1. "Saving Private Ryan"(1998)
Five years after his Academy Award-winning triumph "Schindler's List", Steven Spielberg went back to WWII and produced another one of the greatest movies ever made. The 24-minute D-Day opening(June 6, 1944) startled younger generations with the most harrowing and realistic depiction of combat ever captured on film. Janusz Kaminski's virtuoso camerawork, Gary Rydstrom's sound effects, and Michael Kahn's editing places viewers(safely) in the chaos of battle, and was a deeply-affecting experience for real-life vets. The great Tom Hanks leads a grizzled cast that includes Tom Sizemore, Ed Burns, and Matt Damon in an unforgettable tribute to true heroism. Somehow, this instant classic lost the Best Picture Oscar to "Shakespeare in Love"(Spielberg more than earned his second Best Director trophy). More on that later.
2. "The Thin Red Line"(1998)
What are the chances that the two best war movies of the '90s would be filmed in the same summer and released just six months apart? If "Ryan" hadn't rattled our brains and topped the year's box office rankings, we would have been talking more about Terrence Malick's comeback(this was the reclusive writer-director's first film in twenty years). This existential epic, based on the James Jones novel, was beautifully shot by John Toll("Braveheart") and replaces simplistic flag-waving with spiritual meditations on the complex nature of man and war. Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Jim Caviezel, Elias Koteas, and Adrien Brody(and many others) eagerly signed up for the 1942-43 Battle of Guadalcanal. Malick sustains his two-hour and 50-minute runtime(same as "Ryan") with a dreamy cast and bravura sequences. "Red Line" was rewarded with seven Oscar nominations, and a 'welcome back' for Malick from everyone who cares about movies.
3. "American History X"(1998)
A 27 year old post-"Primal Fear" Edward Norton was looking like the next De Niro, with his searing portrayal of a neo-Nazi gang member in this gripping exploration of modern racism. Flashbacks tell the tale of his hate-fueled descent, as the rehabilitated ex-convict attempts to save his brother(an effective Edward Furlong) from a similar fate in California. Although, David McKenna's emotional script and the black-and-white execution is a little heavy-handed, Norton is mesmerizing in the role that cemented his career. After a quiet theatrical release, the explosive "X" picked up a large following on cable. Fun fact- eccentric first-time director Tony Kaye was difficult and egotistical in his dealings with New Line Cinema, and has been on the fringe of the industry ever since.
4. "Life is Beautiful"(1998)
Italian one hit wonder Roberto Benigni was the recipient of the 1998 Best Actor Oscar. That's widely considered a blunder, but his famously annoying award show antics shouldn't detract in any away from the film itself. How audacious was it to make an upbeat film about the Holocaust? Benigni's clownish book store owner shields his young son from the horrors of an internment camp by convincing him that it's all part of an elaborate game. Life may not be beautiful, but this bittersweet tale achieves a semblance of it.
6. "The Truman Show"(1998)
After the obscene onslaught of reality TV that Americans have been subjected to in the 2000s, Peter Weir's prophetic, high-concept hit doesn't seem so far-fetched anymore. A premise that could have easily been given the overly commercial treatment is handled with a straight-faced intelligence that took summertime audiences by surprise. Jim Carrey seemingly relinquished his comedic throne to crass counterpart Adam Sandler as the decade drew to a close after coming to the realization that he wanted Tom Hanks' career instead(who doesn't?) Truman Burbank would be the closest he ever came to accomplishing that goal.
7. "There's Something About Mary"(1998)
After laying the groundwork for tasteless hilarity in "Dumb & Dumber", the Farrelly brothers reached their zenith in this hugely popular 'stalker' comedy. Nothing was sacred or off-limits as a game cast attacked every one of Peter and Bobby's increasingly risque comic set-ups with glee. Ben Stiller, previously considered an unproven commodity, became an ubiquitous presence on film screens for the next ten years and Cameron Diaz has her fetching title character to thank for her lengthy stay on the A-list. They would all try and (mostly) fail to repeat the singular success of "Mary" in subsequent vehicles, so rare was it's combination of heart and um, hair-gel.
8. "Out of Sight"(1998)
A repentant George Clooney was dusting himself off from the "Batman & Robin" fallout when indie pioneer Steven Soderbergh came to his rescue. The role of charming bank robber Jack Foley played to all his strengths in this post-Tarantino crime caper that also boasts a plethora of quality actors in bit parts. Now let's talk about Jennifer Lopez. She's tough and sexy as FBI agent Karen Sisco, a performance she never bettered(I'm aware that her subsequent output includes "The Wedding Planner", "Enough" and "Gigli"). Soderbergh had the foresight to unite these two future reigning sex symbols with some sizzling wordplay courtesy of Elmore Leonard, laying the groundwork for his own exceptional directorial career in the process.
9. "Shakespeare in Love"(1998)
The Academy Award for Best Picture is supposed to be the ultimate accolade. An indisputable indication of superior quality. But for many winners, the added scrutiny that comes with that distinction becomes a heavy burden. A curse. There would be absolutely no reason to hate on John Madden's winsome 16th Century dramedy if it hadn't bested the first two films on this list on Oscar night. Then again, we might not even be aware of the film if it hadn't won, so awards are a double-edged sword. Harvey Weinstein's aggressive Miramax campaigning upset the apple cart, there's no question about it. With that being said, Best Actress winner Gwyneth Paltrow is exquisite as the Bard's inspiration, and Judi Dench only needed seven minutes of screen time to bag Supporting Actress honors as Elizabeth I.
10(tie). "Elizabeth"(1998)
Speaking of, 1998 gave us dueling costume dramas in addition to the WWII conflict between Spielberg and Malick. Perhaps even more significantly, it was the year that the luminous Cate Blanchett came to our attention. Gwenyth may have been younger and more photogenic in the '90s, but there's no question that Cate's services have been in far greater demand over the long haul. The woman is a class act, and it's immediately clear as the 'Virgin Queen' navigates the shadowy England of 1558. Mistrust among her circle(Joseph Fiennes, Geoffrey Rush) necessitate her inevitable transformation into the cold, dominating monarch that we would see again in the 2007 sequel "Elizabeth: The Golden Age".
10(tie)."Armageddon"(1998)
Michael Bay's asteroid epic benefits from latent late '90s nostalgia, the longing for a simpler time when CGI mayhem(or Bayhem) was the biggest threat to the planet's survival. Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck lead a stacked cast that includes Billy Bob Thornton, Liv Tyler, Steve Buscemi, Michael Clarke Duncan, Owen Wilson, and William Fichtner. From the relentless one-liners to Aerosmith's immortal soundtrack contribution to the hour-long outer space finale, Bay doesn't allow his to soon-to-be loyal viewers to be bored for one minute. Check your brain at the door, you won't want to miss a thing.
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