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1998 in film

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Many significant films were released in 1998, including Shakespeare in Love, Saving Private Ryan,* Armageddon*, American History X, The Truman Show, Primary Colors, Rushmore, Rush Hour, There's Something About Mary, The Big Lebowski, and Terrence Malick's directorial return in The Thin Red Line.

Highest-grossing films

The top 10 films released in 1998 by worldwide gross are as follows:

RankTitleDistributorWorldwide gross12345678910
*Armageddon*Buena Vista$553,709,788
*Saving Private Ryan*DreamWorks / Paramount$485,000,000
*Godzilla*Sony / TriStar$379,014,294
*There's Something About Mary*[20th Century Fox](20th-century-fox)$369,884,651
*A Bug's Life*Buena Vista$363,398,565
*Deep Impact*Paramount / DreamWorks$349,464,664
*Mulan*Buena Vista$304,320,254
*Dr. Dolittle*[20th Century Fox](20th-century-studios)$294,456,605
*Shakespeare in Love*Miramax / Universal$289,317,794
*Lethal Weapon 4*Warner Bros.$285,444,603

Box office records

  • Saving Private Ryan grossed $485 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing World War II film until it was surpassed by Dunkirk (2017). However, when adjusted for 2025 inflation, Saving Private Ryan grossed approximately $826 million worldwide.
  • Blade became the top-grossing film based on a Marvel Comics character, grossing $131.2 million worldwide at the time of its release.
  • The Star Trek franchise became the seventh film franchise to gross $1 billion with the release of Star Trek: Insurrection.

Events

  • March 1 – Titanic becomes the first film to gross over $1 billion at the worldwide box office. Twenty days later, the film won 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
  • May 8 and July 1 – 1998 saw the release of two dueling science-fiction disaster films about asteroids: Armageddon and Deep Impact, both of which became box office successes. Armageddon became the more popular of the two and was also the highest-grossing film of 1998 worldwide.
  • July 24 – Saving Private Ryan, directed by Steven Spielberg, was released and received critical acclaim, leading it to be the top-grossing domestic film of 1998. Saving Private Ryan won five Academy Awards, including Best Director. The film was lauded as an influential landmark in the war and action film genres, primarily due to its use of desaturated colors, hand-held cameras, and tight angles.
  • August 21 – Blade, based on the character of the same name, grossed over $131.2 million worldwide. Its success would help stage future film adaptations of Marvel Comics.
  • September 19 – Antz, DreamWorks' first animated feature film, premiered at the 23rd Toronto International Film Festival.
  • December 25 - Filmmaker Terrence Malick returned after a 20-year hiatus, with The Thin Red Line.

Awards

Category/Organization[56th Golden Globe Awards](56th-golden-globe-awards)
January 24, 1999[4th Critics Choice Awards](4th-critics-choice-awards)
January 1999Producers, [Directors](51st-directors-guild-of-america-awards), [Screen Actors](5th-screen-actors-guild-awards), and Writers Guild Awards[71st Academy Awards](71st-academy-awards)
March 21, 1999[52nd BAFTA Awards](52nd-british-academy-film-awards)
April 11, 1999DramaMusical or Comedy
Best Film*Saving Private Ryan**Shakespeare in Love**Saving Private Ryan**Shakespeare in Love*
Best DirectorSteven Spielberg
*Saving Private Ryan*Peter Weir
*The Truman Show*
Best ActorJim Carrey
*The Truman Show*Michael Caine
*Little Voice*Ian McKellen
*Gods and Monsters*
*Apt Pupil*Roberto Benigni
*Life Is Beautiful*
Best ActressCate Blanchett
*Elizabeth*Gwyneth Paltrow
*Shakespeare in Love*Cate Blanchett
*Elizabeth*Gwyneth Paltrow
*Shakespeare in Love*Cate Blanchett
*Elizabeth*
Best Supporting ActorEd Harris
*The Truman Show*Billy Bob Thornton
*A Simple Plan*Robert Duvall
*A Civil Action*James Coburn
*Affliction*Geoffrey Rush
*Shakespeare in Love*
Best Supporting ActressLynn Redgrave
*Gods and Monsters*Kathy Bates
*Primary Colors*
Joan Allen
*Pleasantville*Kathy Bates
*Primary Colors*Judi Dench
*Shakespeare in Love*
Best Screenplay, AdaptedMarc Norman and Tom Stoppard
*Shakespeare in Love*Scott B. Smith
*A Simple Plan*Scott Frank
*Out of Sight*Bill Condon
*Gods and Monsters*Elaine May
*Primary Colors*
Best Screenplay, OriginalMarc Norman and Tom Stoppard
*Shakespeare in Love*Andrew Niccol
*The Truman Show*
Best Animated Film*A Bug's Life* / *The Prince of Egypt* **(TIE)**
Best Original Score*The Truman Show*
Burkhard Dallwitz and Philip Glass*Saving Private Ryan*
John Williams**N/A***Life Is Beautiful*
Nicola Piovani*Elizabeth*
David Hirschfelder
Best Original Song"The Prayer"
*Quest for Camelot*"When You Believe"
*The Prince of Egypt***N/A**"When You Believe"
*The Prince of Egypt***N/A**
Best Foreign Language Film*Central Station**Life Is Beautiful***N/A***Life Is Beautiful**Central Station*

1998 films

By country/region

  • List of American films of 1998
  • List of Argentine films of 1998
  • List of Australian films of 1998
  • List of Bangladeshi films of 1998
  • List of British films of 1998
  • List of Canadian films of 1998
  • List of French films of 1998
  • List of Hong Kong films of 1998
  • List of Indian films of 1998
    • List of Hindi films of 1998
    • List of Kannada films of 1998
    • List of Malayalam films of 1998
    • List of Marathi films of 1998
    • List of Tamil films of 1998
    • List of Telugu films of 1998
  • List of Japanese films of 1998
  • List of Mexican films of 1998
  • List of Pakistani films of 1998
  • List of Russian films of 1998
  • List of South Korean films of 1998
  • List of Spanish films of 1998

By genre/medium

  • List of action films of 1998
  • List of animated feature films of 1998
  • List of avant-garde films of 1998
  • List of crime films of 1998
  • List of comedy films of 1998
  • List of drama films of 1998
  • List of horror films of 1998
  • List of science fiction films of 1998
  • List of thriller films of 1998
  • List of western films of 1998

Births

  • January 1
    • Saura Lightfoot-Leon, Dutch-born English-Spanish actress
    • Lara Robinson, Australian actress
  • January 4
    • Coco Jones, American actress/singer
    • Liza Soberano, Filipino actress
  • January 5 – Marie Iitoyo, Japanese model and actress
  • January 9
    • Kerris Dorsey, American actress and singer
    • Brent Rivera, American actor and YouTuber
  • January 12
    • Nathan Gamble, American actor
    • Ally Ioannides, American actress
  • January 15 - Ben Levi Ross, American actor and singer
  • January 16
    • Curran Walters, American actor
    • Yerin Ha, Australian actress
  • January 18 – Shin Ye-eun, South Korean actress
  • January 19 - Lily Donoghue, American actress
  • January 22 - Joe Serafini, American actor
  • January 23 – Rachel Crow, American actress/singer and comedian
  • January 24 – Ada-Nicole Sanger, American actress
  • January 26 – Moonbin, South Korean singer and actor (d. 2023)
  • January 27 - Devin Druid, American actor
  • January 28 – Ariel Winter, American actress
  • February 2 - Nina Bloomgarden, American actress
  • February 6
    • Jay Lycurgo, British actor
    • Aviva Mongillo, Canadian actress and singer
  • February 9 - Isabella Gomez, American actress
  • February 10 - Ayesha Madon, Australian actress
  • February 11
    • Olivia Scott Welch, American actress
    • Lauren Tsai, American actress, visual artist, and model
  • February 13 – Bella Campos, Brazilian actress
  • February 15 – Zachary Gordon, American actor
  • February 16 - Lizze Broadway, American actress
  • February 17
    • Fernanda Urdapilleta, Mexican actress
    • Kayla Cromer, American actress
  • February 21 - Ella-Rae Smith, English actress and model
  • February 22 - Sophie Wilde, Australian actress
  • February 26 - Keyla Monterroso Mejia, American actress and comedian
  • March 3 – Jayson Tatum, American Basketball Player
  • March 5 - Micah Fowler, American actor
  • March 6 - Odessa Young, Australian actress
  • March 11
    • Valentina Herszage, Brazilian actress
    • Emil Wakim, Lebanese-American actor and comedian
  • March 13 - Jack Harlow, American rapper, singer, and actor
  • March 15 - Juan Paiva, Brazilian actor
  • March 18
    • Abigail Cowen, American actress
    • Keana Lyn Bastidas, Canadian actress
  • March 19 – Caylee Cowan, American actress
  • March 22 – Paola Andino, Puerto Rican-American actress
  • March 24 – Christopher Briney, American actor
  • March 25
    • Ryan Simpkins, American actor
    • Rhianne Barreto, British actress
    • Jessica Reynolds, Irish actress
  • March 26 - Emily Tosta, Dominican actress
  • March 29 - Alex Neustaedter, American actor
  • April 3 - Paris Jackson, American model, actress, and musician
  • April 6
    • Peyton List, American actress
    • Spencer List, American actor
  • April 9
    • Elle Fanning, American actress
    • Lil Woods, British actress
  • April 10 - Ruby Jerins, American actress
  • April 12 - Larry Saperstein, American actor
  • April 16 - Jordana Beatty, Australian actress
  • April 20 - Felix Mallard, Australian actor
  • April 24
    • Ryan Newman, American actress
    • Alli Simpson, Australian actress and singer
  • April 27 - Froy Gutierrez, American actor
  • April 29 - Ella Hunt, English actress
  • April 30 – Olivia DeJonge, Australian actress
  • May 1 – Grayson Russell, American actor
  • May 3 - Highdee Kuan, American actress
  • May 4
    • Temara Melek, American actress
    • Taylar Hender, American actress
  • May 5 - Chelsea Clark, Canadian actress
  • May 7 - MrBeast, American YouTuber
  • May 8 - Corey Mylchreest, English actor
  • May 15 - Anjelika Washington, American actress
  • May 20 – Alanis Guillen, Brazilian actress
  • May 23 – Ramona Young, American actress
  • May 24 – Daisy Edgar-Jones, British actress
  • May 29 – Shealeigh, American singer
  • June 13 - Zayne Emory, American actor
  • June 10 - Ana Yi Puig, American actress
  • June 11 – Charlie Tahan, American actor
  • June 14 - Brianne Tju, American actress
  • June 15 – Rachel Covey, American actress
  • June 16 - Lauren Taylor, American actress
  • June 19
    • Suzu Hirose, Japanese actress
    • Atticus Shaffer, American actor
  • June 24
    • Coy Stewart, American actor and rapper
    • Matt Friend, American actor and comedian
  • June 27 – Sistine Stallone, American actress and model
  • July 1 - Chloe Bailey, American singer and actress
  • July 2 - True Whitaker, American actress
  • July 3 - Sara Waisglass, Canadian actress
  • July 7 – Dylan Sprayberry, American actor
  • July 8
    • Maya Hawke, American actress
    • Jaden Smith, American actor
  • July 9 – Robert Capron, American actor
  • July 10
    • Angus Cloud, American actor (d. 2023)
    • Haley Pullos, American actress
  • July 13 - Cynthy Wu, American actress
  • July 15 - Tyriq Withers, American actor
  • July 17 - Lilli Schweiger, German actress
  • July 22 – Madison Pettis, American actress
  • July 23 - Helena Howard, American actress
  • July 24
    • Bindi Irwin, Australian actress
    • Cailee Spaeny, American actress
  • July 27 – Myles Erlick, Canadian actor and singer
  • July 28 – Sasha Meneghel, Brazilian actress
  • July 29 - Jessica Lord, English actress
  • July 31 – Rico Rodriguez, American actor
  • August 1 – Khamani Griffin, American actor
  • August 3 – Cozi Zuehlsdorff, American actress and singer
  • August 5 – Mimi Keene, English actress
  • August 6 – Forrest Goodluck, American actor
  • August 12 – Rudy Pankow, American actor
  • August 18 - Mallori Johnson, American actress
  • August 21 – Jade Chynoweth, American actress
  • August 25 – China Anne McClain, American actress and singer
  • August 28 - Mia Healey, Australian actress
  • September 1
    • Fin Argus, American actor and musician
    • Fern Deacon, English actress
  • September 2 – Choi Ye-bin, South Korean actress
  • September 4 - Ainsley Seiger, American actress
  • September 5 – Helena Barlow, English actress
  • September 8
    • Emma Laird, British actress
    • Sierra Capri, American actress
  • September 9 - Amita Rao, American actress and comedian
  • September 13 - Nell Williams, English actress
  • September 16
    • Belissa Escobedo, American actress
    • Emily Fairn, English actress
  • September 17 - Miles Gutierrez-Riley, American actor
  • September 19 - Phia Saban, English actress
  • September 22 - Isis Hainsworth, English actress
  • October 1
    • Isabella Amara, American actress and singer
    • Danika Yarosh, American actress
  • October 2 - Zack Morris, English actor
  • October 6 - Matt Cornett, American actor
  • October 7 – Josh Levi, American actor and singer
  • October 10 - Cameron Gellman, American actor
  • October 11 - Ruby Ashbourne Serkis, English actress
  • October 14 - Ariela Barer, American actress
  • October 17 – Erin Kellyman, English actress
  • October 18 - Emily Robinson, American actress
  • October 19
    • Katie Douglas, Canadian actress
    • Sidney Flanigan, American actress
  • October 23
    • Amandla Stenberg, American actress
    • Jake Siciliano, American actor
  • October 26 - Samantha Isler, American actress
  • October 28 – Nolan Gould, American actor
  • November 2 - Josh Wiggins, American actor
  • November 4
    • Meadow Walker, American actress
    • Darcy Rose Byrnes, American and Irish actress
  • November 7 – Octavio Ocaña, Mexican actor (died 2021)
  • November 13
    • Gattlin Griffith, American actor
    • Jaquel Spivey, American actor
  • November 17 - Kara Hayward, American actress
  • November 23 – Bradley Steven Perry, American actor
  • November 24 - Peyton Meyer, American actor
  • November 29 - Lovie Simone, American actress
  • December 2
    • Amber Montana, American actress
    • Celeste O'Connor, Kenyan-born American actor
    • Annalise Basso, American actress
  • December 8
    • Owen Teague, American actor
    • Tanner Buchanan, American actor
  • December 15 – Chandler Canterbury, American former child actor
  • December 16
    • Kiara Muhammad, American actress
    • Clara Moneke, Brazilian actress
  • December 17 - Jasmine Armfield, English actress
  • December 23 – G Hannelius, American actress and singer
  • December 27 - Briar Nolet, Canadian actress
  • December 28 - Jared Gilman, American actor
  • December 29
    • Paris Berelc, American actress
    • Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick, American actor
  • December 31 - Hunter Schafer, American actress

Deaths

MonthDateNameAgeCountryProfessionNotable films
**January***4*Mae Questel89USActress
*5*Sonny Bono62USSinger, Actor
*6*Walt Barnes79USActor
*6*Murray Salem47USActor, Screenwriter
*7*Jacqueline DeWit85USActress
*7*Dorothy Wilson88USActress
*16*Lorenzo Mongiardino81ItalyProduction Designer
*24*Jack Lord77USActor
*26*Ethelreda Leopold83USActress
*28*Jim Bohan52USActor
*30*Ferdy Mayne81GermanyActor
**February***1*Jack T. Collis75USArt Director, Production Designer
*2*Duilio Del Prete59ItalyActor
*3*Davy Kaye81UKActor
*5*Douglas Gamley73AustraliaComposer, Conductor
*15*George White86USFilm Editor
*17*Felix Nelson84USActor
*17*Sheila Raynor91UKActor
*18*James Villiers67UKActor
*21*John Nicolella52USDirector, Producer
*23*Chuck Hayward89USActor, Stuntman
*24*Henny Youngman91UKComedian, Actor
*26*James Algar75USDirector, Producer, Animator
*27*J. T. Walsh54USActor
**March***4*Betty Bird96ItalyActress
*5*Donald Woods91CanadaActor
*10*Lloyd Bridges85USActor
*17*Helen Westcott70USActress
*20*Beverley Cross66UKScreenwriter
*25*Daniel Massey64UKActor
*30*Ramsay Ames79USActress
**April***1*Gene Evans75USActor
*1*Lucille Norman76USSinger, Actress
*3*Charles Lang96USCinematographer
*4*Kay Hughes84USActress
*11*Rodney Harvey30USActor
*21*Peter Lind Hayes82USActor
*22*Marvin Worth72USProducer
*24*Leslie Stevens74USScreenwriter, Director
*28*Jerome Bixby75USScreenwriter
*28*Dorothy Lovett83USActress
*29*Mary Castle67USActress
**May***2*Maidie Norman85USActress
*3*Gene Raymond89USActor
*9*Alice Faye83USActress, Singer
*9*Nat Perrin93USScreenwriter, Director
*11*Gene Fowler Jr.80USFilm Editor
*14*Frank Sinatra82USSinger, Actor
*15*Linwood G. Dunn93USVisual Effects Artist
*20*Wolf Mankowitz73UKScreenwriter
*21*Douglas Fowley86USActor
*22*John Derek71USActor, Director
*28*Phil Hartman49USActor, Comedian, Screenwriter
**June***1*Darwin Joston60USActor
*2*Dorothy Stickney101USActress
*4*Josephine Hutchinson94USActress
*5*Jeanette Nolan85USActress
*12*Theresa Merritt73USActress
*18*Charles Korvin90SlovakiaActor
*23*Kurt Kren69AustriaDirector
*23*Maureen O'Sullivan87IrelandActress
*24*Henry G. Saperstein80USProducer
**July***1*Claire Kelly64USActress
*4*Gregg Burge40USActor
*6*Roy Rogers86USActor, Singer
*10*William Preston76USActor
*16*Leigh Brown59USScreenwriter
*17*Joseph Maher64IrelandActor
*19*Betty Marsden79UKActress
*21*Robert Young91USActor
*27*Binnie Barnes95UKActress
*28*Lenny McLean49UKActor
*29*Jerome Robbins79USDirector, Choreographer*West Side Story*
*29*O. Z. Whitehead87USActor
**August***1*Eva Bartok71HungaryActress
*7*Bob Wyman66USFilm Editor
*11*Derek Newark65UKActor
*15*Marc Akerstream44CanadaStuntman, Actor
*16*Phil Leeds82USActor
*18*Persis Khambatta49IndiaActress
*24*E. G. Marshall84USActor
*24*Gene Page58USComposer
*26*Wade Dominguez32USActor
*26*Penny Edwards70USActress
**September***2*Fernando Carrere87MexicoArt Director
*6*Akira Kurosawa88JapanDirector, Screenwriter
*6*Elaine Shepard85USActress
*8*Leonid Kinskey95RussiaActor
*11*Dane Clark86USActor
*19*Patricia Hayes88UKActress
*21*Clara Calamai89ItalyActress
*22*John Garrie75UKActor
*30*Marius Goring86UKActor
*30*Stephen Pearlman63USActor
**October***2*Gene Autry91USActor, Singer
*3*George Davis84USArt Director
*3*Roddy McDowall70UKActor
*8*Gigi Reder70ItalyActor
*11*Richard Denning84USActor
*17*Joan Hickson92UKActress
*22*Eric Ambler89UKScreenwriter
*23*Christopher Gable58UKActor
*24*Dennis Ayling81UKVisual Effects Artist*Alien*
*26*Rick Dior51USSound Engineer
*27*Rosamund John85UKActress
*28*James Goldman71USScreenwriter
**November***2*Tommy Duggan89UKActor
*3*Martha O'Driscoll76USActress
*4*Vincent Winter50UKActor, Production Manager
*5*Momoko Kōchi66JapanActress
*8*Jean Marais84FranceActor, Director
*9*Ursula Reit84GermanyActress
*13*Valerie Hobson81UKActress
*17*Dick O'Neill70USActor
*17*Esther Rolle78USActress
*19*Alan J. Pakula70USDirector, Producer, Screenwriter
*22*Nicky Blair72USActor
*25*Enrico Sabbatini66ItalyCostume Designer
*25*Flip Wilson64USComedian, Actor
*30*Ruth Clifford98USActress
**December***1*Freddie Young96UKCinematographer
*7*John Addison78UKComposer
*8*John Veitch78USProducer, Executive
*13*Lew Grade91UKProducer
*13*Ariadna Welter68MexicoActress
*14*Norman Fell74USActor
*17*John Robert Lloyd78USProduction Designer
*20*Irene Hervey89USActress
*21*Roger Avon84UKActor
*23*David Manners98CanadaActor
*25*Richard Paul58USActor
*26*Hurd Hatfield81USActor
*28*William Frankfather54USActor
*29*Don Taylor81USActor, Director

Film debuts

  • Juana Acosta – Time Out
  • Carlos Alazraqui – The Godson
  • Elizabeth Banks – Surrender Dorothy
  • Kristen Bell – Polish Wedding
  • Wes Bentley – Three Below Zero
  • Kate Bosworth – The Horse Whisperer
  • Billy Boyd – Urban Ghost Story
  • A. J. Buckley – Disturbing Behavior
  • Christian Campbell – Hairshirt
  • Joelle Carter – The Horse Whisperer
  • Lacey Chabert – Lost in Space
  • Kevin Chapman – Monument Ave.
  • Paz de la Huerta – The Object of My Affection
  • August Diehl – 23
  • Taye Diggs – How Stella Got Her Groove Back
  • Snoop Dogg – Half Baked
  • Lola Dueñas – Mensaka
  • Cedric the Entertainer – Ride
  • Golshifteh Farahani – The Pear Tree
  • Vera Farmiga – Return to Paradise
  • Josh Hartnett – Halloween H20: 20 Years Later
  • Taraji P. Henson – Streetwise
  • Kate Hudson – Desert Blue
  • Oscar Isaac – Illtown
  • Rashida Jones – Myth America
  • Vinnie Jones – Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
  • Shia LaBeouf – The Christmas Path
  • Lindsay Lohan – The Parent Trap
  • Mía Maestro – Tango
  • Eva Mendes – A Night at the Roxbury
  • Chris Messina – Rounders
  • Cillian Murphy – The Tale of Sweety Barrett
  • Julianne Nicholson – Harvest
  • Christopher Nolan (director) – Following
  • Michael Pitt – 54
  • Jesse Plemons – Finding North
  • Amy Poehler – Tomorrow Night
  • Rebecca Romijn – Dirty Work
  • Jason Schwartzman – Rushmore
  • Jason Segel – Can't Hardly Wait
  • Dax Shepard – Hairshirt
  • Jason Statham – Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
  • Ray Stevenson – The Theory of Flight
  • Michael Stuhlbarg – A Price Above Rubies
  • Wanda Sykes – Tomorrow Night
  • Luis Tosar – Atilano for President
  • Carice van Houten – Ivory Guardians
  • Denis Villeneuve (director) – August 32nd on Earth
  • Matt Walsh – Tomorrow Night
  • Mark Webber – Edge City
  • Michael Welch – Star Trek: Insurrection
  • Shea Whigham – Of Love & Fantasy

References

References

  1. "1998 Worldwide Box Office". [[IMDb]].
  2. "Star Trek Franchise Box Office History".
  3. [https://catalog.afi.com/Person/51015-Felix-Nelson "Felix Nelson Filmography"]. [[American Film Institute]]. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
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