20 Movies Turning 20 Years Old in 2018

Ah, 1998. Apple wanted you to think different, Taco Bell wanted you to think outside the bun, and Will Smith wanted you to "Get Jiggy Wit It." Furbies spied on us, MP3s were invented, and Bill Clinton did not have sexual relations with that woman! Don't believe me? You can Google it, which is something else that was done for the first time in 1998. Lots of crazy things happened 20 years ago, but the late '90s also gave us another awesome year at the box office. Here are twenty of the most memorable movies turning twenty years old in 2018.

The Truman Show

In 1998, it was scary to imagine the entire world watching every move you make. Today some people share everything they do on social media willingly. The Truman Show is the story of Truman Burbank, a man living inside a giant movie studio disguised as the town of Seahaven Island and unknowingly the star of the world's most popular reality television show. Jim Carey stars as the titular character and to this day The Truman Show is regarded as one of his best roles. Nominated for three Oscars, including Best Writing/Screenplay (Andrew Niccol), Best Supporting Actor (Ed Harris), and Best Director (Peter Weir) and bolstering a 94 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, The Truman Show is a must-see from '98.

The Big Lebowski

Possibly one of the most quotable movies of all time is the Coen Brothers' cult-classic The Big Lebowski. Starring Jeff Bridges as "The Dude," alongside a stellar cast, including John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Julianne Moore, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and a rug that really ties the room together, The Big Lebowski gets better with every viewing. Yeah, well, you know, that's just like, my opinion, man.

The Waterboy

I'm not sure if Adam Sandler stopped being funny or if I just grew up. Maybe it's a little of both. But in 1998, Adam Sandler starred in one of his most memorable roles as Bobby Boucher, a stuttering waterboy for an atrocious college football team. After Bobby learns to channel his rage into a unique tackling ability, Bobby becomes a star, sees some boobies, and teaches his overbearing Mama that football is not the Devil. Channel your inner adolescent with this goofy, quotable treat for your Medulla Oblongata.

Half Baked

Before Dave Chappelle gave us the classic Comedy Central series Chappelle's Show, Dave showed us that he was more than just great stand up comedian by giving us a hit of his writing ability with the endearing stoner comedy Half Baked. Starring Dave Chapelle with fellow stand-ups Jim Bruer and Harland Williams, this movie still gives us very potent, legal laughs twenty years later. Oh, you may want to stock up on snacks before you re-watch.

Godzilla

I'm not even gonna try and pretend that the 1998 year in film was all roses, because we also got some stinkers, and Roland Emmerich's Godzilla was definitely one of them. Following the success of 1996's Independence Day, it seemed giving Roland a shot at re-launching the Godzilla franchise was a good idea. It wasn't. Starring Mathew Broderick as the lead in an action movie for whatever reason, this incoherent mess was panned by critics and currently holds a dismal 16 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Why even list this movie, you ask? Well, perhaps the hype for this film is even more memorable than the movie itself. Godzilla was everywhere in 1998 and despite its underwhelming legacy, this movie managed to be the ninth highest grossing film of the year.

Rush Hour

In 1998, Jackie Chan was at the height of his star power and Chris Tucker was actually relevant. Together, Tucker and Chan starred in the popular buddy cop comedy Rush Hour. Nobody will arguethat Rush Hour is a cinematic staple. In fact, it's not very good at times. The good news is it really doesn't matter. Rush Hour sets out to have a good time and that it does. The comedic banter between the two stars keeps the film afloat and audiences made this movie to the seventh highest grossing movie of 1998, launching two sequels. Although Rush Hour 3 may be part of the Mandela Effect, because I don't remember a damn thing about it.

Saving Private Ryan

To this day, the opening of Saving Private Ryan is one of the greatest achievements in filmmaking. We are transported to June 6, 1944, the Battle of Normandy, D-Day. Perhaps only director Steven Spielberg is qualified to showcase the brutal realism of one of the most important moments of the 20th century. This film is a masterpiece, yet somehow finds a way to get lost in some of Spielberg's other classics. Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, and a host of other great actors portray a group of soldiers sent behind enemy lines to rescue a paratrooper whose brothers have been killed in action. It is the winner of five Oscars, including Best Director (Steven Spielberg), Best Cinematography (Janusz Kaminski), and nominated for Best Picture and Best Actor in a Leading Role (Tom Hanks) and the highest grossing film of 1998.

Armageddon

As Ben Affleck so eloquently stated in the DVD commentatry: “I asked Michael why it was easier to train Oil Drillers to be a Astronauts instead of training Astronauts to be Oil Drillers and he said shut, shut, shut the f*** up.” In 1998, we were treated to 2 hours and 33 minutes of Sci-Fi Bayhem with Michael Bay’s Armageddon. When scientists discover a massive asteroid the size of Texas will impact Earth, we employ Bruce Willis, his roughneck crew of oil drillers, and Ben Affleck who’s porkin’ his daughter, Liv Tyler, to travel into space with minimal training and destroy an asteroid with nuclear weapons. Don’t worry about the plot. There’s explosions and a cool Aerosmith song. Have fun.

Deep Impact

Wow, 1998 really wanted all of us to die. A month before Michael Bay’s Armageddon, we were treated to the summer's cataclysmic counterpart Deep Impact (not a porno). The slightly more grounded and realistic of the two meteor movies, Deep Impact sends a group of astronauts into space to blow up a meteor with nuclear weapons...Well, at least Morgan Freeman is the POTUS in this one.

American History X

Turns out the movie we need in today’s culture was already made 20 years ago. Edward Norton gets an Oscar nom for his portrayal of Derek Vinyard, a former neo-nazi skinhead who has learned the error of his ways and tries to keep his younger brother (Edward Furlong) from following in his footsteps. This is a difficult watch due to the subject matter and a few gruesome scenes. However, this film is one of the standouts from 1998.

A Bug’s Life

Three years after their groundbreaking mega-hit Toy Story, Pixar set out to prove they weren’t just a one hit wonder with their sophomore project A Bug’s Life. Starring Kevin Spacey, Julia Luis-Dreyfus, and a host of other big name stars, the story follows an Ant named Hopper who’s trying to recruit an army to protect his colony from grasshoppers. A Bug’s Life was critically and commercially successful but wasn’t without controversy. Much like Armageddon and Deep Impact opening the same summer, A Bug’s Life faced opposition from another animated feature, Antz. The two films were very similar and not entirely by accident. Jeffrey Katzenberg pitched Antz to DreamWorks animation after leaving Pixar in a feud with Steve Jobs and John Lasseter.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

What a trip. Follow Johnny Depp as legendary author Hunter S. Thompson’s autobiographical alter ego Raoul Duke and his pal Dr. Gonzo on a psychedelic, nonsensical adventure of more than casual drug use. Directed by Monty Python alumni Terry Gilliam, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was initially a critical and commercial failure. Thanks to home media, however, the film has gained cult status and a special edition of the film now resides in the Criterion Collection.

The Thin Red Line

The Thin Red Line is Terrence Makick’s return to film after a twenty year absence. With an all-star cast including Sean Penn, Adrien Brody, John C. Reilly, George Clooney, Jim Caviezel, Woody Harrelson, and Nick Nolte, The Thin Red Line was a 170-minute WWII epic based on James Jones' autobiographical novel about the conflict of the Guadalcanal. Nominated for seven Oscars, The Thin Red Line went home empty-handed, mainly due to the fact it was competing against Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan.

The Parent Trap

Before Mean Girls, countless stints in rehab, and defending Harvey Weinstein, Lindsay Lohan was putting in her bid for America’s sweetheart by portraying both Hallie and Annie in 1998’s remake of The Parent Trap. When biological twin sisters are separated at birth and each raised by one of their parents, they meet randomly at a summer camp and decide to reunite their estranged parents. Also, they basically torture their would be step-mom. Classic, cheesy, Disney VHS fair.

Shakespeare in Love

A fictional love affair centered around one of history’s most celebrated artists, Shakespeare in Love tells the story of a young, broke playwright named William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) who’s out of ideas and searching for his muse, which he finds in Viola De Lesseps (Gwyneth Paltrow), a young woman desperate to act despite it being forbidden to women. Shakespeare in Love won seven Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actress in a Leading Role (Paltrow), and was nominated for six other Oscars.

Mulan

The most badass of the Disney Princesses, Mulan is the the story of a young maiden who disguised herself as a male warrior in an attempt to save her father from death. Mulan arrived just on the back end of the Disney Renaissance and was another success for the Mouse House. As successful as Mulan was in 1998, it seems the film has gained a higher standing among its Renaissance counterparts. A live action adaptation of Mulan is scheduled with Yifei Liu portraying the famous heroine.

Blade

Loosely based on the Marvel comic character of the same name, Blade was a moderate hit in 1998 but has since gained a larger cult following. Wesley Snipes plays Blade, a superhero who is half-vampire, half-mortal, and protector of the human race from other Vampires. Blade preceded two sequels, Blade II and Blade: Trinity in 2002 and 2004 and is often considered as one of the catalysts of the superhero film boom.

Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels

Written and directed by Guy Ritchie, this 1998 heist film finds four friends in debt to a powerful crime lord after a botched card game. Starring Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher, Nick Moran, and Jason Statham, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels brought fame to a young Guy Ritchie and was a commercial success, making over $28 million on a $1.35 million budget. This British crime film is tremendously rewatchable and remains a classic to this day.

Rushmore

Rushmore served as a launchpad for the career of distinctive director and auteur Wes Anderson and the establishment of his future long term collaborator Bill Murray as a respected indie film star and subsequent hipster icon. Rushmore is often listed as one of Anderson’s best films and sometimes considered one of the best films from the entire decade. The story is of Max Fischer, (Jason Schwartzman) the after school, extracurricular king of Rushmore Preporatory School who is put on academic probation and enters into a bizarre love triangle with an elementary school teacher and a wealthy industrialist Herman Blume (Bill Murray).

There’s Something About Mary

This is the film that had you asking “Have you seen my baseball?” "What’s that on your ear?” and “How did you get the beans above the frank?” The Farrelly Brothers' raunchy romantic comedy was a sleeper hit in 1998, becoming the third highest grossing film of that year and an instant comedy classic, starring Ben Stiller, Cameron Diaz, Matt Dillon and Lee Evans.

Honorable Mentions

A few other noteworthy flicks from 1998 that deserve to be mentioned:

Doctor Dolittle

In the late '90s, Eddie Murphy was back on top at the box office with remakes of two classic comedies, first with The Nutty Professor and later with his take on Doctor Dolittle.

The Wedding Singer

1998 was a big year for Adam Sandler with both The Waterboy and The Wedding Singer being released in theaters. While the former was a bigger hit at the box office, many view The Wedding Singer as the superior film, including critics.

Enemy of the State

Very few stars shown as bright in the late '90s as Will Smith. While his album Big Willie Style was turning out hits, Enemy of the State was a success in theaters.

Antz

The DreamWorks answer to Bug’s Life was slightly successful at the box office as the Disney-backed Pixar flick, but it has a slight edge with critics, scoring a very favorable 96 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

Out of Sight

Two of the hottest celebrities of the '90s, Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney star in this Oscar-nominated, Steven Soderbergh crime drama. Damn, they’ve aged well.

Pleasantville

Two '90s teenagers played by Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon find themselves in a '50s sitcom. It was nominated for three Oscars.

The Prince of Egypt

The animated take of Moses by DreamWorks Animation boasts an All-Star cast and an Oscar for Best Original Song.

Did I Miss Anything?

Look, I can't discuss every film that was made in 1998. Let me know if you think I missed anything important, or if I should've take one of these films off the list. Thanks for reading.