1999 Film Critics Poll
Fri., Jan. 7, 2000
Marjorie Baumgarten
Top Ten Films
1. Affliction
2. Three Kings
3. Being John Malkovich
4. The Blair Witch Project (pre-hype)
5. Boys Don't Cry
6. American Movie
7. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
8. Besieged
9. Gods and Monsters
10. The Limey
Near Misses (5)
Dogma, Rushmore, Election, Cookie's Fortune, Run Lola Run
Most Overrated Films (3)
American Beauty, The Talented Mr. Ripley, The Sixth Sense
Most Underrated Films (3)
Office Space, Man of the Century, In Dreams
Acting Kudos (5)
Kevin Spacey (American Beauty), Richard Farnsworth (The Straight Story), Jim Carrey (Man on the Moon), Bill Murray (Rushmore), Julianne Moore (Cookie's Fortune)
Best Director (3)
Paul Schrader (Affliction), David O. Russell (Three Kings), Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich)
Best Screenplay (3)
Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich), Trey Parker (script & lyrics), Matt Stone, Pam Brady (South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut), Paul Schrader (adaptation of novel by Russell Banks (Affliction)
Worst Film
Pokémon: The First Movie: Calling this thing a "movie" is like calling Joe Camel an innocuous house pet.
Wild Card Category
By far, 1999's best media experience (albeit on TV): The Sopranos
Steve Davis
Top Ten Films
1. Three Kings
2. The Straight Story
3. Eyes Wide Shut
4. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
5. The Insider
6. Trick
7. Cookie's Fortune
8. Go
9. The Talented Mr. Ripley
10. American Beauty
Near Misses (5)
The Thin Red Line, The Matrix, The Iron Giant, Being John Malkovich, Toy Story 2
Most Overrated Films (3)
The Blair Witch Project, American Beauty, Tea With Mussolini
Most Underrated Films (3)
Cookie's Fortune, Eyes Wide Shut, An Ideal Husband
Acting Kudos (5)
Richard Farnsworth (The Straight Story), Russell Crowe (The Insider), Nicole Kidman (Eyes Wide Shut), Angelina Jolie (Playing by Heart), Big Gay Al (South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut)
Best Director (3)
David O. Russell (Three Kings), David Lynch (The Straight Story) Terrence Malick (The Thin Red Line)
Best Screenplay (3)
Trey Parker (script & lyrics), Matt Stone, Pam Brady (South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut), Jason Schafer (Trick); Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich)
Worst Film
Baby Geniuses: Without question, Kathleen Turner's cry for help.
Wild Card Category
More daring movies from the big studios: Three Kings, Eyes Wide Shut, and The Insider.
Robert Faires
Top Ten Films
1. Rushmore
2. Election
3. Gods and Monsters
4. Being John Malkovich
5. Run Lola Run
6. The Thin Red Line
7. Cookie's Fortune
8. The Iron Giant
9. The Straight Story
10. Toy Story 2
Near Misses (5)
The Winslow Boy, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, American Beauty, Little Voice
Most Overrated Films (3)
A Civil Action, The Matrix
Most Underrated Films (3)
Cookie's Fortune, The Winslow Boy, Little Voice
Acting Kudos (5)
Ian McKellen (Gods and Monsters), Jane Horrocks (Little Voice), Nigel Hawthorne (The Winslow Boy), Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore), John Malkovich (Being John Malkovich)
Best Director (3)
Wes Anderson (Rushmore), Alexander Payne (Election), Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run)
Best Screenplay (3)
Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters), Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich), Tim McCanlies (The Iron Giant)
Worst Film
Star Wars: Episode1 -- The Feeble Screenplay: Muddled intergalactic claptrap more enamored of convoluted, dreary space politics and assaultively "cute" aliens than intelligible cinematic storytelling. Alternate title: George Lucas -- Lost in Space
Wild Card Category
Helluva Good Sport Award: John Malkovich, for giving over the inside of his head -- and pretty much every other part of himself -- to cinematic posterity for Being John Malkovich.
Sarah Hepola
Top Ten Films
1. American Beauty
2. Rushmore
3. The Talented Mr. Ripley
4. Being John Malkovich
5. The Thin Red Line
6. Three Kings
7. Man of the Century
8. American Movie
9. The Sixth Sense
10. Sleepy Hollow
Near Misses (5)
Boys Don't Cry, Election, The Matrix, Cider House Rules
Most Overrated Films (3)
The Blair Witch Project, Dogma, Fight Club
Most Underrated Films (3)
Rushmore, Three Kings, The Insider
Acting Kudos (5)
Kevin Spacey (American Beauty), Hilary Swank (Boys Don't Cry) Bill Murray (Rushmore), Russell Crowe (The Insider), Jim Carrey (Man on the Moon)
Best Director (3)
David O. Russell (Three Kings), Anthony Minghella (The Talented Mr. Ripley), Wes Anderson (Rushmore)
Best Screenplay (3)
Alan Ball (American Beauty), Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich), M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense)
Worst Film
Acid House: This vulgar, coprophilic, and utterly irredeemable adaptation of Irvine Welsh's short stories was the closest I've come to starting a good healthy smack addiction.
Wild Card Category
Boy Wonders: With the exception of a wee Jedi knight more suited for a Sunny Delight commercial, boydom was played with remarkable depth: Haley Joel Osment (The Sixth Sense), Jason Schwartzmann (Rushmore), and Wes Bentley (American Beauty)
Marc Savlov
Top Ten Films
1. American Beauty
2. Gods and Monsters
3. The Iron Giant
4. Rushmore
5. Being John Malkovich
6. Boys Don't Cry
7. Go
8. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
9. The Straight Story
10. Twin Falls, Idaho
Near Misses (5)
The Blair Witch Project, American Movie, The Limey, Run Lola Run, Hurlyburly
Most Overrated Films (3)
The Blair Witch Project, Star Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace, The Insider
Most Underrated Films (3)
Three Kings, Mystery Men, eXistenZ
Acting Kudos (5)
Kevin Spacey (American Beauty), Vin Diesel (The Iron Giant), Reese Witherspoon (Election), Eric Roberts (La Cucaracha), Hilary Swank (Boys Don't Cry)
Best Director (3)
Sam Mendes (American Beauty), Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich), Guy Ritchie (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels)
Best Screenplay (3)
Alan Ball (American Beauty), Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters), Mike Judge (Office Space)
Worst Film
Star Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace: The cinematic equivalent of terrifically bad sex: "It's gonna be great, it's gonna be great, it's gonna be great -- pop! -- Jeez, is that all there is? I'm never giving George Lucas my phone number again."
Wild Card Category
Best "Whoa, didn't see that coming -- oh, hey, nice lips!" action/horror/Saffron Burrows film: Deep Blue Sea
Russell Smith
Top Ten Films
1. Election
2. Being John Malkovich
3. Rushmore
4. Three Kings
5. Affliction
6. Gods and Monsters
7. Go
8. Dogma
9. American Movie
10. The Sixth Sense
American Beauty, Boys Don't Cry, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Run Lola Run, Galaxy Quest
Most Overrated Films (3)
The Straight Story, Romance, julien donkey-boy
Most Underrated Films (3)
Eyes Wide Shut, William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Bad Manners
Acting Kudos (5)
Kevin Spacey (American Beauty), Reese Witherspoon (Election), Ian McKellen (Gods and Monsters), Sarah Polley (Go), Alan Rickman (Galaxy Quest; Dogma)
Best Director (3)
Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich), David O. Russell (Three Kings), Wes Anderson (Rushmore)
Best Screenplay (3)
Alexander Payne (Election), Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters), David Gilman (Bad Manners)
Worst Film
The Omega Code: (Attorneys for The Almighty deny all allegations of divine inspiration and insist that He be billed in closing credits as "Alan Smithee.")
Most harmonious unions of artistic merit and 20-second pitchability: Being John Malkovich, Go, Run Lola Run, The Blair Witch Project
