- Release Date: January 19, 2001
- Budget: $6M
- Box Office: $6,980,371
- Awards Won: Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films (Young Filmmaker's Showcase - Richard Kelly), Chlotrudis Awards (Best Actor – Jake Gyllenhaal & Best Original Screenplay – Richard Kelly)
It's hard to believe this movie is actually 21 years old because it took a while to really take off. It wasn’t a huge success when it came out but it has since become a cult classic to an annoying degree. It’s a freaking weird movie but it's worth seeing once. It’s just not the greatest thing ever like you might have thought as an emo teen.
- Release Date: January 26, 2001
- Budget: $35M
- Box Office: $94,728,529
- Awards Won: Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Female Movie Star (Jennifer Lopez)
Be honest: When you eat M&Ms, do you still think about Dr. Steve only eating the brown ones because they "have less food coloring"? No? Just me? Regardless, The Wedding Planner features Matthew McConaughey in his romcom prime, and JLo looking...well, exactly the same as she looks now.
- Release Date: April 5, 2001
- Budget: $10M
- Box Office: $174,118,254
- Awards Won: BAFTA (Best Screenplay – Original & Best Production Design), César Awards (Best Director, Film, Music & Production Design)
Amélie was a whimsical romantic comedy starring Audrey Tautou who plays Amelie, an extremely shy waitress who tries to change the lives of those around her for the better without anyone knowing it was her. The French-language film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet has become a cult classic for American audiences.
- Release Date: April 6, 2001
- Budget: $53M
- Box Office: $83,282,296
- Awards Won: Prism Awards (Theatrical Feature Film)
Blow was not a huge commercial success nor a success with critics. Nevertheless, in part due to Johnny Depp being in the film, it has certainly earned a cult following. The film, based on the true story of American cocaine smuggler George Jung, adapted from Bruce Porter's book Blow: How a Small Town Boy Made $100 Million with the Medellín Cocaine Cartel and Lost It All.
- Release Date: April 13, 2001
- Budget: $25M
- Box Office: $281,995,610
- Awards Won: Empire Awards (Best Film)
Bridget Jones’s Diary was a romantic comedy film starring Renée Zellweger in the titular role, along with Colin Firth and Hugh Grant. The film was a reinterpretation of Pride and Prejudice that was a success with critics and audiences, but mainly because of Zellweger’s great performance that gave the character a ton of charm. It spawned two sequels but they both sucked.
- Release Date: May 4, 2001
- Budget: $98M
- Box Office: $443,280,904
- Awards Won: ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards (Top Box Office Films - Alan Silvestri), Teen Choice Award (Film - Choice Sleazebag - Dwayne Johnson)
The Mummy Returns was a huge box office success and a highly anticipated sequel to the 1999 film, but moreover, The Mummy Returns marked the film debut of one of the biggest action stars of the 21st century: The Rock, aka Dwayne Johnson. Before he had never done film, and now he’s in like literally everything.
- Release Date: May 11, 2001
- Budget: $65M
- Box Office: $117,487,473
- Awards Won: London Critics Circle Film Awards (British Supporting Actor of the Year - Paul Bettany), Golden Trailer Awards (Best Action)
This quirky medieval tale was inspired by the Canterbury Tales and even draws some plot elements from them. It starred the late Heath Ledger who was quickly becoming a household name at the time. The film also featured some modern music, including Queen, that really gave it some charm. It was only a mild success with critics but audiences seemed to love it!
- Release Date: May 16, 2001
- Budget: $60M
- Box Office: $488,351,320
- Awards won: Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, 2 People's Choice Awards (Favorite Movie/Comedy), Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Voice From an Animated Film, Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Animated Feature, BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
Time has been kind to Shrek. It was a hit when it came out back in 2001, but it somehow seems even more popular today. Maybe that's thanks to the memorable soundtrack (hits like 'All Star' and 'I'm a Believer') and all of Donkey's zingers we still find ourselves quoting today.
- Release Date: May 18, 2001
- Budget: $50M
- Box Office: $184,935,320
- Awards Won: 2 Academy Awards (Best Art Direction-Set Decoration & Best Costume Design), BAFTA Awards (Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role - Jim Broadbent & Best Sound)
This film, directed by Baz Luhrmann, was a flashy musical romantic drama starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor, telling the story of an English poet who falls in love with a cabaret actress. It was a pretty big hit of the time, but has over time, been overshadowed by much more popular, and just better films, of the same year .
Release Date: May 19, 1999
Budget: $115M
Box Office: $1,027,082,707
Awards Won: 2 Saturn Awards (Best Costumes & Best Visual Effects), MTV Movie Award for Best Action Sequence, Young Artist Award for Jake Lloyd
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace saw the return of the Star Wars franchise after the original film trilogy ended in 1983. The first prequel film, which promised to tell the story of Anakin Skywalker and his transformation into Darth Vader, was not what audiences were expecting - as it was a little too kid-friendly for everyone’s liking. Basically, Jar Jar Binks ruined everyone's life.
- Release Date: May 21, 1999
- Budget: $10M
- Box Office: $31,429,330
- Awards Won: None
Dogma was one of the best comedy films of the 1990s, brought to us by Kevin Smith. It starred Matt Damon and Ben Affleck as fallen angels trying to reenter heaven which could bring about the end of the world. It also starred the late George Carlin and Alan Rickman in some very memorable roles. It wasn’t a commercial success but has had a significant cult following over the years.
- Release Date: May 25, 2001
- Budget: $140,000,000
- Box Office: $449,220,945
- Awards Won: Academy Award for Best Sound Editing; MTV Movie Award for Best Action Sequence; and Teen Choice Award for Choice Summer Movie: Drama/Action Adventure
Before he was the guy who cheated on Jennifer Garner with the nanny, and before he was everyone's least-favorite Batman, Ben Affleck won our hearts as Rafe in Pearl Harbor. And it wouldn't be an early 2000s romantic drama without Josh Hartnett right by his side, aka the original Mr. Steal Yo Girl. Then you have Kate Beckinsale, who 21+ years later is still gorgeous and breaking men's hearts.
- Release Date: June 22, 2001
- Budget: $38M
- Box Office: $207,517,509
- Awards Won: BMI Film & TV Awards (BT), Hollywood Film Awards (Breakthrough Male Performance - Paul Walker), MTV TV and Movie Awards (Best On-Screen Team - Vin Diesel and Paul Walker)
It was the movie that started a franchise that seems to be never-ending at this point. The Fast and the Furious had humble origins in 2001 as basically a remake of Point Break. The film utilized real cars for race scenes, whereas now it's mostly CGI and there was at least some level of acting involved. But those days are gone now.
- Release Date: July 13, 2001
- Budget: $18M
- Box Office: $141,774,679
- Awards Won: 2 MTV Movie Awards (Best Line & Best Comedic Performance), Teen Choice Award for Movie of the Summer
This is another one that's only gotten better with age—and if there's one thing we love it's an early 2000s feminist romcom that stands the test of time (mostly, anyway)! The film's success spawned a Broadway musical and a sequel—which didn't totally bomb at the box office. And a third installment is finally coming in 2023.
- Release Date: July 16, 2001
- Budget: $93M
- Box Office: $368,780,809
- Awards Won: BMI Film and TV Awards (Don Davis and John Williams)
The third film in the Jurassic Park franchise saw the return of Sam Neill as Alan Grant after his absence in The Lost World: Jurassic Park. The third entry was certainly not the best, but then again, nothing has been good as the original. The Jurassic Park trio with Laura Dern, Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum will all be returning for Jurassic Park: Dominion to make us all feel old.
- Release Date: September 28, 2001
- Budget: $28M
- Box Office: $60,780,981
- Awards Won: Teen Choice Award (Film - Choice Hissy Fit)
Ben Stiller’s screwball comedy brings the absurdity and laughter as only Stiller can. Directed by and starring the actor, Zoolander is his most memorable and most preposterous film. The film got mixed reviews from critics and audiences who either loved it or hated it - and it's only appropriate because the movie is like a bag of cats anyway.
- Release Date: October 5, 2001
- Budget: $45M
- Box Office: $104,876,233
- Awards Won: Academy Award (Best Actor – Denzel Washington), AFI Awards (Actor of the Year – Denzel Washington), 2 MTV Movie Awards (Best Villain – Denzel Washington & Best Cameo – Snoop Dogg)
Training Day was one of the best crime thrillers of 2001, but it wouldn’t have been half as compelling without its stunning performance by Denzel Washington who took home an Academy Award for his role. It also has Snoop Dogg, so that makes it infinitely cooler. Set in just a 24-hour period, it tells a story of gang violence and corruption through the eyes of two LAPD narcotics officers. A family film!
- Release Date: November 16, 2001
- Budget: $125M
- Box Office: $1B
- Awards Won: Young Artist Award for Best Leading Young Actress in Film (Emma Watson), Saturn Award for Best Costume Design, Costume Designers Guild Award for Best Costume Design Period or Fantasy Film, BFCA Critics' Choice Award for Best Family Film, Evening Standard British Film Award for Best Technical/Artistic Achievement
That's right, the very first Harry Potter film can now get into clubs all on her own! Although we grew up with the cast and have watched them launch their careers outside of the HP world, it's hard to believe they were all around 10-12 years old when they filmed Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Although most fans have tired of J.K. Rowling's Twitter antics (as has the cast; she wasn't even invited to their 2022 reunion!), HP fever doesn't seem to be going anywhere all these years later.
- Release Date: December 19, 2001
- Budget: $93M
- Box Office: $141,774,679
- Awards Won: 4 Academy Awards (Best Cinematography, Makeup, Original Score & Visual Effects), 3 AFI Awards (Movie of the Year, Digital Effects Artist of the Year & Production Designer of the Year), British Film Academy Awards (Best Film, Director, Makeup and Hair & Visual Effects) MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance - Orlando Bloom, Saturn Award (Best Supporting Actor – Ian McKellan)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was the first live-action adaptation of the 1954 novel by J R. R. Tolkien. Once believed to be unfilmable, modern visual effects and expert filmmaking from Peter Jackson brought Middle Earth to life and transported audiences to a whole other world. The film earned a ton at the box office and won the hearts of critics too.
- Release Date: December 21 2001
- Budget: $58M
- Box Office: $316,791,257
- Awards Won: 4 Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Jennifer Connelly, Best Director and Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published), SAG Award (Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role – Russell Crowe), AFI Award (Featured Actor of the Year – Jennifer Connelly)
Jennifer Connelly and Russell Crowe gave some outstanding performances in this Ron Howard-directed film about mathematician John Nash, a Nobel Laureate in Economics, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. It was a critical success and won a ton of awards, even though it wasn’t as good as Lord of the Rings, ahem.
- Release Date: December 28, 2001
- Budget: $92M
- Box Office: $172,989,651
- Awards Won: 2 Academy Awards for Best Film Editing & Best Sound, National Board of Review (Top Ten Films)
Black Hawk Down tells the true story of U.S. soldiers amidst a civil war in Somalia as they face overwhelming odds and hostile forces. The ensemble cast includes Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor and Orlando Bloom, among others, including Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, aka Jaime Lannister from Game of Thrones.
