Remember that Entertainment Weekly cover from November of 1999? The headline boldly proclaimed: “The year that changed movies.” Indeed, it has become nearly a cliche to harp on and on about those 12 months of solid product as a time not equaled since the glory year that was, 1939, but to many, the truth was the truth. 1999 was the best year for films in a long, long time.
And it wasn’t a microscopic view of “quality” either. A broad net was cast, from genre successes aplenty to art house sensations, both finding equal play in the film awards circuit that year. And so it is that hammering out a list of the 10 best constitutes to be a pastime of sorts for the movie lover, especially those like me who were experiencing an awakening of sorts around that time.
1999 was my first year of film school — the dark ages, as I like to call them (because I’ve come to know film school as a fool’s errand of sorts, an education not easily passed from one person to the next but better learned through trial and tribulation). But I was still an eager, unjaded soul and took a trip to the local theater one day with a troupe of friends for our own double feature: Sam Mendes’s “American Beauty” and David O. Russell’s “Three Kings.” It was our first real understanding of the year that had been unfolding right before our eyes.
“American Beauty” has, of course, aged quite poorly, though Russell’s Iraq war film remains a staple of sorts, a unique blip in a consistently uneven genre. This was already the year that had seen the release of the first “Star Wars” installment in over 20 years (however disappointing), the last great exhibit from the portfolio of the cinema’s greatest artist (Stanley Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut”) and a science fiction masterpiece that owed as much to William Gibson as anything else (at least those ideas were making it to the screen).
Moreover, this was a cinematic year that would see releases from more top-tier directors than any other year: Kubrick, Scorsese, Lucas, Lynch, Allen, Fincher, Burton, Leigh, Minghella, Anderson, Almodóvar, Mann, Lee, Stone, Jordan, Sayles, Soderbergh, Forman, Burton, Pollack, Darabont and Howard, while simultaneously launching the exciting careers of untold newbies. The range of quality, as expected, was certainly wide, but that all of these guys were in neck deep in their work during the same stretch of time had plenty to do with the perception of 1999, then and now.
So with that, I felt that this week’s top 10 list (a Tuesday regularity now, if you haven’t been keeping score) would address 1999, the year that was. Here are my picks:
10. “Three Kings” (David O. Russell)
David O. Russell is a visionary of sorts, but he seems to always be right at the surface, just about to break through with an unyielding brilliance, never fully harnessing the wicked talent he clearly has. But for a brief moment in the fall of 1999, he discovered an outlet in this Iraq War dramedy that became more famous for its off-screen drama than what unfolded on-screen. Pity, because I would rank “Three Kings” in a list of the 10 greatest war films ever made without flinching. George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Spike Jonze and Ice Cube headlined a sprawling cast that probably deserved some ensemble attention.
9. “Eyes Wide Shut” (Stanley Kubrick)
Stanley Kubrick’s most difficult-to-qualify production is, in many ways, a perfect swan song for the director. Perhps the most atmospheric of his efforts, save for “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Eyes Wide Shut” was released four months after the director’s death, leaving no real opportunity for us to plumb his mind for the dream-like tale he left as a legacy. Despite the lingering sense that they had no idea what was going on, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman gave two of their best performances to date, while Sydney Pollack inhabited a supporting character with the authority that came to be a trademark of such performances.
8. “Magnolia” (Paul Thomas Anderson)
Steadily making his mark with measured films and plenty of time off in between, Paul Thomas Anderson seemed to catch more than a few off guard with this “Boogie Nights” follow-up. Despite a vast ensemble that might have confused even Robert Altman, the frog-infested denouement was the last straw for most. But in its own manical way, “Magnolia” (like “There Will Be Blood” will likely prove) gets better with age. Tom Cruise received the most attention for his devilish portrayal of a macho self-help instructor, but equally deserving of praise was Julianne Moore and William H. Macy.
7. “The Matrix” (Andy Wachowski, Larry Wachowski)
Despite a pair of sequels that nearly tarnished its legacy and the unavoidable fact that the film seems to lose something as years go by (one can’t be sure if one thing has anything to do with the other), the Wachowski brothers’ “The Matrix” was nonetheless a kick-start for 1999’s long ride to infamy as a year to remember. And it deserves a secure place alongside the greatest of science fiction cinema. Taking more than a few leads from the literature of William Gibson and Neal Stephenson, the filmmakers took audiences on a mind-bending (and spoon-bending) trip while making Keanu Reeves cool again…if only for a moment.
6. “Toy Story 2” (John Lasseter)
Following up one of the most innovative animated features of all time is difficult enough, but surpassing the original with more creativity and amplified emotion had to have been considered out of the question. John Lasseter and company managed as much in spite of the odds. “Toy Story 2,” however, marked the moment Pixar really grew up. The originality of “Toy Story” and “A Bug’s Life” was undeniable, but it was the deeper issues of loyalty, greed and redemption that elevated “Toy Story 2,” and the possibilities of animated feature filmmaking, to the heights it can enjoy today.
5. “The Iron Giant” (Brad Bird)
Filmmaker Brad Bird has certainly gone places since his first foray into feature animation after a successful career on the small screen. “The Incredibles” and “Ratatouille” became critical favorites in their respective years and key elements of the pixar stable, but back in 1999, “The Iron Giant” was a revelation, a traditional animated endeavor that settled into a nice groove in the wake of our #6 selection’s CGI innovations. Ushered to the screen in no small part due to the efforts of The Who guitarist Pete Townshend, the film featured solid voice work from Harry Conick Jr. and, of course, Vin Diesel as the giant himself.
4. “Fight Club” (David Fincher)
One of the most undervalued films of the year, David Fincher’s “Fight Club” didn’t receive the praise it deserved even from critics that received it favorably. Other than “The Matrix,” it is probably the most likely film from 1999 to live on in pop culture infamy, but moreover, it was a dynamic statement from a talented filmmaker who had lingered in the realm of solid genre filmmaking throughout the decade. Here was a narrative pieced together with the residue of cool, another statement for the mid-age crisis and, in that manner, an interesting foil for “Office Space.” Brad Pitt’s work was, as usual, unfairly ignored.
3. “The Straight Story” (David Lynch)
I was floored by the reserve and sure-handed emotional guidance of David Lynch’s “The Straight Story,” a film I expected to carry the director’s trademark oddities given the rather peculiar plot. But in the story of Alvin Straight, Lynch found deeper issues that resonated far after the seemingly anti-climactic, but somehow perfect final scene. Richard Farnsworth deserved every award that came to him and more, but it was sad to see Sissy Spacek’s brave performance left out of the conversation for the most part. Angelo Badalamenti’s score ranks among his very best work, while Freddie Francis’s cinematography is incredibly intimate.
2. “Being John Malkovich” (Spike Jonze)
One of two critical darlings of 1999 (both of which top this list), Spike Jonze’s first attempt at feature filmmaking was the announcement of two considerable talents: Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. A bizarre tale that would have trouble landing a green light at any studio, “Being John Malkovich” somehow found its way into production and the marketplace with a penetrating glimpse at the downfall of a consumed artist. As we would discover was his penchant, Kaufman wrote a lot of himself, with all the self-loathing and fantasy introspection he could muster, into the piece.
1. “The Insider” (Michael Mann)
It seems today, as much as it was in 1999, that little argument can be put against Michael Mann’s blistering masterpiece that was shamefully shut out of any Oscar glory. Forget Eric Roth’s incredibly detailed and researched script. Leave career-best portrayals from Russell Crowe, Christopher Plummer and, arguably, Al Pacino at the door. Disavow the sleek design and visual appropriateness of the production, which would have been left to boring slumber in the hands of any other filmmaker. Mann made the talky worlds of broadcast journalism, the court system and big tobacco more compelling than the greatest of thrillers.
No list can be without it’s list of honorable mentions, so I must give appreciation to the broken narratives of Tom Tykwer’s “Run Lola Run,” François Girard’s “The Red Violin” and Doug Liman’s “Go,” as well as the genre engenuity of M. Night Syamalan’s “The Sixth Sense” and Tim Burton’s “Sleepy Hollow,” not to mention the exactitude of Oliver Stone’s “Any Given Sunday” and the comedic brilliance of Mike Judge’s “Office Space” and Woody Allen’s “Sweet & Lowdown,” each of them narrowly missing placement.
What about you? Tell us your top 10 films of 1999 in the comments section below!
Comments
62 responses to “THE LISTS: Top 10 films of 1999”
1. Princess Mononoke
2. Being John Malkovich
3. Magnolia
4. Boys Don’t Cry
5. The Red Violin
Really can’t come up with much else.. I’m not too fond of 1999. 2007 and 1994… now those were great years in modern cinema.
I realize that 1999 gets some of its reputation from the diversity of the “hits” but for my money, 1998 had more to cherish (including my favorite film of the decade and yours if I remember correctly Kris). In any case, here’s my 1999.
10. The Insider
9. The Blair Witch Project
8. Ratcatcher
7. American Movie
6. Sweet and Lowdown
5. Election
4. Toy Story 2
3. Being John Malkovich
2. Three Kings
1. Magnolia
Great list, although I’ve never been a fan of “The Matrix.” You are absolutely right in that “American Beauty” is not the staple it once was, thank goodness. I really disliked that one from the start. Big fan of “Three Kings,” though.
Right on with #1. The real Best Picture of 1999.
1. Eyes Wide Shut
2. Being John Malkovich
3. Magnolia
4. The Insider
5. Toy Story 2
6. Election
7. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
8. Mr. Death
9. The Talented Mr. Ripley
10. Ravenous
How in the world has “American Beauty” aged poorly? And what’s up with the sudden backlash against the film that used to be universally praised by all?
Odd.
Thank you Kris, because you have no idea how long I have been waiting to have another 1999 discussion; but it looks like I ve to be the one to ruin the fun… I think American Beauty really is a great film, though I fully understand why it has aged poorly. However Fight Club is my favorite ’99 film, perhaps my favrotie ever. I really just want one more person here to agree that Brad Pitt should’ve been showered with awards for his Tyler Durden creation; that would make my day. anyway, to the list,
hon. mention: Boondock Saints (I known I know but it just entertained the hell out of me.)
10. The Matrix
9. Election
8. The Iron Giant
7. Three Kings
6. The Insider
5. Office Space
4. The Sixth Sense
3. Magnolia
2. American Beauty
1.Fight Club
at that note I unfortunately have yet to see: The Talented Mr. Ripley, The Straight Story, Eyes Wide Shut, and I really need to see Toy Story 2 again… I was 9
I can’t even remember what I saw that year. Probably most of it since then. I know I wasn’t too impressed with Three Kings.
I have no idea why I left The Iron Giant off this list. It would make it. I need to amend….
Great post!!! No doubt ’99 was the best year in films of the last decade. I was 19 and i still remember the rush listening the “where is my mind” intro on that last scene or the what a fuck sensation while the frog storm.
I also remember 2 memorable musical sequences: Ismael Lo ´s Tajabone in that spanish journey and the cold tune Sacrifice by Lisa Gerrard & Pieter Bourke´s in Wigand´s trial.
10/The War Zone
9/200 Cigarettes
8/Election
7/American Beauty
6/The Insider
5/The Sixth Sense
4/The Matrix
3/All About My Mother
2/Fight Club
1/Magnolia
Okay, amended. So embarrassing that I forgot that film, but it’s there now.
Indeed, still the best film year in a long time… There were at least ten other top-ten-worthy flicks beside these:
01. MAGNOLIA
02. FIGHT CLUB
03. AMERICAN BEAUTY
04. BEING JOHN MALKOVICH
05. BOYS DON’T CRY
06. THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY
07. THE IRON GIANT
08. MAN ON THE MOON
09. ELECTION
10. SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER & UNCUT
1. The Talented Mr Ripley
2. American Beauty, which hasn’t aged badly. Not for me anyway.
3. The Cider House Rules, which I really liked, which makes me agree with the Academy and disagree with everyone else, but there you go.
4. Go
5. The Straight Story
6. The Green Mile
7. Bowfinger
8. Lake Placid
9. Topsy-Turvy
10. Galaxy Quest
(great year for comedies)
happy to be the one to bring up the iron giant. please somebody praise brad pitt’s tyler durden. there must be more out there
“Magnolia” is a masterpiece and by far the best of the year — loved “Fight Club”, “The Insider”, “The Sixth Sense”,” Toy Story 2″, “The Straight Story”, “Boys Don’t Cry”, “Election”, “Man in the Moon”, and one for Canada, “The Red Violin” — never been a fan of The Matrix, admit the visuals are groundbreaking…but never been a fan. “American Beauty” was out of date a year after its release…so over rated…
I haven’t seen that many 1999 movies, but my list is pretty good.
10. Cruel Intentions
9. Teaching Mrs. Tingle
8. Notting Hill
7. Superstar
6. Election
5. The Sixth Sense
4. Being John Malkovich
3. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
2. Toy Story 2
1. American Beauty
I often talk about what an amazing year 1999 was. Here’s my top pix:
1. Fight Club
2. The Insider
3. Mangnolia
4. Being John Malkovich
5. Eyes Wide Shut
6. Election
7. Three Kings
8. South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut
9. Any Given Sunday
10. Bringing Out the Dead
im sorry kris but leaving american beauty off this list is a fucking joke. a joke, sir.
that said, the insider is a great choice. oh and barry, you’re an idiot. mrs. tingle is one of the 20 worst movies i have ever seen. take that helen mirren.
Not really. It isn’t the most unpopular decision. The film is more and more becoming painful to watch.
for the record– 1. American Beauty 2. Magnolia 3. The Insider 4. Fight Club 5. Being John Malkovich 6. Boys Don’t Cry 7. The Sixth Sense 8. The Matrix 9. Toy Story 2 10. Any Given Sunday
HM: Office Space, South Park, Three Kings, Eyes Wide Shut, The Blair Witch Projet, Run Lola Run, The Green Mile, The Talented Mr. Ripley
Painful to watch? WHAT? Synecdoche, New York… now THAT’S painful to watch. American Beauty is an incredible movie, I’d argue one of the top 10 of the last 10 YEARS, and I’m surprised the Gurus didn’t show Mendes a little respect because Revolutionary Road is the clear favorite for Best Picture.
I found myself agreeing with many of your choices, however I would have included The Talented Mr. Ripley and Notting Hill in my top 10.
The only painful or silly scene in American Beauty is when Chris Cooper’s character mistakenly believes that his son committed oral sex on Spacey. Just stupid. Besides that, I think the movie holds up very well. It’s an astonishing debut for a first-time director.
Well I like Teaching Mrs. Tingle. Helen Mirren was fucking awesome in it and raised it to another level. I think it’s a good movie and it’s a guilty pleasure of mine, Jeff.
No need to get pissy.
1. American Beauty – I just consulted my brother and he agrees that it aged poorly. My knee-jerk reaction was that it hasn’t, but now that I think of it, every repeat viewing I had with it on HBO this past year, I just saw less and less of the film I loved and whatever relevance it had had disappeared. Still, I can’t deny the effect it had on me at the time, so here we are.
2. Magnolia – Blood will likely be Anderson’s masterpiece years from now, but this is still my favorite. The whole cast singing Aimee Mann’s “Wise Up” is nothing but brilliance.
3. The Green Mile – I forgot why I liked this movie so much because I hadn’t seen it in years, but I dug out my old top ten list (I save them for situations such as this discussion) and this was in the third position. There must have been something about it. Hey, I was thirteen at the time. What do you want? It’s probably good to mention that this list could very well change if I see any one of these movies again.
4. Fight Club – It’s my favorite novel and I thought they did a fantastic job with it.
5. Being John Malkovich – Being a thirteen-year-old and seeing a film this odd at the second-run theater with my father in the middle of February is an experience that is ingrained in my mind forever.
6. Toy Story 2 – You pinned it down perfectly.
7. The Insider – Probably the most timeless of the films released that year, but I wasn’t quite as in love with it as everyone else.
8. Three Kings – I agree that it falls just short of true classic status, but it’s still an incredible technical achievement and political commentary.
9. The Matrix – A victim of its own success, and the sequels, the video game, and The Animatrix were, combined, a mediocre effort. But this first one was still unlike anything ever done before. Never had I seen a film that exciting before. But again, this doesn’t stand the test of time at all.
10. The Sixth Sense – Another one of those victim of its own success deals, but it was still a powerful and scary piece of filmmaking that shows what could have been if Shyamalan didn’t get too full of himself later in his career.
1.- American beauty (I can still remember the magic experience of watching it)
2.- The talented Mr. Ripley
3.- Todo sobre mi madre (All about my mother)
4.- The Insider
5.- Being John Malkovich
6.- The sixth sense
7.- Magnolia
8.- Election
9.- Head on
10.- The green mile
What world are you living in to say that “American Beauty” has aged?
If anything, it’s gotten better with time.
I agree with people like BobMcBob on this one: American Beauty is still a beauty. It’s still one of the most hauntingly aesthetic pieces of cinema in history, for me.
This year is too good for a top 10:
1. Being John Malkovich
2. Eyes Wide Shut
3. Magnolia
4. The Insider
5. The Talented Mr Ripley
6. The Matrix
7. American Beauty
8. The Green Mile
9. Fight Club
10. South Park: Bigger Longer and Uncut
11. Office Space
12. The Iron Giant
13. eXistenZ
14. Toy Story 2
15. End of the Affair
16.Election
17. Grass
18. Galaxy Quest
19. The Sixth Sense
20. Dogma
Still to see: All About My Mother, Three Kings, Sweet and Lowdown, Boys Don’t Cry, Run Lola Run, Any Given Sunday, The Red Violin, The Straight Story, Bringing Out the Dead, Topsy Turvy, The War Zone
American Beaty sucks ass. Terribly overrated dreck. And so is “South Park”.
Now for my top 10:
1. Being John Malkovich
2. Princess Mononoke (now that’s what I call an animated movie!).
The rest in no particular order:
The Talented Mr. Ripley
The Blair Witch Project
Sweet and Lowdown
Magnolia
Eyes Wide Shut
Toy Story 2
Fight Club
The Matrix
There were many more movies that year that I loved, but for the record, 2002 is my favorite movie years of the last decade.
And sadly, I haven’t seen the Insider yet but it’s a crime I shall repair soon.
I’m glad to see I’m not the only person who doesn’t care much for American Beauty. I have yet to see quite a few of movies that are on a lot of people’s list, so I hold off on making one, but Being John Malkovich is my favorite from ’99 and Man on the Moon would be high up there.
so I am going to hold*
Weeeeeeeeeeelllllllllllllllllllllll…
Off the top of my head…
1. Magnolia
2. The Talented Mr. Ripley
3. The Matrix
4. Being John Malkovich
5. The Straight Story
6. American Beauty
7. Cruel Intentions
8. Girl, Interrupted
9. The Blair Witch Project
10. The Sixth Sense
It’s very tough to rank perfect films. But… this might be it.
“Revolutionary Road is the clear favorite for Best Picture.”
You haven’t a leg to stand on in qualifying such a statement, Jeff. Sorry.
1999 had some great films – I just recently saw “The Insider” and was blown the fuck away – but the year was terribly overrated as a whole. 1993, 1994, and most recently 2003 were far superior. Particularly in regards to 1994, that year would win on the strength of “The Shawshank Redemption” and “Pulp Fiction” alone.
This is in alphabetical order — boiling it down to ten was hard enough, let alone ranking them:
All About My Mother
American Beauty
Election
Eyes Wide Shut
Fight Club
Fucking Amal (Show Me Love)
The Insider
Magnolia
Ratcatcher
Summer of Sam
Even allowing for the inevitable English-language bias, I’m a little bit stunned no one else has mentioned Fucking Amal. It’s hands down one of the most perceptive and honest (not to mention funny) films ever made about teenage sexuality.
I’m glad someone else included Ratcatcher — more people need to see that. Lynne Ramsay is the most gifted British filmmaker currently working.
10. Toy Story 2
9. The Straight Story
8. Dogma
7. Being John Malkovich
6. Run Lola Run
5. The Matrix
4. Magnolia
3. American History X
2. American Beauty
1. Fight Club
*American History X was released where I am, the UK, in this year.
On film schools — as the Director of the Toronto Film School, I agree with Kris that it is not for everyone as information is not easily passed from one to another — we structured our program so the students are creating, writing and directing from the first term on, learning how to create a music video, a documentary, a corporate video and finally a short film, their calling card into the business — we have been most fortunate that the kids are getting their work from the college into festivals around the globe — guess we are doing something right, but I share Kris’ opinion that film school is not for all — so many people get into it because they think it is an easy road to success….not so. Not so.
I thought “American Beauty” was insufferable in 1999. Like, it really blew the lid off the suburbs, you know?
The only movies from 1999 I have an interest in seeing again are:
1. The Matrix
2. The Talented Mr. Ripley
3. All About My Mother
4. South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut
5. Fight Club
I enjoyed some of the other movies–“The Insider,” “Sweet and Lowdown,” and some others–but then again, how many great movies should we expect from one year? Five sounds like a lot to me.
What’s the frontrunner then, Kris, if you had to name one? It’s not Ben Button or The Soloist. I doubt it’s Doubt. I think it’s either Revolutionary Road or Milk. I have no idea what else it could be, at least at this point.
Milk.
Fair enough. It looks amazing. I can’t wait to see it. But who knows, it could get the Brokeback shaft and Revolutionary Road could steal it. All the ingredients are there. Then again, I clearly know nothing about the Best Picture race since I’m still stunned that Michael Clayton, Juno and Atonement were nominated last year.
American Beauty is still a fantastic piece of cinema.
The Insider was fine, but nothing we haven’t seen before with whistleblower films. In 1999, I also liked Boy’s Don’t Cry, October Sky, and Green Mile, and Sixth Sense. Magnolia was another one of those films that lost me with the ending.
The winners that didn’t withstand the test of time are THE ENGLISH PATIENT, GHANDI, DRIVING MISS DAISY, and soon to be CRASH.
“The Insider was fine, but nothing we haven’t seen before with whistleblower films.”
????????????
My top ten:
1. Magnolia (a true original, and a masterpiece)
2. Eyes Wide Shut (in time, I think this film will be reevaluated, and more appreciated)
3. The Iron Giant (one of my top ten all-time animated favorites)
4.The Insider (this film, like Magnolia, would have been much more deserving of Best Picture then American Beauty)
5. Fight Club (loved the chemistry between Norton and Pitt in this film…just let down a little by the ending)
6. Sleepy Hollow (the screenplay could have been better, but this atmospheric film is one of Burton’s best)
7. Ravenous (alright…call it a guilty pleasure…one of the best film scores of the decade…love the CD soundtrack)
8. Being John Malkovich (very funny film, and Malkovich is a riot)
9. Sweet and Lowdown (a little slice of life to be sure…Morton is terrific, as is Penn…and the period style and tunes make this quite enjoyable)
10. The Red Violin (deserving of it’s Oscar for Best Score…a bit of a curio)
(I plan on rewatching Three Kings…something tells me I might have a different opinion of it now then I did then).
Anything lensed by Conrad Hall is automatically great and will never age. Ever.
Anything scored by Thomas Newman is automatically great and will never age. Ever.
Anything directed by Sam Mendes is automatically great and will never age. Ever.
American Beauty had the trifector and is therefore a masterpiece.
I suspect your complaint is in the script which I happen to like as much now as I did then but, regardless of script, there is no denying what a classy piece of filmmaking it was. That alone deserves respect.
It gets respect. Just not top 10 placement. And yes, it’s because of the script, which is just, not very enduring.
And your third point is suspect while your second is certainly up for debate.
“Anything lensed by Conrad Hall is automatically great and will never age. Ever.”
Yeah, the “Love Affair” remake is really one for the ages.
I won’t get into Thomas Newman.
I love “American Beauty,” though — there are some script problems there, but the stylistic gutsiness of the filmmaking overrides them for me.