# Half-way through 2004: The Best in Movies so far?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-way-through-2004-the-best-in-movies-so-far/253107
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [July 1, 2004, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-way-through-2004-the-best-in-movies-so-far/253107 "2004-07-01T20:42:21Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2004, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-way-through-2004-the-best-in-movies-so-far/253107/1 "2004-07-01T20:42:21Z")
OK, I’ll admit to being a little more behind than usual in my screening habits so far this year, but here are my top choices for 2004:
1. _Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind_
2. _Trilogy: After the Life_
3. _Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring_
4. _Control Room_
5. _Kill Bill, Vol. 2_
6. _What the Eye Doesn’t See_
7. _Trilogy: On the Run_
8. \*Baadasssss! \*
9. \*Good Bye, Lenin! \*
10. _Spartan_
Actor: David Gulpilil, _The Tracker_ (runner-up: Kurt Russell, _Miracle_)
Actress: Dominique Blanc, _Trilogy: After the Life_ (runner-up: Uma Thurman, _Kill Bill, Vol. 2_)
Supporting Actor: Gilbert Melki, _Trilogy: An Amazing Couple_
Supporting Actress: Shirley Henderson, _Intermission_
Director: Michel Gondry, _Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind_
Screenplay: _Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind_
Cinematography: _Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring_
Production Design: _The Saddest Music in the World_
Editing: _Miracle_
Score: _Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban_
Worst movie: _Eurotrip_ (runner-up: _Shrek 2_)
10 films I most want to catch up on: _Bon Voyage, Bukowski: Born Into This, Carandiru, Coffee and Cigarettes, Crimson Gold, Dogville, Oasis, Osama, The Story of Weeping Camel, Twilight Samurai_. Plus five I’ll get around to at some point but haven’t seen yet: _Fahrenheit 9/11, The Passion of the Christ, Spider-Man 2, Supersize Me, The Terminal_
What stands out for you this year?
---
### Author:  [@Chunky\_Bum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chunky_Bum)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2004, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-way-through-2004-the-best-in-movies-so-far/253107/2 "2004-07-01T21:04:55Z")
There are really only two movies I want to see in 2004: _Return of the King: Extended Edition_ and [Saw](http://efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=8560&reviewer=347).
**Saw** was, for many, the highlight of the 2004 Sundance Film Festival.
Check out the [Trailer](http://www.themoviebox.net/movies/2004/STUVWXYZ/Saw/trailer.html).
:eek:
This movie is going to be an instant horror classic!
---
### Author:  [@Duderdude2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duderdude2)
#### Post date: [July 1, 2004, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-way-through-2004-the-best-in-movies-so-far/253107/3 "2004-07-01T21:06:29Z")
What?! No Miracle?
Anyways, that would be my favorite movie thus far, followed closely by Shrek 2.
---
### Author:  [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2004, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-way-through-2004-the-best-in-movies-so-far/253107/4 "2004-07-02T00:09:34Z")
Only seen two mainstream movies so far this year, **Shrek 2** and **Fahrenheit 9/11.**** F911 **is a shoo-in for Best Documentary, IMO, and while I might be tempted to give Best Animated Feature to** Shrek 2, **the truth is that I think** The Incredibles** will stomp on it come November.
---
### Author:  [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2004, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-way-through-2004-the-best-in-movies-so-far/253107/5 "2004-07-02T02:12:50Z")
Movies I loved and would consider watching again or buying on DVD:
Spider-Man 2, Kill Bill Vol. 2, Fahrenheit 9/11, Hellboy.
Movies I enjoyed while watching them:
Shrek 2, Starsky and Hutch.
Movies I didn’t care for:
The Day After Tomorrow, Van Helsing.
---
### Author:  [@START](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/START)
#### Post date: [July 2, 2004, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-way-through-2004-the-best-in-movies-so-far/253107/6 "2004-07-02T04:13:00Z")
It is a toss up between “Day After Tomorrow” and “Chronicles of Riddick”
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### Author:  [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2004, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-way-through-2004-the-best-in-movies-so-far/253107/7 "2004-07-03T00:59:37Z")
> [@Duderdude2](#):
>
> What?! No Miracle?
In all fairness, I cited _Miracle_ a couple times in the OP–a perfectly fine, entertaining movie (probably the second best hockey film ever) with some truly exceptional qualities. I just thought there were some movies that were better (though the less said about _Blech 2_, the better, IMHO).
Come on, _nobody_ else has an opinion on what’s stood out for them so far this year?
---
### Author:  [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2004, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-way-through-2004-the-best-in-movies-so-far/253107/8 "2004-07-03T01:57:52Z")
_Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind_ - #1 by far.
_The Corporation_ - #2. But I don’t think anyone except me saw this movie, unfortunately.
Every other movie has, so far, been just your standard run-of-the-mill action dreck.
---
### Author:  [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2004, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-way-through-2004-the-best-in-movies-so-far/253107/9 "2004-07-03T02:00:21Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#):
>
> OK, I’ll admit to being a little more behind than usual in my screening habits so far this year, but here are my top choices for 2004:
>
> 1. _Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind_
> 2. _Trilogy: After the Life_
> 3. _Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring_
> 4. _Control Room_
> 5. _Kill Bill, Vol. 2_
> 6. _What the Eye Doesn’t See_
> 7. _Trilogy: On the Run_
> 8. \*Baadasssss! \*
> 9. \*Good Bye, Lenin! \*
> 10. _Spartan_
>
> Actor: David Gulpilil, _The Tracker_ (runner-up: Kurt Russell, _Miracle_)
> Actress: Dominique Blanc, _Trilogy: After the Life_ (runner-up: Uma Thurman, _Kill Bill, Vol. 2_)
> Supporting Actor: Gilbert Melki, _Trilogy: An Amazing Couple_
> Supporting Actress: Shirley Henderson, _Intermission_
> Director: Michel Gondry, _Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind_
> Screenplay: _Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind_
> Cinematography: _Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring_
> Production Design: _The Saddest Music in the World_
> Editing: _Miracle_
> Score: _Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban_
> Worst movie: _Eurotrip_ (runner-up: _Shrek 2_)
>
> 10 films I most want to catch up on: _Bon Voyage, Bukowski: Born Into This, Carandiru, Coffee and Cigarettes, Crimson Gold, Dogville, Oasis, Osama, The Story of Weeping Camel, Twilight Samurai_. Plus five I’ll get around to at some point but haven’t seen yet: _Fahrenheit 9/11, The Passion of the Christ, Spider-Man 2, Supersize Me, The Terminal_
>
> What stands out for you this year?
Spidey two!!
---
### Author:  [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-way-through-2004-the-best-in-movies-so-far/253107/10 "2004-07-03T02:24:10Z")
Spider-Man 2 is without a doubt the best movie to come out in 2004 thus far.
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### Author:  [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2004, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-way-through-2004-the-best-in-movies-so-far/253107/11 "2004-07-03T08:22:52Z")
I think a “Worst movie of 2004 so far” thread would be more interesting.
At the very least, we’d get to toss **Garfield: The Movie** and **Soul Plane** in there and let them duke it out.
The winner can then fight **America’s Heart and Soul,** _a.k.a_ **Up With Everything: The Movie.** 😃
---
### Author:  [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2004, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-way-through-2004-the-best-in-movies-so-far/253107/12 "2004-07-03T12:03:57Z")
Since we’re only halfway through the year should I create only a _TOP 5_ list instead of a _TOP 10_? Aw, hell, I’ll do the 10 knowing full well that some will be dropped in the upcoming months.
[ul]
[li]Eternal Sunshine[/li][li]Coffee and Cigarettes[/li][li]F 9/11[/li][li]Before Sunset[/li][li]The Dreamers[/li][li]Kill Bill V2[/li][li]Love Me if You Dare (Jeux d’Enfants)[/li][li]Jersey Girl[/li][li]Spiderman 2[/li][li]Story of the Weeping Camel[/li][/ul]
I’ve missed a few that I wanted to see. I’m still kicking myself for missing _Spartan_. There are a few (_Control Room_, The Bukowski Doc., etc) that are still playing that are on my list but I need to get my ass in gear or they’ll be gone by the time you can say “i, Robot”.
[QUOTE=Trigonal Planar]
Every other movie has, so far, been just your standard run-of-the-mill action dreck.
[QUOTE]
Not to direct criticism at **Trigonal** , but whenever I hear people make comments like this I wonder if they really make an effort to _find_ the good movies that are out there. Not everything gets served up to you at the local multi-plex. (Credit where it’s due: **Trigonal** ’s inclusion of _The Corporation_ does imply that _some_ effort is being made, but still, I think with a little more searching some other great films might be found.)
---
### Author:  [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2004, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-way-through-2004-the-best-in-movies-so-far/253107/13 "2004-07-03T12:32:07Z")
> [@rjung](#):
>
> I think a “Worst movie of 2004 so far” thread would be more interesting.
>
> At the very least, we’d get to toss **Garfield: The Movie** and **Soul Plane** in there and let them duke it out.
>
> The winner can then fight **America’s Heart and Soul,** _a.k.a_ **Up With Everything: The Movie.** 😃
So, you’ve seen it then? :rolleyes:
---
### Author:  [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2004, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-way-through-2004-the-best-in-movies-so-far/253107/14 "2004-07-03T18:41:13Z")
For me it would be a toss up between
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
and
I’m Not Scared
---
### Author:  [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2004, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-way-through-2004-the-best-in-movies-so-far/253107/15 "2004-07-03T22:51:32Z")
**bienville**
No criticism taken. Certainly there lots of good movies that aren’t shown at the ultramegalaserplex - I was limiting myself to movies that ARE being shown at the ultramegalaserplex. My point was that, of movies shown at the mainstream theatres, ESSM is about the only one worth mentioning.
---
### Author:  [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)
#### Post date: [July 3, 2004, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-way-through-2004-the-best-in-movies-so-far/253107/16 "2004-07-03T23:30:30Z")
This is a combined list of my favorites and best movies. November and December will replace a number of movies on this list.
1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2. Kill Bill Vol. 2
3. Spiderman 2
4. Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter,…and Spring
5. Spartan
6. Osama (saw it at the Toronto Int’l Film Fest)
7. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
8. The Terminal
9. Saved!
10. Starsky and Hutch
Although I enjoyed the last three on the list, they’re really just filler. I have missed a few limited release movies There has actually been a few quality action movies this year, I’ve been very impressed. If Kill Bill had been released as one movie it would without question be #1. At this point though, there is a little bit of a gap between numbers 1 and 2.
---
### Author:  [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)
#### Post date: [July 4, 2004, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-way-through-2004-the-best-in-movies-so-far/253107/17 "2004-07-04T07:30:57Z")
> [@RikWriter](#):
>
> So, you’ve seen it then? :rolleyes:
I haven’t seen any of the movies listed (okay, I saw half of **Garfield** before my kid changed his mind and wanted to leave), but that won’t preclude me from making a throwaway joke at their expense. 😉
---
### Author:  [@TastesLikeBurning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TastesLikeBurning)
#### Post date: [July 8, 2004, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-way-through-2004-the-best-in-movies-so-far/253107/18 "2004-07-08T13:45:49Z")
I may be a little behind some of you guys in terms of what was released over here and when, but here’s my input anyway…
Kill Bill 2
but favourite so far this year…
21 Grams
---
### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [July 8, 2004, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-way-through-2004-the-best-in-movies-so-far/253107/19 "2004-07-08T14:05:10Z")
“21 Grams” was a 2003 release.
This thread kind of sucks for me because I can’t afford to go to many movies right now so I’m waiting for a lot of the cited titles to come out on DVD. But I was shocked at how good “Spider-Man 2” was, though it wasn’t perfect.
---
### Author:  [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)
#### Post date: [July 8, 2004, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/half-way-through-2004-the-best-in-movies-so-far/253107/20 "2004-07-08T15:17:46Z")
OK, I saw a trio of films in the last few days that automatically bumped into the Top 10 for the year. A revised list (new additions in bold):
1. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2. Trilogy: After the Life
3. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring
4. **The Five Obstructions**
5. Control Room
6. Kill Bill, Vol. 2
7. **Oasis**
8. What the Eye Doesn’t See
9. **Spider-Man 2**
10. Trilogy: On the Run
But, by all means, check out _Baadasssss!, Good Bye, Lenin!_ and _Spartan_ if you can.
I should also add that So-ri Moon’s performance in _Oasis_ borders on the phenomenal. Technically awesome and genuinely inspiring (though she’ll undoubtedly be overlooked by year’s end).
**bienville** , I’ll probably catch _Camel, Coffee_ and the Linklater next week and report back then.
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