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Can you believe these iconic films are already two decades old? Join us as we celebrate the cinematic treasures of 2006! From Scorsese's gritty masterpiece to Disney's singing teens, we're revisiting the films that defined a generation. Our countdown includes acclaimed dramas, groundbreaking fantasies, and comedies we're still quoting today.
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00:00Witness the greatest cover-up in human history.
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo.
00:06We're turning 20, and as part of an ode to 2006,
00:09we're counting down the top 20 movies turning 20 this year,
00:12because, well, that's where it all started.
00:14No, that's always trouble.
00:16Yep, for everybody.
00:19Number 20. Talladega Nights, The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.
00:23Remember when Hollywood used to make comedy movies that were actually released in theaters?
00:26There arguably wasn't a bigger comedy star in 2006 than Will Ferrell,
00:30although he doesn't do all of the heavy lifting in Talladega Nights.
00:33That's a real nice sentence.
00:34That's about one of the nicest things you've ever said.
00:36The NASCAR-centric comedy includes memorable supporting work
00:39from established talents like John C. Reilly and the late Michael Clarke Duncan,
00:43as well as a few that soon become household names,
00:46such as Amy Adams and Sacha Baron Cohen.
00:48While maybe not as quotable as Ferrell and director Adam McKay's previous collaboration, Anchorman,
00:53the film is still full of lines we referenced 20 years later.
00:56Shake and Bake, anyone?
00:57If you smell a delicious, crispy smell after the race,
01:01it's not your tailpipe.
01:03It's a little bit of...
01:04shake!
01:06And then...
01:06bake!
01:08Shake and bake!
01:10Like the Cars, the jokes fly by,
01:12ensuring you'll watch Talladega Nights more than once to catch them all.
01:16Number 19. The Pursuit of Happiness.
01:18If one film from 2006 can be described as a sleeper hit,
01:21it's The Pursuit of Happiness.
01:23Get us out of that business.
01:24Linda, that is what I am trying to do.
01:29This is what I'm trying to do for my family, for you and for Christopher.
01:33This late-breaking December release became a universal crowd-pleaser,
01:37although the audience must sit through Chris Gardner's many hardships before reaching the happy ending.
01:42While there might have been some liberties taken,
01:44Gardner's true rags-to-riches story was tailor-made for Hollywood.
01:47Gabriel Muccino's film approaches that story with sincerity and sentimentality,
01:52without feeling manipulative.
01:53What sells the film is the natural rapport between the real-life father and son on screen.
01:57Don't ever let somebody tell you...
01:59you can't do something.
02:02Will Smith gives one of his most emotional performances,
02:05and while Jaden Smith's acting career hasn't been without miscalculations,
02:08he'll pull at your heartstrings here.
02:10Even the most cynical Letterboxd user would have a hard time not being won over.
02:15Number 18.
02:16The Lives of Others.
02:17Freedom of expression is a right we often take for granted.
02:21This Oscar-winning film takes place during an era of mastervalence in East Germany.
02:25The story fittingly occurs in 1984, echoing a certain Orwell novel.
02:35Called between a covert police force controlling what others say,
02:39and an artist who speaks the truth is a spy,
02:41who's torn between his duty and humanity.
02:44Although he's listening in on a playwright and his actress lover,
02:47it's the protagonist who must put on a performance,
02:50convincing his superiors that he's still loyal,
02:52while secretly serving as a guardian angel.
02:54The Lives of Others isn't just about the importance of free speech,
03:07but the power of empathy,
03:08which is stronger than even the most oppressive governments.
03:12Number 17.
03:13Aquila and the Bee.
03:14Although numerous critics praised Aquila and the Bee as the best family film of 2006,
03:19it went largely unnoticed at the box office.
03:21Now, I want you to do the Bee today, all right?
03:23So everybody can call me a freak and a brainiac?
03:26No.
03:27I'm down for no spelling bee.
03:29The movie has continued to find a wider audience,
03:31thanks to the ascension of its star, Kiki Palmer.
03:34Although this is one of her first films,
03:36not to mention her first lead role in a theatrical release,
03:39Palmer holds her own against seasoned vets,
03:41like Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett.
03:43The then 11-year-old Palmer is a natural as a gifted child,
03:47who comes to realize her unlimited potential.
03:49When you and I get to DC,
03:54let's make sure we give him a run for his money.
03:58Palmer walks a fine line between being precocious and relatable,
04:02molding one of the most believable kid characters in media.
04:05Doug Atchison sadly hasn't directed a film since,
04:08but he made a modern classic.
04:10Number 16.
04:11Night at the Museum.
04:12A Museum That Comes to Life at Night is such an inventive idea
04:16that we're surprised it took until 2006
04:18for Hollywood to produce a movie like this.
04:20Don't let anything in or out.
04:23Out?
04:24Good luck, son.
04:26Loosely based on Milan Trenk's 1993 picture book,
04:29Sean Levy's film takes full advantage of his premise,
04:32with a T-Rex skeleton that acts like a dog,
04:34miniatures that wage war on an epically small scale,
04:37and Robin Williams as Teddy Roosevelt.
04:39Stuck in the middle of this historical mashup
04:41is Ben Stiller at the height of his comedy career
04:44as the night watchman, Larry.
04:46The film launched a cinematic franchise
04:48that might have shown diminishing returns over time.
04:50Now I'm letting you guys have a little bit of leash here.
04:54Don't choke me with it, okay?
04:56I gotta run.
04:56You guys play nice, okay?
04:57For those who grew up watching the original though,
04:59it remains one of the funnest nights we had at the movies.
05:02Number 15.
05:04Marie Antoinette.
05:05This Sofia Coppola film was initially met with a mixed reception.
05:08Just as critics were split down the middle,
05:11Marie Antoinette can feel like two movies.
05:13There is no reason a girl with so many charms as you
05:17should be in this situation.
05:20Remember, you represent the future,
05:24and nothing is certain about your place there.
05:28The first half is a subdued drama
05:29centered on the titular monarchy's glamorous yet empty life.
05:33That is, until she begins to break free,
05:36leading to a poppier, more colorful second half
05:38with a modern soundtrack.
05:40Perhaps audiences in 2006 were looking
05:42for a more traditional biopic.
05:43Coppola's approach was ahead of the curve.
05:46Isn't it divine?
05:49Contemporary viewers have come to embrace
05:51her visual storytelling and unconventional choices.
05:54We think the film could be best summed up in one scene,
05:57where Marie Antoinette is the only one
05:58who applauds her performance.
06:00Soon enough though,
06:00the whole room is following her example.
06:03Number 14, Cars.
06:06Cars was a box office hit,
06:07inspired a plethora of merchandise,
06:09and received positive reviews.
06:11Yet, many at the time saw it as Pixar's dark horse,
06:14given what a hot streak the studio had been on.
06:16No, no, I wanted to give the folks a little sizzle.
06:18Knowing that Cars 2 would follow five years later though,
06:21the original holds up a lot better
06:22than some give it credit.
06:24Even if it's not Pixar's most groundbreaking work,
06:26it is a heartfelt film full of humble charms.
06:29That's fitting considering the story's message,
06:31which encourages us to slow down
06:33and appreciate the simple things we might have missed.
06:35If you're going hard enough left,
06:38you'll find yourself turning right.
06:40Oh, right, that makes perfect sense.
06:43Turn right to go left!
06:44Looking in the rearview mirror,
06:46we're reminded of the film's gorgeous animation,
06:48clever puns,
06:49and voice acting that brings genuine pathos to automobiles,
06:52including Paul Newman in his last role.
06:55Number 13, The Prestige.
06:57Between making his first two Batman films,
07:00Christopher Nolan re-teamed with Christian Bale
07:01and Michael Caine in The Prestige,
07:03which mixes elements of mystery,
07:05thriller,
07:06and possibly magic.
07:07A real magician tries to invent something new
07:11that other magicians are going to
07:12scratch their heads over, you know?
07:13Yeah, and then you sell it to him for a small fortune.
07:16Right?
07:16Fair.
07:17I suppose you have such a trick, Mr. Bordner.
07:19To say what is and isn't an illusion
07:21would spoil too much.
07:23After 20 years,
07:24we'd like to think that most people know the story's various twists and turns.
07:28Alas,
07:29The Prestige remains one of Nolan's more underrated and underseen works.
07:32However,
07:33there are plenty of cinephiles who will single out The Prestige as one of Nolan's best.
07:37I already know how he does it, Robert.
07:40Same way he always does,
07:41the same way as we do.
07:43It's just that
07:43you want something more.
07:45Like most of Nolan's films,
07:47it holds up even better on a rewatch,
07:49with numerous clues you probably overlooked the first time around.
07:52If one Nolan movie warrants a second look,
07:54it's this one,
07:55for a couple of reasons.
07:57Number 12.
07:58Dream Girls.
08:00A screen adaptation of the Tony-winning Broadway musical
08:02has been in development for so long
08:04that the late Howard Ashman and Whitney Houston were once attached.
08:07By the time Bill Condon's film finally arrived in theaters,
08:11some deemed it the best picture frontrunner.
08:12It shockingly wasn't even nominated,
08:24but Dream Girls did get some deserved Oscar love.
08:27Namely,
08:28Jennifer Hudson locked up the best supporting actress race
08:30with her powerhouse performance of And I'm Telling You.
08:33There are only a handful of instances we can recall
08:36where a movie theater broke out in applause.
08:38This scene made for a cinematic experience we'll never forget.
08:55An ensemble including Jamie Foxx,
08:57Beyonce,
08:58and Eddie Murphy made for other show-stopping moments,
09:01but Hudson owned the spotlight.
09:03Number 11.
09:04An Inconvenient Truth.
09:05We'd like to say that this documentary is dated.
09:08Al Gore probably would too.
09:10Unfortunately,
09:11An Inconvenient Truth is even more relevant now than it was in 2006.
09:15I've been trying to tell this story for a long time,
09:17and I feel as if I've failed to get the message across.
09:21At the time,
09:22the film appeared to be a wake-up call
09:24that mapped out the dire path humanity was headed towards.
09:27For all the attention the film drew,
09:29climate change deniers have only pushed back harder since.
09:32Looking back,
09:32the documentary is a time capsule that still manages to reflect the present.
09:37It encapsulates the exact moment that we should have gotten serious
09:40about ensuring a better world for future generations to inherit.
09:43I look around and look for
09:46really meaningful signs that we're about to really change.
09:54I don't see it right now.
09:56Not enough have,
09:57but that doesn't mean An Inconvenient Truth didn't make a difference.
10:00It left an impression as noticeable as our carbon footprint.
10:04Number 10.
10:05United 93.
10:07Five years after the September 11th tragedies,
10:09we got two films centered around the attacks.
10:11Apparently a flight attendant on board the aircraft
10:14via telephone called the company
10:16and she said that the aircraft is being hijacked
10:19and one or more people have been stabbed.
10:22Oliver Stone's World Trade Center
10:23took a more traditional docudrama approach,
10:26spotlighting some of that day's unsung heroes.
10:28In United 93,
10:30director Paul Greengrass turned the audience into flies
10:33on the cabin walls as the unthinkable happened.
10:36The handheld cinematography,
10:38intense editing,
10:39makes us feel more like a documentary.
10:41We'd even say an out-of-body experience
10:43where the viewer forgets they're watching a movie.
10:45We also briefly forget the inevitable outcome,
10:54getting immersed in the chaos and heroism unfolding.
10:57Some questioned if 2006 was too soon to make a film about 9-11.
11:01United 93 gave a definitive answer,
11:03remaining the gold standard.
11:05Number 9.
11:06V for Vendetta.
11:08While comic book movies made a huge comeback in the 2000s,
11:11most of them focused on superheroes.
11:12We guess you could say that Hugo Weaving's titular character
11:15is a superhero of sorts,
11:17although he's the kind who puts a capital V in Vigilante.
11:20May simply add that it's my very good honor to meet you
11:22and you may call me V.
11:26Are you like a crazy person?
11:29I'm quite sure they will say so.
11:31He's an anarchist,
11:32but given the corrupt environment that shaped him,
11:34the only way to fight fire is with explosives.
11:37Despite technically premiering in 2005,
11:39V for Vendetta saw its general release in 2006.
11:43Honestly,
11:43this adaptation of the graphic novel
11:45could have come out today,
11:47echoing the rise of fascism and extremism
11:49that make up our modern political landscape.
11:51You did what you thought was right.
11:53Oh no, I shouldn't have done that.
11:55It must have been out of my mind.
11:57Is that what you really think,
11:58or is that what they'd want you to think?
12:00One could argue that V has inspired freedom fighters
12:02and domestic terrorists alike,
12:04showing how easily a movie's message can be misinterpreted.
12:07Number 8.
12:09Children of Men
12:09We're only one year away from 2027,
12:12when this dystopian thriller takes place.
12:15Alfonso Cuaron's film didn't accurately predict
12:17every aspect about the future,
12:19as there hasn't been a global infertility crisis.
12:21Yeah, well, that's the world we live in now, isn't it?
12:24Rewatching Children of Men now, though,
12:26it's hard not to think about the economic collapse,
12:29totalitarianism,
12:30and xenophobia that's continued to spread
12:32throughout the past two decades.
12:33Plus, the film revolves around women's bodily autonomy,
12:37and those trying to take that right away.
12:39Considering that these issues are human-caused,
12:41one might begin to wonder if we're worth preserving as a species.
12:51Through Clive Owen's Theo and Claire Hope Ashti's key, though,
12:54the hope for humanity shines through.
12:56Also, Cuaron perfected the wonder long before everyone else was doing it.
13:00Number 7. The Devil Wears Prada
13:03The Devil Wears Prada found several of its stars at turning points.
13:07For Emily Blunt, it was her introduction to mainstream audiences.
13:10We need to find someone who can survive here, do you understand?
13:12Yeah, of course. Who's Miranda?
13:15Oh my god, I will pretend you did not just ask me that.
13:18For Anne Hathaway, it was a sign that she was ready
13:20for more mature roles after her Disney days.
13:23Then there was Meryl Streep,
13:24who was far from an unknown name in 2006.
13:27With only a few other comedic roles under her belt, though,
13:30Miranda Priestly revealed a side that many hadn't seen before.
13:33People will debate what Streep's best role is,
13:35but Miranda is undoubtedly her most quotable.
13:38She also may be Streep's iciest character,
13:44although we want to be in Miranda's orbit nonetheless.
13:46With the legacy sequel set to come out this year,
13:49the film clearly hasn't gone out of style.
13:51Number 6. Casino Royale
13:53For those 20 and younger,
13:55it may be hard to imagine anyone other than Daniel Craig playing James Bond.
13:59I knew it was too early to promote you.
14:02Well, I understand 00s have a very short life expectancy,
14:06so your mistake will be short-lived.
14:08As strange as it sounds,
14:10audiences in 2006 had a hard time accepting the then lesser-known Craig as 007.
14:14A blonde Bond who's only 5'10"?
14:17That'll never work.
14:18Of course, people instantly had a change of tune after seeing Casino Royale.
14:22Craig breathed new life into Bond,
14:24while capturing a side of the character that hadn't really been seen outside of the Ian Fleming novels.
14:29So as charming as you are, Mr. Bond,
14:31I will be keeping my eye on our government's money,
14:34and off you perfectly formed a house.
14:36You noticed.
14:38Just as integral to the film's success was director Martin Campbell,
14:41who wasn't new to Bond.
14:42With Goldeneye,
14:44Campbell gave us the Bond movie audiences needed in 1995.
14:48In 2006,
14:49Campbell delivered the gritty,
14:50complex Bond that audiences were ready for.
14:54Number 5.
14:55High School Musical
14:56The movie Musical got an encore in the 2000s,
14:59with Moulin Rouge,
15:00Chicago,
15:01and of course,
15:01this.
15:02It sounds odd grouping a Disney Channel original movie with a form or two,
15:06but there's no denying that High School Musical was a phenomenon.
15:08Hey!
15:10I don't...
15:11Believe it!
15:12I don't mean...
15:12Either.
15:13But how?
15:14One that defined a generation of theater nerds,
15:16who finally felt vindicated in their love for singing and dancing.
15:20For tweens of that era,
15:21High School Musical was their gateway to Broadway.
15:24While they may have gone on to discover more ambitious musicals,
15:26songs like Get Your Head in the Game,
15:28and We're All in This Together still live rent-free in their heads.
15:31We're all in this together!
15:34Of all the films released in 2006,
15:36High School Musical might be the most 2006,
15:39taking us back to a more carefree time.
15:42Number 4.
15:43Little Miss Sunshine
15:44The 90s marked a big boom for indie filmmaking.
15:47The 2000s proved to be another crucial decade,
15:50showing just how far a little movie could go.
15:52Is she always like this?
15:53Ollie, why don't you tell us how you routine?
15:55How can you stand it?
15:56Little Miss Sunshine was an immediate hit coming out of Sundance,
15:59balancing quirky comedy, tragedy, and relatable family dynamics.
16:03The ensemble also balanced familiar faces,
16:06with rising stars like Paul Dano and Abigail Breslin.
16:09Fox Searchlight picked up the $8 million film for a then-lofty $10.5 million.
16:14Not only did they make almost 10 times their investment at the box office,
16:18but in true underdog fashion,
16:20Little Miss Sunshine won two Oscars.
16:22You took a big chance.
16:24You took guts, and I'm proud of you.
16:29Okay, Dad, thank you.
16:31For a film that goes to some bleak places,
16:33it's one that strangely left the world a little sunnier.
16:36Its feel-good nature hasn't worn off.
16:39Number 3.
16:40Pan's Labyrinth
16:41At a time when he was becoming better known for action films like Blade II and Hellboy,
16:46Guillermo del Toro gave us an original fable
16:48that could rank alongside Alice in Wonderland or The Wizard of Oz
16:52as a contemporary classic.
16:53A family-friendly fairy tale, this is not, however.
17:15Young Ophelia retreats from her brutal surroundings
17:17into a world of mysterious fawns,
17:20beastly toads,
17:21and child-eating monsters.
17:22The story blends fantasy and reality
17:25to the point that by the end,
17:27the line is completely blurred.
17:29Whether or not the fantasy world is real,
17:31the evil that Captain Vidal embodies most certainly is.
17:33I'm going to propose something.
17:35If you count until three,
17:37without trying to muddle you,
17:39you can go.
17:42Don't look at him.
17:44Look at me.
17:45There's no one above me.
17:47Pan's Labyrinth is about the loss of innocence,
17:49but also how that innocence can endure in unexpected places.
17:54Number two.
17:55Borat.
17:55By the end of 2006,
17:57Sacha Baron Cohen was a name that every American knew.
18:00More specifically,
18:01everyone knew the name of Borat.
18:03Hello, nice meeting.
18:04My name is Borat.
18:05I am new in town.
18:07I just say I kiss you.
18:09Say hello.
18:09At the time,
18:10it seemed like Borat was making fun of Kazakhstan.
18:13It was.
18:14But the real target was the USA,
18:16revealing a side of the country that wasn't always pretty.
18:18For some,
18:19the gross-out comedy and broad one-liners
18:21might have overshadowed the underlying commentary.
18:24Yet those who assumed Borat would be remembered as a product of its time
18:27may be shocked to realize just how well it holds up.
18:29My country,
18:30they take them and they take them to jail and finish them.
18:33Take them out and hang them.
18:34Yes.
18:35But we're trying to get done here.
18:36High five.
18:37So much so,
18:38that the film inspired a sequel in 2020.
18:41Watching the two movies back to back,
18:42it isn't hard to see how we went from A to B in just 14 years.
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19:02Number 1.
19:04The Departed
19:04It was the film that finally scored Martin Scorsese the Best Director Oscar,
19:09not to mention winning Best Picture.
19:10Does that make The Departed the best film of Scorsese's career?
19:13Do you have anyone in with Costello presently?
19:16Maybe.
19:17Maybe not.
19:18In any case,
19:19the film demonstrates what Scorsese does best,
19:22unapologetically creating characters
19:23who range from deeply flawed to straight-up sadists.
19:27However,
19:27we're drawn to all of them in a game of cat and mouse,
19:30where neither is what they seem.
19:32In the case of Jack Nicholson's Frank Costello, though,
19:34what you see is precisely what you get.
19:36I'm gonna get you.
19:39If you could've,
19:41you would've.
19:42But I guess you like to go at your own pace.
19:46Excuse me.
19:48Got a date with some angels.
19:50With nail-biting tension,
19:52surprisingly hilarious dialogue,
19:53and an ensemble that doesn't have a single weak link,
19:56this may be Scorsese's most accessible film,
19:58entertaining everyone whenever it's on,
20:01no matter how many times you re-watch it.
20:02What's your favorite movie turning 20 in 2006?
20:05Let us know in the comments.
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