1999's Best Movies: 20 Years Later

The runners-up list is basically a who's who of the "1999 is the year that changed movies" hysteria:

THE IRON GIANT (Brad Bird, USA) #1044
L'HUMANITÉ (Bruno Dumont, France) #1119
THE SIXTH SENSE (M. Night Shyamalan, USA) #1152
BEING JOHN MALKOVICH (Spike Jonze, USA) #1169
ELECTION (Alexander Payne, USA) #1194
TOY STORY 2 (John Lasseter, USA) #1195
THE INSIDER (Michael Mann, USA) #1205
SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER & UNCUT (Trey Parker, USA) #1292
RATCATCHER (Lynne Ramsay, UK-France) #1469
AMERICAN MOVIE (Chris Smith, USA) #1507
THREE KINGS (David O. Russell, USA) #1623
BOYS DON'T CRY (Kimberly Peirce, USA) #1720
PEPPERMINT CANDY (Lee Chang-dong, South Korea) #1924

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American Beauty is a blight on this list.

This was easily Beau Travail until I got to the last choice

Voting Outer Space, but Beau Travail, Eyes Wide Shut and The Wind Will Carry Us is a trifecta.

1. The Straight Story
2. American Beauty
3. Eyes Wide Shut/Magnolia

That's right, everyone, American Beauty. You read that right--American Beauty. The one with the plastic bag and Kevin Spacey, yes.

The Straight Story
The Wind Will Carry Us
Topsy-Turvy
Rosetta

I like Beau Travail less than other Denis flicks but I wouldn't it topping this poll. Or me.

I've seen just about every US release on the list, and too few of the foreigns, so big surprise that all of my faves come from the runners-up:

1. Election
2. Being John Malkovich
3. The Iron Giant/Toy Story 2

1. Beau Travail
2. The Straight Story
3. Magnolia

1998 was the year I first really became interested in film, began to watch older movies, etc....so 1999 was the first year that I was really paying attention to what was coming out, reading reviews for everything, seeing almost everything and buying into the hype wholeheartedly because I wanted to see something great and contemporary.

In 1999 I would have said Eyes Wide Shut and remarkably I think that is still the answer for me.

No one needs to read another American Beauty takedown but I just watched it again recently and confirmed it's a real piece of shit. I was completely taken in by it in 1999.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

if I could have seen The Wind Will Carry Us maybe I would have voted for it. as it is I voted for Beau Travail

Election and Malkovich as runners up is just baffling as all hell.

I love Topsy-Turvy very much but I voted Audition because that movie spawned a whole horror sub-genre that didn't manage to outdo it.

Rosetta has a great final-shot-is-the-punchline thing going on but most people don't get it.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Well at least American Beauty got no votes.

Eat your dinner, missy.

I have to watch The Straight Story again, since it's been since '99 that I watched it. But I doubt I'd hold it up there on the level of Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire, to say nothing of Eyes Wide Shut, Beau Travail and The Wind WIll Carry Us.

I never saw Outer Space

really loved L'Humanité

think Rosetta should have gotten at least one vote

Eric, I'd regarded Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire as easily the best of Lynch, but on last rewatch I put Straight at least ahead of IE.

IE has risen in my estimation, but TSS has held up after three viewings. Also, the best movie scores are ones I don't remember, yet TSS' has always haunted me like the shot of Sissy Spacek's face through the rain-soaked window.

I've loved almost everything Lynch has done but for some reason have been reluctant to accept The Straight Story

Damn would've given Sicilia! a vote. A late career masterpiece!

https://film.avclub.com/the-best-movies-of-1999-1836974523

American Beauty is ok and not that bad but I would rather watch almost any other movie listed.

fuck Magnolia forever

“And on and on” also describes the experience of watching Magnolia

truer words have never before been written, that movie goes on for approximately 584 years

Magnolia is like Short Cuts performed by the camp counselors in Wet Hot American Summer (that’s not entirely a dis but one viewing was more than enough...)

conversely "Being John Malkovich" was amazing and it's kind of dumb that I've only watched that movie once

it is def a plausible choice for #1, at least for US films

What is with all these media outlets’ nostalgia for 1999 all of a sudden??? This is getting ridiculous.

also Ripley is a Highsmith thriller turned into The Andrew Cunanan Story for liberal himophobes

'99 produced more original, worthwhile Hollywood-made films than any year since, Snrub

Also it’s 20 years ago!

Mr. Snrub
Posted: 2019

What is with all these media outlets’ nostalgia for 1999 all of a sudden???

peak Snrub

xpost

also Ripley is a Highsmith thriller turned into The Andrew Cunanan Story for liberal himophobes

Yet I've got gay film critics who aver it's better than Purple Noon. It's got a lot of bad, notably whenever Minghella, frightened by the material, gives Ripley "motivation," but its brittleness is its charm too.

Minghella was always a hacketty hack tbftll

what a great year. the wind will carry us should have been higher, same with eyes wide shut.

i'm curious about sicilia!. straub-huillet movies are still hard to track down outside of new york-la.

Minghella was always a hacketty hack tbftll

― PMS change (Noodle Vague), Friday, August 16, 2019

like most directors

Well yes it's barely a criticism but his oeuvre feels exceptionally white bread