Columbia Pictures (USA): 161

Directed by David Fincher, Panic Room (2002) is an American thriller about recently divorced Meg Altman and her eleven-year-old daughter, Sarah, who move into a four-story brownstone on New York City’s Upper West Side. The previous owner, a millionaire with a reclusive nature, had equipped the house with a ‘panic room’ for protection against intruders. The reinforced room contains concrete and steel walls, as well as a thick steel door. Additionally, the house has an extensive security system with numerous surveillance cameras and a public address system. On their first night in the new home, Meg and ...

Based on the Marvel Comics character created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the American superhero film Spider-Man (2002) follows high school senior Peter Parker on a school trip to a genetics laboratory at Columbia University with his friends Harry Osborn and Mary Jane Watson. After being bitten by a genetically engineered spider, Peter falls ill upon returning home. Meanwhile, Norman Osborn, a scientist and owner of Oscorp, is trying to secure a military contract and tests a performance-enhancing chemical on himself, resulting in him becoming insane and killing his ...

Michael Mann’s biographical sports drama film Ali (2001) follows the journey of boxer Cassius Clay Jr. leading up to his first championship match against heavyweight champion Sonny Liston. Clay taunts Liston and initially dominates the fight, but midway through he experiences a burning sensation in his eyes, causing him to briefly believe Liston has cheated. With encouragement from trainer/manager Angelo Dundee, Clay regains his vision and ultimately wins the match, becoming the second-youngest heavyweight champion at that time. Along the way, he meets with Malcolm X and is eventually given the name Muhammad Ali ...

The Tailor of Panama (2001) is a spy thriller film directed by John Boorman, co-written by John le Carré and Andrew Davies. It is based on le Carré’s 1996 novel of the same name. The story follows Andy Osnard, an MI6 spy who has been sent to Panama after an affair with the foreign minister’s mistress in Madrid. Despite his superior’s warning about the corruption in Panama, Osnard sees it as an opportunity. He consults a list of British citizens living in ...

The Patriot (2000) is an American epic movie portraying historical events. Directed by Roland Emmerich and written by Robert Rodat, the film centers around Benjamin Martin during the American Revolutionary War. A veteran of both the French and Indian War and a widower with seven children, Martin is summoned to Charlestown to vote on a levy that would support the Continental Army. Uncertain about war with Great Britain and not wanting to compel others to fight when he himself will not, Martin refrains from voting. However, the levy passes and his eldest son Gabriel enlists ...

The American drama film, Finding Forrester (2000), was written by Mike Rich and directed by Gus Van Sant. In the Bronx, sixteen-year-old Jamal Wallace doesn’t fully embrace his potential as an intelligent student. Instead, he chooses to spend his time playing basketball with his friends. They capture the attention of William Forrester, a local recluse who is known as somewhat of an urban legend in the neighborhood. One day, Jamal’s friends dare him to sneak into Forrester’s apartment, but their plan goes awry when Jamal is caught off guard and flees, ...

All the Pretty Horses (2000), directed and produced by Billy Bob Thornton, is an American Western film based on Cormac McCarthy’s novel of the same name. After his family’s ranch is sold in 1949, cowboy John Grady Cole becomes homeless and implores his friend Lacey Rawlins to join him on a journey to Mexico for work. Along the way, they befriend a strange boy named Jimmy Blevins before parting ways. In their travels, they meet Alejandra Villarreal, an aristocrat’s daughter who captures Cole’s heart. The two become hired hands for Alejandra’s pleased father, but her wealthy aunt disapproves ...

Hollow Man (2000), a science fiction thriller film by Paul Verhoeven and written by Andrew W. Marlowe, follows the story of scientist Sebastian Caine. Possessing both brilliance and narcissism, Sebastian has created a serum for the military that renders its subject invisible. His team, consisting of ex-girlfriend Linda McKay, Matt Kensington, Sarah Kennedy, Janice Walton, Carter Abbey, and Frank Chase, successfully reverses the procedure and restores visibility to an invisible gorilla. Sebastian’s feelings for Linda resurface but she is now involved with Matt ...

Erin Brockovich (2000), an American biographical legal drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Susannah Grant, follows the story of an unemployed single mother of three children in 1993. After being injured in a traffic accident involving a doctor, Erin decides to sue him with the help of her lawyer, Ed Masry. Despite their expectations of winning, Erin’s explosive behavior during cross-examination results in losing the case and Ed refusing to take her calls. However, one day she shows up at his office seeking a job, as he had previously mentioned ...

Girl, Interrupted (1999) is a biographical psychological drama film, written and directed by James Mangold. In the year 1967, in New England, an aimless 18-year-old named Susanna Kaysen experiences a nervous breakdown and takes an overdose of aspirin and alcohol. Despite her protests, she is admitted into Claymoore, a local psychiatric hospital. During her stay in the ward, Susanna forms bonds with other patients such as Polly ‘Torch’ Clark, who has schizophrenia; Cynthia Crowley; Daisy Randone, who engages in self-harm and struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder; Georgina Tuskin, a compulsive liar and ...

Josef Rusnak’s science fiction neo-noir film, The Thirteenth Floor (1999), takes place in a futuristic version of Los Angeles. The main character, Douglas Hall, is the protégé and heir to Hannon Fuller’s multibillion-dollar computer enterprise. Fuller has just completed a revolutionary virtual reality simulation of 1937 Los Angeles, featuring lifelike computer-generated humans. However, when Fuller is murdered while testing the system, Hall becomes the prime suspect due to overwhelming evidence against him. As doubts about his own innocence begin to creep in, Hall must unravel the mystery behind ...

Go (1999) is an American crime comedy film that tells the story of three sets of characters whose lives become entangled during the Christmas season. Ronna, struggling to make ends meet and facing eviction, is approached by Adam and Zack to purchase 20 hits of ecstasy. However, their usual dealer Simon is absent, so Ronna turns to Todd, who she owes money to. In order to pay him back, she leaves her friend Claire with him as collateral. Despite some initial suspicions about Burke, a stranger with Adam and Zack, Ronna agrees to sell the pills. However, after realizing they may be in danger due to the pills’ unknown strength, she makes a risky decision and ...

The Bone Collector (1999), a crime thriller, was helmed by director Phillip Noyce. Set in New York City the year prior, the protagonist Lincoln Rhyme is left paralyzed from the neck down following an accident. While on patrol duty, Amelia Donaghy uncovers a mutilated body at an old Civil War-era railroad site. With Rhyme confined to his bed, he guides her through the investigation via video and audio feeds from her patrol car. Upon finding evidence that suggests foul play, Rhyme enlists Amelia’s help despite her initial hesitation. The killer poses as a taxi driver and kidnaps a married couple before our ...

Stepmom (1998), an American drama directed by Chris Columbus, follows the story of Jackie and Luke Harrison. The New York City couple is navigating the difficulties of co-parenting their two children, daughter Anna and son Ben. Luke, an attorney, now lives with Isabel Kelly – his girlfriend of one year. Isabel, a successful fashion photographer who is younger than Luke, never desired to be a mother. Despite this, she makes an effort to bond with Anna and Ben. However, Anna consistently rejects her while Ben’s playful behavior adds another layer of complexity. Around Jackie, Isabel is cautious yet disdainful ...

Absolute Power (1997) is an American political action thriller film starring Clint Eastwood as a master jewel thief who witnesses the killing of a woman by Secret Service agents. In Washington, D.C., Luther Whitney breaks into the mansion of billionaire Walter Sullivan, only to find himself in hiding when Sullivan’s wife Christy arrives for a drunken rendezvous with Alan Richmond, the President of the United States. From his vantage point behind the bedroom vault’s one-way mirror, Whitney watches as Richmond becomes violent and Christy defends herself by wounding him with a letter opener. The situation ...

The American sci-fi action comedy film, Men in Black (1997), is based on Lowell Cunningham’s comic book series and a popular conspiracy theory. At the Mexico–United States border, two men dressed in black suits known as Agent K and Agent D, intervene in a border patrol operation. They apprehend an extraterrestrial disguised as a human named Mikey who was attempting to cross the border. When Mikey attacks one of the patrol officers, K is forced to shoot him and use their memory-erasing device to cover up the incident as an underground gas pipeline explosion. With D choosing retirement due to his age, he asks K to ...

The Devil’s Own (1997), directed by Alan J. Pakula, tells the story of Frankie McGuire and his involvement in the IRA. As a child, Frankie witnessed his father’s murder because of their republican beliefs. Twenty years later in Belfast, he and three other IRA members face an ambush by British forces. Despite losing two comrades, Frankie and Sean Phelan manage to escape with a British Army helicopter hot on their trail. In order to combat the British Army, Martin MacDuff decides that Stinger missiles are necessary for the IRA. Adopting the identity of ‘Rory Devaney’, Frankie heads to New York City ...

Multiplicity (1996) is a sci-fi comedy featuring Michael Keaton and Andie MacDowell. The film is based on Chris Miller’s short story published in National Lampoon magazine in Spring 1993. It follows the story of Doug Kinney, a hard-working construction worker in Los Angeles who struggles to balance work and family life. While working on a new project, he meets Dr. Leeds, a scientist who has developed a technique for cloning humans. Sympathetic to Doug’s situation, Dr. Leeds offers to clone him so that his duplicate can handle work responsibilities while Doug ...

Bottle Rocket (1996), an American crime comedy film, marked Wes Anderson’s directorial debut. In Arizona, Dignan rescues his exhausted friend Anthony from a voluntary psychiatric unit. With an elaborate escape plan and a detailed 75-year strategy in hand, Dignan shares his ambitions with Anthony. They aim to pull off multiple heists and rendezvous with Mr. Henry, a landscape artist and part-time criminal known to Dignan. For their first trial run, they break into Anthony’s family home and steal pre-determined items from a list they agreed upon earlier. During the post-heist evaluation, Dignan casually ...

Directed by Taylor Hackford, Dolores Claiborne (1995) is an American psychological thriller drama film based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. The story follows Dolores Claiborne, who works as a domestic servant for her elderly employer, Vera Donovan, on Little Tall Island in Maine. One day, Dolores and Vera have a struggle which results in Vera falling down the stairs. After this incident, Dolores is caught by the mailman who sees her standing over Vera with a rolling pin. Unfortunately, Vera passes away and a murder investigation begins. In light of these ...