Warner Bros. (USA): 304

Message in a Bottle (1999), a romantic drama directed by Luis Mandoki, is based on Nicholas Sparks’s novel of the same title. Theresa Osborne, a former reporter for the Chicago Tribune, discovers a compelling love letter in a bottle while vacationing in Cape Cod. Entranced by its contents, she shares it with her coworkers and without her knowledge, they publish the letter in their newspaper. The response is overwhelming and among the many letters received is one with an attached note addressed to Catherine on the same notepad and written in the same style as the ...

Deep Blue Sea (1999) is an American science fiction horror film directed by Renny Harlin. In a remote underwater facility, doctors Susan McCallister and Jim Whitlock are conducting research on mako sharks to reactivate dormant human brain cells found in Alzheimer’s disease patients. This leads to chaos when one of the sharks escapes and attempts to attack a boat full of young adults. In response, corporate executive Russell Franklin is sent to investigate. While testing a certain protein complex removed from the largest shark’s brain tissue, Jim loses his arm when the shark awakens in the laboratory. The ...

The romantic comedy-drama film, You’ve Got Mail (1998), was directed by Nora Ephron. Set on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, the story follows Kathleen Kelly who manages The Shop Around the Corner, a children’s bookstore passed down from her mother. Currently dating Frank Navasky, a liberal columnist for The New York Observer, Kathleen uses her laptop and AOL email account (screen name ‘Shopgirl’) to communicate with ‘NY152’, someone she first met in a chatroom. Despite their agreement to keep personal details private, she learns only the name of his dog, Brinkley. As it turns out, ...

The American buddy cop action film, Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), was directed and produced by Richard Donner. Pregnant LAPD Sergeant Martin Riggs and his partner Lorna Cole were not married, but the idea had crossed their minds. Meanwhile, the daughter of Riggs’ fellow sergeant Roger Murtaugh, Rianne, was also expecting a child. Due to issues with their department’s insurance carrier regarding their behavior as sergeants, Police Chief Murphy promotes them to captains. Along with Leo Getz, they stumble upon a Chinese immigrant smuggling ring after accidentally grounding an oceangoing vessel. Unfortunately, the ...

Directed by Stuart Baird, U.S. Marshals (1998) is a gripping American action crime thriller featuring a screenplay by John Pogue. In the bustling city of New York, two Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agents meet their untimely demise during a routine briefcase exchange at a United Nations parking garage. The killer manages to escape with confidential documents, captured on security footage but yet to be identified. Fast forward several months and we find Senior Deputy US Marshal Samuel Gerard and his team successfully apprehending two fugitives in Chicago. Meanwhile, ...

The American dark fantasy drama film, Jack Frost (1998), was directed by Troy Miller. The lead singer of a rock band based in the fictional town of Medford, Colorado neglects his family, including his 11-year-old son Charlie, due to his focus on music and hopes of a record deal. However, Jack and Charlie bond while building a snowman together and Jack gifts Charlie his best harmonica that he received on the day of Charlie’s birth. In jest, Jack tells Charlie it is magical and that he will always be able to hear it wherever he is. Despite promising his wife Gabby that he will attend their son’s hockey game, ...

City of Angels (1998), an American romantic fantasy film directed by Brad Silberling, follows the story of Seth, an angel living in Los Angeles. Seth and his fellow angels have the important duty of protecting humans in subtle ways. One of Seth’s main tasks is to guide those near death to the afterlife. In order to better understand human beings, Seth and Cassiel often ask people about their favorite things in life during these encounters. However, as angels do not possess human senses, they struggle to comprehend human behavior. While waiting to guide a man undergoing heart surgery to the other world, Seth is ...

In Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero (1997), an animated superhero film and the second based on Batman: The Animated Series, the story unfolds between the end of the show and the start of The New Batman Adventures. After his last encounter with Batman, Victor Fries has taken up residence in an Arctic cave with his newly adopted Inuit son, Koonak, and polar bears Notchka and Shaka. While Fries continues to search for a cure for his wife Nora’s illness, she remains in her cryogenic chamber. However, when a research submarine accidentally shatters Nora’s containment vessel, she begins to deteriorate rapidly. Fueled by desperation to save his ...

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997), an American mystery thriller directed and produced by Clint Eastwood, stars John Cusack and Kevin Spacey. The screenplay was adapted from John Berendt’s 1994 book of the same name. Set in Savannah, the story centers around a fatal shooting and the ensuing trial of Jim Williams—self-made man, art collector, antiques dealer, bon vivant, and semi-closeted homosexual. New York magazine reporter, John Kelso—author of Before the ...

The American epic post-apocalyptic adventure film, The Postman (1997), was produced and directed by Kevin Costner in which he also plays the lead role. Set in a post-apocalyptic world in 2013, an unidentified nomad roams the scattered communities of the Utah flatlands, trading performances of long-forgotten Shakespearean plays for food and water. After being held at gunpoint by the Holnists, a neo-feudalist militia, the nomad is forcefully recruited into their ranks and marked with their emblem, a figure 8, on his shoulder. Led by General Bethlehem, the Holnists hold control over the region and demand tribute and new ...

Conspiracy Theory (1997), a political action thriller directed by Richard Donner, follows the events surrounding New York City taxi driver and self-proclaimed conspiracy theorist Jerry Fletcher. Jerry frequently shares his ideas with Alice Sutton, a lawyer at the U.S. Justice Department whom he once saved from a mugging. Unbeknownst to her, Jerry also spies on her at her home. Meanwhile, Alice is focused on solving the mystery of her father’s murder. In a state of paranoia, Jerry becomes convinced that he has uncovered CIA agents and follows them into a building, where he is captured. During interrogation, he is ...

The American supernatural horror film, The Devil’s Advocate (1997), tells the story of Kevin Lomax, a successful defense attorney from Gainesville, Florida. He has built a reputation for never losing a case. During one particularly challenging case defending Lloyd Gettys, who is accused of child molestation, Kevin discovers his client’s guilt. Despite this realization, he continues to mount a fierce defense and ultimately secures a ‘not guilty’ verdict by discrediting the victim through aggressive questioning. This impressive display catches the attention of a New York City law firm, who invites Kevin to assist with jury selection. After ...

Batman & Robin (1997) is a film based on the popular DC Comics characters created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane. As the last installment of Warner Bros.’s initial Batman series, it follows the dynamic duo as they face off against a new villain, Mr. Freeze. The icy adversary has been causing chaos with his diamond thefts, leading Batman and Robin to a showdown in the natural history museum. During their confrontation, Freeze makes a daring escape with an even bigger diamond, leaving Robin frozen and Batman unable to pursue him. However, as they dig deeper into ...

Set in 1953 Los Angeles, L.A. Confidential (1997) is a classic neo-noir crime film directed, produced, and co-written by Curtis Hanson. The story follows the LAPD as they work to repair their public image after years of corruption. Sergeant Edmund Exley, known for his ambition and drive, is constantly compared to his late father who was also a well-respected detective. It is believed that his father’s killer goes by the name ‘Rollo Tomasi’, a symbol of all elusive criminals. Meanwhile, narcotics sergeant Jack Vincennes is more interested in chasing fame and collaborating with tabloid journalist Sid ...

The biographical period drama film, Michael Collins (1996), was written and directed by Neil Jordan. As the Easter Rising of 1916 comes to an end, the Irish republicans at their headquarters in Dublin surrender to the British Army. Tragically, several prominent figures of the Rising, including Patrick Pearse, Thomas MacDonagh, Tom Clarke and James Connolly are executed by firing squad. The only exception is Éamon de Valera, who is spared due to his American citizenship but is detained with Michael Collins and Harry Boland. After Sinn Féin’s victory in the 1918 Irish general election, they unilaterally declare ...

Tin Cup (1996) is a romantic comedy and sports film that was co-written and directed by Ron Shelton. It follows the story of Roy ‘Tin Cup’ McAvoy, a former golf prodigy living a directionless life. After making a risky move during the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament, he lost his chance at becoming a professional golfer. Currently, he spends his time drinking and hanging out with his friend Romeo Posar and their group of friends at his run-down driving range in West Texas. One day, Molly Griswold, a clinical psychologist, shows up seeking golf lessons. She happens to be dating David Simms, a top professional ...

Sleepers (1996), an American crime drama film, was written, produced and directed by Barry Levinson. It is based on Lorenzo Carcaterra’s novel of the same name. Childhood friends Lorenzo ‘Shakes’ Carcaterra, Tommy Marcano, Michael Sullivan and John Reilly reside in Hell’s Kitchen during the 1960s. Their parish priest Father ‘Bobby’ Carillo, who has had a troubled past himself, attempts to guide them towards making good decisions. While still engaging in pranks and working for local gangster King Benny, the boys take things too far when ...

Mars Attacks! (1996), an American black comedy science fiction film, was directed by Tim Burton and co-produced by Larry J. Franco. When Earth is suddenly visited by a massive fleet of flying saucers from Mars, President James Dale addresses the nation. Among those following the developing story are talk show host Nathalie Lake and her boyfriend Jason Stone, who try to take advantage of the situation with an interview featuring Professor Donald Kessler, Dale’s scientific advisor. However, their plans are interrupted by a broadcast from the Martian leader. As the ...

Twister (1996), a disaster thriller directed by Jan de Bont, tells the story of young Jo and her family as they seek shelter from a powerful F5 tornado on their Oklahoma farm. The tornado destroys their home and tragically takes Jo’s father. Years later, Jo has become a meteorologist with an intense passion for tornadoes, leading a team of unconventional storm chasers. Her ex-husband, Bill Harding, now works as a TV weatherman and arrives in Oklahoma with his therapist fiancée to finalize their divorce. Jo shows Bill her invention, ‘Dorothy’, which has the potential to revolutionize tornado research ...

A Time to Kill (1996), an American legal drama film, is based on John Grisham’s 1989 novel of the same name. In Canton, Mississippi in 1984, ten-year-old African American girl Tonya Hailey is assaulted by two local white men, Billy Ray Cobb and James Willard, while returning home from running errands. Despite their attempt to hang her and leave her in a nearby river, Tonya manages to survive and the two men are apprehended by Sheriff Ozzie Walls. Seeking justice for his daughter, Tonya’s father Carl Lee Hailey enlists the help of Jake Brigance, a white lawyer who previously defended his brother Lester. ...