Few people have enjoyed as much long-term success as Ron Howard. Starting with his role as young Opie Taylor on TV's Andy Griffith Show, the red-haired giant worked his way up to starring roles on the popular sitcom Happy Days and then made the transition to the big screen in such classics as American Graffiti and John Wayne's final film, The Shootist.

Naturally, when he grew tired of acting, Howard decided to step behind the camera and establish himself as a legendary director capable of producing large-scale blockbusters (Backdraft), heartfelt comedies (Splash), and intimate, award-winning character studies (A Beautiful Mind). Easy peasy. Howard’s body of work has grossed an impressive $4.3 billion at the box office. While he has had his fair share of disappointments (such as Solo: A Star Wars Story), the man continues to have a huge influence on Hollywood and the industry in many ways.

Of course, Howard could have ridden off into the sunset decades ago after making one of my favorite films and easily his best work, 1989's Parenthood . As much as I love films like Cocoon, Apollo 13 and even Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas , nothing quite tops this masterful, sharply written look at the joys and tribulations of raising children.

Featuring perhaps the finest ensemble cast ever on screen and one of Steve Martin’s all-time greatest performances, Parenthood opened on August 2, 1989, and eventually grossed $126 million worldwide. At the time, that was a lot, especially for a PG-13-rated comedy.