THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING taps the magical forces of American film to bring life to J.R.R. Tolkien's rich literary legacy. Never losing sight of the "human" elements of this first book in his trilogy, the scope of the film sets the standard by which future motion picture epics should be judged.

A BEAUTIFUL MIND is one of the few films ever to suggest that the life of the mind can be as exciting and intriguing as any thriller. Based on the story of Nobel Prize-winning mathematician John Nash, the film's subtle, but masterful cinematic technique puts audiences inside the mind of a troubled genius when he begins to question reality.

BLACK HAWK DOWN is an unrelenting combat experience. Leaving behind the traditional rules of the genre, the film immerses its audience in the cold reality of war. It arrives in theaters at a moment in American history which could not be more timely.

IN THE BEDROOM is a rich, subtle examination of the American family. It's a movie in which the characters talk to one another, but never really say what's on their minds or in their hearts. The filmmakers trust the audience to watch, listen and understand the truth revealed by the film's outstanding performances.

THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE uses stunning black-and-white cinematography to evoke the memory of classic American film noir, but presents its story with a modern sensibility. By mixing dark humor with stark violence, the movie lays out a series of events where a man nobody notices changes the lives of everyone around him.

MEMENTO turns the traditional rules of movie narrative upside down, backwards, forwards and sideways. The film is like a complex jigsaw puzzle, but after all the pieces are assembled, it turns out not to be the picture on the box.

MONSTER'S BALL is a love story that resists the usual tradition of movie romances. When a white prison correction officer and a black single mother are drawn together by a series of tragic events, the result is an unsentimental, complex mixture of sex, race and family that provides no easy answers.

MOULIN ROUGE! is a kaleidoscope of melodrama, soap opera and opera, which updates the traditional American musical genre. The film tells the story of a passionate but doomed love affair in dynamic images that explode with color, energy and humor.

MULHOLLAND DRIVE is a classic example of the poetry of personal cinema. The film takes the audience to an erotic world - a dreamlike Los Angeles landscape where things are not always what they seem, but where the images never lose their beauty and power.

SHREK is an animated film that takes an eraser to traditional fairy tale characters and situations. Moving at a fast pace with wit and intelligence, SHREK delivers solid family entertainment that is sheer pleasure for young and old.