'The Truman Show' and 12 Other Movies That Were Way Ahead of Their Time
Some movies are way ahead of their time. Maybe they predicted major social trends years before they happened. Or maybe they just weren't fully appreciated at the time. Either way, as "The Truman Show" celebrates its 20th anniversary this week, here's a look at 13 under-appreciated and highly prescient movie gems.
'Metropolis' (1927)
Fritz Lang was clearly decades ahead of his time as a director. Critics at the time praised this film's extraordinary visuals but criticized pretty much everything else. Nowadays, "Metropolis" is regarded as perhaps the most influential science fiction movie ever released. Everything from "Star Wars" to "The Hunger Games" owes a debt of gratitude to this ambitious silent film.
'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner' (1967)
It pretty much goes without saying that a film released in 1967 offering a positive view of interracial marriage was well ahead of its time. Heck, interracial marriage was still outlawed in many U.S. states while filming was underway. That makes "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" not just a good comedy, but an important one, too.
'2001: A Space Odyssey' (1968)
With "2001," director Stanley Kubrick tried to envision a world several decades into the future, where man is beginning to venture out into the stars. While the film may have been overly optimistic about the state of the space program in the 21st Century, in other ways, it proved surprisingly accurate about modern life. Not to mention that the film's groundbreaking special effects are so good that they hold up well 50 years later.
'Easy Rider' (1969)
More than just the story of two easygoing bikers traveling the country, "Easy Rider" became the herald of a new movement in Hollywood, paving the way for more independent films and more daring, experimental approaches to filmmaking. It showed everyone that the studio system wasn't the only way to make money. Without it, directors like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas may never have found their calling.
'Network' (1976)
"Network" tells the story of a newscaster driven over the edge and a network that decides to profit from his on-air meltdown rather than sacrifice the ratings boost. It's a movie that seemed like satire at the time, but nowadays seems all too plausible in this era of 24 hour news broadcasts and ratings-starved networks.
'Working Girl' (1988)
The 1980s were a time of seismic shifts when it came to gender roles at work, and few films captured that shift as well as "Working Girl." Melanie Griffith delighted moviegoers with her portrayal of a likable secretary hellbent on finally getting the appreciation she deserves. It's a film that speaks to the state of gender relations now as well as it did 30 years ago.
'Miller's Crossing' (1990)
The Coen brothers are widely regarded as being two of the greatest living filmmakers, but back in 1990, they struggled to get much recognition at all. "Miller's Crossing" marks the point where their collective voice became fully realized, resulting in one of the greatest gangster movies of all time. Sadly, it would be some time before that film truly received the recognition and acclaim it deserved.
'Slacker' (1990)
The early '90s marked another renaissance period for independent filmmakers, and Richard Linklater's "Slacker" is as responsible as any film for making that possible. This coming-of-age comedy didn't attract a huge audience, but without it we wouldn't have Linklater's more popular follow-up, "Dazed and Confused," or other breakout hits like Kevin Smith's "Clerks."
'Strange Days' (1995)
This sci-fi techno thriller from director Kathryn Bigelow was largely avoided by audiences upon release, but at least time has been kind. It helps that the film has only grown more relevant with age, dealing as it does with racial unrest and the voyeuristic abuse of technology.
'Gattaca' (1997)
"Gattaca" blazed new ground in the science fiction world by creating the "biopunk" subgenre. At the time it was a box office disappointment, with "Contact" hogging most of the acclaim and money that year. But as issues over reproductive rights and genetic modification become more paramount these days, "Gattaca" has emerged as a sci-fi film clearly ahead of its time. (Written and directed by "Truman Show" screenwriter, Andrew Niccol.)
'The Truman Show' (1998)
Maybe at the time, the idea of a reality TV show framed around a man who doesn't realize his every moment is being broadcast to the world seemed strange and outlandish. These days, in the era of "Survivor" and "Big Brother," it's practically par for the course. This movie basically predicted our current reality TV-obsessed culture with pinpoint accuracy.
'The Matrix' (1999)
"The Matrix" was regarded as a groundbreaking film even upon its release, revolutionizing the special effects field and bringing cyberpunk to a wider audience. But its impact has only grown with time. It's the movie that predicted mankind's increasingly symbiotic relationship with technology and launched a thousand Internet memes.
'Minority Report' (2002)
These days, with cameras and Internet-connected devices around every corner, you can never be entirely sure who's watching. In that sense, "Minority Report" offered a pretty accurate view of the future. Sure, law enforcement doesn't have a pre-crime division yet, but give it a few more years. Also, the film was scary-good at predicting a future where pre-consumers are targeted by ads catered to them based on previous purchases and purchasing patterns.
