Cinema: Year's Best and Worst

Looking back at the cinematic offerings of 2003, The Early Show entertainment contributors Laurie Hibberd and Jess Cagle sparred over their choices for best and worst.

They agreed more closely on the misses with the same three movies – "Gigli," "The Hulk," and "From Justin To Kelly" - making the lists of both reviewers.

"Gigli," the Ben Affleck-Jennifer Lopez bomb, "is in a class by itself for
bad movies," says Hibberd. She also called "From Justin to Kelly," a musical with the "American Idol" stars, "a really tough movie to watch."

Cagle, a senior editor at People magazine, was particularly critical of "The Cat In the Hat."

"This was a cynical attempt of cashing in on Dr. Seuss. I wanted to leave the theater when Mike Myers held up two passes to the Universal Studios theater and looked at the camera and said, 'cha-ching.'"

When it came to the year's best, the two could agree on only one: "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King."

Both said it was the best movie of the "Ring" trilogy. "The first was too fairytale-ish and the second was too action movie-ish," said Cagle. "This one is just right."

Also on Hibberd's list was "Cold Mountain," a movie she said she was expecting to dislike and which she discovered she loved. Her favorite of the year was "Finding Nemo."

On Cagle's list was "Freaky Friday." He called it "the year's most pleasant surprise, made so much better by Jamie Lee Curtis who gives one of the best performances of the year. She should get an Oscar nomination."

They also disagreed on "Mystic River" a much talked-about film that made the lists of neither reviewer. Hibberd said she loved the movie and it just missed her " Five Best" list. Cagle called it the "most over-hyped film of the year " and said it just missed his "Five Worst" list.

The following are lists of the best and worst choices of each.

Best of the Year

There are Hibberd's choices :

• "American Splendor"
• "Bend It Like Beckham"
• "Cold Mountain"
• "Finding Nemo"
• "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King"

• "Big Fish"
• "Capturing the Friedmans"
• "Freaky Friday"
• "The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King"
• "Lost In Translation"
  

These are Hibberd's choices for worst movie of the year:

• "From Justin To Kelly"
• "The Hulk"
• Gigli"
• "Legally Blonde: Red, White and Blonde"
• "Old School"

• " Dr. Seuss' The Cat In The Hat"

  "From Justin To Kelly"

• "The Hulk"
• Gigli"
• "My Boss' Daughter"