Top Grossing Movies of 2000
As part of our continuing series on the biggest blockbusters of each year, it’s time to take a look at the top grossing movies of 2000. That year, 46 films would pass the $100 million mark, and three of those would go on to make more than $400 million.
On a less positive note, Hollywood would also release the following films in 2000: Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, Scary Movie, Big Momma’s House, Reindeer Games, and the dreaded Battlefield Earth. It once again proved the old adage that nobody’s perfect, although Battlefield Earth may have proved the statement too well.
And for our readers who fancy themselves historians, here are a few of the key events from the year 2000:
- The dreaded Y2K, which some believed would brings technology around the world crashing down, came and went without incident.
- Following the death of creator Charles Schulz, the final original Peanuts comic strip is published.
- Vladimir Putin becomes the President of Russia.
- Elian Gonzalez is seized by federal agents in Miami and returned to his Cuban father.
- The first short film widely distributed on the Internet, 405 The Movie, is released.
- In a controversial finish, Texas Governor George W. Bush defeats Al Gore to become the next President of the United States.
Notable Deaths in 2000:
- Tom Landry – Former coach of the Dallas Cowboys
- Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. – American actor
- Sir John Gielgud – British actor
- Hedy Lamarr – American actress
- Jim Varney – American actor
- Tito Puente – American jazz musician
- Walter Matthau – American actor
- Sir Alec Guinness – British actor
- Richard Mulligan – American actor
- Richard Farnsworth – American actor
- Steve Allen – American composer, comedian, and author
- Billy Barty – American actor
- Victor Borge – Danish-born pianist and comic
- Jason Robards – American actor
Now onto the 10 top grossing movies of 2000. I’ve listed them from #10 to #1, and I’ve even included the worldwide gross along with each entry. If you’d like to watch any of the following films, be sure to try the free membership offered by Netflix. We do get a small commission if you buy something through our links, but it doesn’t cost you one extra cent.
#10 What Lies Beneath ($291,420,351) – Michelle Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford star in this modern-day chiller about a wife who’s suffering memory loss following a car accident. Convinced that her next-door-neighbor is a killer, she exhibits increasingly bizarre behavior, including a ritual that allows a dead college student to possess her. Strong surprise ending.
#9 X-Men ($296,339,527) – Hugh Jackman shot to stardom after portraying Wolverine in this big-screen adaptation of the hit comic book from Marvel. His mutant teammates include Storm (Halle Berry), Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) and Cyclops (James Marsden), while the bad guys include Magneto (Ian McKellen), Mystique (Rebecca Romijn), and Sabretooth (Tyler Mane). Anna Paquin also appearances as a young mutant named Rogue who’s prevented from making physical contact with those around her. Directed by Bryan Singer.
#8 The Perfect Storm ($328,718,434) – Based on the non-fiction novel by Sebastian Junger, The Perfect Storm follows the fishing crew (including George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, John C. Reilly and William Fichtner) of the Andrea Gail as they undertake a late season expedition and encounter a storm of epic proportions. Co-starring Diane Lane and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio.
#7 Meet the Parents ($330,444,045) – Ben Stiller enjoyed a major comedic hit by teaming up with Robert De Niro. Stiller plays a male nurse who intends to propose to his girlfriend (Teri Polo), but his intentions are disrupted when he meets her disapproving father, a retired CIA operative (De Niro). Also starring Owen Wilson and Blythe Danner.
#6 How the Grinch Stole Christmas ($345,141,403) – Jim Carrey endured hours of make-up each day in order to portray the title character in this cinematic adaptation of the classic animated television special. Directed by Ron Howard, the film was the first live-action version of a Dr. Seuss story, although more would follow after this one struck box office gold. As you might expect, Clint Howard gets in an appearance, once again proving that he’s the real power in the Howard family.
#5 Dinosaur ($349,822,765) – This animated Disney film follows the adventures of Aladar, an Iguanodon raised by lemurs, as he and his family try to survive the harsh prehistoric landscape. Featuring the voice talents of D.B. Sweeney, Alfre Woodard, Ossie Davis, Hayden Panettiere, Julianna Margulies, and Della Reese.
#4 What Women Want ($374,111,707) – Mel Gibson plays a chauvinist ad exec, and Helen Hunt is the new hire who steals his promotion away from him. Then a freak electrocution occurs, giving him the unique ability to hear the thoughts of women (even female dogs). Armed with this knowledge, he seeks to regain his standing in the company and connect with his resentful daughter, but will romantic entanglements get in the way?
#3 Cast Away ($429,632,142) – Tom Hanks plays Chuck Noland, a FedEx employee who ends up stranded on a South Pacific island, with his only companion being a volleyball dubbed Wilson. As he learns to hunt food and make a fire, Noland dreams of escaping the island and being reunited with his longtime girlfriend (Helen Hunt). A powerful tale of one man’s refusal to give up.
#2 Gladiator ($457,640,427) – Russell Crowe became an international superstar by playing a Roman general on a quest for revenge. Left for dead and sold into slavery, Maximus Decimus Meridius (Crowe) becomes a gladiator and finds himself back in Rome, fighting for the entertainment of the masses under the nose of Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), the very man who ordered the death of he and his family. Director Ridley Scott delivers several exciting (and bloody) sequences in the Colosseum, and Crowe is spot-on as a hardened military man who longs to see his family again.
#1 Mission: Impossible II ($546,388,105) – Tom Cruise returns as agent Ethan Hunt in the biggest blockbuster of 2000. Director John Woo’s action expertise guarantees plenty of slow-motion moments as Hunt tries to prevent a virus from being released and causing a pandemic. Co-starring Dougray Scott (who had to pass on the role of Wolverine due to production delays), Thandie Newton, Ving Rhames, Brendan Gleeson, and Richard Roxburgh. Damned entertaining action flick, although it’ll fade from your memory within a few days.
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This entry was posted on Thursday, May 6th, 2010 at 3:55 pm and is filed under Good Movies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.