Eyes Wide Shut – The Matrix – Fight Club – American Beauty – The Straight Story – The Blair Witch Project – All About My Mother

1999: World Premieres
1999: U.S. Releases
1999: Still Left to See
1999: Cannes Festival

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The Movies of 1999: U.S. Releases
 By Grade // By Title // Last update: January 12, 2025

Top Ten List

1. Close-Up Dir. Abbas Kiarostami. Hossain Sabzian, Abolfazl Ahankhah A+
2. Eyes Wide Shut Dir. Stanley Kubrick. Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Sydney Pollack A
3. Rosetta Dirs. Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. Émilie Dequenne, Fabrizio Rongione A
4. Toy Story 2 Dir. John Lasseter. Voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack A
5. Princess Mononoke Dir. Hayao Miyazaki. Voices of Yôji Matsuda, Yuriko Ishida A
6. Boys Don't Cry Dir. Kimberly Peirce. Hilary Swank, Chloë Sevigny, Peter Sarsgaard A
7. La Petite vendeuse de soleil Dir. Djibril Diop Mambéty. Lissa Baléra A
8. The Straight Story Dir. David Lynch. Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek A
9. The Blair Witch Project Dirs. Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez. Heather Donahue A–
10. After Life Dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda. Arata Iura, Erika Oda, Kei Tani A–


Full Listing of Films Screened
= Full Review   /   = Capsule   /   = Feature or Blog Post   /   = Grain of Salt

Close-Up Dir. Abbas Kiarostami. Hossain Sabzian, Abolfazl Ahankhah A+

 Boys Don't Cry Dir. Kimberly Peirce. Hilary Swank, Chloë Sevigny, Peter Sarsgaard A
 Eyes Wide Shut Dir. Stanley Kubrick. Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Sydney Pollack A
Princess Mononoke Dir. Hayao Miyazaki. Voices of Yôji Matsuda, Yuriko Ishida A
Rosetta Dirs. Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. Émilie Dequenne, Fabrizio Rongione A
Toy Story 2 Dir. John Lasseter. Voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack A

After Life Dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda. Arata Iura, Erika Oda, Kei Tani A–
All About My Mother Dir. Pedro Almodóvar. Cecilia Roth, Penélope Cruz A–
American Movie Dir. Chris Smith. Documentary about small-town filmmakers A–
The Apple Dir. Samira Makhmalbaf. Massoumeh Naderi, Zahra Naderi A–
Being John Malkovich Dir. Spike Jonze. John Cusack, Cameron Diaz A–
 The Blair Witch Project Dirs. Daniel Myrick, Eduardo Sánchez. Heather Donahue A–
 Cremaster 2 Dir. Matthew Barney. Matthew Barney, Norman Mailer, Patty Griffin A–
The Dreamlife of Angels Dir. Erick Zonca. Élodie Bouchez, Natacha Régnier A–
Leila Dir. Dariush Mehrjui. Leila Hatami, Ali Mosaffa, Jamileh Sheikhi A–
 Magnolia Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson. John C. Reilly, Philip Baker Hall A–
A Moment of Innocence Dir. Mohsen Makhmalbaf. Mirhadi Tayebi A–
My Name Is Joe Dir. Ken Loach. Peter Mullan, Louise Goodall, David McKay A–
Rabbit in the Moon Dir. Emiko Omori. Documentary about internment camps A–
The Straight Story Dir. David Lynch. Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek A–
Summer of Sam Dir. Spike Lee. John Leguizamo, Adrien Brody, Mira Sorvino A–
  The Talented Mr. Ripley Dir. Anthony Minghella. Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow A–
Topsy-Turvy Dir. Mike Leigh. Jim Broadbent, Allan Corduner, Timothy Spall A–
 Tumbleweeds Dir. Gavin O'Connor. Janet McTeer, Kimberly J. Brown A–

The Astronaut's Wife Dir. Rand Ravich. Charlize Theron, Johnny Depp B+
Besieged Dir. Bernardo Bertolucci. Thandie Newton, David Thewlis B+
The Book of Life Dir. Hal Hartley. Martin Donovan, PJ Harvey, Thomas Jay Ryan B+
Bringing Out the Dead Dir. Martin Scorsese. Nicolas Cage, Patricia Arquette B+
Cookie's Fortune Dir. Robert Altman. Charles S. Dutton, Glenn Close, Liv Tyler B+
Endurance Dir. Leslie Woodhead. Haile Gebrselassie, Yonas Zergaw B+
Eternity and a Day Dir. Theo Angelopoulos. Bruno Ganz, Achileas Skevis B+
eXistenZ Dir. David Cronenberg. Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jude Law, Don McKellar B+
Genesis Dir. Cheick Oumar Sissoko. Sotigui Kouyaté, Balla Moussa Keita B+
The Insider Dir. Michael Mann. Al Pacino, Russell Crowe, Christopher Plummer B+
The Iron Giant Dir. Brad Bird. Voices of Eli Marienthal, Jennifer Aniston B+
Man on the Moon Dir. Miloš Forman. Jim Carrey, Danny DeVito, Paul Giamatti B+
Mansfield Park Dir. Patricia Rozema. Frances O'Connor, Jonny Lee Miller B+
Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. Dir. Errol Morris B+
 Onegin Dir. Martha Fiennes. Ralph Fiennes, Liv Tyler, Toby Stephens B+
Private Confessions Dir. Liv Ullmann. Pernilla August, Max von Sydow B+
Regret to Inform Dir. Barbara Sonneborn. Documentary about Vietnam War B+
Return with Honor Dirs. Freida Lee Mock, Terry Sanders. Documentary B+
Run Lola Run Dir. Tom Tykwer. Franka Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu, Herbert Knaup B+
The Sticky Fingers of Time Dir. Hilary Brougher. Terumi Matthews B+
A Walk on the Moon Dir. Tony Goldwyn. Diane Lane, Liev Schreiber B+
The War Zone Dir. Tim Roth. Freddie Cunliffe, Lara Belmont, Ray Winstone B+
Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl Dir. Joan Chen. Li Xiaolu, Lopsang, Qian Zheng B+

American Beauty Dir. Sam Mendes. Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch B
Buena Vista Social Club Dir. Wim Wenders. Documentary about Cuban band B
 Children of Heaven Dir. Majid Majidi. Mir Farrokh Hashemian, Bahare Seddiqi B
Earth Dir. Deepa Mehta. Maia Sethna, Nandita Das, Aamir Khan, Rahul Khanna B
Edge of Seventeen Dir. David Moreton. Chris Stafford, Tina Holmes B
Election Dir. Alexander Payne. Matthew Broderick, Reese Witherspoon B
The Emperor and the Assassin Dir. Chen Kaige. Li Xuejian, Gong Li, Zhang Fengyi B
 The End of the Affair Dir. Neil Jordan. Ralph Fiennes, Julianne Moore B
Following Dir. Christopher Nolan. Jeremy Theobald, Alex Haw, Lucy Russell B
Galaxy Quest Dir. Dean Parisot. Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman B
Go Dir. Doug Liman. Sarah Polley, Desmond Askew, Katie Holmes B
Guinevere Dir. Audrey Wells. Sarah Polley, Stephen Rea, Jean Smart, Gina Gershon B
Holy Smoke! Dir. Jane Campion. Kate Winslet, Harvey Keitel, Julie Hamilton B
I Stand Alone Dir. Gaspar Noé. Philippe Nahon, Blandine Lenoir, Frankye Pain B
In Dreams Dir. Neil Jordan. Annette Bening, Aidan Quinn, Robert Downey Jr. B
In Too Deep Dir. Michael Rymer. Omar Epps, LL Cool J, Stanley Tucci, Nia Long B
Jackie's Back! Dir. Robert Townsend. TV. Jenifer Lewis, Tim Curry, T.V. Blake B
Jeanne and the Perfect Guy Dirs. Olivier Ducastel, Jacques Martineau B
Just the Ticket Dir. Richard Wenk. Andy Garcia, Andie MacDowell B
Late August, Early September Dir. Olivier Assayas. Mathieu Amalric B
Limbo Dir. John Sayles. Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, David Strathairn B
The Limey Dir. Steven Soderbergh. Terence Stamp, Peter Fonda B
Lovers of the Arctic Circle Dir. Julio Medem. Fele Martínez, Najwa Nimri B
The Lovers on the Bridge Dir. Leos Carax. Denis Lavant, Juliette Binoche B
The Minus Man Dir. Hampton Fancher. Owen Wilson, Brian Cox B
The Mummy Dir. Stephen Sommers. Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, Arnold Vosloo B
My Best Fiend Dir. Werner Herzog. Documentary about films with Klaus Kinski B
Never Been Kissed Dir. Raja Gosnell. Drew Barrymore, David Arquette B
On the Ropes Dirs. Nanette Burstein, Brett Morgen. Documentary about boxers B
One Hundred and One Nights Dir. Agnès Varda. Michel Piccoli, Julie Gayet B
Payback Dir. Brian Helgeland. Mel Gibson, Gregg Henry, Maria Bello, Lucy Liu B
 Port Djema Dir. Éric Heumann. Jean-Yves Dubois, Christophe Odent B
Sitcom Dir. François Ozon. Évelyne Dandry, François Marthouret, Adrien de Van B
SLC Punk! Dir. James Merendino. Matthew Lillard, Michael Goorjian B
 South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut Dir. Trey Parker. Voice of Trey Parker B
Speaking in Strings Dir. Paola di Florio. Documentary about famous violinist B
 Tarzan Dirs. Kevin Lima, Chris Buck. Voices of Tony Goldwyn, Minnie Driver B
The Thomas Crown Affair Dir. John McTiernan. Pierce Brosnan, Rene Russo B
Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train Dir. Patrice Chéreau B
Three Kings Dir. David O. Russell. George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube B
Three Seasons Dir. Tony Bui. Nguyễn Ngọc Hiệp, Đơn Dương, Nguyễn Hữu Được B
Titus Dir. Julie Taymor. Anthony Hopkins, Jessica Lange, Alan Cumming B
Trekkies Dir. Roger Nygard. Documentary about Star Trek and its mega-fandoms B

10 Things I Hate about You Dir. Gil Junger. Julia Stiles, Heath Ledger B–
The 24 Hour Woman Dir. Nancy Savoca. Rosie Perez, Mariane Jean-Baptiste B–
Analyze This Dir. Harold Ramis. Billy Crystal, Robert De Niro, Joe Viterelli B–
And Baby Makes Two Dir. Judy Katz, Oren Rudavsky. Documentary B–
Anna and the King Dir. Andy Tennant. Jodie Foster, Chow Yun-Fat, Tom Felton B–
Anywhere But Here Dir. Wayne Wang. Natalie Portman, Susan Sarandon B–
Arlington Road Dir. Mark Pellington. Jeff Bridges, Tim Robbins, Joan Cusack B–
The Best Man Dir. Malcolm D. Lee. Taye Diggs, Morris Chestnut, Nia Long B–
Better than Chocolate Dir. Anne Wheeler. Karyn Dwyer, Wendy Crewson B–
The Castle Dir. Rob Sitch. Michael Caton, Stephen Curry, Anne Tenney B–
Dick Dir. Andrew Fleming. Kirsten Dunst, Michelle Williams, Dan Hedaya B–
Drop Dead Gorgeous Dir. Michael Patrick Jann. Kirsten Dunst, Kirstie Alley B–
 EDtv Dir. Ron Howard. Matthew McConaughey, Jenna Elfman, Woody Harrelson B–
Entrapment Dir. Jon Amiel. Catherine Zeta-Jones, Sean Connery, Will Patton B–
 Flawless Dir. Joel Schumacher. Robert De Niro, Philip Seymour Hoffman B–
Gendernauts Dir. Monika Treut. Documentary about Bay Area gender queers B–
Genghis Blues Dirs. Roko and Adrian Belic. Documentary about throat singer B–
Get Real Dir. Simon Shore. Ben Silverstone, Brad Gorton, Charlotte Brittain B–
Girl, Interrupted Dir. James Mangold. Winona Ryder, Angelina Jolie B–
Hideous Kinky Dir. Gilles Mackinnon. Kate Winslet, Bella Riza, Carrie Mullan B–
Idle Hands Dir. Rodman Flender. Devon Sawa, Seth Green, Elden Henson B–
In Search of Kundun with Martin Scorsese Dir. Michael Henry Wilson B–
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge Dir. Martha Coolidge. TV. Halle Berry B–
Joe the King Dir. Frank Whaley. Noah Fleiss, Max Ligosh, Val Kilmer B–
Lake Placid Dir. Steve Miner. Bridget Fonda, Bill Pullman, Oliver Platt B–
Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels Dir. Guy Ritchie. Nick Moran B–
Lola and Billy the Kid Dir. Kutluğ Ataman. Baki Davrak, Erdal Yıldız B–
Music of the Heart Dir. Wes Craven. Meryl Streep, Aidan Quinn, Angela Bassett B–
 My Son the Fanatic Dir. Udayan Prasad. Om Puri, Akbar Kurtha, Rachel Griffiths B–
Dir. Robert Lepage. Anne-Marie Cadieux, Alexis Martin, Richard Fréchette B–
Open Your Eyes Dir. Alejandro Amenábar. Eduardo Noriega, Penélope Cruz B–
Pusher Dir. Nicolas Winding Refn. Kim Bodnia, Laura Drasbæk, Zlatko Buric B–
Pushing Tin Dir. Mike Newell. John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, Cate Blanchett B–
Ravenous Dir. Antonia Bird. Guy Pearce, Robert Carlyle, Jeffrey Jones B–
The Red Violin Dir. François Girard. Samuel L. Jackson, Irene Grazioli B–
Ride with the Devil Dir. Ang Lee. Tobey Maguire, Skeet Ulrich, Jewel B–
Romance Dir. Catherine Breillat. Caroline Ducey, Sagamore Stévinin B–
Show Me Love Dir. Lukas Moodysson. Rebecka Liljeberg, Alexandra Dählstrom B–
 The Sixth Sense Dir. M. Night Shyamalan. Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment B–
Sleepy Hollow Dir. Tim Burton. Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci B–
 Star Wars, Episode 1: The Phantom Menace Dir. George Lucas. Liam Neeson B–
Twin Falls Idaho Dir. Michael Polish. Mark Polish, Michael Polish, Michele Hicks B–
The Winslow Boy Dir. David Mamet. Nigel Hawthorne, Rebecca Pidgeon B–

8MM Dir. Joel Schumacher. Nicolas Cage, Joaquin Phoenix, Catherine Keener C+
 At First Sight Dir. Irwin Winkler. Val Kilmer, Mira Sorvino, Kelly McGillis C+
The Cider House Rules Dir. Lasse Hallström. Tobey Maguire, Charlize Theron C+
Cradle Will Rock Dir. Tim Robbins. John Turturro, Emily Watson, Cherry Jones C+
Felicia's Journey Dir. Atom Egoyan. Bob Hoskins, Elaine Cassidy, Peter McDonald C+
Fight Club Dir. David Fincher. Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter C+
Gloria Dir. Sidney Lumet. Sharon Stone, Jean-Luke Figueroa, Jeremy Northam C+
God Said, 'Ha!' Dir. Julia Sweeney. Julia Sweeney. Performance documentary C+
The Hurricane Dir. Norman Jewison. Denzel Washington, Vicellous Shannon C+
An Ideal Husband Dir. Oliver Parker. Rupert Everett, Cate Blanchett C+
Jawbreaker Dir. Darren Stein. Judy Greer, Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart C+
The King of Masks Dir. Wu Tianming. Zhu Xu, Zhou Renying, Zhao Zhigang C+
Life Dir. Ted Demme. Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence, Obba Babatundé C+
A Map of the World Dir. Scott Elliott. Sigourney Weaver, David Strathairn C+
Mary Jane's Not a Virgin Anymore Dir. Sarah Jacobson. Lisa Gerstein C+
Miss Julie Dir. Mike Figgis. Saffron Burrows, Peter Mullan, Maria Doyle Kennedy C+
October Sky Dir. Joe Johnston. Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Cooper, Chris Owen C+
Office Space Dir. Mike Judge. Ron Livingston, David Herman, Jennifer Aniston C+
Simpatico Dir. Matthew Warchus. Nick Nolte, Jeff Bridges, Sharon Stone C+
Stir of Echoes Dir. David Koepp. Kevin Bacon, Kathryn Erbe, Zachary David Cope C+
Stuart Little Dir. Rob Minkoff. Voice of Michael J. Fox, Geena Davis, Hugh Laurie C+
The Third Miracle Dir. Agnieszka Holland. Ed Harris, Anne Heche C+
When Love Comes Dir. Garth Maxwell. Rena Owen, Simon Prast C+
William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream Dir. Michael Hoffman C+
The World Is Not Enough Dir. Michael Apted. Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marceau C+

The Adventures of Sebastian Cole Dir. Tod Williams. Adrian Grenier C
Among Giants Dir. Sam Miller. Pete Postlethwaite, Rachel Griffiths C
Bedrooms & Hallways Dir. Rose Troche. Kevin McKidd, James Purefoy C
Black Mask Dir. Daniel Lee. Jet Li, Lau Ching Wan, Karen Mok, Françoise Yip C
Bowfinger Dir. Frank Oz. Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy, Heather Graham C
 Conceiving Ada Dir. Lynn Hershmann-Leeson. Tilda Swinton, Francesca Faridany C
Desert Blue Dir. Morgan J. Freeman. Brendan Sexton III, Kate Hudson C
Happy, Texas Dir. Mark Illsley. Jeremy Northam, Steve Zahn, Ally Walker C
Hard Dir. John Huckert. Noel Palomaria, Malcolm Moorman, Charles Lanyer C
 Last Night Dir. Don McKellar. Don McKellar, Sandra Oh, Callum Keith Rennie C
Metroland Dir. Philip Saville. Christian Bale, Emily Watson, Lee Ross C
The Muse Dir. Albert Brooks. Albert Brooks, Andie MacDowell, Sharon Stone C
 Notting Hill Dir. Roger Michell. Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts, Rhys Ifans C
 One Day in September Dir. Kevin Macdonald. Documentary about hostage crisis C
The Out-of-Towners Dir. Sam Weisman. Steve Martin, Goldie Hawn, John Cleese C
She's All That Dir. Robert Iscove. Freddie Prinze Jr., Rachael Leigh Cook C
The Wood Dir. Rick Famuyiwa. Sean Nelson, Trent Cameron, Duane Finley C

American Pie Dirs. Paul and Chris Weitz. Jason Biggs, Chris Klein, Mena Suvari C–
Big Daddy Dir. Dennis Dugan. Adam Sandler, Cole Sprouse, Dylan Sprouse C–
Finding North Dir. Tanya Wexler. Wendy Makkena, John Benjamin Hickey C–
Head On Dir. Ana Kokkinos. Alex Dimitriades, Paul Capsis, Julian Garner C–
The Other Sister Dir. Garry Marshall. Juliette Lewis, Giovanni Ribisi C–
Out of Season Dir. Jeanette L. Buck. Carol Monda, Joy Kelly, Dennis Fecteau C–
The Rage: Carrie 2 Dir. Katt Shea. Emily Bergl, Jason London, Amy Irving C–
Relax...It's Just Sex Dir. P.J. Castellaneta. Mitchell Anderson, Jennifer Tilly C–
Snow Falling on Cedars Dir. Scott Hicks. Ethan Hawke, Yuki Kudoh, Rick Yune C–
 Sweet and Lowdown Dir. Woody Allen. Sean Penn, Samantha Morton C–
The Thirteenth Floor Dir. Josef Rusnak. Craig Bierko, Gretchen Mol C–
This Is My Father Dir. Paul Quinn. Aidan Quinn, Moya Farrelly, James Caan C–
True Crime Dir. Clint Eastwood. Clint Eastwood, Isaiah Washington, James Woods C–
Varsity Blues Dir. Brian Robbins. James Van Der Beek, Ron Lester, Paul Walker C–

Agnes Browne Dir. Anjelica Huston. Anjelica Huston, Marion O'Dwyer D+
Deep Blue Sea Dir. Renny Harlin. Saffron Burrows, Thomas Jane, LL Cool J D+
The Deep End of the Ocean Dir. Ulu Grosbard. Michelle Pfeiffer, Treat Williams D+
Dogma Dir. Kevin Smith. Linda Fiorentino, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Chris Rock D+
The Empty Mirror Dir. Barry J. Hershey. Norman Rodway, Peter Michael Goetz D+
Forces of Nature Dir. Bronwen Hughes. Ben Affleck, Sandra Bullock D+
Frogs for Snakes Dir. Amos Poe. Barbara Hershey, Robbie Coltrane, Lisa Marie D+
Goodbye Lover Dir. Roland Joffé. Patricia Arquette, Dermot Mulroney D+
Instinct Dir. Jon Turteltaub. Cuba Gooding Jr., Anthony Hopkins, Maura Tierney D+
Just a Little Harmless Sex Dir. Rick Rosenthal. Robert Mailhouse D+
Splendor Dir. Gregg Araki. Kathleen Robertson, Johnathon Schaech, Matt Keeslar D+

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me Dir. Jay Roach. Mike Myers D
Cruel Intentions Dir. Roger Kumble. Ryan Phillippe, Sarah Michelle Gellar D
Double Jeopardy Dir. Bruce Beresford. Ashley Judd, Tommy Lee Jones D
Foolish Dir. Dave Meyers. Eddie Griffin, Master P, Amie Petersen, Jonathan Banks D
Friends & Lovers Dir. George Haas. George Newbern, Stephen Baldwin D
Incognito Dir. Julie Dash. TV. Allison Dean, Richard T. Jones, Phil Morris D
The Loss of Sexual Innocence Dir. Mike Figgis. Julian Sands, Saffron Burrows D
The Love Letter Dir. Peter Ho-Sun Chan. Kate Capshaw, Tom Everett Scott D
Play It to the Bone Dir. Ron Shelton. Antonio Banderas, Woody Harrelson D
 Tea with Mussolini Dir. Franco Zeffirelli. Joan Plowright, Maggie Smith, Cher D
Trick Dir. Jim Fall. Christian Campbell, J.P. Pitoc, Tori Spelling, Lorri Bagley D
The Velocity of Gary Dir. Dan Ireland. Vincent D'Onofrio, Thomas Jane D
Virus Dir. John Bruno. Jamie Lee Curtis, Donald Sutherland, William Baldwin D

B. Monkey Dir. Michael Radford. Jared Harris, Asia Argento, Rupert Everett D–
The Bachelor Dir. Gary Sinyor. Chris O'Donnell, Renée Zellweger, Artie Lange D–
 The Green Mile Dir. Frank Darabont. Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan D–

For Love of the Game Dir. Sam Raimi. Kevin Costner, Kelly Preston, John C. Reilly F
The General's Daughter Dir. Simon West. John Travolta, Madeleine Stowe F
 The Matrix Dirs. The Wachowskis. Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne F
 Runaway Bride Dir. Garry Marshall. Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, Joan Cusack F