Movies we love:
Fast and the Furious- The Fast and Furious franchise was a staple of the 2000’s and embodies many trends of the decade. The original movie was a surprise hit that embraced the fashion and music of the time, with lots of white tank tops, chains, and Ludacris songs. The movie portrayed the diversity of the city it took place in before the conversation about representation. Actors Vin Diesel, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang were staples of the multi-ethnic cast.
Mamma Mia- If there was one thing the early 2000’s loved, it was a movie-musical. Chicago (2002), Dreamgirls (2006), and Hairspray (2008) are some beloved examples, but none embody the time period quite like Mamma Mia (2008). A quirky and upbeat movie set to the music of ABBA, it follows a young bride at her destination wedding in Greece, as she tries to set her mother up with men from her past. The combination of already beloved songs like “Dancing Queen” and “Mamma Mia” combined with the beautiful island scenery made for a movie that audiences felt happy watching. The star studded cast including Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Pierce Brosnan, and Colin Firth brought the storyline to life and proved to executives that the genre could have widespread appeal.
Legally Blonde- Led by Reese Witherspoon, Legally Blonde (2004) follows a beautiful, rich, sorority girl who dreams of being married to her future-lawyer boyfriend, however, ends up realizing she would rather be single and a lawyer herself. The movie emphasizes her sense of style and charming personality as an asset to her career instead of a hindrance. It inspired an unknowable amount of girls to continue their education and follow their dreams. Legally Blonde quickly built into a franchise with a sequel, a musical adaptation, and a plethora of Halloween costume designs. What? Like it’s hard?
The Dark Knight – 2008’s The Dark Knight was not only a successful superhero movie at the box office, but a genre redefining moment for Hollywood. It presented the classic comic Batman storyline as a psychological thriller set in a realistic city. The complex explorations of both Batman and the Joker’s personality led to the movie being seen as true cinema, a testament to Christopher Nolan’s direction. The film will always be cherished as the last work of Heath Ledger, who was awarded the Oscar for Best Actor on the one month anniversary of his passing.
The Devil Wears Prada- Another iconic Meryl Streep movie, 2006’s The Devil Wears Prada was immediately a massive success on its release. Streep’s performance as fashion boss Miranda Priestly captured audiences fascination while Anne Hathaway’s character gave them someone relatable to root for. They also included a classic Anne Hathaway character makeover scene, a hilarious staple of her early 2000’s work. Being a fashion-centered movie, the costumes had to be impeccable. To ensure this, they enlisted the help of Patricia Field, the fashion genius behind Sex and the City. The director and crew working on the movie paid attention to detail and it paid off.
10 Things I Hate About You- Technically released in 1999, 10 Things I Hate About You works as a kind of cinematic bridge between the 90’s and the 2000’s. The movie is a loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew blending classic storytelling, sharp humor, and unforgettable performances into a teen rom-com that still holds up today. The casting of popular teen stars such as Julia Chiles, Heath Ledger, and Joseph Gordon Levitt led to increased excitement before the movie’s release. The movie was also geared towards older teens, with slightly inappropriate humor (it was the 90’s), hilarious dialogue, and wacky scenes that seemed less like high school shenanigans and more like a fever dream.
Mean Girls- The world changed in 2004 with the release of Mean Girls and teenagers would never be the same. Mean Girls’s genius and hilarity was a product of its writer, Tina Fey. She was in the middle of her run on Saturday Night Live! and decided to write a script around her experiences in high school. And she didn’t hold back. Beyond having quotable moments like “You can’t sit with us” and “Is butter a carb?”, everything about the movie was almost memorized by the culture and absorbed. For teens of the time, seeing such a deranged, but in many ways accurate, depiction of the interpersonal politics of high school felt cathartic. Even other movies that dealt with teenage cliques like The Heathers (1989) and Clueless (1995) didn’t show the level of sabotage between girls as Mean Girls. The movie led to highly successful careers for stars like Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Seyfried, and Rachel McAdams.
High School Musical- Made for the youngest teens in this list, Disney’s High School Musical (2006) was a preteen phenomenon. It was released during the prime era of Disney Channel and Disney movies where they had a loyal audience of kids and preteens, leading to a high chance of its success. The movie centers around high schoolers Troy and Gabriella, as they navigate the stresses of high school relationships and picking an extracurricular. Faced with these extremely high stakes, they end up in the theater program together. The movie focused on high energy music, upbeat acting, and loveable side characters like Sharpay and Ryan Evans. Disney franchised the movie and multiple sequels were made, each breaking records.
Animation Mania:
Monster’s, Inc- Pixar animation started a decade of dominance in children movies with the release of Monster’s, Inc in 2001. Monster’s, Inc focused on two loveable monsters, Mike and Sully, who accidentally bring a human child into their world. They then form a relationship with her in the attempt to bring her back home safely. The movie was also praised for it’s advanced animation techniques, with the vibrancy and texture of Sully’s fur being groundbreaking for the time. In a surprise move, Disney gave the movie a prequel called Monster’s University, which follows Mike and Sully on their adventure as college roommates.
Finding Nemo- Finding Nemo, released in 2003, is the highest grossing Pixar movie of the decade, earning around $340,000,000 to date. The story of a father searching for his son in the vast ocean paired with the themes of reliance on friends resonated with many. Similarly to Monster’s, Inc, audiences were absolutely captivated by the detail and vibrancy of the underwater world. The movie became a cultural phenomenon and cemented the motivational phrase “Just keep swimming” in the American lexicon.
Cars- Released in 2006, Cars introduced audiences to a world in which cars were personified as people. The story focuses on Lightning McQueen, a hollywood-type racecar who ends up lost off a desert highway and has to fight to find his way back to the race track. Radiator SPrings was introduced as a fully immersive experience with backstories, stakes, and situations where characters felt authentic. As the story progresses audiences see Lightning break free from his obsession with image and winning, and learn to appreciate life for experiences and the friendships he has. One highest praised aspect of the movie has been the soundtrack, which emphasized blues, rock, and country music, and its theme “Life is a Highway” by Rascal Flatts.
Spirited Away- Pixar did not have a complete hold on animation during this era, so we couldn’t create this list without mentioning Studio Ghibli. Spirited Away (2001) was created by Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, founder of Studio Ghibli animation. Their films gained popularity in the United States due to their fairytale-like storylines and breathtaking hand-drawn animation. They would earn further recognition with the 2004 film Howl’s Moving Castle, which taught lessons like appreciating your inner beauty and the perils of jealousy.
Best Actors:
Johnny Depp- Johnny Depp began his film career after catching the attention of director Tim Burton and being cast in Edward Scissorhands (1990). Through the years he built a reputation as an actor who could play serious characters with comedic edge and strange quirks. By the early 2000’s he had essentially two separate acting careers happening simultaneously; one with Burton releasing films like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) and Alice in Wonderland (2010); and one with Disney as Captain Jack Sparrow in The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
Brad Pitt- Brad Pitt’s movie debut was all the ways back in 1988, when he starred in The Dark Side of the Sun. He was talented with classic Hollywood good looks and continued to grow his star status through the 90’s. He kicked off the decade by starring in Oceans 11 (2001), which earned two sequels in 2004 and 2007, and ended with Inglourious Basterds (2009). He also spent the decade on the cover of tabloid magazines interested in his relationship with Angelina Jolie, which certainly contributed to his fame.
Leonardo DiCaprio- Leo began his career as a child actor in the early 80’s, but became a superstar by portraying Jack Dawson in the global phenomenon that was Titanic (1997). Throughout the 2000’s, he would star in action films such as Catch Me if You Can (2002), The Aviator (2004), and Inception (2010). He made multiple movies with legendary director Martin Scorsese during these years, including 2006’s The Departed, which won an oscar for Best Picture.
Tom Cruise- Tom Cruise rose to fame in 1986’s Top Gun and proved his talents as an action star. He was cast in Mission Impossible in 1996 and would continue to make movies with the franchise throughout the 2000’s and now. He also gained popularity for doing his own stunts in movies and disliking CGI effects. Some of his daring stunts include motorbiking off a 4,100 foot cliff and running along the side of the Burj Khalifa. He hasn’t alway been beloved though, he’s faced controversy for his subscription to scientology and multiple public breakups.
Will Smith- Will Smith started his career as a rapper known as The Fresh Prince in the late 1980’s. From this, he would be cast in the TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, similar to other shows of its time, Smith portrayed a fictionalized version of himself and his life in LA. In the 90’s he decided to make the transition into a movie star and was cast in several high budget action movies such as Independence Day (1996) and Ali (2001).
Best Actresses:
Angelina Jolie- Angelina Jolie caught America’s attention for her portrayal of Lara Croft in the 2001 movie, Tomb Raider (2001). She would go on to star in over 40 movies and add some voice acting roles to her resume. She was also well known for her highly publicized relationship and marriage with Brad Pitt, whom she met in 2003 while working on their movie When Harry met Sally (2005). The former couple have three biological children as well as adopted children from three different countries; Ethiopia, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
Reese Witherspoon- Full name Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon, she has been working in Hollywood since the early 1990’s. Her breakout role was in 2001 as the iconic Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, cementing her comedic abilities in viewers minds. She is now the founder of a media company called Hello Sunshine, which focuses on female-centric stories, and a popular book club.
Lindsey Lohan- When it comes to young actresses of the era, no one had the level of fame and popularity as Lindsay Lohan. Her breakout role was 1998’s The Parent Trap, in which she memorably played her own twin sister. Just five years later, she would propel into the peak of her career with the movies Freaky Friday (2003) and Mean Girls (2004) being released just months apart. Beyond the screen, she was a fashion icon for teen girls of the time and a major tabloid target.
Anne Hathaway- There must have been something in the water in 2001, because it also gave us The Princess Diaries and the debut of Anne Hathaway. The daughter of a stage actress, she was inspired to follow in her footsteps while watching her mother play Fantine in a touring production of Les Miserables. It turned out Hathaway had the talent and dedication to become successful in the industry, landing roles like Ella Enchanted (2004) and The Devil Wears Prada (2006).
Writers Note: My personal favorite Anne Hathaway role is her performance in Les Miserables (2012), as she reprised her mothers role of Fantine- and won an oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
Halle Berry- Halle Berry is a particularly memorable actress on this list because she was more of an action star than a romantic lead. Her career began in the early 90’s and she quickly became known as an actress and style icon. She started the decade starring as Storm in X-Men (2000) and its two sequels, however, she continued to prove her dramatic abilities with films like Their Eyes Were Watching God (2005). Berry was recognized for her talents by becoming the first black woman to win an oscar for Best Actress with the 2001 movie Monster’s Ball.
