Was 1999 The Last Influential Year In Movies?

The past decade has had its share of memorable, award-winning movies: Slumdog Millionaire, The Hurt Locker, and The Artist, to name a few. But, Esquire asserts that in the past 15 years, no single year has been quite as influential in the film industry as 1999. Writer Garin Pirnia goes so far as to say it was "the last great year in movies." Why is that, exactly?

A ton of groundbreaking films were released that year, including Fight Club, The Matrix, American Beauty, Run Lola Run, Go, Boys Don't Cry, and The Sixth Sense. Pirnia supports her theory by saying, "What all these films have in common is the craftsmanship of fresh, talented directors who left traditional filmmaking behind to tinker with newfangled narratives and effects." Comparing the top-grossing movies of 1999 with those from this year — which includes the Captain America, X-Men, and Spider-Man franchises — also yields some interesting findings. "We seem to have run out of original ideas," she writes. "On the list of top-grossing 1999 films in the U.S., there isn't a single superhero film, and most of the films are from original scripts, not established source material."

Head over to Esquire for more ruminations on that pivotal year in film. And, we're dying to know: Do you agree with this stance or should a different year hold the top spot?