The year 1996 involved many significant films. The major releases this year included Scream, Independence Day, Fargo, Trainspotting, The Rock, The English Patient, Twister, Mars Attacks!, Jerry Maguire and a version of Evita starring Madonna.
Highest-grossing films
The top ten films released in 1996 by worldwide gross are as follows:
Events
- 20 September - 75-year-old English actor Sir Dirk Bogarde suffers a severe stroke. He continued to need a wheelchair until his death in 1999.
Award ceremonies
- 1st Empire Awards
Awards
Palme d'Or (Cannes Film Festival):
- Secrets & Lies, directed by Mike Leigh, United Kingdom
Golden Lion (Venice Film Festival):
- Michael Collins, directed by Neil Jordan, U.K. / Ireland / U.S.A.
Golden Bear (Berlin Film Festival):
- Sense and Sensibility, directed by Ang Lee, United States
1996 Wide-released movies
Januaryâ"March
Aprilâ"June
Julyâ"September
Octoberâ"December
Notable films released in 1996
U.S.A. unless stated
#
- 2 Days in the Valley, starring Jeff Daniels, James Spader, Eric Stoltz, Teri Hatcher, Marsha Mason, Charlize Theron
- 101 Dalmatians, directed by Stephen Herek, starring Glenn Close, Jeff Daniels, Joely Richardson, Joan Plowright, Hugh Laurie
A-D
A
- The Adventures of Pinocchio, directed by Steve Barron, starring Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Martin Landau, Udo Kier, Rob Schneider, Dawn French - (U.K./U.S.A.)
- Alaska, starring Thora Birch, Vincent Kartheiser, Dirk Benedict, Charlton Heston
- All Dogs Go to Heaven 2, voices of Charlie Sheen, Dom DeLuise, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Nelson Reilly, Sheena Easton
- American Buffalo, starring Dustin Hoffman, Dennis Franz, Sean Nelson
- Andersonville, directed by John Frankenheimer, starring Jarrod Emick and Frederic Forrest
- Another Mother (De Nieuwe Moeder) - (Netherlands/Estonia)
- The Apartment, starring Vincent Cassel and Monica Bellucci - (France)
- The Arrival, starring Charlie Sheen - (U.S.A./Mexico)
- The Associate, starring Whoopi Goldberg, Dianne Wiest, Tim Daly
- August, starring Anthony Hopkins - (U.K./U.S.A.)
- Avvai Shanmughi - (India)
B
- Bad Moon, starring Mariel Hemingway and Michael Paré
- The Bandit (Eskiya) - (Turkey)
- Barb Wire, starring Pamela Anderson
- Basquiat, starring Jeffrey Wright and David Bowie
- Bastard Out of Carolina, directed by Anjelica Huston, starring Jennifer Jason Leigh
- Beautiful Girls, starring Matt Dillon, Timothy Hutton, Natalie Portman, Uma Thurman, Rosie O'Donnell, Mira Sorvino
- Beautiful Thing - (U.K.)
- Beavis and Butt-head Do America, directed by Mike Judge, voices by Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, Cloris Leachman, Robert Stack, David Letterman
- Bed of Roses, starring Christian Slater and Mary Stuart Masterson
- Before and After, starring Meryl Streep, Liam Neeson, Edward Furlong
- Besos en la Frente (Kisses on the Forehead) - (Argentina)
- Beyond Hypothermia (Sip si 32 dou) - (Hong Kong)
- Beyond Silence (Jenseits der Stille) - (Germany)
- Big Bullet (Chong feng dui nu huo jie tou) - (Hong Kong)
- Big Bully, starring Tom Arnold and Rick Moranis
- Big Night, starring Stanley Tucci, Tony Shalhoub, Ian Holm, Isabella Rossellini, Minnie Driver, Marc Anthony
- The Birdcage, directed by Mike Nichols, starring Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest
- Black Sheep, starring Chris Farley and David Spade
- Blind Date, directed by Theo van Gogh - (Netherlands)
- Blood and Wine, directed by Bob Rafelson, starring Jack Nicholson, Judy Davis, Michael Caine, Stephen Dorff, Jennifer Lopez
- Blood Brothers, featuring Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band
- Bogus, directed by Norman Jewison, starring Whoopi Goldberg, Gérard Depardieu, Haley Joel Osment, Nancy Travis
- Bottle Rocket, directed by Wes Anderson, starring Owen Wilson and Luke Wilson
- La Bouche de Jean-Pierre (a.k.a. Parental Guidance) - (France)
- Bound, directed by The Wachowski Brothers, starring Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly
- The Boy Who Stopped Talking (De Jongen Die niet meer Praatte) - (Netherlands)
- Box of Moonlight, starring John Turturro and Sam Rockwell
- The Boy from Mercury, starring Rita Tushingham and Tom Courtenay - (Ireland)
- Brain Candy (a.k.a. Kids in the Hall) - (Canada)
- Brassed Off, starring Pete Postlethwaite, Tara Fitzgerald, Ewan McGregor - (U.K.)
- Breaking the Waves, directed by Lars von Trier, starring Emily Watson and Stellan Skarsgård - (Denmark)
- Brilliant Lies, starring Gia Carides and Anthony LaPaglia - (Australia)
- Broken Arrow, directed by John Woo, starring John Travolta, Christian Slater, Samantha Mathis, Howie Long, Delroy Lindo
- Broken English - (New Zealand)
- Buenos Aires Vice Versa - (Argentina/Netherlands)
- Bullet, starring Mickey Rourke and Tupac Shakur
- Bulletproof, starring Damon Wayans, Adam Sandler, James Caan
C
- The Cable Guy, directed by Ben Stiller, starring Jim Carrey and Matthew Broderick
- Camping Cosmos - (Belgium)
- Carla's Song, directed by Ken Loach, starring Robert Carlyle - (U.K.)
- Carpool, starring Tom Arnold and David Paymer
- Carried Away, starring Dennis Hopper and Amy Irving
- Caught, starring Edward James Olmos and MarÃa Conchita Alonso
- Celtic Pride, starring Dan Aykroyd, Daniel Stern and Damon Wayans
- Chain Reaction, starring Keanu Reeves and Morgan Freeman
- The Chamber, directed by James Foley, starring Chris O'Donnell and Gene Hackman
- A Chef in Love (Shekvarebuli kulinaris ataserti retsepti) - (Georgia)
- Chronicle of a Disappearance (Segell Ikhtifa) - (Palestine)
- Citizen Ruth, directed by Alexander Payne, starring Laura Dern
- City Hall, directed by Harold Becker, starring Al Pacino, John Cusack, Bridget Fonda, Danny Aiello, Martin Landau
- Clando (Clandestine) - (Cameroon)
- Color of a Brisk and Leaping Day, starring Henry Gibson
- Comrades: Almost a Love Story (Tian mi mi), starring Maggie Cheung - (Hong Kong), Hong Kong Film Awards and Golden Space Needle award
- Conspirators of Pleasure (Spiklenci slasti) - (Czech Republic)
- Cosmic Voyage, narrated by Morgan Freeman
- Courage Under Fire, directed by Edward Zwick, starring Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan, Matt Damon, Lou Diamond Phillips
- The Craft, starring Robin Tunney, Fairuza Balk, Neve Campbell, Rachel True
- Crash, directed by David Cronenberg, starring James Spader and Holly Hunter - (Canada/U.K.)
- Crocodile (Ag-o) - (South Korea)
- The Crucible, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder, Joan Allen, Paul Scofield
D
- D3: The Mighty Ducks, starring Emilio Estevez
- Daddy's Girl, starring William Katt
- The Day a Pig Fell into the Well (Daijiga umule pajinnal) - (South Korea)
- Daylight, starring Sylvester Stallone and Amy Brenneman
- Dear God, starring Greg Kinnear, Laurie Metcalf, Tim Conway
- Deep Crimson (Profundo CarmesÃ) - (Mexico)
- The Dentist, starring Corbin Bernsen and Molly Hagan
- Devil's Island (Djöflaeyjan) - (Iceland)
- Diabolique, starring Sharon Stone, Isabelle Adjani, Chazz Palminteri, Kathy Bates
- Different for Girls, starring Rupert Graves and Steven Mackintosh - (U.K./France)
- The Disappearance of Finbar, starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers - (Ireland/Sweden/U.K.)
- Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, starring Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans
- Down Periscope, starring Kelsey Grammer, Lauren Holly, Rob Schneider, Rip Torn, Bruce Dern
- Dragonheart, starring Dennis Quaid and Sean Connery - (U.K./U.S.A.)
- The Dress (De jurk) - (Netherlands)
- Drifting Clouds (Kauas pilvet karkaavat), directed by Aki Kaurismäki - (Finland)
- Dunston Checks In, starring Jason Alexander, Faye Dunaway, Rupert Everett, Eric Lloyd, Glenn Shadix
- Dying to Go Home (Mortinho por Chegar a Casa) - (Portugal)
E-K
E
- Earth (Tierra) - (Spain)
- East Palace, West Palace (Dong gong xi gong), directed by Zhang Yuan - (China)
- Eddie, directed by Steve Rash, starring Whoopi Goldberg, Frank Langella, Dennis Farina
- Edipo Alcalde (Oedipus Mayor) - (Colombia)
- The Eighth Day (Le Huitième Jour), starring Daniel Auteuil - (Belgium)
- Element of Doubt, starring Nigel Havers and Gina McKee - (U.K.)
- Emma, starring Gwyneth Paltrow - (U.K./U.S.A.)
- The Emperor's Shadow (Qin Song) - (China)
- The English Patient, directed by Anthony Minghella, starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche - (U.K./U.S.A.) - Academy and Golden Globe (drama) Awards for Best Picture
- Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story, starring Moira Kelly
- Eraser, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Caan, Vanessa Williams
- Escape from L.A., a.k.a. John Carpenter's Escape from L.A., starring Kurt Russell, Steve Buscemi, Stacy Keach, Pam Grier
- The Evening Star, starring Shirley MacLaine, Juliette Lewis, Miranda Richardson, Bill Paxton
- Everyone Says I Love You, directed by and starring Woody Allen, with Edward Norton, Drew Barrymore, Tim Roth, Alan Alda, Goldie Hawn, Julia Roberts
- Evita, directed by Alan Parker, starring Madonna, Antonio Banderas, Jonathan Pryce - Golden Globe for Best Picture (Musical or Comedy)
- Executive Decision, starring Kurt Russell, Steven Seagal, Halle Berry, John Leguizamo, Oliver Platt
- Ãxtasis, starring Javier Bardem - (Spain)
- Extreme Measures, starring Gene Hackman and Hugh Grant
- Eye for an Eye, starring Sally Field, Kiefer Sutherland, Ed Harris
F
- Faithful, starring Cher, Chazz Palminteri, Ryan O'Neal
- The Fan, directed by Tony Scott, starring Robert De Niro, Wesley Snipes, Benicio del Toro, Ellen Barkin
- Fargo, written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, starring Frances McDormand (Oscar winner), William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi
- Fear, starring Mark Wahlberg, Reese Witherspoon, William Petersen, Alyssa Milano, Amy Brenneman
- Feeling Minnesota, starring Keanu Reeves, Cameron Diaz, Vincent D'Onofrio, Dan Aykroyd
- Festival (Chukje) - (South Korea)
- Few of Us (Mūsų nedaug) - (Lithuania)
- Fine Powder (Picado fino) - (Argentina)
- Fire by Deepa Mehta, starring Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das - (Canada/India)
- The First Wives Club, starring Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton, Bette Midler
- Five Days, Five Nights (Cinco Dias, Cinco Noites) - (Portugal)
- Fled, starring Laurence Fishburne and Stephen Baldwin
- Flipper, starring Elijah Wood and Paul Hogan
- Flirting with Disaster, starring Ben Stiller, Patricia Arquette, Téa Leoni, Alan Alda, Mary Tyler Moore, George Segal, Lily Tomlin
- Floating Life - (Australia)
- Fly Away Home, starring Jeff Daniels, Anna Paquin, Dana Delany
- Follow Me Home, starring Alfre Woodard
- Forbidden City Cop (Dai lap mat tam 008) - (Hong Kong)
- Foreign Land (Terra Estrangeira) - (Brazil/Portugal)
- Foxfire, starring Angelina Jolie
- Freeway, starring Kiefer Sutherland, Reese Witherspoon, Brooke Shields
- The Frighteners, directed by Peter Jackson, starring Michael J. Fox - (U.S.A./New Zealand)
- From Dusk Till Dawn, directed by Robert Rodriguez, starring George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis
- The Funeral, directed by Abel Ferrara, starring Christopher Walken, Chris Penn, Annabella Sciorra, Isabella Rossellini
G
- Gabbeh - (Iran)
- Gamera 2: Attack of Legion (Gamera Tsū: Region Shūrai) - (Japan)
- Get on the Bus, directed by Spike Lee
- Ghatak: Lethal, starring Sunny Deol - (India)
- The Ghost and the Darkness, starring Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas
- Ghosts of Mississippi, directed by Rob Reiner, starring Alec Baldwin, Whoopi Goldberg, James Woods
- Girl 6, directed by Spike Lee, starring Theresa Randle, Spike Lee and Isaiah Washington
- The Glimmer Man, starring Steven Seagal and Keenen Ivory Wayans
- Glory Daze, starring Ben Affleck and Alyssa Milano
- The God of Cookery (ShÃshén), starring Stephen Chow - (Hong Kong)
- Goodbye South, Goodbye (Nánguó Zaìjià n, Nánguó) - (Taiwan)
- Gotti, starring Armand Assante and Anthony Quinn
- Grace of My Heart, starring Illeana Douglas, Matt Dillon, Eric Stoltz, John Turturro
- Gray's Anatomy, directed by Steven Soderbergh, starring Spalding Gray
- The Great White Hype, starring Damon Wayans, Jeff Goldblum, Samuel L. Jackson, Peter Berg
H
- Hamlet, directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh with Julie Christie and Derek Jacobi - (U.K./U.S.A.)
- Hamsun, starring Max von Sydow - (Norway/Denmark/Sweden)
- Happy Gilmore, directed by Dennis Dugan, starring Adam Sandler, Christopher McDonald, Julie Bowen, Carl Weathers
- Hard Core Logo - (Canada)
- Hard Eight, directed by P. T. Anderson, starring Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Samuel L. Jackson, Gwyneth Paltrow
- Harriet The Spy, starring Michelle Trachtenberg and Rosie O'Donnell
- Heaven's Prisoners, directed by Phil Joanou, starring Alec Baldwin, Kelly Lynch, Teri Hatcher, Eric Roberts, Mary Stuart Masterson
- High School High, starring Jon Lovitz
- House Arrest, starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Kevin Pollak, Jennifer Tilly, Jennifer Love Hewitt
- How the War Started on My Island (Kako je poÄeo rat na mom otoku) - (Croatia)
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame, directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, starring Tom Hulce, Demi Moore, Kevin Kline, Tony Jay, Jason Alexander, Charles Kimbrough, Mary Wickes, Paul Kandel, David Ogden Stiers
- The Hunters (Jägarna) - (Sweden)
- Hype!
I
- If Lucy Fell, directed by and starring Eric Schaeffer, with Sarah Jessica Parker and Elle Macpherson
- If These Walls Could Talk, starring Cher, Demi Moore, Sissy Spacek
- I Shot Andy Warhol, starring Lili Taylor and Jared Harris
- I'm Not Rappaport, directed by Herb Gardner, starring Walter Matthau, Ossie Davis, Amy Irving, Martha Plimpton, Craig T. Nelson
- In Love and War, starring Sandra Bullock and Chris O'Donnell
- Independence Day, directed by Roland Emmerich, starring Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Mary McDonnell, Jeff Goldblum
- Indian - (India)
- Infinity, directed by and starring Matthew Broderick, with Patricia Arquette
- Intimate Relations, starring Julie Walters - (Canada/U.K.)
- Irma Vep, starring Maggie Cheung and Jean-Pierre Léaud - (France)
- The Island of Dr. Moreau, starring Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer
- It's My Party, starring Eric Roberts, Gregory Harrison, Margaret Cho, Marlee Matlin, Olivia Newton-John
J
- Jack, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, starring Robin Williams, Diane Lane, Brian Kerwin, Jennifer Lopez, Fran Drescher, Bill Cosby
- James and the Giant Peach, directed by Henry Selick, starring Miriam Margolyes, Joanna Lumley, Pete Postlethwaite and introducing Paul Terry - (U.K./U.S.A.)
- Jane Eyre, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, starring Charlotte Gainsbourg, William Hurt - (Italy/U.S.A./U.K.)
- Jerry Maguire, written and directed by Cameron Crowe, starring Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Renée Zellweger, Jay Mohr, Jonathan Lipnicki
- Jingle All the Way, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Joe's Apartment, starring Jerry O'Connell and Megan Ward, voices by Billy West, animation directed by Chris Wedge
- Jude, starring Christopher Eccleston and Kate Winslet - (U.K.)
- The Juror, starring Demi Moore, Alec Baldwin, James Gandolfini, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
K
- Kaalapani (Black Water), starring Mohanlal and Tabu - (India)
- Kansas City, directed by Robert Altman, starring Jennifer Jason Leigh, Miranda Richardson, Harry Belafonte
- Khamoshi: The Musical (Silence) - (India)
- Kids Return (Kizzu RitÄn), directed by Takeshi Kitano - (Japan)
- The King of Masks (Bià n LiÇn) - (China)
- Kingpin, directed by the Farrelly Brothers, starring Woody Harrelson, Randy Quaid, Bill Murray, Vanessa Angel
- Kolya, directed by Jan SvÄrák - (Czech Republic) - Academy and Golden Globe Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
L-Q
L
- Larger than Life, starring Bill Murray
- Last Dance, starring Sharon Stone and Rob Morrow
- The Last Days of Frankie the Fly, starring Dennis Hopper, Kiefer Sutherland, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah
- Last Man Standing, directed by Walter Hill, starring Bruce Willis and Christopher Walken
- Leila - (Iran)
- Libertarias (Freedom Fighters) - (Spain)
- Lilies - (Canada)
- Lone Star, directed by John Sayles, starring Matthew McConaughey, Chris Cooper, Joe Morton, Kris Kristofferson
- Long Day's Journey into Night - (Canada)
- The Long Kiss Goodnight, starring Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson
- Looking for Richard, directed by and starring Al Pacino
- Lost and Found (Tian ya hai jiao) - (Hong Kong)
- Love Is All There Is, starring Joseph Bologna, Renée Taylor, Lainie Kazan
- Love Serenade, starring Miranda Otto - (Australia)
M
- Mad Dog Time, directed by Larry Bishop, starring Jeff Goldblum, Richard Dreyfuss, Ellen Barkin, Diane Lane, Gabriel Byrne
- Mahjong - (Taiwan)
- The Making of the Mahatma - (India/South Africa)
- Malicious, starring Molly Ringwald
- Manny & Lo, starring Scarlett Johansson
- Mars Attacks!, directed by Tim Burton, starring Jack Nicholson, Annette Bening, Glenn Close, Rod Steiger, Pierce Brosnan, Michael J. Fox, Sarah Jessica Parker
- Marvin's Room, starring Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro
- Mary Reilly, directed by Stephen Frears, starring Julia Roberts and John Malkovich
- Matilda, starring Mara Wilson, Danny DeVito, Rhea Perlman, Embeth Davidtz, Pam Ferris
- Maximum Risk, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Natasha Henstridge
- Michael, directed by Nora Ephron, starring John Travolta, Andie MacDowell, William Hurt
- Michael Collins, directed by Neil Jordan, starring Liam Neeson, Aidan Quinn, Stephen Rea, Alan Rickman, Julia Roberts - (Ireland/U.K.) - Golden Lion award
- Microcosmos (Microcosmos: Le peuple de l'herbe) - (France/Switzerland/Italy)
- The Mirror Has Two Faces, directed by and starring Barbra Streisand, with Jeff Bridges, Pierce Brosnan, Mimi Rogers, Lauren Bacall
- Mission: Impossible, directed by Brian De Palma, starring Tom Cruise, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ving Rhames, Vanessa Redgrave, Jon Voight, Jean Reno
- Moll Flanders, starring Robin Wright and Morgan Freeman
- Mossane - (Senegal)
- Mother, directed by and starring Albert Brooks, with Debbie Reynolds, Rob Morrow, Lisa Kudrow
- Mother Night, starring Nick Nolte
- Mr. Holland's Opus, starring Richard Dreyfuss, Glenne Headly, Olympia Dukakis, William H. Macy, Jay Thomas
- Mr. Wrong, starring Ellen DeGeneres and Bill Pullman
- Mulholland Falls, directed by Lee Tamahori, starring Nick Nolte, Melanie Griffith, Jennifer Connelly, Chazz Palminteri, John Malkovich, Treat Williams
- Multiplicity, directed by Harold Ramis, starring Michael Keaton and Andie MacDowell
- Muppet Treasure Island, directed by Brian Henson, starring Tim Curry, Billy Connolly, Jennifer Saunders, Kevin Bishop
- My Fellow Americans, starring Jack Lemmon, James Garner, Dan Aykroyd, Lauren Bacall
- My Man (Mon Homme), directed by Bertrand Blier - (France)
- My Sex Life... or How I Got into an Argument (Comment je me suis disputé...ou Ma vie sexuelle) - (France)
- Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie, featuring This Island Earth
N
- Nénette et Boni - (France)
- Ninne Pelladata - (India)
- North Star, starring James Caan, Christopher Lambert, Catherine McCormack
- The Nutty Professor, directed by Tom Shadyac, starring Eddie Murphy
O
- The Ogre (Der Unhold), directed by Volker Schlöndorff, starring John Malkovich and Armin Mueller-Stahl - (Germany)
- Once Upon a Time in Triad Society (Wong kit cha 'fit' yan) - (Hong Kong)
- One Fine Day, starring Michelle Pfeiffer and George Clooney
- Original Gangstas, starring Jim Brown and Pam Grier
- The Other Side of Sunday (Søndagsengler) - (Norway)
P-Q
- Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996 National Board of Review Best Documentary, 1997 Peabody Award)
- Pedar - (Iran)
- The People vs. Larry Flynt, directed by Miloš Forman, starring Woody Harrelson, Courtney Love, Edward Norton - Golden Bear award (for 1997)
- A Petal (Kkonnip) - (South Korea)
- The Phantom, starring Billy Zane, Treat Williams, Kristy Swanson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, James Remar, Patrick McGoohan - (U.S.A./Australia)
- Phenomenon, starring John Travolta, Kyra Sedgwick, Robert Duvall, Forest Whitaker
- Pie in the Sky, starring Josh Charles, Anne Heche, Christine Lahti, John Goodman
- Picnic (Pikunikku) - (Japan)
- The Pillow Book, directed by Peter Greenaway, starring Vivian Wu, Ewan McGregor, Ken Ogata - (U.K./France/Netherlands)
- Police Story 4: First Strike (Ging chaat goo si 4: Ji gaan daan yam mo), starring Jackie Chan - (Hong Kong)
- Ponette - (France)
- The Portrait of a Lady, directed by Jane Campion, starring Nicole Kidman and John Malkovich
- The Preacher's Wife, directed by Penny Marshall, starring Denzel Washington, Whitney Houston, Courtney B. Vance
- Pretty Village, Pretty Flame (Lepa sela lepo gore) - (Yugoslavia)
- Primal Fear, directed by Gregory Hoblit, starring Richard Gere, Laura Linney, Edward Norton
- Prisoner of the Mountains (Kavkazskiy plennik) - (Russia/Kazakhstan)
- Private Confessions (Enskilda samtal), directed by Liv Ullmann - (Sweden)
- La Promesse (The Promise) - (Belgium)
- Pusher - (Denmark)
- The Quest, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Roger Moore
- The Quiet Room - (Australia)
R-Z
R
- Race the Sun, starring Halle Berry and James Belushi
- Ransom, directed by Ron Howard, starring Mel Gibson, Rene Russo, Gary Sinise, Liev Schreiber, Delroy Lindo
- Revive! Ultraman (Yomigaere! Urutoraman) - (Japan)
- Ridicule, directed by Patrice Leconte, starring Fanny Ardant, Judith Godrèche - (France)
- The Rock, directed by Michael Bay, starring Nicolas Cage, Sean Connery, Ed Harris
- The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg - (U.K.)
- Romeo + Juliet, directed by Baz Luhrmann, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes
- Rupan Sansei: Dead or Alive (Rupan Sansei: Deddo oa Araibu) - (Japan)
S
- Sacred Silence (Pianese Nunzio, 14 anni a maggio) - (Italy)
- Saint Clara (Clara Hakedosha) - (Israel)
- A Saturday on Earth (Un samedi sur la terre) - (France)
- Schizopolis, directed by and starring Steven Soderbergh
- Scream, directed by Wes Craven, starring David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Drew Barrymore, Rose McGowan, Skeet Ulrich
- Secrets & Lies, directed by Mike Leigh, starring Brenda Blethyn - (U.K.) - Palme d'Or award
- A Self Made Hero (Un héros très discret), directed by Jacques Audiard - (France)
- Set It Off, starring Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, Kimberly Elise
- The Seventh Chronicle (Sedma Kronika) - (Croatia)
- Sgt. Bilko, starring Steve Martin, Dan Aykroyd, Glenne Headly, Phil Hartman
- Shall We Dance? (Shall we Dansu?) - (Japan)
- Shanghai Grand (San Seung Hoi taan), starring Andy Lau and Leslie Cheung - (Hong Kong)
- She's the One, directed by and starring Edward Burns, Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz, Mike McGlone, Maxine Bahns
- Shine, directed by Scott Hicks, starring Geoffrey Rush - (Australia)
- Silent Trigger, starring Dolph Lundgren
- Sleepers, directed by Barry Levinson, starring Brad Pitt, Jason Patric, Kevin Bacon, Minnie Driver, Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro
- Sling Blade, directed by and starring Billy Bob Thornton, with Lucas Black, Dwight Yoakam, John Ritter, James Hampton
- A Small Domain
- Small Faces - (U.K.)
- Some Mother's Son, starring Helen Mirren - (Ireland)
- Somersault in a Coffin (Tabutta RövaÅata) - (Turkey)
- Sons (Erzi) - (China)
- Sostiene Pereira, starring Marcello Mastroianni, Joaquim de Almeida, Daniel Auteuil - (Italy/Portugal)
- Space Jam, starring Michael Jordan, Wayne Knight, Theresa Randle, Bill Murray, voices by Danny DeVito
- The Spitfire Grill, starring Marcia Gay Harden, Ellen Burstyn, Alison Elliott
- Spy Hard, starring Leslie Nielsen, Nicollette Sheridan, Barry Bostwick, Andy Griffith
- Star Trek: First Contact, starring Patrick Stewart, Alice Krige, Neal McDonough, Alfre Woodard, James Cromwell
- Stealing Beauty (Io ballo da sola), directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, starring Liv Tyler and Joseph Fiennes - (Italy/U.K./France)
- Striptease, starring Demi Moore, Armand Assante, Ving Rhames, Burt Reynolds
- The Stupids, starring Tom Arnold
- The Substitute, starring Tom Berenger
- A Summer's Tale (Conte d'été), directed by Ãric Rohmer - (France)
- Sunchaser, directed by Michael Cimino, starring Woody Harrelson
- Sunset at Chaophraya (a.k.a. Khu Kam) - (Thailand)
- Sunset Park, starring Rhea Perlman
- Supermarket Woman (SÅ«pÄ no onna) - (Japan)
- Surviving Picasso, directed by James Ivory, starring Anthony Hopkins and Natascha McElhone
- Swallowtail Butterfly (SuwarÅteiru) - (Japan)
- Swingers, directed by Doug Liman, starring Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau
T
- Taxi, directed by Carlos Saura - (Spain)
- Temptress Moon (Feng yue), directed by Chen Kaige, starring Leslie Cheung and Gong Li - (China/Hong Kong)
- Tender Fictions
- Tesis (Thesis), directed by Alejandro Amenábar - (Spain)
- That Thing You Do!, written and directed by Tom Hanks, starring Tom Everett Scott and Liv Tyler
- Thieves (Les Voleurs), directed by André Téchiné, starring Daniel Auteuil and Catherine Deneuve - (France)
- A Thin Line Between Love and Hate, starring Martin Lawrence and Lynn Whitfield
- Thinner, starring Robert John Burke and Joe Mantegna
- Three Lives and Only One Death (Trois vies et une seule mort), starring Marcello Mastroianni - (France)
- A Time to Kill, starring Sandra Bullock, Matthew McConaughey, Samuel L. Jackson, Ashley Judd, Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Spacey
- Tin Cup, directed by Ron Shelton, starring Kevin Costner, Rene Russo, Don Johnson, Cheech Marin
- To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday, starring Peter Gallagher, Claire Danes, Kathy Baker, Wendy Crewson, Michelle Pfeiffer
- Too Late (Prea târziu) - (Romania)
- Trainspotting, directed by Danny Boyle, starring Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller, Robert Carlyle - (U.K.) - Golden space Needle award
- Traveling Companion (Compagna di viaggio) - (Italy)
- Trees Lounge, directed by and starring Steve Buscemi, with Chloë Sevigny, Anthony LaPaglia, Samuel L. Jackson
- Tremors 2: Aftershocks, starring Fred Ward
- The Trigger Effect, starring Kyle MacLachlan and Elisabeth Shue
- Tristar (Da san yuan), directed by Tsui Hark, starring Leslie Cheung - (Hong Kong)
- True Blue - (U.K.)
- The Truth About Cats & Dogs, starring Janeane Garofalo, Uma Thurman, Ben Chaplin
- Twelfth Night: Or What You Will, directed by Trevor Nunn, starring Helena Bonham Carter and Imogen Stubbs - (U.K.)
- Twister, directed by Jan de Bont, starring Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Jami Gertz, Cary Elwes
- Two Much, starring Antonio Banderas, Melanie Griffith, Daryl Hannah
U-V
- Under Western Eyes (Leneged Einayim Ma'araviyot) - (Israel)
- Unforgettable, starring Ray Liotta and Linda Fiorentino
- Unhook the Stars, directed by Nick Cassavetes, starring Gena Rowlands and Marisa Tomei
- Up Close & Personal, directed by Jon Avnet, starring Robert Redford, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kate Nelligan, Stockard Channing, Joe Mantegna
- Urban Safari - (Switzerland)
- The Van, directed by Stephen Frears, starring Colm Meaney - (Ireland)
- Village of Dreams (E no naka no boku no mura) - (Japan)
- Viva Erotica (Se qing nan nu) - (Hong Kong)
W
- The War at Home, directed by and starring Emilio Estevez, with Martin Sheen
- The Way to Fight (Kenka no hanamichi) - (Japan)
- When the Cat's Away (Chacun cherche son chat) - (France)
- When We Were Kings, a documentary featuring Muhammad Ali and George Foreman - Academy Award for Best Documentary
- White Squall, directed by Ridley Scott, starring Jeff Bridges
- The Whole Wide World, starring Vincent D'Onofrio and Renée Zellweger
- The Wind in the Willows, directed by Terry Jones, starring Steve Coogan and Eric Idle - (U.K.)
- The Winner, starring Rebecca De Mornay, Vincent D'Onofrio, Michael Madsen, Billy Bob Thornton
XYZ
- Young and Dangerous (Gu huo zi: Zhi ren zai jiang hu) - (Hong Kong)
Births
- February 21 - Sophie Turner, British actress
- February 28 â" Bobb'e J. Thompson, actor
- March 18 - Madeline Carroll, American actress
- April 14 â" Abigail Breslin, actress
- April 17 â" Dee Dee Davis, actress
- July 23 - Rachel G. Fox, actress
- August 21 â" Jamia Simone Nash, actress
- September 1 - Zendaya, American actress, singer, and dancer
- December 6 - Stefanie Scott, American actress
- December 8 - Teala Dunn, American actress
- December 11 - Hailee Steinfeld, American actress
Notable deaths
Film debuts
- Will Arnett - Close Up
- Billy Crudup - Sleepers
- Viola Davis - The Substance of Fire
- Godfrey - Original Gangstas
- Mila Kunis - Santa with Muscles
- Kelly Macdonald - Trainspotting
- Natascha McElhone - Surviving Picasso
- Gretchen Mol - Girl 6
- Emily Mortimer - The Ghost and the Darkness
- Edward Norton - Primal Fear
- Timothy Olyphant - The First Wives Club
- Freddie Prinze, Jr. - To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday
- Tom Everett Scott - That Thing You Do!
- Octavia Spencer - A Time to Kill
- Julia Stiles - I Love You, I Love You Not
- Justin Theroux - I Shot Andy Warhol
- Michelle Trachtenberg - Harriet the Spy
- Donnie Wahlberg - Bullet
- Emily Watson - Breaking the Waves
- Owen Wilson - Bottle Rocket
- Luke Wilson - Bottle Rocket