The year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the
top 50 list of highest-grossing films. Also in 2009, the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., with the stated goal of adva ...
announced that as of that year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five (the first time since the 1943 awards).
Evaluation of the year
Film critic
Philip French
Philip Neville French (28 August 1933 – 27 October 2015) was an English film critic and radio producer. French began his career in journalism in the late 1950s, before eventually becoming a BBC Radio producer, and later a film critic. H ...
of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' said that 2009 "began with the usual flurry of serious major movies given late December screenings in Los Angeles to qualify for the Oscars. They're now forgotten or vaguely regarded as semi-classics: ''
The Reader'', ''
Che'', ''
Slumdog Millionaire
''Slumdog Millionaire'' is a 2008 British drama film that is a loose adaptation of the novel '' Q & A'' (2005) by Indian author Vikas Swarup. It narrates the story of 18-year-old Jamal Malik from the Juhu slums of Mumbai. Starring Dev Patel ...
'', ''
Frost/Nixon'', ''
Revolutionary Road'', ''
The Wrestler'', ''
Gran Torino'', ''
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button''. It soon became apparent that horror movies would be the dominant genre once again, with vampires the pre-eminent sub-species, the most profitable inevitably being ''
New Moon
In astronomy, the new moon is the first lunar phase, when the Moon and Sun have the same ecliptic longitude. At this phase, the lunar disk is not visible to the naked eye, except when it is silhouetted against the Sun during a solar eclipse. ...
'', the latest in
Stephenie Meyer
Stephenie Meyer (; Morgan; born December 24, 1973) is an American novelist and film producer. She is best known for writing the vampire literature, vampire romance series ''Twilight (novel series), Twilight'', which has sold over 160 million ...
's ''
Twilight
Twilight is daylight illumination produced by diffuse sky radiation when the Sun is below the horizon as sunlight from the upper atmosphere is scattered in a way that illuminates both the Earth's lower atmosphere and also the Earth's surf ...
'' saga, the best the subtle Swedish ''
Let the Right One In'' and the worst the British horror spoof ''
Lesbian Vampire Killers
''Lesbian Vampire Killers'' is a 2009 British comedy horror film directed by Phil Claydon and written by Stewart Williams and Paul Hupfield. The film stars James Corden and
Mathew Horne, with MyAnna Buring, Vera Filatova, Silvia Colloca an ...
''. Documentaries continued to flourish, introducing us to fascinating new worlds: Afghan TV talent shows (''
Afghan Star''), Australian exploitation cinema (''
Not Quite Hollywood
''Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!'' is a 2008 documentary film about the Australian New Wave of 1970s and 1980s low-budget cinema. The film was written and directed by Mark Hartley, who interviewed over eighty Au ...
''), haute couture (''
The September Issue
''The September Issue'' is a 2009 American documentary film directed by R. J. Cutler. The film centers on editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and the editorial team at '' American Vogue'' as they prepare the magazine’s September 2007 issue, at the tim ...
''). Animation thrived, the 3-D comeback threatened to become permanent rather than a gimmick, and the two were conjoined in a dozen 3-D animated features, the finest being
DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation LLC (DWA, also known as DreamWorks Animation Studios or simply DreamWorks) is an American animation studio, owned by Comcast's NBCUniversal as part of Universal Pictures, a division of Universal Studios, Inc, Universal Stud ...
's ''
Monsters vs. Aliens
''Monsters vs. Aliens'' is a 2009 American animated science fiction comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film was directed by Conrad Vernon and Rob Letterman from a screenplay written by Let ...
'' and
Pixar
Pixar (), doing business as Pixar Animation Studios, is an American animation studio based in Emeryville, California, known for its critically and commercially successful computer-animated feature films. Pixar is a subsidiary of Walt Disney ...
's ''
Up''. Remakes and sequels abounded, none of any merit. The same went for films based on comic strips and graphic novels. British cinema generally bubbled in the doldrums. The well-acted ''
Fish Tank'' was overrated, as was the dull costume drama ''
The Young Victoria
''The Young Victoria'' is a 2009 British period drama, period drama film directed by Jean-Marc Vallée and written by Julian Fellowes, based on the early life and reign of Queen Victoria, and her marriage to Albert, Prince Consort, Prince Albert ...
''. The best films by native directors were fuelled by our obsession with soccer (
Ken Loach
Kenneth Charles Loach (born 17 June 1936) is a retiredhttps://variety.com/2024/film/global/ken-loach-retirement-the-old-oak-jonathan-glazer-oscars-speech-1235956589/ English filmmaker. His socially critical directing style and socialist views ar ...
's ''
Looking for Eric
''Looking for Eric'' is a 2009 sports comedy-drama film directed by Ken Loach and written by Paul Laverty. It is an international co-production between the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Belgium, and Spain. It stars Steve Evets, Eric Cantona ...
'' and
Tom Hooper
Thomas George Hooper (born 5 October 1972)''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005''. 5d: 2485. is a British-Australian filmmaker. Known for his work in film and television he has received numerous accolades includ ...
's ''
The Damned United
''The Damned United'' is a 2009 sports drama film directed by Tom Hooper and adapted by Peter Morgan from David Peace's bestselling 2006 novel '' The Damned Utd'' – a largely fictional book based on the author's interpretation of Brian Cl ...
'') or directed by foreigners (New Zealander
Jane Campion
Dame Elizabeth Jane Campion (born 30 April 1954) is a New Zealand filmmaker. She is best known for writing and directing the critically acclaimed films ''The Piano'' (1993) and ''The Power of the Dog (film), The Power of the Dog'' (2021), for ...
's ''
Bright Star'', and two films by Danes:
Nicholas Winding Refn's ''
Bronson'' and
Lone Scherfig's ''
An Education''). The most original British film was Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor's low-key, low-budget ''Helen'', a formally innovative look at provincial life. 2009 was a mostly undistinguished year for Hollywood, with indifferent films from
Woody Allen
Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...
(''
Vicky Cristina Barcelona''),
Michael Mann
Michael Kenneth Mann (born February 5, 1943) is an American film director, screenwriter, author and producer, best known for his stylized crime dramas. He has received a BAFTA Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards as well as nominations for four ...
(''
Public Enemies'') and others, and deadly blockbusters such as ''
Angels & Demons'' and ''
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
''.
The Coen brothers, however, were on form, examining their midwestern Jewish roots in ''
A Serious Man'', and
Kathryn Bigelow
Kathryn Ann Bigelow (; born November 27, 1951) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Her accolades include two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. ''Time'' magazine named her one of the 100 most i ...
's ''
The Hurt Locker
''The Hurt Locker'' is a 2008 American war action thriller film directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by Mark Boal. It stars Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty, Christian Camargo, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, and Guy Pearce. T ...
'' was the best film yet about Iraq. From Europe we had several striking revisionist accounts of violent resistance to Nazi occupation in the second world war: ''
Flammen & Citronen'' (Denmark), ''
Max Manus: Man of War'' (Norway) and ''
The Army of Crime'' (France). But they were drowned in the tsunami of
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American filmmaker, actor, and author. Quentin Tarantino filmography, His films are characterized by graphic violence, extended dialogue often featuring much profanity, and references to ...
's lunatic second world war fantasy ''
Inglourious Basterds
''Inglourious Basterds'' is a 2009 epic film, epic war film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars an ensemble cast including Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Michael Fassbender, Eli Roth, Diane Kruger, Daniel Brühl, Til Schweiger ...
''. The most likable European picture was the Italian ''
Mid-August Lunch'', the directorial debut of 60-year-old
Gianni Di Gregorio (screenwriter on ''
Gomorrah''), and the three most memorably argumentative and provocative were
Paolo Sorrentino
Paolo Sorrentino (; ; born 31 May 1970) is an Italian film director, screenwriter, and writer. He is considered one of the most prominent filmmakers of Italian cinema working today. He is known for visually striking and complex dramas and has of ...
's ''
Il Divo'',
Lars von Trier
Lars von Trier (né Trier; born 30 April 1956) is a Danish film director and screenwriter.
Beginning in the late-1960s as a child actor working on Danish television series ''Secret Summer'', von Trier's career has spanned more than five decad ...
's ''
Antichrist
In Christian eschatology, Antichrist (or in broader eschatology, Anti-Messiah) refers to a kind of entity prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ and falsely substitute themselves as a savior in Christ's place before ...
'' and
Michael Haneke
Michael Haneke (; born 23 March 1942) is an Austrian film director and screenwriter. His work often examines social issues and depicts the feelings of estrangement experienced by individuals in modern society. Haneke has made films in French, Ge ...
's ''
The White Ribbon''. The performances I most enjoyed were impersonations:
Meryl Streep
Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Known for her versatility and adept accent work, she has been described as "the best actress of her generation". She has received numerous accolades throughout her career ...
's
Julia Child
Julia Carolyn Child (Birth name#Maiden and married names, née McWilliams; August 15, 1912 – August 13, 2004) was an American chef, author, and television personality. She is recognized for having brought French cuisine to the American pu ...
(''
Julie & Julia
''Julie & Julia'' is a 2009 American biographical comedy drama film written and directed by Nora Ephron starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams in the title roles with Stanley Tucci, Chris Messina, and Linda Emond in supporting roles. The film ...
'') and
Christian McKay's
Orson in ''
Me and Orson Welles''."
Highest-grossing films
The top 10 films released in 2009 by worldwide gross are as follows:
''Avatar'' surpassed ''
Titanic
RMS ''Titanic'' was a British ocean liner that sank in the early hours of 15 April 1912 as a result of striking an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United States. Of the estimated 2,224 passengers a ...
'' as the highest-grossing film of all time on January 25, 2010. ''Avatar'' then became the first film to earn more than $2 billion at the box office on January 31, 2010. ''Avatar'' was surpassed by ''
Avengers: Endgame'' as the highest-grossing film of all time on July 21, 2019. Due to a re-release, ''Avatar'' retook the title from ''Endgame'' on March 13, 2021.
Events
Awards
2009 films
By country/region
*
List of American films of 2009
*
List of Argentine films of 2009
*
List of Australian films of 2009
*
List of Bangladeshi films of 2009
*
List of Bengali films of 2009
*
List of Bollywood films of 2009
*
List of Brazilian films of 2009
*
List of British films of 2009
*
List of Chinese films of 2009
*
List of Canadian films of 2009
*
List of French films of 2009
*
List of Hong Kong films of 2009
A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...
*
List of Italian films of 2009
*
List of Japanese films of 2009
*
List of Kannada films of 2009
*
List of Mexican films of the 2000s
*
List of Malayalam films of 2009
*
List of Pakistani films of 2009
*
List of Russian films of 2009
*
List of South Korean films of 2009
*
List of Spanish films of 2009
A list is a Set (mathematics), set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of t ...
*
List of Tamil films of 2009
*
List of Telugu films of 2009
A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...
*
List of Turkish films of 2009
By genre/medium
*
List of action films of 2009
*
List of animated feature films of 2009
*
List of avant-garde films of 2009
*
List of crime films of 2009
*
List of comedy films of 2009
*
List of drama films of 2009
*
List of horror films of 2009
*
List of science fiction films of 2009
*
List of thriller films of 2009
*
List of western films of 2009
Births
*January 5 -
Walker Scobell, American actor
*January 23 -
Winslow Fegley, American actor
*January 26 -
YaYa Gosselin, American actress
*February 22 -
Archie Yates, English actor
*March 12 -
Woody Norman, English actor
*March 17 -
Lenny Rush, English actor
*April 15 -
Julia Butters, American actress
*May 18 -
Hala Finley, American actress
*May 25 -
Elle Graham, American actress
*June 7 -
Diaana Babnicova, British actress
*June 23 -
Xia Vigor
Xiamara “Xia” Sophia Bernardo Vigor (born 23 June 2009) is a British-Filipino child actress and TV host in the Philippines.
Biography
She was the first grand winner of It's Showtime (Philippine TV program), ''It's Showtimes segment "Mi ...
, British-Filipino actress
*July 2 -
Alexa Swinton
Alexa Jacqueline Skye Idelchik Swinton (born July 2, 2009) is an American actress, singer and songwriter. She appeared in a lead role as Piper in the 13-episode ABC Prime Time series called ''Emergence (TV series), Emergence'', has a recurring ro ...
, American actress
*September 25 -
Leah Jeffries, American actress
*September 26 –
Alisha Weir, Irish actress and singer
*October 9 -
Gordon Cormier, Canadian actor
*November 5 -
Trinity Bliss, American actress and singer
*November 10 -
Christian Convery, American-Canadian actor
*December 5 -
Owen Cooper, English actor
Deaths
Film debuts
References
External links
2009 release schedule at Box Office MojoList of 2009 filmsat
IMDb
IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...
2009 Domestic Grossesat
Box Office Mojo
Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon.
History
Brandon Gray ...
List of 2009 deathsat
IMDb
IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...
List of 2009 birthsat
IMDb
IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:2009 In Film
Film by year