favorites
by datong-liu26 | created - 12 Aug 2012 | updated - 13 Aug 2012 | PublicMy favorites of the past 20 years... In no particular order..
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. American Beauty (1999)
R | 122 min | Drama
A sexually frustrated suburban father has a mid-life crisis after becoming infatuated with his daughter's best friend.
Director: Sam Mendes | Stars: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley
Votes: 1,209,789 | Gross: $130.10M
Absolute masterpiece of a movie
2. American History X (1998)
R | 119 min | Crime, Drama
Living a life marked by violence, neo-Nazi Derek finally goes to prison after killing two black youths. Upon his release, Derek vows to change; he hopes to prevent his brother, Danny, who idolizes Derek, from following in his footsteps.
Director: Tony Kaye | Stars: Edward Norton, Edward Furlong, Beverly D'Angelo, Jennifer Lien
Votes: 1,185,076 | Gross: $6.72M
Edward Norton's transformation is amazing
3. Avatar (2009)
PG-13 | 162 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A paraplegic Marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.
Director: James Cameron | Stars: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez
Votes: 1,385,383 | Gross: $760.51M
A sensory roller coaster, James Cameron is a genius with the 3-d. No other movie has come close since then.
4. Speak (2004)
PG-13 | 89 min | Drama
After a blurred trauma over the summer, Melinda enters high school a selective mute. Struggling with school, friends, and family, she tells the dark tale of her experiences, and why she has chosen not to speak.
Director: Jessica Sharzer | Stars: Kristen Stewart, Elizabeth Perkins, Richard Hagerman, Allison Siko
Votes: 29,406
The film that made me a Kristen Stewart fan. I still hate everything about Twilight.
5. Cashback (2006)
R | 102 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
After a painful breakup, Ben develops insomnia. To kill time, he starts working the late night shift at the local supermarket, where his artistic imagination runs wild.
Director: Sean Ellis | Stars: Sean Biggerstaff, Emilia Fox, Michelle Ryan, Erica Ellis
Votes: 90,734 | Gross: $0.02M
There were seriously seriously beautiful moments in this movie. Source Code had a similar idea with the cinematography.
6. 300 (2006)
R | 117 min | Action, Drama
In the ancient battle of Thermopylae, King Leonidas and 300 Spartans fight against Xerxes and his massive Persian army. They face insurmountable odds when they are betrayed by a Spartan reject.
Director: Zack Snyder | Stars: Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West
Votes: 863,367 | Gross: $210.61M
Good film, nice little adrenalin rush
7. 2046 (2004)
R | 129 min | Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
Several women enter a science fiction author's life over the course of a few years, after the author has lost the woman he considers his one true love.
Director: Kar-Wai Wong | Stars: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Ziyi Zhang, Faye Wong, Gong Li
Votes: 61,725 | Gross: $1.44M
A timeless masterpiece about all the various forms of love.
8. Quantum of Solace (2008)
PG-13 | 106 min | Action, Adventure, Mystery
James Bond descends into mystery as he tries to stop a mysterious organisation from eliminating a country's most valuable resource.
Director: Marc Forster | Stars: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Judi Dench
Votes: 470,469 | Gross: $168.37M
First time 007 touched on something real that's going on in the world. h2o is a commodity that's actually being bought.
9. 13 Conversations About One Thing (2001)
R | 104 min | Drama
In New York City, the lives of a lawyer, an actuary, a house-cleaner, a professor and the people around them intersect as they ponder order and happiness in the face of life's cold unpredictability.
Director: Jill Sprecher | Stars: Alan Arkin, John Turturro, Matthew McConaughey, David Connolly
Votes: 11,491 | Gross: $3.29M
10. 21 Grams (2003)
R | 124 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A freak accident brings together a critically ill mathematician, a grieving mother, and a born-again ex-con.
Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu | Stars: Sean Penn, Benicio Del Toro, Naomi Watts, Danny Huston
Votes: 245,739 | Gross: $16.29M
11. 28 Days Later (2002)
R | 113 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
Four weeks after a mysterious, incurable virus spreads throughout the UK, a handful of survivors try to find sanctuary.
Director: Danny Boyle | Stars: Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston, Alex Palmer
Votes: 444,881 | Gross: $45.06M
12. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
PG-13 | 135 min | Biography, Drama, Mystery
A mathematical genius, John Nash made an astonishing discovery early in his career and stood on the brink of international acclaim. But the handsome and arrogant Nash soon found himself on a harrowing journey of self-discovery.
Director: Ron Howard | Stars: Russell Crowe, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher Plummer
Votes: 985,873 | Gross: $170.74M
A fantastic film.
13. A Home at the End of the World (2004)
R | 97 min | Drama, Romance
A boy who has experienced many losses in his life grows to manhood and enters into a love triangle with a woman and his boyhood friend.
Director: Michael Mayer | Stars: Colin Farrell, Dallas Roberts, Robin Wright, Sissy Spacek
Votes: 13,993 | Gross: $1.03M
A complex triangle.
14. Adaptation. (2002)
R | 115 min | Comedy, Drama
A lovelorn screenwriter becomes desperate as he tries and fails to adapt 'The Orchid Thief' by Susan Orlean for the screen.
Director: Spike Jonze | Stars: Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, Tilda Swinton
Votes: 202,889 | Gross: $22.25M
Nicolas Cage at his best.
15. Any Given Sunday (1999)
R | 162 min | Drama, Sport
A behind-the-scenes look at the life-and-death struggles of modern-day gladiators and those who lead them.
Director: Oliver Stone | Stars: Al Pacino, Dennis Quaid, Cameron Diaz, James Woods
Votes: 125,828 | Gross: $75.53M
Probably the first masterpiece about football.
16. Bad Santa (2003)
R | 92 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A miserable conman and his partner pose as Santa and his Little Helper to rob department stores on Christmas Eve. But they run into problems when the conman befriends a troubled kid.
Director: Terry Zwigoff | Stars: Billy Bob Thornton, Bernie Mac, Lauren Graham, John Ritter
Votes: 155,116 | Gross: $60.06M
a favorite movie for pessimistic types. definitely had moments I rolled on the floor laughing
17. Batman Begins (2005)
PG-13 | 140 min | Action, Crime, Drama
After witnessing his parents' death, Bruce learns the art of fighting to confront injustice. When he returns to Gotham as Batman, he must stop a secret society that intends to destroy the city.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Ken Watanabe, Liam Neeson
Votes: 1,576,661 | Gross: $206.85M
The best Batman movie that's EVER been made.
18. The Dark Knight (2008)
PG-13 | 152 min | Action, Crime, Drama
When the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine
Votes: 2,867,028 | Gross: $534.86M
Okay, now the BEST Batman/superhero movie that's EVER been made.
19. A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
PG-13 | 146 min | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi
A highly advanced robotic boy longs to become "real" so that he can regain the love of his human mother.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Haley Joel Osment, Jude Law, Frances O'Connor, Sam Robards
Votes: 322,788 | Gross: $78.62M
Made me cry and miss my mom like a little kid.
20. Battle in Seattle (2007)
R | 98 min | Action, Drama, History
Activists arrive in Seattle, Washington en masse to protest a meeting of the World Trade Organization. Riots and chaos ensue as demonstrators successfully stop the WTO meetings.
Director: Stuart Townsend | Stars: André 3000, Jennifer Carpenter, Isaach De Bankolé, Woody Harrelson
Votes: 15,166 | Gross: $0.22M
Which side would you chose?
21. The Beach (I) (2000)
R | 119 min | Adventure, Drama, Romance
On vacation in Thailand, Richard sets out for an island rumored to be a solitary beach paradise.
Director: Danny Boyle | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tilda Swinton, Daniel York, Patcharawan Patarakijjanon
Votes: 253,494 | Gross: $39.79M
22. The Believer (2001)
R | 98 min | Drama
A young Jewish man develops a fiercely anti-Semitic philosophy. Based on the factual story of a K.K.K. member in the 1960s who was revealed to be Jewish by a New York Times reporter.
Director: Henry Bean | Stars: Ryan Gosling, Summer Phoenix, Peter Meadows, Garret Dillahunt
Votes: 41,069 | Gross: $0.41M
Ryan Gosling became one of my favorite actors during this movie.
23. Stay (I) (2005)
R | 99 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A psychiatrist attempts to prevent one of his patients from committing suicide while trying to maintain his own grip on reality.
Director: Marc Forster | Stars: Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, Ryan Gosling, Kate Burton
Votes: 85,953 | Gross: $3.63M
Another Ryan Gosling movie that I really enjoyed.
24. Bella (2006)
PG-13 | 91 min | Drama, Romance
A chef with a mysterious past spends the day with a waitress who needs a friend.
Director: Alejandro Monteverde | Stars: Eduardo Verástegui, Tammy Blanchard, Manny Perez, Angélica Aragón
Votes: 11,036 | Gross: $8.11M
25. The Big Kahuna (1999)
R | 90 min | Drama, Comedy
Two veteran salesmen dissect a sales pitch to a particular client, through their young protégé.
Director: John Swanbeck | Stars: Kevin Spacey, Danny DeVito, Peter Facinelli, Paul Dawson
Votes: 15,029 | Gross: $3.15M
For anyone that's EVER questioned religion.
26. Black Hawk Down (2001)
R | 144 min | Action, Drama, History
The story of 160 elite U.S. soldiers who dropped into Mogadishu in October 1993 to capture two top lieutenants of a renegade warlord, but found themselves in a desperate battle with a large force of heavily armed Somalis.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore, Eric Bana
Votes: 423,128 | Gross: $108.64M
best movie ever made in the modern era.
27. Blow (2001)
R | 124 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The story of how George Jung, along with the Medellín Cartel headed by Pablo Escobar, established the American cocaine market in the 1970s in the United States.
Director: Ted Demme | Stars: Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Franka Potente, Rachel Griffiths
Votes: 274,848 | Gross: $52.99M
Johnny Depp at his best.
28. Boiler Room (2000)
R | 120 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A college dropout, attempting to live up to his father's high standards, gets a job as a broker for a suburban investment firm which puts him on the fast track to success. But the job might not be as legitimate as it first appeared to be.
Director: Ben Younger | Stars: Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Diesel, Nia Long, Nicky Katt
Votes: 56,408 | Gross: $16.94M
You wanna make it? You want it bad? You got game? Prove it
29. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
PG-13 | 115 min | Action, Mystery, Thriller
Jason Bourne dodges a ruthless C.I.A. official and his Agents from a new assassination program while searching for the origins of his life as a trained killer.
Director: Paul Greengrass | Stars: Matt Damon, Edgar Ramírez, Joan Allen, Julia Stiles
Votes: 657,865 | Gross: $227.47M
30. The Bourne Identity (2002)
PG-13 | 119 min | Action, Mystery, Thriller
A man is picked up by a fishing boat, bullet-riddled and suffering from amnesia, before racing to elude assassins and attempting to regain his memory.
Director: Doug Liman | Stars: Franka Potente, Matt Damon, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen
Votes: 575,770 | Gross: $121.66M
31. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
PG-13 | 108 min | Action, Mystery, Thriller
When Jason Bourne is framed for a CIA operation gone awry, he is forced to resume his former life as a trained assassin to survive.
Director: Paul Greengrass | Stars: Matt Damon, Franka Potente, Joan Allen, Brian Cox
Votes: 486,583 | Gross: $176.24M
32. Bulworth (1998)
R | 108 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A suicidally disillusioned liberal politician puts a contract out on himself and takes the opportunity to be bluntly honest with his voters by affecting the rhythms and speech of hip-hop music and culture.
Director: Warren Beatty | Stars: Warren Beatty, Halle Berry, Kimberly Deauna Adams, Vinny Argiro
Votes: 27,284 | Gross: $26.53M
One of the best political satires ever made.
33. Carmen (2003)
Not Rated | 119 min | Drama, Romance
Based on the novel by Prosper Merimee, CARMEN is the classic tale of forbidden passion between a young man (Leonardo Sbaraglia) and a spoken-for woman, Carmen (Paz Vega). It is told in ... See full summary »
Director: Vicente Aranda | Stars: Paz Vega, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Antonio Dechent, Joan Crosas
Votes: 2,281
Crazzyyy love film
34. Charlie Wilson's War (2007)
R | 102 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
A drama based on a Texas congressman Charlie Wilson's covert dealings in Afghanistan, where his efforts to assist rebels in their war with the Soviets have some unforeseen and long-reaching effects.
Director: Mike Nichols | Stars: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams
Votes: 124,814 | Gross: $66.66M
Really good film, gave me a good history about the Afghan war and the start of Osama Bin Laden
35. Children of Men (2006)
R | 109 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
In 2027, in a chaotic world in which women have somehow become infertile, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea.
Director: Alfonso Cuarón | Stars: Julianne Moore, Clive Owen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Caine
Votes: 528,927 | Gross: $35.55M
36. City of Angels (1998)
PG-13 | 114 min | Drama, Fantasy, Romance
An angel on Earth, a doctor unable to believe, a patient with a secret, a love story made in Heaven.
Director: Brad Silberling | Stars: Nicolas Cage, Meg Ryan, Andre Braugher, Dennis Franz
Votes: 127,677 | Gross: $78.69M
When I watched this film, I thought this was what love was.
37. Click (2006)
PG-13 | 107 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
A workaholic architect finds a universal remote that allows him to fast-forward and rewind to different parts of his life. Complications arise when the remote starts to overrule his choices.
Director: Frank Coraci | Stars: Adam Sandler, Kate Beckinsale, Christopher Walken, David Hasselhoff
Votes: 356,321 | Gross: $137.36M
Adam Sandler makes some good good comedies, this is one of them.
38. Funny People (2009)
R | 146 min | Comedy, Drama
When seasoned comedian George Simmons learns of his terminal, inoperable health condition, his desire to form a genuine friendship causes him to take a relatively green performer under his wing as his opening act.
Director: Judd Apatow | Stars: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana
Votes: 123,581 | Gross: $51.86M
This one really hit home.
39. Closer (I) (2004)
R | 104 min | Drama, Romance
The relationships of two couples become complicated and deceitful when the man from one couple meets the woman of the other.
Director: Mike Nichols | Stars: Natalie Portman, Jude Law, Clive Owen, Julia Roberts
Votes: 235,876 | Gross: $33.99M
40. Collateral (2004)
R | 120 min | Action, Crime, Drama
A cab driver finds himself the hostage of an engaging contract killer as he makes his rounds from hit to hit during one night in Los Angeles.
Director: Michael Mann | Stars: Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo
Votes: 432,699 | Gross: $101.01M
live without bounds. There are lions and sheep in this world, which one are you?
41. Confidence (2003)
R | 97 min | Crime, Thriller
Jake Vig is a consummate grifter about to pull his biggest con yet, one set to avenge his friend's murder. But his last scam backfired, leaving him indebted to a mob boss and his enforcer.
Director: James Foley | Stars: Edward Burns, Dustin Hoffman, Rachel Weisz, Andy Garcia
Votes: 35,319 | Gross: $12.21M
Very good film, lots of twists.
Tell Your Friends