Completely stealing porcupines fine thread of older movies that have stood the test of time, I put it to you dopers to tell me what movies released in the last twenty years will prove themselves to be classics:
My vote goes for:
**Best in Show
Big Lewbowski
O Brother
Fargo
Chicago
LOTR trilogy **
I’ll post more later when I think of them.
Usual Suspects – really a kinda timeless film noir
Blade Runner – maybe one day only film school types will watch it, but … maybe not
Spirited Away – also has a timeless quaity to it, true of a lot of Miyazaki’s stuff
Barbarian Queen – the prototypical barbarian B-movie.
more when/if thought of.
Fight Club - a satire of late '90s young males and consumer-based culture, wrapped in a damn good movie with a unique narrative structure and a hell of a twist.
L.A. Confidential - another timeless film noir.
The Matrix and Dark City - for combining sci-fi, action, and noir elements (including Hong Kong-style action films, Japanese anime, cyberpunk, superheroes, and Goth-inspired fashion). Though the Matrix sequels will take away from the fine reputation the first movie deserves, the first Matrix and Dark City will be fondly remembered in 20 years, like the original Star Wars trilogy is today.
I would have agree with the OP as far as the Coen Brothers. Their movies will be long revered as comedic classics.
Others with that sort of potential:
Gangs of New York
About Schmidt
Punch Drunk Love
Lost in Translation
Full Metal Jacket
Goodfellas
and oh yes. Titanic will be remembered as a classic. I hate to say it, but it will.
Well, about half the Coen Brothers’ output has already been listed, but I’d have to add Miller’s Crossing.
Not to revive the Polanski controversy yet again, but I think The Pianist will hold up well.
Three Kings.
Toy Story and its sequel.
Nikita (Luc Besson’s original with Anne Parrillaud, not the US remake)
Goodfellas
Memento
Despite my praising it in another thread, probably not Showgirls. 
I have no doubt that Unforgiven will stand the test of time. I also think that Matewan will gain in stature and be more widely recognized as an amazing film.
I know this is a lazy choice, but I think The Passion of the Christ will be widely viewed as a culturally ‘important film’ for many years to come (people will probably be forever divided on its content or artistic merits though).
*The Shawshank Redemption * was somewhat overshadowed in the year of its release by Pulp Fiction (another contender) and Forrest Gump (which everyone loved in 1994), but its now widely acknowledged an important film.
Any given Pixar release will be viewed as a masterpiece of animation.
The Ocean’s Eleven remake has a star cast that will keep it familiar to audiences.
With the support of the original three, the latest three Star Wars films will be forced to live up to the legacy.
I’m trying to think of any we haven’t covered yet.
Luc Besson’s Léon.
I nominate Se7en.
Billy Elliot — the only perfect movie since Casablanca
Hidalgo seems to have what it takes to become a true classic - strong characters, excellent cinematography, Omar Sharif in a quality role…
And then there’s Raiders of the Lost Ark, already arguably a classic.
Saving Private Ryan
Schindler’s List.
I don’t know how long Toy Story et al will last. I love all the movies, but with the speed that technology is advancing, the animation may seem “quaint” in 5-10 years.
I’ll add The Road to Perdition to the list. A great movie.
Seabiscuit has a chance, although it is a bit sappy.
Wonderboys, excellent performances.
Benny and Joon, excellent performances, a quirky and sweet love story. (I’m tempted to just list Johnny Depp movies because he has the quality that makes movies timeless, but I’ll let it rest with this comment.)
It will be interesting to see how Dances With Wolves and Braveheart stand the test of time.
Regardless of how the animation is viewed, I think the story, characters, and general inventiveness will keep them revered.
I think that Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind will be talked about for years to come.
I doubt it.
The first three Star Wars movies will be widely remembered. But - unless Ep III bucks the trend and turns out to be worthy of the Star Wars name - the prequels will be on the whole forgotten. Maybe some film students will write papers that cite these lesser-known prequels as they examine the full arc of Lucas’s career. “Decline of genius” would probably be mentioned more than once.
My prediction is that 60 years from now, the titles of the prequels will be worth more than $100,000 on Who Wants to be a Millionaire.
Not necessarily. An animated movie has to be more than well-animated; it has to be good. I can name any number of Disney imitators who lie forgotten in the dirt, over the last half dozen decades.
Then again, Pixar is usually quite good.
I’d vote for The Terminator, believe it or not. It’s a B-movie, sure, but it may well be the best B-movie ever made, with fine acting, stunt work, and special effects that affected an entire generation of filmmakers and films. Admittedly, it also seemed to make some of them think you could substitute massive amounts of gunfire, several cool explosions, and one hot steamy sex scene for an actual plot, but the fact that **The Terminator ** HAS a plot, and not a bad one, still makes it stand head and shoulders above its imitators. And that’s not even touching on its technophobic subtext.
It will be remembered.
The Untouchables
Army of Darkness will be a cult classic for years to come.