In a year of terrorism and tragedy, Americans still went to the movies. Being an avid filmgoer, after seeing horrible images of the September 11th disaster on every television channel and on the front page of every newspaper, I found solace in a darkened theater, escaping briefly from a world seemingly gone mad. So did many others, making 2001 a record box-office year for Hollywood releases. Although there were numerous gems among these films, some reached new lows in lack of artistry and good taste.

After seeing almost 200 movies during the past 12 months, here are my picks as the best and worst of the year.

1. THE BEST:

   Best Surprise Ending --- The Others. Nothing prepared me for the shocking conclusion of this spellbinding ghost story. Nicole Kidman excels here as an overprotective mother of two light-sensitive youngsters who rely on her completely. A spooky atmosphere, compelling performances, and a suspenseful plot drew me in completely, but it’s The Others’ amazing ending that earns this movie a place on my "best of year" list.

   Best Comedy --- Legally Blonde. Single-handedly destroying the "dumb blonde" stereotype, Reese Witherspoon dazzled me with her portrayal of a party girl who wins over the students and faculty of Harvard Law School in spite of her flamboyant outfits. Funny, timely, and never boring, this comedy sparkled with wit and charm.

   Best Satire --- Zoolander. In this amusing film, Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson just couldn’t be better as two grown men vying for the title of Male Model of the Year. Watching them skewer the pretentiousness of the fashion industry with their wild modeling "walk-off" challenge was one of the cinematic delights of 2001.

   Best Action Adventure --- A Knight’s Tale. Verily, all the action here revolves around jousting, a popular sport in the Middle Ages. No matter. It’s still exciting, especially when performed to contemporary music like "We Will Rock You" and featuring Australian-born Heath Ledger in all his glory.

   Best Romance --- Original Sin. Although primarily a thriller, the romance between characters played by Antonio Banderas and Angelina Jolie in this immensely watchable movie intrigued me more than any other love story on film this past year. These two sizzle together as a man obsessed and the mystery woman he desires. The romantic message here? "You can’t walk away from love."

   Best Thriller --- The Glass House. Films about youngsters in jeopardy always give me chills. In The Glass House, my heart pounded with suspense over the fate of siblings orphaned by an auto accident and assigned to a couple with an evil agenda. Leelee Sobieski is terrific as a courageous teenager who struggles to save herself and her brother from greedy guardians.

   Best Fantasy Film --- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. No doubt about it. I’m under Harry Potter’s spell. After reading the first J.K. Rowling book, I couldn’t wait for the movie --- and I wasn’t disappointed. All the characters came to life for me on the big screen almost exactly as I had imagined them. And Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry looks even more magical on the big screen!

   Best Drama --- The Majestic. A poignant performance by Jim Carrey as a 1950s B-movie screenwriter suffering from amnesia highlights this sentimental film that charmed me from beginning to end. Its nostalgic atmosphere, patriotic theme, and celebration of the movie theaters of yesteryear combined to make it my favorite drama of 2001.

   Best Foreign Language Film --- With a Friend Like Harry. I was pulled into this French thriller by its cruel opening scene, which shows a family suffering in a car with no air conditioning, and fascinated by the film’s realism and intensity throughout. And I couldn’t take my eyes off of Sergi Lopez, a spellbinding actor who plays a man with deadly plans about how to help the father of the family in question.

   Best Crime Film --- The Score. Robert DeNiro, Edward Norton, and Marlon Brando captivated me with their acting magic in this crime caper flick about plans to steal a jeweled scepter from Montreal’s Customs House. Okay, I feel guilty about wanting thieves to succeed, but I have to blame that on three of the finest actors in film today.

   Best Beginning --- Mulholland Drive. The first part of David Lynch’s latest film introduced two characters I cared about deeply --- one woman suffering from amnesia and another, a cheerful wannabe actress, who tries to help her. Both Naomi Watts (as the ambitious "Betty") and Laura Harring (as the troubled "Rita") deliver the kind of performance that oozes star potential. Then suddenly, everything changes (see Worst Ending in section below).

   Best Film --- Moulin Rouge. Spectacular sets, gorgeous costumes, beautiful songs, and electrifying chemistry between Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman --- what more could a moviegoer ask for? Under Baz Luhrmann’s inspired direction, this musical extravaganza about a doomed love affair between a shy poet and the Moulin Rouge’s Sparkling Diamond took my breath away. Oo la la!

   Honorable Mention --- Amelie, Bandits, Behind Enemy Lines, Bridget Jones’s Diary, Charlotte Gray, Iron Monkey, Joy Ride, Kate and Leopold, Monsters Inc., Rush Hour 2, Shrek, Tortilla Soup

2. THE WORST:

Worst Ending --- Muholland Drive. After gaining my interest and empathy in the first part of this unusual film, director David Lynch switched gears and transformed his lovely leading ladies into two different characters --- neither one easy to care about. I’m still haunted about the meaning of it all. Of course, I know Lynch enjoys teasing us with the bizarre. But I don’t have to like it.

Worst Comedy --- Monkeybone. Excuse me, but I don’t find flatulence sight gags, body parts falling from the sky, or decomposing organ donors very funny. Shame on talented Brendan Fraser for getting trapped in this bomb as an introverted cartoonist who becomes the impish monkey from his cartoon strip --- although I did chuckle briefly at his monkey-mating dance in one scene. (Nobody’s perfect.)

Worst Action Adventure --- Pearl Harbor. Jerky camera movements and overpowering sound effects attacked my senses while implausible romantic relationships assaulted my reasoning power in this big budget war epic. Yes, I’ll remember Pearl Harbor --- but for all the wrong reasons.

Worst Romance --- Say It Isn’t So. An unreasonable premise and tasteless humor pair up to torpedo (darn, I’m still thinking about Pearl Harbor) this romantic comedy starring Chris Klein and Heather Graham as lovers who discover they may be brother and sister. Incest as a romantic theme just doesn’t work for me.

Worst Thriller --- Vanilla Sky. I needed therapy after watching this dreadful thriller. During the first part of the flick, Tom Cruise hammed it up with big smiles in every scene. Then, after losing his good looks in an auto accident caused by Cameron Diaz, he had to mumble behind a latex mask for the rest of the picture. And, oh yes, there’s a murder involving Penelope Cruz. Next, cryogenics and life-extension theories get thrown haphazardly into the mix. "Is it over yet?" I kept asking my husband. Too bad it wasn’t --- at least for what seemed like a long, long time. Arrrrrgh!

Worst Fantasy --- Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. This first full-length cyberfilm in the history of the world failed miserably, in my humble opinion. Computer generated images provided all its special effects, sets, monsters, and people. But, wouldn’t you know it, those pesky humans just didn’t come out right. (I wouldn’t be surprised if live actors everywhere cheered this failure.) A farfetched story about fighting phantoms from outer space in the year 2065 didn’t help either. Using traditional firepower to battle ghosts? No, this wasn’t supposed to be a sci-fi comedy. Still, I couldn’t help laughing.

Worst Drama --- Hardball. Setting back the progress of U.S. race relations by at least ten years, this film lacked positive black male role models and depicted African-American youngsters as foul-mouthed and disrespectful. It’s another movie about a white man (this time Keanu Reeves as a reluctant Little League baseball coach) rescuing African-American inner-city kids, and it put me in a very bad mood. I’d prefer seeing something new for a change --- like Wesley Snipes saving a group of Anglo smart-alecks. Where is Spike Lee when we need him?

Worst Film --- See Worst Thriller.

Dishonorable Mention --- The Animal, Bubble Boy, Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles, Heartbreakers, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Jeepers Creepers, Osmosis Jones, Sexy Beast, Spy Game, Thirteen Ghosts