2003: A Retrospective

Matthew Toomey

8 January 2004

It’s the sixth year of the Film Pie newsletter and without further adieu, let’s look back at some stats and opinions from the year just gone…

Total Films Seen & Reviewed:  216  (200 in cinemas and 16 on video)

Total Grades Of A+:  2 (Chicago & The Quiet American) – the fewest since 1996

Total Grades Of C-:  13 – the most since 1996

First Film Seen In 2003:  The Hot Chick (on 1/1/03 at 7:20pm)

Last Film Seen In 2003:  Dogville (on 28/12/03 at 1:00pm)

Best Filmgoing Streak In 2003:  Saw 21 movies in 19 days between 30/7/03 and 17/8/03

Longest Major Release Of Year:  The Return Of The King (201 minutes)

Shortest Major Release Of Year:  Phone Booth (81 minutes)

Best Drama Of Year:  The Quiet American & The Return Of The King

Worst Drama Of Year:  The Four Feathers

Best Comedy Of Year:  Punch-Drunk Love and Igby Goes Down

Worst Comedy Of Year:  Anger Management

Best Family Film Of Year:  Brother Bear

Worst Family Film Of Year:  The Lizzy McGuire Movie

Best Action Film Of Year:  X-Men 2

Worst Action Film Of Year:  Ballistic: Ecks V. Sever and Tomb Raider 2

Best Thriller Of Year:  Mystic River

Worst Thriller Of Year:  Trapped

Best Romance Film Of Year:  Lost In Translation

Worst Romance Film Of Year:  How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days

Best Australian Film Of Year:  The Rage In Placid Lake

Worst Australian Film Of Year:  Horseplay

Best Foreign Language Film Of Year:  City Of God and Talk To Her

Worst Foreign Language Film Of Year:  Russian Ark and Goodbye, Lenin!

Total Foreign Language Films Seen In 2003:  19 – a record in one year for me

Best Documentary Of Year:  Spellbound

Films I Hated But Most Others Seemed To Like:  Le Divorce, Ned Kelly, S.W.A.T., Phone Booth

Films I Liked But Most Others Seemed To Hate:  Punch Drunk Love, Buffalo Soldiers, The Emperor’s Club, The Rules Of Attraction

Profit From Gambling On The 2003 Golden Globes:  $100

Profit From Gambling On The 2003 Oscars:  $100

Current Favourite Actress:  Scarlett Johansson

Current Favourite Actor:  Philip Seymour Hoffman

Film Most Looking Forward To In 2004:  Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban

Film Most NOT Looking Forward To In 2004:  The Last Samurai