If we think about it, the year, applied to culture, is an arbitrary sign. No film's primary output is determined solely by the Earth's path around the sun; No album recording is forced to end abruptly with the arrival of New Year's Eve. However, years, both in life and in art, are among the main markers of the people we were or hoped to be: the year we were born. The year we graduated high school. The year of the death of this loved one, of that stinging disappointment, of the first job, of the first kiss. The years reduce the scale of a life, of an era, to something intermediate, even manageable, something you can celebrate from the beginning or preserve until the end.
In this, the year is also a useful tool for understanding pop culture, a time span long enough to measure trends and short enough not to be overwhelmed by them. And 1999 – especially its film production – has already secured its place alongside 1939, 1946, 1967 and 1974 as a defining moment, anointed the “Best.” Movie. Year. Ever”, set at the end of the millennium, immortalized by Prince.
The 1999 Project, a yearlong celebration organized by the Los Angeles Times, expands the argument. Across film, television, music, comedy, books, video games, and more, we maintain that 1999 produced a dizzying array of essential pop culture artifacts, milestones, and turning points, not only remaking the culture as it stands. we knew it then, but by creating the culture. we live now.
Throughout 2024, we will commemorate the 25th anniversaries of those moments with reflections from writers on what shaped them, how it did so, and why understanding 1999 remains important a quarter-century later. Find each new entry in The 1999 Project below as it is published:
