Movies to make you feel old: 10 movies turning 20 in 2021

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THE ARCHIVES — Things are always changing and that's never been more obvious than the last year.

But one thing that never changes is time moving by and all of us getting a little older. No matter what we do, the days go by and we age every day.

If your creaking bones, failing sight and growing lack of patience for technology weren't enough to make you feel old, I'm here to make it even worse. Here are ten movies that are turning 20 years old in 2021 to make you feel even closer to the grave.

This list includes some huge franchises that kicked off 20 years ago, stars who started their careers, and some gems you will never believe are two decades old.

"The Fast and the Furious"

Release date: June 22, 2001

The year 2001 gave us the Enron scandal, the debut of "Fear Factor," and Christina Aguilera's "Lady Marmalade." But 2001 was also the year of huge franchises getting their start. And when I say huge, I mean HUGE!

To kick it off, we have "The Fast and the Furious."

This is the movie that started it all. The "Fast and Furious" franchise is getting ready to release its ninth film with two more planned, plus one spin-off and two others in production. With all the films and billions of dollars, it all had to start somewhere, and the genesis is about to turn 20.

"Monsters, Inc."

Release date: November 2, 2001

This one isn't a monster franchise, but it is a monster movie that spurned a sequel. Pixar changed animated movies forever in 1995 with "Toy Story," and in 2001, the studio made one of its all-time best films, "Monsters Inc."

Believe it or not, everyone's favorite monsters are turning 20 this year and if this doesn't make you feel old, nothing will.

"Legally Blonde"

Release date: July 13, 2001

Love it or hate it, everyone knows about "Legally Blonde." The comedy is either a favorite, a despised failure or a guilty pleasure. That's a great place to be if you're a film because it means people care and they'll continue to watch it and talk about it years later — at least 20 years later. That's how old "Legally Blonde" is in 2021.

The film has a sequel, a spinoff that went straight to video and a third film slated to release in 2022.

"Ocean's Eleven"

Release date: December 7, 2001

Ready to continue down the road of franchise origins? The coolest heist movie we've ever seen released in 2001. "Ocean's Eleven" and its cast packed with star power graced theaters 20 years ago, and we all wanted to be a part of this crew.

The movie was funny, clever and effortlessly cool. Between George Clooney's chin-down, eyes-up look and Brad Pitt constantly snacking, this movie was so much fun and we still love it two decades later. The two sequels weren't quite as good and the spinoff lacked some of the original's charm, but "Ocean's Eleven" still stands as a great heist flick.

"A Beautiful Mind"

Release date: December 21, 2001

Let's take a break from the franchise starters and take a look at the best picture Academy Award winner from 2001. "A Beautiful Mind" won multiple Oscars including best director, best supporting actress and best picture, and the movie is turning 20 this year.

"A Beautiful Mind" was a crazy ride and included fantastic performances, and while the movie hasn't aged quite as well, it has a place in movie history.

"Zoolander"

Release date: September 28, 2001

"The files are in the computer."

"Zoolander" was one of the dumbest movies of 2001, which also made it one of the funniest. The film is chock-full of quotable lines and memorable characters, not to mention some iconic looks. The movie got a sequel years later, but we'll not talk about that. The original, however, is still popular with fans 20 years later.

"Pearl Harbor"

Release date: May 25, 2001

Remember when everyone was either in love with or wanted to be Ben Affleck? So do I, and that was back in 2001 thanks to "Pearl Harbor."

Before Michael Bay was blowing up cities with "Transformers" he was recreating the attack on Pearl Harbor with a side of complicated love story and a long run time. Believe it or not, it was 20 years ago that you sat in a theater for three hours to watch "Pearl Harbor."

"Shrek"

Release date: May 18, 2001

Love it or hate it, "Shrek" is an iconic animated film and even won the first Academy Award for best animated feature. The film has three sequels and one more planned, with another spinoff and a planned sequel to that spinoff.

The "Shrek" franchise has made billions of dollars and has become a staple in pop culture and it all started 20 years ago.

"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"

Release date: November 16, 2001

Remember when I said 2001 started some huge franchises? Well, here is the first of two juggernauts.

The "Harry Potter" series is one of the biggest film franchises of all time and is responsible for billions upon billions of dollars in box office sales.

My guess is if you saw this movie in the theater it's because you were a kid who couldn't wait to see their favorite wizards on the big screen. Or you were a parent saying you were taking your kids but secretly you couldn't wait to see your favorite wizards on the big screen. Or you weren't a kid and had no kids and had no issue flying your fandom flag on the way to the theater.

The movie may be 20 years old, but it's still entertaining kids and adults around the world and it will for many years to come.

"The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring"

Released date: December 19, 2001

If franchises starting in 2001 only included "The Fast and the Furious," "Ocean's Eleven," "Legally Blonde," "Shrek" and "Harry Potter," it would be considered one of the biggest years for movie franchises . But when you add "The Lord of the Rings," I think it would possibly be the single biggest movie franchise year ever.

There were die-hard fans of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy series "The Lord of the Rings" long before these movies were made. But thanks to these movies, the books and the stories were introduced to millions more and created more fans than I would assume Tolkien ever could have guessed.

The first film in the series, "The Fellowship of the Ring" released in 2001 and instantly became a classic. The film is still watched religiously 20 years later and will be for 20, 30, 40, 50 and countless years in the future.

Here are some other notable films released in 2001:

The year 2001 also marked the film debuts of some big stars, including:

What are your favorite films and performances from 2001? Let us know in the comments.


John Clyde

About the Author: John Clyde

John has grown up around movies and annoys friends and family with his movie facts and knowledge. He also has a passion for sports and pretty much anything awesome, and it just so happens, that these are the three things he writes about. To read more of his articles, visit John's KSL.com author page.

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John has grown up around movies and annoys friends and family with his movie facts and knowledge. He also has a passion for sports and pretty much anything awesome, and it just so happens, that these are the three things he writes about.

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