Our Favorite Movies of the 2000s By Year

First, let's get one thing straight: we are not movie buffs or movie experts. We're TV people. Movies pale in comparison to the small screen's ability to develop characters over hundreds of hours. We haven't seen a bunch of obscure, great things that your brother the film student has seen. But that might actually be best for most people. That means that the good movies listed here are the bare minimum for enjoyment of movies and pop culture at large. 

It means you should probably watch most of them (at least the ones that are in the genres you enjoy), as a cinematic primer or just to be able to dialogue with the rest of the world/catch references. On this list and the ones that will follow, you'll see the standards (Casablanca, Pulp Fiction, etc.) with only a few oddballs (and some of them are truly odd). There are a handful of foreign films. If you know of something great that we missed, let us know. We love hearing about good movies that everyone should have seen. 

Our Top Ten Movies of 2011 (previously blogged about last year)



1. Drive- The second half was kick-ass and we got to see people killed in creative ways. Ok, that sounded really bad. We just thought the action scenes were scenes that we haven’t seen before. Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, and Bryan Cranston are great, as always. The opening sequence is pretty widely considered the best of the year.
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2- We liked the changes, because it made the events surprising even to those who have read the book multiple times (us). One of us thought it was perfect; one of us thought it was good enough. Both of us own it and watch it over and over and over...
3. Warrior- Fighting movies work for a reason. Underdog movies work for a reason. This movie about brothers in mixed martial arts hits all those cliche notes, but still touches hearts due to themes of forgiveness and great acting. Nick Nolte, Tom Hardy, and Joel Edgerton are talented guys. They took something that could have been mockable and, with hard work that can literally be seen in the fights and on their bodies, made something that resonates with everyone we've shown this too. The fight scenes are perfectly choreographed. Even though it's easy to guess the movie's outcome, you still care enough to be nervous while the guys are getting pounded. You don't have to be interested in fighting to like this movie. It's about the heart. 
4. Hanna- Saoirse Ronan is gorgeous, talented, and super weird. We’re surprised Hollywood even likes her. This movie was unique. The script was great (“I don’t wear makeup. I think it’s deceitful. This is my face, take it or leave it"). It’s a lot better than the trailer makes it look. 
5. X-Men First Class- This reinvigorated a franchise that was getting decidedly sucky, movie-wise. The X-Men deserved better, and they got better here. This movie didn’t have the budget of Captain America or Green Lantern, but it had the script, the humor, and the talent, which top special effects for us any day. Our only complaint is that the Xavier/Magneto friendship was supposed to last YEARS, not weeks. Ugh. Bring back the bromance!
6. The Descendants-  For a movie with its dark subject matter, this one had enough humor to balance that out. Thoughtful family movies with pretty scenery never go out of style.
7. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo- Ern has read and hates the book. The writing is as dry as it gets, and it’s bad writing on top of that. The heart and soul of this story is the main female character, Lisbeth Salander, which is why the movie was better than the book. We got to see a performance worthy of the character. Yes, we’ve seen Miss Noomi Rapace in the Swedish versions, and she was great, but we think Rooney Mara topped her. We also liked Daniel Craig’s warmer Mikael Blomkvist and the simpler, clearer plot. This is dark dark dark, but worth seeing.
8. Bridesmaids-  The Hangover this is NOT, and those saying it was a female version of that movie did Bridesmaids a disservice. What the movie actually was: An adult romantic comedy with ample memorable comedic performances from women, along with a mature friendship and one of the tackiest weddings we've ever seen on film. 
9. Paranormal Activity 3-This is vastly superior to the first one, where the two most annoying people in the world were terrorized and TOTALLY DESERVED IT. We liked the characters in this and thought the movie had enough scares to make it worthwhile. 
10. Crazy, Stupid, Love- There’s a lot here to mock. The public love declarations, predictability, and anything with the cringe-worthy babysitter. But this movie was sweet and funny. The performances were also good. Can anything with Steve Carell, Emma Stone, and Ryan Gosling be BAD? The answer is no. 
Honorable mentions: The Tree of Life, Moneyball, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Friends with Benefits, Our Idiot Brother, The Lincoln Lawyer, Limitless, The Help, Jane Eyre, Mission Impossible 4

Our Top Ten Movies of 2010
1. The Social Network- Leeard loves Aaron Sorkin. She was so obsessed with this movie. It's one of her all-time favorites. While Ern wasn't as impressed, she too knows that this was 2010's best movie. The King's Speech was sweet, but this should have gotten the best picture Oscar.
2. Kick Ass- The only time we ever liked Nicholas Cage. We also properly met Chloe Grace Moretz in this movie, and she, well, kicks ass. It has a ton of violence and profanity, but it doesn't waste it.
3. Easy A- Olive is the coolest high school girl we've ever seen. It was Emma Stone's real breakout role, and it proved we will never need Lindsay Lohan back.
4. The King's Speech- Helena Bonham Carter has never been more adorable.
5. Animal Kingdom- Our favorite Australian movie. Good cast, good writing, good pacing. We found it a little anti-climactic and it never blew up like it could have. It stayed a quiet crime movie rather than an over-the-top one.
6. How to Train Your Dragon- A thoroughly satisfying, exciting, and touching time at the movies, no matter your age. It's even kind of deep. We laughed. We cried. We admit it.
7. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World- It looked good and it made us laugh. Clever use of everything.
8. Blue Valentine- Managed to do what Revolutionary Road could not through great performances (mostly improvised) and a realistic look at how couples who once had great love grow apart. It's a powerful movie.
9. Submarine- Cute, weird, and funny. 
10. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1- Probably the best of the Harry Potter movies if you want them to be true to the books and also dark.
Honorable mentions: Inception (maybe it should be in the top ten, but it didn't meet our high expectation for Nolan originals), Insidious (almost as scary as it should have been, but definitely original), It's Kind of a Funny Story (should appeal to teens going through hard psychological times and any fan of the rock classic Under Pressure), Get Him to the Greek (Russel Brand at his funniest), Black Swan (lots of drama and it didn't go anywhere, but we couldn't look away), and The Switch (Jennifer Aniston at her best and Jason Bateman at his pleasing usual).

Our Top Ten Movies of 2009
1. Inglorious Basterds- A sick masterpiece with so many great performances (Brad Pitt's not being one of them, actually). It did exactly what we all wanted to do to Hitler. It had balls.
2. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince- After the dismally dark, disappointing fifth movie (well, the end fight scene was fantastic), we liked seeing this humorous film. We thought the director would bring the glumness back. Not so. And it nailed the cave scene.
3. Up- For the opening sequence and talking dogs.
4. Bruno- If our country is going to be so homophobic, then we deserve to watch the 'phobes mocked and challenged in this profane, genuinely shocking movie. It nauseated us, but it made us laugh too.
5. Fish Tank- We can't think of any other way to describe this movie other than devastating and gripping.  It ends with hope though, and the characters are interesting.
6. Drag Me to Hell- We expected nothing from this movie when we saw it. We got a whole lot of fun and jumped a few times.
7. Adventureland- This movie is the reason we never hated Kristen Stewart, even through all of her expressionless Twilight acting. She was mysterious and complicated in this movie. It wasn't what was advertised, so lots of people were unsatisfied. It wasn't a raunchy, goofy team comedy. It ended up being a good coming-of-age tale set decades earlier.
8. Zombieland- More irresistible Emma Stone, this time paired with Woody Harrelson the first time we've ever liked him. We've never really forgiven him for Natural Born Killers, a sick mess that gets way too much praise. In this, he was funny and kind of sweet. If you think zombies and good comedy go together, this is your cup of tea.
9. 500 Days of Summer- Filmed and told creatively, this non-love story stole the season and made Zooey Deschanel mainstream. It was honest, funny, bittersweet, relatable, and original. 
10. Watchmen- We have to give this credit, because it was true to the comic book, which was considered unfilmable. There were a few awkward, hard-to-watch scenes, and it's absolutely not some peoples' taste, but we were impressed with how close the movie got to success.
Honorable mentions: Jennifer's Body (it's terrible, but we had fun watching it and leave it on when we see it on TV), I Love You Man (a serviceable comedy for these times), 17 Again (guilty pleasure with more pleasure than guilt), Coraline, Orphan (because it's a hilarious disaster with some truly creepy moments), Splice (because it's an even more hilarious disaster that goes where you pray it doesn't), Precious (because it made us take a look at a type of person our society normally mocks and ignores), and Dogtooth (because we're horrible people with twisted senses of humor).

Our Top Ten Movies of 2008
1. The Dark Knight- Enough said.
2. In Bruges- It's a shame few people have seen this. If you like black humor, bad (but funny) language, and a little violence, watch it.
3. Slumdog Millionaire- An adult fairy tale set across the world.
4. The Reader- Leeard insists the book is better, but Ern thought the movie stayed with you in a way the book didn't. And Kate Winslet is one of our favorite actresses for a reason. Guys, that's what a woman's body looks like when her world and career don't revolve around eating nothing but lettuce. 
5. Appaloosa- A western done right. Underrated.
6. Forgetting Sarah Marshall- Jason Segel is a talented guy. Casting Kristen Bell is never a mistake either. Mila Kunis grew up beautifully, and this movie made everyone start noticing her.
7. Taken- More than slightly unrealistic, but enjoyable and bad ass. Plus, it pushed the issue of human trafficking into the spotlight and not enough people know how big of a problem that is. 
8. Step Brothers- The end where Will sings Time To Say Goodbye with the worst Italian ever made the whole movie. Even better, that wasn't the only funny part. Surprisingly good.
9. Wall-E- Timely. Maybe a tad too long.
10. Iron Man- Fast-paced, good story and themes, and Robert Downey Jr. at his arrogant, adorable best.
Honorable Mentions: Let the Right One In, Valkyrie (yeah, it was depressing, but we were touched and admired the historical figures' bravery), Ponyo, and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (for showing us how cute Lee Pace is).

Our Top Ten Movies of 2007
1. Gone Baby Gone- We like when good movies start out a certain way and then veer off in a completely different direction, becoming something you don't expect.
2. Waitress- This is like...Napoleon Dynamite for adults. It's funny, quirky, and it features Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion before he was Castle. Everything about this movie is adorable.
3. Juno- In its first scenes, it tries too hard, and you're either going to hate or love the soundtrack, but, overall, this is not to be missed. We still tear up when we think of Juno's conversation with her perfect dad about love/relationships.
4. Lars and the Real Girl- This odd movie could have been really bad. Instead, it's funny and sweet. 
5. 3:10 to Yuma- We like when westerns are done well, because its rare. Remakes that are better than the original are even rarer.
6. Enchanted- Disney mocks itself in this adorable musical that made us love Amy Adams even more. But why cast Idina Menzel if you don't let her sing?
7. Death Proof- It's Tarantino. You have to like the dialogue, or you won't like this movie. You also have to see that it's TWO movies in one. We see the same story with two different outcomes. And the best lap dance ever given to man.
8. No Country for Old Men- This isn't a crowd pleaser, but it's a good movie.
9. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix- Our second-least favorite of the movies, because it was too grim and butchered the flashback scene, but the climactic battle was fantastic. And it's still HP.
10. Sweeney Todd- None of the voices were up to par (especially Helena Bonham Carter's), but the acting was good and it looked great. Good job cutting the time down; bad job cutting the dark humor.  
Honorable mentions: Eastern Promises (one of us likes Cronenberg), Across the Universe (cliche story, but good visuals and voices, and obviously good music), 1408 (ideas scare us more than torture porn), Funny Games (we kind of hate this movie, but we couldn't stop thinking about it for months afterward), Michael Clayton (love the last scene and the performances), Charlie Bartlett (possibly irresponsible, but still entertaining), and Towelhead (slightly disturbing/awkward to watch with other people, but interesting and ballsy). 

Our Top Ten Movies of 2006
1. Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others)- Just gorgeous. Go into it wanting to get to know some inspiring characters, not wanting your usual action-filled spy movie. It's got some power, but you need to know a little something about Germany in 1894 before you watch this.
2. The Departed- We smile just thinking about it. Also, this was the first time Ern was ever attracted to Leo. He just wasn't RIPE yet in Titanic. *Smacks lips creepily*
3. Pans Labyrinth- Horror fantasy that doesn't skimp on the horror.
4. The Prestige- Underrated and clever. Strong cast. Not QUITE as good as you think it's going to be at the end, but still worth watching. But beware: the themes of betrayal and lack of forgiveness run deep enough to leave you feeling antagonistic and glum for a few hours afterward, so try not to pick fights with your friends when this movie is over.
5. The Last King of Scotland- A good movie about mostly true events. Features the most disturbing image Ern has ever seen on film though. James McAvoy having the balls to pick a very unsympathetic role made us like him more. 
6. Starter for Ten- Speaking of Mr. McAvoy...he also picked this romantic comedy. A clever script gets it in the top ten.
7. Casino Royale- Reinvigorated James Bond. Also, Daniel Craig is hot in this movie.
8. The Devil Wears Prada- The lesson of this movie seemed to be "if you work hard and achieve something, you should feel bad and let someone else have it." So, bad job there. We're sure the movie was trying to make another point. But Stanley Tucci, Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt make this movie fun the whole way through.
9. Slither- Okay, laugh all you want. But we kept going back to Blockbuster and re-renting this before we finally broke down, admitted we loved it, and bought it. Funny and gross.
10. She's the Man- Amanda Bynes, please don't be crazy anymore. Be what you were in this movie. 
Honorable Mentions: The Holiday (gave us feels, and it was perfect for Christmas), The Fountain (a few sequences didn't work, it was overlong, and it might leave you confused, but you can't deny its heart and ambitious questioning. Plus, it looked good), Perfume The Story of a Murderer (honorable mention for being strange and still the weirdest ending to a movie we've ever seen; this movie is NASTEE, and it ends with so much unintentional humor that you'll never forget it), Mission Impossible 3 (the first MI to have a real storyline and lack long stretches of boredom. Yayyy), and Borat (hehehe). 

Our Top Ten Movies of 2005
1. Serenity- We saw this before we saw Firefly and wanted to watch the whole show based off of it. Great characters, script, story, and feel.
2. Brick- This isn't one to half watch, and we recommend subtitles because of all the street lingo. If you give it the attention it deserves, you'll be impressed.
3. Sophie Scholl The Final Days- Hardest we've ever cried in a movie, bar none. The whole thing is a true story. Kudos to German cinema for making us feel deeply during the 2000s. Who said that country was cold?
4. Pride and Prejudice- Leeard will always prefer the six hour version with Colin Firth, but Ern is nuts over the 2005 version. It looks like an oil painting the entire time, Keira Knightley does a great job, the music is beautiful, and it's just long enough to keep our attention and get in all the funniest and most romantic parts. 
5. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang- Robert Downey, Jr. is a criminal with a heart of gold and an admirable respect for women. Val Kilmer plays a non-stereotypical gay man with a brain. There's lots of humor and a twisty mystery script.
6. The Descent- We love when horror movies feature a strong, adult cast rather than a bunch of twenty-year-olds pretending to be teens. No stereotypical victims here.
7. The 40-Year-Old Virgin- We hated this when we first saw it, but we think it's funny now.
8. Batman Begins- Nolan saved Batman from cheesiness, and we are forever grateful.
9. A History of Violence- If you can't handle out-of-the-box sex scenes, don't watch this. The ending frustrated us, but we get it. Don't don't don't watch the trailer or read any descriptions. The less you know about this movie, the better. In fact, if you already know the premise, it's okay to skip.
10. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire- We always thought this book was the most filmable of the seven. The only weak spot is Voldemort's rising at the end. Ralph Fiennes is a fines actor (tee hee), but his Voldemort came off as more of a whiner than a terror.
Honorable mentions: V for Vendetta (why so low? Cheesy moments/the romance element. If the women watching don't want to be IN the romance, it fails as a romance), Hard Candy (for the performances; also, who doesn't love this kind of revenge fantasy?), Cinderella Man (we love true stories and, as we've already established, fighting movies), and Conversations with Other Women (original and sad).

Our Top Ten Movies of 2004
1. Mean Girls- As inherently hypocritical as it is in the second half, there's a reason this movie is almost universally adored. The reason is that Tina Fey is brilliant and poured most of her best jokes and personality into this script.
2. Closer- Most movies about romance don't grasp how nasty things can get. Closer definitely doesn't make that mistake.
3. The Chorus- A heartwarming little French movie with cute kids. 
4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind- This is another one we hated at first, but it won us over on second watch. Hipsters should adore it instantly.
5. Spider-Man 2- The best Spiderman movie ever made.
6. Kill Bill vol. 2- We didn't love the quiet end, but Tarantino's dialogue never disappoints, and the first half is rollicking and violent.
7. Anchorman- Yet another movie we didn't like at first. We must have just been crazy, because this is probably the funniest thing Will Ferrell has ever done.
8. Hotel Rwanda- Worth seeing just because it's a great true story. Need more? Don Cheadle is in it.
9. The Passion of the Christ- We don't love that Jesus was beaten in the movie more times than in real life or the way certain scenes were handled so that they brought up concerns about anti-semitism. But it's hard to get the devil right so that he is creepy and evil enough. All of the performances were stellar. The last scene was fantastic. It was beautifully shot. Gibson is a nutty a-hole, but he's a gifted director. The movie was more of an ordeal than a movie, sure, but it provoked emotion, be it sadness, joy, respect, gratitude, revulsion, or a strange mix of all of the above. If you wanted to make a movie JUST about the crucifixion, rather than the whole life and teachings of Jesus, this was the movie to make (for the most part).
10. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban- This is the year the Harry Potter movies grew up. Our ONLY complaint about this movie was the lack of Maurader's backstory. Only a few lines could have inserted so much heart into this movie and the ones after it!!
Honorable mentions: Garden State and The Notebook (whether you hate these kinds of movies or not, they did what they were supposed to do well), The Incredibles (Pixar hardly ever misfires), The Butterfly Effect (this is technically a bad movie full of shock factor and plot holes, but we liked it/it stayed with us; just don't watch the director's cut. It has a different ending and it's soooo terrible), Napoleon Dynamite (a pop culture legend), Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (we teared up hearing that letter and found this movie more imaginative/deeper than most kid's movies), Saved! (nailed youth groups and made us quit feeling guilty for ditching them), and Dodgeball (if you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball).

Our Top Seven Movies of 2003
1. Lord of the Rings Return of the King- One of us has major issues with some of the dialogue, and lots of people didn't like the multiple endings. But, overall, we say, "Relax. This movie is a fantastic conclusion to one of the best trilogies ever." It's moving, action-packed, visually rich, and better than The Two Towers, which we also loved.
2. Finding Nemo- Notice that everyone in this movie has a disability, be it emotional, mental, or physical. It would be great for a psych class. There's so much heart and cleverness in this movie. What they were able to do with computers on this one is astounding.
3. Kill Bill vol. 1- Some call it silly. We call it fun.
4. X2: X-Men United- The best X-Men movie.
5. Bruce Almighty- Casting Morgan Freeman as God wasn't brilliant so much as it was THE ONLY CHOICE.
6. Holes- A good, smart story and a kid's movie adults can enjoy.
7. Love Actually- Gets a lot of undeserved crap for too many storylines, but it's perfect for Christmas. They should have cut Bill Nighy's recording artist and the slutty guys going to America. The other storylines are great. Even the porn one (dude, Ern just found out the porn guy was Bilbo/Watson). And how can you hate a movie with that cast?
No honorable mentions. This year was lean.

Our Top Ten Movies of 2002
1. Catch Me If You Can- It's just such a good story. Leo and Tom Hanks do well together. If you look closely, you'll see a few actresses who became more recognizable later (Amy Adams, Ellen Pompeo, Elizabeth Banks, Jennifer Garner). If your parents are threatening to get a divorce, show them this movie.
2. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers- By the time we saw this, we had seen Fellowship about 100 times and were obsessed with LOTR. We had high expectations. This movie met them. It's the weakest of the three, but only because it's the middle. 
3. Road to Perdition- This is an easier movie to admire than like. It's a gorgeous movie, but it's not a crowd pleaser. Also, we wanted to pluck the little boy's unibrow the entire time. (He grew up pretty hot though) This is a solid mob movie with a good cast. Warning: You may never be attracted to Jude Law again after this.
4. The Ring- Mainstream horror done well. This movie proves that eerie visuals are scarier than gore.
5. Minority Report- This sci-fi movie is a perfect marriage of intelligence and action.
6. Insomnia- This is Christopher Nolan before he made Batman and got famous. Even then, we were impressed with his mind and effort.
7. Signs- Underrated. Over-criticized. It has humor, cute kids, tons of suspense, and a few good jumps. Sure, it helps to have faith and believe that everything happens for a reason/someone is watching over us. But we know agnostics who enjoyed this movie too. 
8. Chicago- One of the few musical movies where the leads can sing well enough that the songs actually retain their intended melodies. The characters are the weakness. Who cares about these bratty, stupid fame whores? Not us. But the dancing, humor, and period costumes, as well as the satire about the justice system being different for the famous? All good. Renee really surprised us.
9. In America- A touching story about Irish immigrants and a good movie.
10. Bend It Like Beckham- World, meet Kiera Knightley. Parminder? You deserved to not disappear. We enjoyed this movie about female friendships and soccer. 
Honorable mentions: Secretary (if you are Ern's brother and friends reading this, PLEASE don't watch this movie. Ern would be super embarrassed to have you know she likes it; believe me little bro, you don't want to know why) and Red Dragon (definitely the second-best Hannibal Lecter movie).

Our Top Nine Movies of 2001 (another lean year, so bear with us)
1. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring- The best LOTR movie, but also the slowest. It has the weakest ending (Frodo looking over mountains, standing next to Sam). But everything else is absolutely flawless. Especially the extended version where they actually DEVELOP the character they kill.
2. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone- The book's length allowed this movie to be faithful where the others were not. It was the perfect movie for the source material, which was aimed at 11-year-olds. Casting Alan Rickman as Snape? Best idea anyone ever had. 
3. Shrek- Managed to sneak dirty jokes into a kid's movie, have them go completely over the youngsters' heads, and keep the movie from being crass enough to interfere with its heart/story.
4. Bridget Jones's Diary- Pride and Prejudice, only modernized, British, and featuring a clumsier, fatter Lizzie Bennett. This is the stuff of rom-com classics.
5. The Princess Diaries- We love Anne Hathaway and always have, even when you peasants were annoyed with her before Batman. 
6. Legally Blonde- Elle Woods is one of the best female role models in movie history, rather than just a dumb blonde stereotype. Total class. Reese Witherspoon finally won us over here. The formulaic plot and a few ridiculous twists keep it from being higher on the list.
7. Moulin Rouge- This is a clusterf*ck, and the love story is hardly moving. But spectacle and Ewan McGregor's pleasant croon made it memorable. At least it dared to be different.
8. Riding in Cars with Boys- This was probably a better book, but we remember enjoying this story and feeling for the main characters. Plus, there is a character named Lizard. LIZARD.
9. Hearts in Atlantis- This movie covers half of the Stephen King novel of the same name. The worst thing about it is that it's too similar to other King books and movies. King is all about childhood nostalgia mixed with the need for courage. Add the supernatural and stir. But it has the right mood and characters you'll care for. Anthony Hopkins is great, and we were impressed with Anton Yelchin's child actor performance. If you haven't read the Dark Tower series, you might find the ending unsatisfying. But you deserve your pain, because you haven't read the Dark Tower series... That's the problem with this movie. It's half of a whole story that's also SET in the middle of a greater story. It takes a moment and rips it out of context, leaving you unsatisfied, but wanting more.

Our Top Ten Movies of 2000
1. Memento- Movies don't get smarter than this.
2. Gladiator- We maintain that it could have been better and deeper, but what was there was good.
3. Almost Famous- Brad Pitt made a huge mistake turning this script down because he didn't "get it." If you see it, you get it. Maybe it gained something in the move from script to screen. Oh yeah. Kate Hudson in her best role ever.
4. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon- This movie is about honor and deep love. And cool-looking fighting and tree-floating. And witches. The middle's a little dull, but it's good as a whole.
5. Bring It On- Fun.
6. Erin Brokovich- Overrated, but still pretty good.
7. Quills- Disturbing in a good way. Joaquin Phoenix makes one hot priest. 
8. Remember the Titans- It's always nice to see a true story about people of character who rise above the ignorance of their environment. You may call it sappy; we call it the perfect family sports film.
9. Unbreakable- Underrated, quiet movie from back when M. Night Shyamalan wasn't a dumbass. Good use of Samuel L. Jackson. 
10. Billy Elliot- Let your kids do what they want to do :-)
Honorable mentions: Cast Away (WILSON!), Miss Congeniality (everyone likes a makeover movie and Sandra Bullock playing a BAMF, but we admit the script wasn't clever), Where The Heart Is (not that good, but we have a soft spot in our hearts for it), Bedazzled (Brendan Fraser deserves more respect for turning silly movies into entertaining guilty pleasures), and The Gift (it might only be because we love Cate Blanchett and psychics though).

Next come the 90s. The 90s were gooooood.