The Godfather is a 1972 epic crime drama film based on the 1969 novel of the same name by Mario Puzo & directed by Francis Ford Coppola, with a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola, & an uncredited Robert Towne.[2] It stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall & Diane Keaton, & features Richard S. Castellano, Abe Vigoda & Sterling Hayden. The story spans ten years from 1945 to 1955 & chronicles the Italian-American Corleone crime family. The Godfather received Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor, & Best Adapted Screenplay, & has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. In addition, it is ranked as the second greatest film in American cinematic history, behind Citizen Kane on the AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) list by the American Film Institute.[3] Two sequels followed The Godfather: The Godfather Part II in 1974, & The Godfather Part III in 1990.