How do you define a movie’s "impact"? Is it the number of later films that follow its example? Or is it the movie’s influence on the world outside the multiplex? Alas, USA Today’s list of "Movies with Real Impact," the 25 milestone films of the last 25 years, doesn’t bother to answer that question. The paper’s top pick, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, is certainly a great work of popular and cinematic art, but what "impact" has it had, besides on the bottom line at New Line? Yes, it spawned the Narnia and His Dark Materials franchises and made Peter Jackson a brand-name director, but I think it’s too early to judge what sort of impact, if any, LOTR will have on moviemaking or on real life. Besides, there are many other films, including several on this list, whose legacies are far more apparent.
Some of the list items are indisputable: Pulp Fiction, Do the Right Thing, Titanic, Fatal Attraction, There’s Something About Mary (the most influential comedy of the era), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (for inspiring the creation of the PG-13 rating), El Mariachi (for launching the low-budget indie boom), Crouching Tiger, The Matrix (which surely belongs higher on the list than No. 20), Goodfellas, and sex, lies, and videotape (which put Sundance and Miramax on the map).
Others are close but not quite there. Mission: Impossible IIIis on the list for showing that Tom Cruise’s career as the signaturestar of the past quarter century could suffer some damage from hisoff-screen behavior, but where’s Risky Business, the film that effectively launched that career in the first place? Toy Story is here as the first all-CGI film, but where’s Terminator 2, the film whose blend of CGI and live-action became the norm for most big-budget spectacles? The Bodyguard is here for its massive-selling soundtrack CD, but where’s Flashdance, whose integration of film narrative and music (and music-video editing) was much more influential? Fahrenheit 9/11 is here as the top-grossing documentary, but it’s had less real-world impact than An Inconvenient Truth or Super Size Me have had (or Sicko may yet have). Where’s Scarface (pictured), which became the blueprint of so much of hip-hop culture? Where are such frequently copied movies as Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, and The Silence of the Lambs?
Of course, a list like this is subjective; you surely have your ownmovies that have had a great impact on you during the past 25 years.That’s your cue, PopWatchers…
Comments (1-30) of 101
What about “Star Wars”? I’d argue that franchise is the reason they were able to make LOTR.
Not sure what the criteria is but LotR had a lot of impact on the film industry in terms of CGI (in particular with the way epic battles are handled and using a CGI creation as a main player).
Even though the list doesn’t elaborate, Personally, I like to think of influential more as the number of films that followed the example.
As far as the films I consider influential in the past 25 years, a few are on the list (The Matrix and Pulp Fiction) and Susman mentioned another, Die Hard, which pretty much spawned any action movie with ONE hero in a confined area against a group of baddies.
As for others not on the list, I’d say 48 HRS precedes even Lethal Weapon as far as black/white, mismatched buddy cop action comedies go.
I’d also toss in Moulin Rouge/Chicago for bringing back the big-budget Broadway musical (esp. Chicago), though that trend seems to be tapering off.
Also, The Little Mermaid, whose success spurred that white hot streak of animated Disney musical classics (Beauty and the Beast, Lion King, Aladdin, etc.) that I grew up with.
I’m no Mr. LOTR, but I think it’s HIGHLY influential based on its three-at-once production schedule which has begotten two-at-once, sequel productions for the Matrix and LOTR. These insta-franchises have a huge effect on how movies are made and sold less and less as stories and more and more as “brands.”
Doh! That should read “two-at-once sequel productions for the Matrix and POTC.”
The two-at-once sequel filming was pioneered in Back to the future II and III, years before LOTR.
Flashdance? How about Saturday Night Fever. That broke box office soundtrack sales. And where’s Rocky Horror – which I would argue was the first “cult” movie that still has an active following.
NineDaves – “Saturday Night Fever” and “Rocky Horror” are more than 25 years old, so they do not qualify for this list. And BW, the same goes for “Star Wars” – it’s 30 years old.
“Saving Private Ryan” definitely deserves to be higher on the list than it is. I’d argue that every major battle sequence on film since then (including, or maybe even especially, the ones in the LOTR movies) owes it a major creative debt.
If going back 25 years includes 1982 you’ve gotta add “Blade Runner”, the movie that seems to have established once and for all what the future would look like. “Pulp Fiction” set the standard for plot structure and dialog. The other most influential movie of the 90s would be David Fincher’s “Se7en”, which had as big an influence on the look of thrillers and horror movies as “Blade Runner” did on science fiction.
I’m throwing in my bid for Moulin Rouge. That was an EXCELLENT movie that broke down the door for Chicago, Rent, Phantom of the Opera and, of course, Dreamgirls. JHud needs to thank Baz Lurhman and Miramax for that Oscar because without the sheer brilliance of Moulin Rouge, Dreamgirls would have been just a passing thought and not a reality.
I dont get why people on here say that moulin rouge and chicago should be on the list. There actually has not been a good musical in decades. Dreamgirls did well but i dont think it even covered the expense it cost to be made. The other big screen musicals this decade were box office bombs and did poorly with critics.
BY FAR: SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. I’ve seen this movie like 30 times & I always find it very interesting everytime! Jodie Foster should make a movie of this caliber! Seriously, its long overdue.
Yeah, Emily, but every “Matrix” or “Die Hard” ripoff has been inferior to the movie that inspired them…just because no other Broadway musical adaptations have reached the creative and financial heights of Moulin Rouge and Chicago, doesn’t mean they weren’t influential. I would even argue the fact that Phantom did ok (over $100 mil worldwide) and, although, people LOVE to bash it, Dreamgirls made over $150 mil worldwide and was nominated for eight Oscars…I know it was WAY overhyped when it arrived, but it’s hardly a failure.
The reason i personally put Moulin and Chicago on the list is because, i think without those movies being successful, we don’t see that Phantom, Dreamgirls, Rent, Hairspray this month or Mamma Mia next year or whenever.
LOTR stands as the most influential set of films in the last 25 years because of its cinematic influence as well.
The mass armies, sword-and-sandal epic battle sets have set a precedent (one that’s hardly been matched) for action sequences in the last six years since Fellowship’s release. That aside, it opened the door for fantasy/literature tales as widely accepted pop-culture:
-Troy
-Narnia
-Golden Compass
-Stardust
-Eragon
-Alexander
-Bridge to Terabithia
Anything that comes out now is just “like LOTR.”
The Big Chill — established Lawrence Kasdan as a first-class writer/director; featured a best-selling soundtrack; established the “friends” theme performed by an amazing “ensemble” cast — both bellweathers of ’80s cinmea & TV.
Just consider: Glen Close, Kevin Kline, Tom Berenger, William Hurt, Jeff Goldblum, Mary Kay Place, JoBeth Williams, Meg Tilley and a mostly left-on-the-cutting-room floor Kevin Costner all on the same bill.
Now that’s one-of-a-kind entertainment.
Just a comment about the modern movie musical and its recent inspirations. CHICAGO was certainly the mover and shaker. EVITA actually got the ball rolling as it took in $150 million worldwide–as did MOULIN, PHANTOM and DREAMGIRLS. CHICAGO went over $350 million. So, this ain’t small change. Musicals are doing the kind of business that other so-called major hits are grossing. Musicals I’ve mentioned have done better than NORBIT, BLADES OF GLORY, FAILURE TO LAUNCH, etc. etc. I have a feeling that HAIRSPRAY will do better than any of them. And SWEENY TODD (with good reviews and awards) will slay the competition as well. MAMMA MIA will do gangbusters as it does onstage.
Before I saw the USA Today list, I would have ranked Pulp Fiction as an easy #1, followed by Toy Story and Die Hard (which as has been noted is the most copied action film of the era).
The Blair Witch Project needs to be mentioned too, for its then-revolutionary method of creating buzz.
I cringed when I saw Tony there. “Scarface” is the uber-role model for almost every young male out there. It was everywhere in the dorms in college and a friend who used to do some light business in that business often cites “Scarface” as an influence in his prioritization of getting money as a sign of respect and his choice of method for making that money. I suspect quite a few of those boys out there who are still in that business feel the same way, and due to their ubiquitous services, “Scarface” affects us all.
Gary Sussman, you don’t see the impact of LOTR? What rock have you been living under? Allow me to enlighten you. Re: moviemaking-LOTR was the 1st to use MASSIVE software which made the epic battle scenes possible; 1st to use an actor’s physical and vocal performance to make a fully digitized character like Gollum possible; earned 11 Academy Awards; first to shoot three films at once; set new standards for comprehensive DVD extras. Re: cultural impact-Thomas Hibbs, associate professor of philosophy at Boston College explains it best when he compared LOTR to the 9/11 tragedies: “Both dramas feature ordinary citizens and leaders, shaken from their commonplace lives by an invading evil; after an initial shock, they commit themselves to a cause, and, in so doing, discover in themselves resources they never knew they possessed. There is also a similarity in the way diverse peoples, while never forgetting their particular homelands, put aside differences to fight against a common enemy.”
Sorry, my statistic was incorrect. Return of the King won 11 Academy Awards, the trilogy won a total of 17. Apparently the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences can recognize LOTR’s impact.
“Scarface” is soooo overrated and it has one of the great anachronisms of all time. The beginning of the movie is set in 1980 during the Cuban boatlift. A few minutes later, you can see a street scene in the Miami area featuring a USA Today box. USA Today didn’t exist until 1982!
Well Galadriel, oscars are not about the impact of a film, but it’s cinematic achievement. Gary is totally right, it is too early to tell which will be its lasting impact, although there definitely is a surge in fantasy epics everywhere (he could also have listed Eragan, D-wars, Terabithia…). I any case, it surely shouldn’t be #1.
Personally I think Jurassik Parc should have been at the top!
All about “The Matrix”. So good, so influential, such an impact on the way martial arts and special effects are done in countless movies now. Unfortunately, it also spawned two awful sequels. Was it responsible for the “threequel”?
Hello, “Airplane!” Do you think there would be 34534 Scary Movie sequels? Or Date Movie or Epic Movie… um, on second thought nevermind…
Braveheart made war scenes up close, personal, bloody, and savage long before Private Ryan and the Fellowship of the Rings. No other movie has had more influence on how battles are scripted, staged, and shot.
All of the following movies have “Braveheart” style grim ‘n gritty battle scenes, and these are just off the top of my head: Gladiator, The Patriot, Saving Private Ryan, LOTR Trilogy, Star Wars: Ep I, We Were Soldiers, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End…
Q-A, what a brilliant mind you have. Excellence in cinema and winning a boatload of oscars DOESN’T mean anything. How silly of me. Thank you for sharing your infinite wisdom with all us lowly peons who know NOTHING of cinema and/or its impact on moviemaking and culture, not to mention the scholar I quoted from Boston College. Lord knows you’re MUCH MORE knowledgable than he is. It’s reassuring that you had no comeback to any of the other five points I made. I must not be a total moron. Though Jurassic Park was groundbreaking for its time, 1993, I don’t see what impact it made culturally. Perhaps you can bestow your superior viewpoint on my feeble one and give some real reasons why Jurassic Park is so much more significant than LOTR.
What clueless pop culturally illiterate dope wrote that list? Instant snubs notice for the Warriors and Clerks.
The Warriors is STILL Walter Hill’s best work and had a major influence on pop culture (several videos feature parodies of this movie), and the “warriors, Come out to play” scene has been immitated countless times. It’s an influential classic.
Clerks made it possible for fanboys with no money to become filmmakers. Kevin Smith inspired tons of indy film makers and continues to do so as a teacher. Where’s the love for KS?
Meanwhile, the CABLE GUY makes the list? While LOTR helped spawn countless imitators, but without the success of “Gladiator” no one would have funded a sword and sorcery trilogy. So it’s Gladitor and NOT LOTR that should be at the top of that list.
And why didn’t the X Men make the cut? After X Men 1, everybody got into making comic book movies. Even ones based on comics by underground artists Harvey Pekar and Daniel Clowes. That’s influence dude.
And yeah, wassup with No Star Wars?
Oh wait, USA Today? You mean the newspaper they give you for free with your breakfast purchase at Mcdonalds? That’s only the worst paper with nationwide distribution out there, save maybe the weekly world news and national enquirer.
In your face USA Today!
Anybody who says braveheart is a movie that has a great impact obviously has a shallow knowledge of film history. It’s like saying Moulin Rouge or Chicago had the most impact as movie musicals! Oh wait somebody said Moulin Rouge too! so either you’re too young to know other earlier influences (though that shouldn’t be an excuse if you are really a cineaste) or like i said you don’t know films. yukyukyukyukyuk! hehe.
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