The Year in Review- 1997

It was the year James Cameron and Leonardo DiCaprio joined forces for the biggest, most beloved motion picture since "Gone with the Wind". Matt Damon had a big brain, Mark Wahlberg had a big dick, and Russell Crowe had a gun and badge. Jack Nicholson had OCD, Johnny Depp joined the FBI, and Tommy Lee Jones was in the MIB. Here are the ten best films in order for 1997.

1. "Titanic"(1997) James Cameron's 11x Oscar-winning spectacular was the highest-grossing movie of all time(until the self-proclaimed 'King of the World' topped himself with 2009's "Avatar") and remains one of the finest examples of epic big-budget filmmaking. Online opponents of Celine Dion's ubiquitous theme song often neglect to mention the impassioned writer-director's obsessive research on the doomed ocean liner, leading to a 99% historically-accurate recreation of it's fateful voyage in April 1912. The poor-boy/rich-girl romance between Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt IS fiction, but that emotional core was absolutely essential to the telling of this story. Cameron made sure we loved those characters before that devastating iceberg hit. To say that Leonardo DiCaprio was catapulted to superstardom would be an understatement, and Kate Winslet won our hearts despite the floating door controversy. James Horner's score is majestic, and the last hour contains some of the most tense, thrilling action in movie history. Cameron made history like few filmmakers ever have.

2. "Boogie Nights"(1997) Leo DiCaprio certainly wasn't the only young dreamboat granted movie-star status in 1997. Mark Wahlberg left the rap world behind and ran with the career-making role of naive '70s porn star Dirk Diggler. With a clear nod to Scorsese's signature style(and a song selection to match), the brilliant conceit of Paul Thomas Anderson's sophomore film is how it matter-of-factly presents the adult industry as just another business despite it's seedy, drug-addled underbelly. Burt Reynolds came back from the dead as Dirk's sleazy director/mentor, to lead a classy supporting cast that includes Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Don Cheadle. This is bold, balls-out filmmaking, and a victory for all involved.

3. "Good Will Hunting"(1997) Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are raw and engaging as Boston buddies going nowhere fast, in the feel-good behind-the-scenes film story of the year. The fledging duo sold their dazzling screenplay to Miramax Sylvester Stallone-style, to finally break into the industry's upper echelon. That's where they've resided ever since. Damon's disaffected title character has some unrealized academic potential, and his hardened cynicism starts to fade away, thanks to a romance with Minnie Driver and a series of sit-downs with a caring shrink, played by a subdued and very effective Robin Williams. Indie darling director Gus Van Sant savors all the wit and texture of these priceless exchanges, turning out a film that gets more than a passing grade.

4. "L.A. Confidential"(1997) Director Curtis Hanson, previously considered a Hollywood journeyman, surprised just about everybody when he brought James Elroy's 'unfilmable' novel to the big screen, leaving out none of the complexity and intelligence that had made it such a challenging adaptation. Los Angeles in the 1950s is a minefield of casually-corrupt cops and organized crime, and this scintillating landscape provided a brawny breakthrough for Australian tough guy Russell Crowe AND an Oscar-winning comeback for luminous Best Supporting Actress Kim Basinger. Kevin Spacey, Guy Pearce, and Danny DeVito also did their part to earn this old-fashioned thriller it's comparisons to "Chinatown".

5. "As Good As It Gets"(1997) Jack Nicholson has given moviegoers many wonderful characterizations throughout his storied career- Jake Gittes, Randle MacMurphy, Jack Torrance, The Joker, Col. Nathan Jessup. A mid-'90s slump("The Crossing Guard", "Mars Attacks!") ended the moment he danced around those sidewalk cracks as cranky, obsessive-compulsive novelist Melvin Udall in this refreshingly well-written romantic comedy from his "Terms of Endearment" director James L. Brooks. This rancorous writer sees the error of his misanthropic ways through unlikely relationships with single mother Helen Hunt and gay neighbor Greg Kinnear. The results were an unexpectedly big box office hit, and the Academy Awards for Best Actor(Jack's third) AND Actress for Hunt.

6. "Breakdown"(1997) Kurt Russell reached his leading man peak as relocating everyman Jeff Taylor, in this tight, action-packed thriller that I'll take over any of his John Carpenter collaborations. The former Snake Plissken had a rather underrated run over the previous fifteen years, that found him frustratingly a notch or two below Tom Cruise and Mel Gibson. A road trip in the desert leads to a disappearing wife(Kathleen Quinlan) and an evil truck driver, played by late, unsung character actor J.T. Walsh in perhaps his best role. Director Jonathan Mostow stages their sweaty showdown with an economical 93 minute runtime and a breakneck pace.

7. "Donnie Brasco"(1997) Johnny Depp's undercover FBI agent(real name- Joseph Pistone) instantaneously joined mob movie lore, a genre already perfected by "The Godfather I and II" and "Goodfellas", in Mike Newell's fact-based NYC-set drama. Al Pacino's mid-level lifer 'Lefty' Ruggiero has 26 hits under his belt AND a soft spot for his young apprentice, and this is another layered, compelling performance from the legendary Oscar winner. The unlikely duo's bond takes precedence over the requisite bullets and bloodshed, before the "Donnie Brasco Operation" clinched over a 100 organized crime convictions in the early 1980s. Michael Madsen, Bruno Kirby, James Russo, and Anne Heche costar.

8. "Jackie Brown"(1997) Labeled a disappointment during it's December release for not being Pulp Fiction 2, this leisurely-paced Elmore Leonard adaptation has since been recognized as Quentin Tarantino's most mature film. The world-famous wunderkind let up on his trademark violence for the first(AND last) time as he attempted to orchestrate a Travolta-like resurrection of '70s blaxploitation queen Pam Grier. That didn't quite happen, but her middle-aged flight attendant torn between both sides of the law was still a great role. Sam Jackson creates another endelible QT bad-ass, to head up a flavorful supporting cast that includes Robert De Niro, Robert Forster, Michael Keaton, and Bridget Fonda.

9. "Amistad"(1997) Steven Spielberg is a huge history buff, and educational epics now take up as much space in his filmography as his legendary blockbusters("The Lost World: Jurassic Park" was practically a license to print money on Memorial Day weekend). His trying tale of an 1839 slave ship mutiny strengthens the "greatest director ever" argument, and should be a part of every junior-high school cirriculum. Spielberg goes for the jugular, with a harrowingly-horrific flashback dropped in the middle of heavy courtroom drama. Anthony Hopkins is the acting standout in a cast that includes Morgan Freeman, Matthew McConaughey, and Djimon Hounsou. Scored by(who else?) John Williams.

10. "Men in Black"(1997) Will Smith's world domination was complete, when he built on the enormous momentum of "Independence Day" with this ingenious sci-fi comedy smash. Tommy Lee Jones is terrific as Smith's deadpan recruiter, a top secret government agent tracking extra-terrestrials in Ray-Bans and a Reservoir Dogs suit. A clever cross between "Ghostbusters" and "The X-Files", this killer premise combined with the Fresh Prince's cocky charm(and radio-friendly theme song) made "MIB" the must-see movie of the summer. Director Barry Sonnenfeld("The Addams Family") had a surefire franchise on his hands, but I needed a neuralyzer after three disappointing sequels brought the Spielberg-produced enterprise back down to Earth.

Honorable Mentions- "Dante's Peak"(1997) Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton vs. a volcano. "Private Parts"(1997) The rise of Howard Stern is hilariously-recalled in this Betty Thomas-directed biopic. "Liar, Liar"(1997) Jim Carrey is a riot as a lawyer who can't lie. "Chasing Amy"(1997) Kevin Smith's finest hour? "Swingers"(1997) Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau were money in this indie hit. "The Game"(1997) David Fincher directs Michael Douglas and Sean Penn. "Murder at 1600"(1997) Wesley Snipes investigates a murder at the White House. "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion"(1997) Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow in the female "Dumb and Dumber". "Grosse Point Blank"(1997) John Cusack's high school reunion.

"Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery"(1997) Mike Myers made history as the swinging '60s superspy. "Selena"(1997) Jennifer Lopez is legit as the slain pop star. "My Best Friend's Wedding"(1997) Julia Roberts reclaims her crown as America's Sweetheart. "The Lost World: Jurassic Park"(1997) Steven Spielberg unleashes more dinosaurs in this dark sequel. "Hercules"(1997) Disney does the Greek god. "Face/Off"(1997) Nick Cage vs. John Travolta in John Woo's wild crowd-pleaser. "Contact"(1997) Close encounters with Jodie Foster and Robert Zemeckis. "Conspiracy Theory"(1997) Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts vs. the evil government.

"Air Force One"(1997) Harrison Ford was a kick-ass Commander-and-Chief. "Copland"(1997) Sylvester Stallone's shy sheriff is one of his career highlights. "G.I. Jane"(1997) Ridley Scott directs Demi Moore's leading lady swan song. "The Full Monty"(1997) This male stripper movie was a British phenomenon. "In & Out"(1997) Is Kevin Kline gay? "Lolita"(1997) Jeremy Irons is jonesing for jailbait in Adrian Lyne's remake. "The Edge"(1997) Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin vs. a bear. "Wag the Dog"(1997) Political games with Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman. "A Thousand Acres"(1997) Literary Oscar bait with Jessica Lange and Michelle Pfeiffer. "The Peacemaker"(1997) George Clooney and Nicole Kidman in the first DreamWorks movie. "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"(1997) John Cusack and Kevin Spacey in Clint Eastwood's adaptation of a NY Times bestseller. "I Know What You Did Last Summer"(1997) The teen slasher movie makes a comeback.

"Kiss the Girls"(1997) Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd enliven this formulaic thriller. "Deconstructing Harry"(1997) More relationship hell courtesy of Woody Allen. "Red Corner"(1997) Richard Gere is wrongly accused in China. "U Turn"(1997) A put-upon Sean Penn is in Oliver Stone's warped world. "The Devil's Advocate"(1997) Al Pacino shouts as Satan himself. "Seven Years in Tibet"(1997) Brad Pitt befriends the Dalai Lama. "Starship Troopers"(1997) Paul Verhoeven's sci-fi actioner picked up a cult following. "John Grisham's The Rainmaker"(1997) Frances Ford Coppola recruits Matt Damon for his last bid at mainstream success. "The Ice Storm"(1997) Ang Lee breaks through with this ensemble '70s-set family drama. "The Apostle"(1997) Robert Duvall as a crazed Christian. "The Boxer"(1997) Daniel-Day Lewis lived for a year as an Irish pugilist. "Scream 2"(1997) Wes Craven's sequel sends another Ghostface killer after Neve Campbell and company. "Tomorrow Never Dies"(1997) Neither does James Bond. "Kundun"(1997) Martin Scorsese directs the 14th Dalai Lama.