Bleak ending

The Disappearance (1977)

A fierce, violent bond keeps a couple together until the same brutality tears them apart. When the contract killer’s wife suddenly vanishes, he is hired by an international organization to eliminate a target. He soon suspects the assignment is linked to her disappearance.

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Drama · Hopeful tone · Happy ending

The Goodbye Girl (1977)

Following a breakup with her boyfriend, unemployed dancer Paula McFadden finds herself sharing a cramped apartment with her daughter and a struggling off-Broadway actor named Elliot Garfield. Elliot is subletting the apartment, creating an unusual and often chaotic living situation as the three navigate their individual challenges and unexpected connections.

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Fantasy · Whimsical tone · Bittersweet ending

The Hobbit (1977)

The tale follows Bilbo Baggins, a modest hobbit living in the peaceful lands of Middle‑Earth, who is unexpectedly compelled to leave his comfortable home and join a perilous quest to recover a priceless treasure hidden deep within the Lonely Mountain’s heart.

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Action · Dark tone · Bittersweet ending

The Return of the Incredible Hulk (1977)

While on the run and presumed dead, David Banner, now using the alias Benton, continues his search for a cure. He inadvertently becomes caught up in a plot to murder a young, disabled girl so that her unscrupulous relatives can claim her family’s fortune, forcing him to confront the beast within.

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Drama · Bittersweet tone · Bittersweet ending

The Girl with the Red Scarf (1977)

Asya, a humble peasant girl, marries İlyas, a kind‑hearted truck driver, and their deep love seems unshakable. When İlyas is unfaithful, the couple is torn apart and their once‑epic romance abruptly collapses. Heartbroken, Asya departs with her young son, wandering aimlessly, until a familiar hand appears, offering selfless assistance and a glimmer of hope.

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Action · Tense tone · Bittersweet ending

Planet of Dinosaurs (1977)

A spaceship drifts off course and is forced to make an emergency landing on an uncharted planet that resembles Earth but bears no signs of civilization. The stranded crew soon discovers the world is inhabited by ferocious, blood‑thirsty dinosaurs. While they hope for rescue, they must battle the prehistoric predators to survive.

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Sport · Light tone · Happy ending

Semi-Tough (1977)

Two football players, Billy Clyde Puckett and Marvin "Shake" Tiller, find themselves sharing a luxurious Miami apartment with their team owner's daughter, Barbara Jane. As they contend with the pressures of professional football, a romantic rivalry develops when Barbara Jane falls for Shake. Their shared living space becomes a playful battleground where love and the challenges of the sport intertwine, exploring the complexities of relationships and the highs and lows of a professional athlete's life.

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Drama · Bittersweet tone · Happy ending

Heroes (1977)

Filmmaker Köken Ergun’s poignant comedy-drama follows Turkish and Australian travelers who meet at Gallipoli, a site commemorating a pivotal and tragic battle. As they participate in remembrance ceremonies, unexpected bonds form between them, leading to humorous and touching moments. The film explores the complexities of cultural differences and the universal desire for human connection against the backdrop of a significant historical event.

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Adventure · Hopeful tone · Happy ending

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

Roy Neary, a power line repairman, experiences a life-changing encounter with an unidentified flying object. Haunted by recurring visions of a mysterious mountain, he embarks on a quest for answers, joined by Jillian, who has also experienced an alien abduction. They connect with French expert Claude Lacombe and an international team, all searching for a deeper understanding of the encounter. Their journey leads them to Wyoming for a pivotal moment that could redefine humanity's place in the universe.

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Horror · Dark tone · Bleak ending

The Incredible Melting Man (1977)

After a spacewalk near Saturn’s rings leaves an astronaut bathed in cosmic radiation, his body begins to liquefy on return to Earth. Hospitalized, he breaks free and roams the wilderness, driven by an insatiable hunger for human flesh as his melting condition worsens.

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Drama · Dark tone · Ambiguous ending

The Last Wave (1977)

Strange weather hints at danger as Australian lawyer David Burton defends Aboriginal defendants accused of killing one of their own. He suspects the victim was punished for breaking a taboo, though the accused deny any ties. Haunted by water visions, Burton sees the real danger may arise from his own involvement with the community and its prophecies.

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Drama · Bleak tone · Bittersweet ending

1900 (1977)

In early 20th century Italy, childhood friends Alfredo Berlinghieri and Olmo Dalcò find their lives increasingly shaped by their differing social backgrounds. Alfredo embraces his aristocratic heritage, while Olmo becomes a champion for the working class. Their diverging paths lead to a confrontation of values against a backdrop of rising political tension and the looming threat of fascism, ultimately exploring themes of loyalty, morality, and the complexities of class conflict.

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Romance · Melancholic tone · Sad ending

First Love (1977)

The film explores the gap between physical attraction and true love. A talented college soccer player becomes infatuated with a beautiful campus student, only to discover she is secretly involved as the lover of an older, married attorney, forcing him to confront jealousy, desire, and the complexities of clandestine relationships.

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