The Best From Years Past

While pondering my ballot for this year, I thought about what I would, in retrospect, put down as the top five movies of the year in years past. I've come up with a little something going back to 1994, which was essentially the year around where I first started getting into movies moreso than your average person. Some years were so good (especially 2004, 1999, and 1995) I had to leave off some very good movies, some weren't quite as good, but here it is. For kicks I've included what happened to win best picture.

Special disclaimer on The Lord of the Rings: I consider this really to be a multi-year massive film in a way, I do not want to compare them to each other or put any of them on any individual year.

2004 (Million Dollar Baby):
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Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind ****
Garden State
Kill Bill Volume 2
The Motorcycle Diaries
Sideways

2003 (Return of the King):
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21 Grams
American Splendor
City of God
In America
Lost In Translation ****

2002 (Chicago)
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Adaptation ****
Far From Heaven
The Pianist
Spirited Away
Talk to Her

2001 (A Beautiful Mind)
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Amelie ****
Donnie Darko
Ghost World
Mulholland Dr.
The Royal Tennenbaums

2000 (Gladiator)
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Almost Famous
Amores Perros
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Dancer In The Dark ****
O Brother Where Art Thou

1999 (American Beauty)
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American Beauty
Being John Malkovich ****
Magnolia
The Insider
Three Kings

1998 (Shakespeare in Love)
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American History X
The Big Lebowski
Central Station
Rushmore
The Thin Red Line ****

1997 (Titanic)
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Good Will Hunting
The Ice Storm
LA Confidential
Open Your Eyes
The Sweet Hereafter ****

1996 (The English Patient)
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Breaking The Waves ****
Fargo
Secrets and Lies
Sling Blade
Trainspotting

1995 (Braveheart)
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Dead Man
Heat
Leaving Las Vegas
Seven
The Usual Suspects ****

1994 (Forrest Gump)
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Ed Wood
Heavenly Creatures
The Professional
Pulp Fiction ****
The Shawshank Redemption