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Morning News

Peter Travers Picks the Best and Worst Movies of 2000

Aired December 29, 2000 - 11:47 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: It was quite a year at the movies, and today we look back at some of the best of the big screen in the year 2000, and of course, some of the worst.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS")

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR (singing): You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch. You really are a heel.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR (singing): You're (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and as charming as an eel, Mr. Grinch.

JIM CARREY, ACTOR (singing): You're a bad banana with a greasy black...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Before you start sending the e-mail and the letters, we should say they're not our picks for best and worst. They belong to "Rolling Stone" movie critic Peter Travers with his -- and he's joining us now with his worst and best picks.

Peter, happy New Year. Good morning.

PETER TRAVERS, MOVIE CRITIC, "ROLLING STONE": Happy New Year to you.

KAGAN: You know, you're such a grinch on this movie, and yet it's only made zillions of dollars in Hollywood.

TRAVERS: It's made zillions. In fact, it is the No. 1 box office hit of the year 2000. So where does that leave me? That leaves me the major grinch, who still says, "Why can't you make a family movie that isn't loud, crude and insanely stupid?"

I really can't stand this movie! So I'm going to stay grinch on it.

KAGAN: OK, you can, and you probably have a little bit more company when it comes to having -- being kind of grinchy on "Battlefield Earth." This one was a real turkey, wasn't it?

TRAVERS: Yes, the whole universe hated this. This was John Travolta's $100 million sci-fi epic about the year 3,000. He had these weird things coming out of his nose, and the odd thing, in every interview he gives, he says, "This movie is just what I wanted to make." So what does that mean? I just don't get it. Cross it off your list.

KAGAN: It means he probably won't be fighting you for your job at "Rolling Stone" to be the movie critic?

TRAVERS: No, no, no.

KAGAN: How about that. Now, here's one that had a lot of big stars -- Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt -- and a nice theme, "Pay It Forward." What's your problem with that one?

TRAVERS: I have such problems...

KAGAN: Are you calling this the worst movie of all?

TRAVERS: I'm calling it the worst. On the 10 worst list that I've done, I gave it the No. 1 and the No. 2 spot, which I've never done before.

KAGAN: Oh, it got two spots?

TRAVERS: It got two spots. I think this is the movie that says Haley Joel Osment, the little boy, has to represent good, and then (UNINTELLIGIBLE) basically threatens him and murders him. It's just the most sanctimonious piece of drivel you can find anywhere. And this has been a really bad year for movies. So to give this the No. 1 spot means a lot to me.

KAGAN: Well, that indeed -- I will give you that. As a moviegoer, I will say it has been a bit dry in terms of great choices. But there were some good ones out there.

TRAVERS: Yeah.

KAGAN: First the one that you've pushed, I think, all year long that I have yet to see -- I think Bill might have seen it -- but "Gladiator." Now, as we move on to your best movies.

TRAVERS: Yes.

KAGAN: You loved this one from day one, Peter?

TRAVERS: I have. Since May 5th, I've been saying to you, I've been hammering you to go see it, and you will not do it. But you know what? Most of the world did. It was the No. 3 movie at the box office this year, which proves that I don't hate everything that's successful. See?

KAGAN: There you go.

TRAVERS: You know, there's a good one. Russell Crowe, I think, should win the Oscar for best actor for this movie. This is the popcorn movie extraordinaire. KAGAN: And in terms of saving best for last, your top two best, the next one being "Traffic" -- these are new ones that are coming out. Might be ones that people want to catch this weekend?

TRAVERS: "Traffic" is something they can go out and see, and should, and it's a really tough movie from Steven Soderbergh, who did "Erin Brockvich," and a terrific movie about how the drug industry affects everybody. It's a brave, kind of bold movie that we just didn't see enough this year.

KAGAN: And finally, the top movie of 2,000, according to Peter Travers. Let's show the clip, and then you can talk about it.

TRAVERS: OK.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON")

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR (through translator): Sure, he'd sleep with me, but he would never teach me. He deserved to die by a woman's hand!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" -- No. 1 movie according to Peter Travers. As you can see, there are subtitles. It's a Chinese movie. Not an easy movie -- you have to work to watch, because there are subtitles, Peter.

TRAVERS: Yes, but you don't have to work that much. We can go to Chinese restaurants and order Mao-Goo-Gai-Pan (ph) and not know what it is, and we still think it tastes great. Well, this is one tasty movie.

This is -- we're only seeing scenes now of the action in the movie, which is wonderful. But it's also this incredible love story. And Daryn, it's also a movie about female empowerment. Yet it's the kind of transporting movie that everybody wants to go to the movies for in the first place. Take me out of my world and put me into somebody else's world that I've never seen anything like before.

This is the only movie in the year 2000 that did that, the only thing I would call a genuine masterpiece that came out this year.

KAGAN: Really -- definitely intriguing to our viewers. Peter Travers, you've been a great resource throughout 2000.

TRAVERS: Thank you.

KAGAN: I hope to have a lot more of you back in 2001. Happy New Year to you..

TRAVERS: Yes, same to you.

KAGAN: Thanks a lot. Hit the movies this weekend, according to Peter Travers.

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