13 years ago, today’s high school seniors were just entering kindergarten. For those of us over the age of 30, 13 years ago was like…two seconds ago. Ready to feel like an old geezer? Lets take a trip down memory lane and dig up 10 movies that were popular in 2001 when these kids were just learning to tie their shoes instead of worrying what college they will attend.
I’m so old. So very, very old.
10. Harry Potter And The Philosophers Stone
www.fanpop.com
The first of eight Harry Potter movies made its debut on November 14th, 2001, bringing this magical tale of a young sorcerer-to-be to the masses and igniting world wide Potter Mania.
9. Shrek
www.hdcartoonwp.com
The first Shrek film made its debut on April 22 2001. If I never hear Smashmouth’s “All Star” ever again, it will be too soon. It’s stuck in your head now isn’t it? Aaaand YOU’RE WELCOME!
8. Bridget Jones’s Diary
www.dereckwinnert.com
On April 13, 2001, Bridget Jones’s Diary hypnotized the masses and said “You will obsess over this movie. You will recommend it to everyone. You will have a ‘girls night out’ complete with seeing this movie and drinking cosmos afterwards. This movie is your life. You relate to the title character in so many ways. It’s like this film is about you. Yessssss…. yessssss…. you love this movie. Bridget Jones is your life.”
7. Moulin Rouge
www.bedroomsetsview.com
On June 1st, 2001, Moulin Rouge made us collectively marvel over the fact that Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor can actually kinda sorta singing, and everyone went out and bought the soundtrack from a music retailer. Ya hear that kids? iTunes wasn’t even a thing until 2003, so most people actually went to this magical place where these things called “CD’s” “cassette tapes” and “records” were sold and purchased their music in a tangible format and then converted the information stored on that disk into Mp3s and THEN loaded it onto this device called an iPod that reared it’s clunky head on Oct 23rd 2001.
6. Donnie Darko
www.wegotthiscovered.com
This film made its debut on October 26, 2001 and a year later, everyone tried to be the freaky rabbit, Frank, for Halloween. Also, did you know the song Mad World that you played over and over and over when your college love dumped you, was actually a 1983 pop song by Tears For Fears? Yeah, check it out and note the uber radical dance moves at 1:52 and again at 2:30.
5. Mulholland Drive
www.cinemastyles.com
On October 8th 2001, David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive was released to warp your imagination and haunt your subconscious, as any Lynch film is prone to do. I was stoked to see Naomi Watts on the screen again since I loved her so much as Jet Girl in the film Tank Girl, released in 1995 before anyone in this years high school senior class was even born. *plucks gray hair*
4. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
www.mgmchannel.com
On August 24th 2001, we all got high and went to go see Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Snooch to the nooch!
3. Zoolander
www.ifc.com
After September 28th, 2001 we all knew what “Blue Steel” was, and our new favorite coffee drink was an orange mocha frappucino. Turns out there is more to life than being really, really, really, really ridiculously good looking.
2. Amelie
www.foothillart.com
This charming French film made its US debut on November 2nd, 2001. Did anyone else run right to their stylist and get her haircut? I didn’t. Okay, okay…I totally did.
1. Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring
www.lotr.wikia.com
On December 19th 2001, we all squeezed into the theater with every other mouth breathing fan-boy/girl to be wowed by our beloved story that finally graced the silver screen. And we all had that friend who thought they could do an awesome impression of Gollum after a few drinks.
Welp, that wore my old bones out. I’m off to take an internet quiz to see which Golden Girl I am (Blanche… duh), and then go to bed. I’ll see you at the Golden Coral for the Early Bird special!
