Memorable Moments of 1997

At the end of the year, one of my favorite things to do is go over the most memorable moments from 1997 motion pictures. Of course, it is rather late into the 1998 season, but I thought it better late than never. The scenes range from the truly awful to the incredibly wonderful. 1997 turned out to become one of the greatest years in film history. Some of the greatest films were released, but most of those were ignored by average viewers. Anyway, on with the show!

  • THE GOOD

  • The transportation sequence in Contact, as well as the initial "contact."

  • Rupert Everett breaking out in song around the dinner table in My Best Friend's Wedding.

  • The final revelation in In The Company of Men.

  • The final revelation in The Sweet Hereafter.

  • The opening moments of Amistad.

  • The money shot of Boogie Nights.

  • Kevin Kline's dance sequence, the kiss between Kline and Tom Selleck, and Joan Cusack's hilarious reaction to Kline's revelation in In & Out.

  • Russell Crowe's hypocritical meeting with Kim Basinger, and the final shoot-out in L.A. Confidential.

  • The "How close are you to this?" scene in Wag the Dog.

  • The opening scene in Clint Eastwood's Absolute Power.

  • Matthew Broderick and Meg Ryan shouting at the projection screen in Addicted to Love.

  • The dog imitating Nicholson's mannerisms in As Good As It Gets.

  • The final shoot-out in Cop Land.

  • Al Pacino's dark monologue about God, and Charlize Theron's unveiling in The Devil's Advocate.

  • The face transplant in Face/Off.

  • The actual performance of the strip show in The Full Monty.

  • The elevator doors opening, and the final "leap" in the plot of The Game.

  • Robin William's breaking down Matt Damon's barrier, saying "It's not your fault" in Good Will Hunting.

  • Many of the murders and conversations in Jackie Brown. (Couldn't narrow it down to just a few)

  • Ashley Judd escaping from her captor in Kiss the Girls.

  • The extended rescue sequence in the trailer in Jurassic Park: The Lost World.

  • The ballet dance in Love! Valour! Compassion!

  • The display board with aliens on Earth in Men in Black.

  • Howard Stern having sex over the radio in Private Parts.

  • The dream sequence in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion.

  • The revelation of the killer in Scream 2.

  • The footprints in the snow running over the edge of the roof in Smilla's Sense of Snow.

  • Neil Patrick Harris' comment about the brain bug, and Michael Ironside's "Make it 20 minutes" in Starship Troopers.

  • Pierce Brosnan's car chase from the back seat in Tomorrow Never Dies.

  • Harrison Ford's final battle with Gary Oldman in Air Force One.

  • Almost every scene in Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery; however, the therapy session and the nude scenes are standouts.

  • Demi Moore facing her commander in G.I. Jane.

  • Joan Cusack's antics, and John Cusack's reunion in Grosse Pointe Blank.

  • Jim Carrey's reactions to discovering that he can't lie, and his antics in the board meeting in Liar Liar.

  • The phone call in Lost Highway.

  • Mira Sorvino's discovery of what the bugs "mimic" in Mimic.

  • The judge's reactions in Trial and Error.

  • The wink in Anaconda.

  • The recreation of James Dean's accident in Crash.

  • The final hour after the volcano erupts in Dante's Peak.

  • Jack Noseworthy's ejection into space in Event Horizon.

  • "So, how are you going to kill me?" in The Edge.

  • Chris Tucker's character in The Fifth Element.

  • The entire chase sequence with Sarah Michelle Gellar in I Know What You Did Last Summer.

  • The monster caught on fire in The Relic.

  • The hellish landscapes in Spawn.

  • "I've never seen you before in my life." in Breakdown.

  • THE BEST MOMENTS - All from Titanic -

  • The first transition from the present to the past.
  • The suicide attempt and rescue.
  • The party in the third class.
  • The nude drawing scene.
  • The collision of ship and iceberg.
  • Every scene from that moment on.
  • The emotional farewell towards the end.
  • The final deep-sea dive back to the past.

  • THE BAD

  • Helen Hunt's crying scene in As Good As It Gets.

  • The surprise ending in The Devil's Advocate.

  • The revelation of the killer in Kiss the Girls.

  • The final scene in San Diego in Jurassic Park: The Lost World.

  • "They all look the same!" in Volcano.

  • Almost all of Alien Resurrection.

  • The surprise change of protagonists in Lost Highway.

  • The tediously long and boring espionage scenes in The Saint.

  • Almost all of Batman & Robin.

  • The revelation of the real target in The Jackal.

  • The mean-spirited moment when Clooney and Kidman tell the sharpshooter to shoot the killer in The Peacemaker.

  • THE WORST MOMENTS

  • Arnold Schwarzenegger in Batman & Robin.

  • Winona Ryder's drunken stupor in Alien Resurrection.

  • The plane turning upside down in Turbulence.

    And so, ends another year of great films. Have I missed anything? Send me e-mail to tell me what your ideas about the best and worst moments of 1997 were! respect@aros.net
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