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 We
all know that time flies when you're having fun, but let's face
it--time really flies when you're having fun at the movies. That's
the only explanation for why 2002 went by so darn fast (at least,
it did for me), and after a couple of years when quality movies
were hard to come by, 2002 actually had a slew to choose from
and ended up being the best year for studio films since 1999.
From a box office standpoint--which is pretty much all that the
Hollywood studios care about anyway--2002 was the best year ever.
Moviegoers paid a whopping $9.3 billion (yes, billion!) to see
their favorite flicks--an increase of 14% over the previous year's
record total. While that may be partly due to an increase in the
average ticket price, admissions still ended up with a record
total of 1.58 billion tickets sold, beating the previous record
set in 1998.
To that extent, there's no doubt that 2002 will be remembered
as the year that your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man
swung into theaters and broke a slew of box office records in
the process. To name a few: highest opening weekend ($115 million),
fastest to hit $100 million (3 days), fastest to hit $200 million
(9 days), fastest to hit $300 million (22 days), highest single
day gross ($43.6 million on Saturday, May 4), and 5th highest
grossing movie of all time ($404 million domestic).
It was also the year of the biggest box office surprise since...well,
since ever! That, of course, was the micro-budgeted $5 million
indie hit My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which took in more
than $230 million (and still counting), making it the highest
grossing independent film of all time. Nia Vardalos' semi-autobiographical
romantic comedy kept the honeymoon going all summer long, leaving
anticipated box office sure-things like Tom Cruise's Minority
Report (final tally: $132 million) and Tom Hanks' Road
to Perdition (final tally: $104 million) at the altar.
OK, enough about the box office! Let's talk about the good stuff.
You know, the movies that made you think, the movies that stirred
your emotions, the movies that kept you up at night, and the movies
that were so incredibly entertaining that you had to run back
and see them again (and again). For me, there were 10 movies that
fit the bill, and they're the ones that I'll remember when I look
back on the year that was...2002.
1.
Chicago
Forget Moulin Rouge. Chicago
was the new musical that we've all been waiting for, and boy,
was it worth the wait. With its energetic direction, sharp script,
top musical numbers and revelatory performances by Renee Zellweger,
Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere, the cinematic version of
Bob Fosse's Broadway classic felt like it was right at home on
the big screen. You simply couldn't help but feel rejuvenated
and excited by the movie's exhilarating entertainment, and let's
face it--that's what movies are all about.
 2.
Road to Perdition
Every frame of Sam Mendes' follow-up to his 1999 Best Picture
winner American Beauty was a finely crafted work of art
with incredible cinematography, moving performances and a simple,
but powerful story about fathers and sons. Tom Hanks played against
type (sort of) as a hitman with a heart, Paul Newman brought powerful
conflict to his role as his emotionally conflicted boss, and young
newcomer Tyler Hoechlin more than held his own against his Oscar-winning
co-stars.
3.
Insomnia
If this movie was a cup, and you filled it up with water, there
would be no leaks. Director Christopher Nolan's follow-up to 2001's
innovative mind trip Memento was a tight suspense thriller
that got better, stronger and more gripping as it went along,
proving that he was just as masterful at telling stories moving
forward as he was at telling them backwards. The atmospheric,
intensely-paced film also featured strong performances from Robin
Williams, Hilary Swank, and of course, a deliriously sleep-deprived
Al Pacino, who was so effective that you couldn't help but feel
exhausted just watching him.
4.
Adaptation
When it comes to multi-layered films, it doesn't get better than
director Spike Jonze's latest about (now pay attention) a screenwriter
who's writing a screenplay about his attempt to write a screenplay
about a woman's attempt to write a book based on a wacky orchid
thief (got all that?). Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman
(who iss portrayed in the film to neurotic perfection by Nicolas
Cage) have conjured up a more-than-worthy companion piece to 1999's
equally bizarre and wholly original Being John Malkovich.
Can't wait to see what's next!
 5.
About Schmidt
Life's too short, and so is director Alexander Payne's heartbreaking
character study about a retired mid-western father who realizes
too late that he squandered his life. His last-ditch attempt to
give it some meaning turns out to be less like a comedy and more
like a provocative drama with some funny moments. Of course, About
Schmidt is anchored by a touching, desperate and vulnerable
performance by a never-better Jack Nicholson, who once again proves
that he really is as good as it gets.
6.
13 Conversations About One Thing
Talking about happiness and actually being happy may be two different
things, but hearing this group of New Yorkers talk about it sure
made for an engaging, introspective and philosophical cinematic
experience. It also featured standout performances from Matthew
McConaughey as a cocky lawyer who becomes paralyzed by his own
guilt, John Turturro as a teacher whose attempt to go with the
flow makes him more rigid than ever, and especially Alan Arkin
as a frustrated middle manager who's blinded by jealousy over
one of his happy-go-lucky co-workers.
7.
Punch-Drunk Love
I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes,
but goofball Adam Sandler was an absolute revelation in Paul Thomas
Anderson's unexpectedly bizarre, but strangely beautiful romantic
comedy (review).
It's hard to tell what was really going on beneath the surface
here, but then again, that's the beauty of it -- it made you think.
Funny, touching and hauntingly surreal, Anderson kept it short
and sweet (for a change), and the result was an inexplicably sublime
film that stayed with you long after the house lights went up.
 8.
The Pianist
Director Roman Polanski had first-hand experience with the events
depicted here, giving the film unapologetic realism and power
(review). Polanski eases
viewers into the horrors of the Holocaust, moving from naive denial
to complete hell on earth where every day becomes a desperate
struggle for survival. He doesn't pull any punches, but he doesn't
beat you over the head with sentiment either. The ultimate power
of the film isn't revealed until the very end, since it is only
then when you can look back on the experience and appreciate it
as a whole--kind of like history itself.
9.
Far From Heaven
From the "and now for something completely different"
department comes writer/director Todd Haynes' masterpiece about
a husband grappling with his sexuality while his adoring wife
hangs on for dear life. Haynes channels the ghost of Douglas Sirk
for the perfect companion piece to one of his 1950's melodramas,
but with a subject matter that would have been completely off-limits
in Sirk's day. A well-written screenplay, a beautiful score, rich
cinematography, and top-notch performances from Julianne Moore,
Dennis Quaid and Dennis Haysbert all made for one of the more
admirable productions of the last few years.
 10.
Solaris
Every year I like to put a totally far-out wild card on my list.
Last year it was the love-it-or-hate-it love story Vanilla
Sky, and this year it's the love-it-or-hate-it love story
Solaris. What
was sold to festive Thanksgiving moviegoers as an exciting mainstream
epic was in fact a cerebral, somber and impressionistic art film
about the nature of our existence and the importance of the choices
we make in life. Those who were impatient and bolted for the door
missed out on the year's most haunting, mesmerizing and misunderstood
movie, which featured director Steven Soderbergh at his experimental
best and George Clooney in the performance of his career.
Though they didn’t make the list, I also really enjoyed The
Count of Monte Cristo, Monsoon Wedding, Kissing
Jessica Stein, Ice Age,
Y Tu Mama Tambien, The Rookie, National
Lampoon's Van Wilder, The Cat's Meow, Spider-Man,
About a Boy, Spirit: Stallion
of the Cimarron, Minority
Report, Lovely and Amazing, Stuart
Little 2, Barbershop, Secretary, The
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Gangs
of New York, Narc,
Antwone Fisher and Catch
Me if You Can.
As for what we can expect for 2003, it's hard to say. Many of
the films that made the list weren't exactly "must-sees"
a year ago at this time, but as we all know, things change.
One thing's for sure: 2003 will be the year of The Matrix.
With not one, but two sequels to the groundbreaking 1999 hit coming
out a mere 6 months apart--The Matrix Reloaded opens May
15, followed by The Matrix Revolutions in November--you
can expect box office grosses to reach Lord of the Rings-style
proportions.
Speaking of which, the third and final chapter of the top-dollar
Tolkien trilogy opens December 17, and with "The Two Towers"
currently outgrossing its mammoth predecessor, "The Return
of the King" will surely make a big return at the box office.
Finally, Marvel Comics will be following "Spider-Man"
with 3 superhero movies in 2003--"Daredevil" (February
14), "X2" (May 2) and "The Hulk" (June 20)--so
there's a strong chance that even more box office records will
be broken, including the coveted $10 billion mark in total receipts
for the year.
We'll know what happens soon enough, since the end of the year
will be here before you know it. Like I said, time flies when
you’re having fun, and judging by the upcoming slate of movies,
there sure is a lot of fun to be had in 2003!
Don't forget to check out Noah
Ruderman's 10 Best of 2002 too!
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