Rolling Stone's 99 Best Films of 1999 — ‘American Beauty' #87

The movie staff of Rolling Stone, comprised of around a dozen writers, has published the 99 Best Movies of 1999, Ranked. As great of a year as 1999 was, I wouldn’t even stretch myself in saying that there 99 actual good movies.

Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Magnolia” tops the list. You have many of the usual suspects in the top 10: “The Matrix” (#2), “Being John Malkovich” (#3), “The Insider” (#4), “Election” (#7), “The Straight Story” (#8), “Fight Club” (#9).

I’m not entirely sure what Wes Anderson’s “Rushmore” is doing here as, despite it going wide in February 1999, it should still count as a 1998 movie. Also Sofia Coppola’s “The Virgin Suicides” was actually released in the U.S. on April 21, 2000 — it’s not a 1999 movie.

However, what sticks out the most from RS’ list is Sam Mendes’ “American Beauty” at #87. Come to think of it, I’ve not crossed a single online article this year that mentions, or celebrates, the 25th anniversary of Mendes’ film. RS has basically shunned the film, which featured a career defining role from Kevin Spacey. Here’s how they explain the low ranking:

To say that time has not been kind to the Best Picture Oscar-winner of 1999 would be the understatement of the year — and that notion still applies even if you don’t factor what’s happened regarding the movie’s lead actor in the past seven years. Sam Mendes’ satirical look at the “perfect” American family was considered a significant statement on the fragile, fractured mindset of the paterfamilias at the end of the American century, and while you wouldn’t call Lester Burnham’s midlife crisis aspirational, the movie definitely treats regression back to his teen self as something like suburban liberation. The shot of a plastic bag whirling in circles, courtesy of Wes Bentley’s boy-next-door videographer, is no longer a shorthand for existential ennui or finding the finding the beauty in the mundane; the movie’s signature image of a teenage cheerleader naked under roses, however, has become twice as icky. Even at the time, the idea that this was the standout movie of a standout filmmaking year felt questionable. Yet it still went home with five Oscars, so…

“American Beauty,” which was the second most listed 1999 film in critics’ top 10s, triumphed at the Oscars, winning Picture, Director, Actor, Original Screenplay and Cinematography. Has the tide turned on the film? Has it aged that badly? Or is Rolling Stone throwing it under the bus due to Spacey’s involvement?

Hey, at least, “American Beauty” made RS’s top 99. The same can’t be said of Frank Darabont’s “The Green Mile,” a much-cherished audience favorite (8.6/10 on IMDb), as it failed to crack the list. What gives? You have “The World is Not Enough” (#93), “Varsity Blues” (#96), “Big Daddy” (#97) but not “The Green Mile”?

Also, Spike Lee’s “Summer of Sam” (#84) and Martin Scorsese’s “Bringing Out the Dead” (#88) are way too low for my liking, both unheralded gems in their respective director’s filmographies.

I’ve just saved you many clicks by listing the entire RS 99 below:

01. Magnolia
02. The Matrix
03. Being John Malkovich
04. The Insider
05. The Virgin Suicides
06. Beau Travail
07. Election
08. The Straight Story
09. Fight Club
10. Rushmore

11. The Limey
12. The Sixth Sense
13. Three Kings
14. American Movie
15. Eyes Wide Shut
16. Topsy Turvy
17. South Park: Bigger, Longer Uncut
18. The Blair Witch Project
19. Last Night
20. Boys Don’t Cry

21. Office Space
22. Toy Story 2
23. Run Lola Run
24. The Iron Giant
25. The Talented Mr. Ripley
26. Audition
27. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
28. Notting Hill
29. The Wind Will Carry Us
30. All About My Mother

31. Galaxy Quest
32. Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai
33. Mr. Death
34. The Best Man
35. Go
36. 10 Things I Hate About You
37. Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace
38. Buena Vista Social Club
39. Ratcatcher
40. American Pie

41. Existenz
42. The Mummy
43. Any Given Sunday
44. Girl, Interrupted
45. Cruel Intentions
46. The Wood
47. But I’m a Cheerleader
48. Rosetta
49. Cookie’s Fortune
50. The Hurricane

51. Ravenous
52. Holy Smoke
53. Felicia’s Journey
54. Instrument
55. Dick
56. The Thomas Crown Affair
57. Bowfinger
58. Princess Mononoke
59. Analyze This
60. Jesus’ Son

61. Pola X
62. Ride With the Devil
63. The End of the Affair
64. Judy Berlin
65. October Sky
66. Sleepy Hollow
67. Deep Blue Sea
68. Cradle Will Rock
69. Stuart Little
70. Limbo

71. An Ideal Husband
72. Sweet & Lowdown
73. Miss Julie
74. Titus
75. For the Love of the Game
76. Man on the Moon
77. She’s All That
78. Tarzan
79. Double Jeopardy
80. The Muse

81. Following
82. The Cider House Rules
83. The Winslow Boy
84. Summer of Sam
85. Flawless
86. Mystery Men
87. American Beauty
88. Bringing Out the Dead
89. Jawbreaker
90. The Red Violin

91. Black & White
92. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
93. The World is Not Enough
94. Angela’s Ashes
95. Music of the Heart
96. Big Daddy
97. Varsity Blues
98. Boondock Saints
99. Dogma