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2004 in film is an overview of events, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies, festivals, a list of country-specific lists of films released, notable deaths and film debuts.Shrek 2 was the year's top-grossing film, andMillion Dollar Baby won theAcademy Award for Best Picture.
American film critic and professorEmanuel Levy described 2004 as "a banner year for actors, particularly men." He went on to emphasize, "I can't think of another year in which there were so many good performances, in every genre. It was a year in which we saw the entire spectrum of demographics displayed on the big screen, from vet actors such asClint Eastwood andMorgan Freeman, to seniors such asAl Pacino,Robert De Niro, andDustin Hoffman, to newcomers such asTopher Grace. As always, though, the centre of the male acting pyramid is occupied by actors in their forties and fifties, such asSean Penn,Johnny Depp,Liam Neeson,Kevin Kline,Don Cheadle,Jim Carrey. In terms of film genres, Levy stated, "The year's most prominent genre was the biopicture, a genre that in the past has suffered from lack of prestige and abundance of clichés. There were a dozen worthy biopictures, includingAlexander,The Aviator,Beyond the Sea,Finding Neverland,Hotel Rwanda,Kinsey,Motorcycle Diaries, andRay. Celebrating entrepreneurs, playwrights, singers, sex researchers, composers, and politicians, they continued to show one alarming bias: They were all about men. You don't have to be a feminist critic or a sociologist to deduct that, as far as real or reel heroes are concerned, women matter less in Hollywood and American society at large. Can't anyone come up with a strong part for a femme-driven bio a la British filmVera Drake, without relegating women to showbiz personae." Levy also stated, "Classic Hollywood cinema, which reached its height during the golden age of studio system and has been in decline, is kept alive by one major force: Clint Eastwood. The "Man With No Name" has become the "Man With the Best Name", a director who's experiencing an unparallel artistic height with “Million Dollar Baby,” a follow-up to the equally sublimeMystic River."[1]
The top 10 films released in 2004 by worldwide gross are as follows:[2]
| Rank | Title | Distributor | Worldwide gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shrek 2 | DreamWorks | $935,454,538 |
| 2 | Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban | Warner Bros. | $798,076,924 |
| 3 | Spider-Man 2 | Sony | $783,766,341 |
| 4 | The Incredibles | Buena Vista | $631,442,092 |
| 5 | The Passion of the Christ | Icon /Newmarket | $611,486,736 |
| 6 | The Day After Tomorrow | 20th Century Fox | $552,639,571 |
| 7 | Meet the Fockers | Universal /DreamWorks | $522,657,936 |
| 8 | Troy | Warner Bros. | $497,409,852 |
| 9 | Shark Tale | DreamWorks | $374,583,879 |
| 10 | Ocean's Twelve | Warner Bros. | $362,744,280 |
Shrek 2 set a new record for total gross by an animated film making it the highest-grossing animated film of all time. The record was later surpassed byToy Story 3 in2010. It also remained the highest-grossing non-Disney animated film until it was surpassed byDespicable Me 2 in 2013 and the highest-grossing non Disney or Universal animated film until it was surpassed byNe Zha 2 in 2025. On July 7,Spider-Man 2 reached a $200 million domestic gross in a record time of eight days. On July 18, after 19 days in release,Spider-Man 2 reached $300 million domestically in another record time.Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban has the highest international revenue of $546 million compared toShrek 2's $487.5 million.
The Passion of the Christ, directed byMel Gibson, became the firstblockbuster motion picture of 2004 and also the highest grossingR-rated film domestically.Meet the Fockers beat 2003'sBruce Almighty record for the highest-grossing comedy film; both were released by Universal.
| Month | Day | Event |
| January | 25 | Golden Globe Awards: Major winners includeThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King andLost in Translation. |
| 26 | Golden Raspberry Award nominations announced, leading films are: | |
| 27 | Academy Awards nominations announced, leading films are: | |
| February | 4 | 9th Empire Awards: Major winners includeLove Actually andThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King |
| 15 | BAFTA Awards: Major winners includeScarlett Johansson, Best Actress andBill Murray, Best Actor | |
| 22 | Screen Actors Guild Awards:Charlize Theron, The Actor for Best Female Actor,Johnny Depp, The Actor for Best Male Actor,Tim Robbins, The Actor for Best Male Supporting Actor,Renée Zellweger, The Actor for Best Female Supporting Actor. | |
| 23 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King becomes the second film in history to gross more than $1 billion in worldwide box office receipts. | |
| 25 | The Passion of the Christ, Mel Gibson's major motion picture about the last days of Jesus's life on Earth, opens huge in time forLent. | |
| 28 | Gigli dominates theGolden Raspberry Awards, walking away with 6 awards, including Worst Picture, Worst Actress (Jennifer Lopez), Worst Actor (Ben Affleck), Worst Director (Martin Brest), Worst Screenplay (Brest) and worst on-screen couple (Lopez and Affleck). Worst supporting acting awards went to actressDemi Moore forCharlie's Angels: Full Throttle and actorSylvester Stallone forSpy Kids 3-D: Game Over. | |
| 29 | 76th Academy Awards:The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King winspicture anddirector awards as well as nine others for a total of 11Academy Awards, a tie for the most ever won by a single film. | |
| May | 22 | Fahrenheit 9/11, a controversialdocumentary byMichael Moore wins the top prize, thePalme d'Or, at theCannes Film Festival. |
| June | 5 | The2004 MTV Movie Awards were held atSony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California and hosted byLindsay Lohan. |
| 27 | Fahrenheit 9/11 breaks the record for highest opening-weekend earnings in the United States for a documentary, earning $23.9 million. And going on to earn over $119M in domestic box office earnings. | |
| July | 1 | Marlon Brando, considered by many to be the greatest actor of all time, dies at the age of 80 from respiratory failure at theUCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. |
| October | 27 | DreamWorks Animation is spun off fromDreamWorks Pictures into a separate company. |
| 29 | Voices of Iraq released, the first "wikified"documentary film created by sending multiple DV cameras to participants. | |
| December | 13 | TheHollywood Foreign Press Association announced the nominees for the 2005Golden Globes awards with comedySideways garnering seven nominations and actorJamie Foxx with three for his work in both film and television. |
| 21 | TheAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces seven films are eligible for theAcademy Award for Visual Effects: | |
| 28 | TheAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces that 267 films released in 2004 are eligible for consideration of theAcademy Award for Best Picture. |
| Month | Date | Name | Age | Country | Profession | Notable films |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2 | Etta Moten Barnett | 102 | US | Actress | |
| 2 | Lynn Cartwright | 76 | US | Actress | ||
| 4 | Brian Gibson | 59 | UK | Director | ||
| 4 | Jeff Nuttall | 70 | UK | Actor | ||
| 6 | Philip Gilbert | 72 | Canada | Actor | ||
| 7 | Ingrid Thulin | 77 | Sweden | Actress | ||
| 8 | Reginald H. Morris | 85 | UK | Cinematographer | ||
| 9 | Lyndon Brook | 77 | UK | Actor | ||
| 10 | Spalding Gray | 62 | US | Actor | ||
| 10 | Sidney Miller | 87 | US | Actor, Director | ||
| 13 | Phillip Crosby | 69 | US | Actor | ||
| 14 | Catherine Craig | 88 | US | Actress | ||
| 14 | Uta Hagen | 84 | Germany | Actress | ||
| 14 | Ron O'Neal | 66 | US | Actor, Director | ||
| 17 | Ray Stark | 89 | US | Producer | ||
| 17 | Noble Willingham | 72 | US | Actor | ||
| 22 | Ann Miller | 83 | US | Actress, Dancer | ||
| 27 | H.B. Haggerty | 78 | US | Actor | ||
| 27 | Jack Paar | 85 | US | Actor | ||
| 28 | Elroy Hirsch | 80 | US | Actor | ||
| 28 | Joe Viterelli | 66 | US | Actor | ||
| 29 | Andrew J. Kuehn | 66 | US | Director | ||
| February | 2 | Bernard McEveety | 79 | US | Director | |
| 4 | Michael P. Moran | 59 | US | Actor | ||
| 8 | Robert F. Colesberry | 57 | US | Producer | ||
| 10 | J. C. Quinn | 63 | US | Actor | ||
| 11 | Tony Pope | 56 | US | Voice Actor | ||
| 12 | Martin Jurow | 92 | US | Producer | ||
| 13 | Carole Eastman | 69 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| 13 | John Trumper | 80 | UK | Film Editor | ||
| 14 | Elois Jenssen | 81 | US | Costume Designer | ||
| 15 | Jan Miner | 86 | US | Actress | ||
| 23 | Carl Anderson | 58 | US | Singer, Actor | ||
| 23 | John Randolph | 88 | US | Actor | ||
| 26 | Russell Hunter | 79 | UK | Actor | ||
| 26 | Ralph E. Winters | 94 | Canada | Film Editor | ||
| 29 | Mark Cavell | 64 | US | Actor | ||
| March | 2 | Mercedes McCambridge | 87 | US | Actress | |
| 3 | Arthur Kempel | 59 | US | Composer | ||
| 5 | Walt Gorney | 91 | Austria | Actor | ||
| 6 | Frances Dee | 94 | US | Actress | ||
| 7 | Michael Stringer | 79 | UK | Production Designer, Art Director | ||
| 7 | Paul Winfield | 64 | US | Actor | ||
| 8 | Robert Pastorelli | 50 | US | Actor | ||
| 10 | Wilhelm von Homburg | 63 | Germany | Actor | ||
| 15 | René Laloux | 74 | France | Animator, Director | ||
| 15 | John Vallone | 50 | US | Production Designer | ||
| 18 | Richard Marner | 82 | Russia | Actor | ||
| 21 | Ludmilla Tchérina | 79 | France | Actress, Choreographer | ||
| 24 | Richard Leech | 81 | Ireland | Actor | ||
| 25 | Robert Arden | 81 | UK | Actor | ||
| 26 | Fred Karlin | 67 | US | Composer | ||
| 26 | Jan Sterling | 82 | US | Actress | ||
| 27 | Peter Diamond | 74 | UK | Stuntman, Actor | ||
| 28 | Peter Ustinov | 82 | UK | Actor, Director | ||
| 29 | Charles Grenzbach | 80 | US | Sound Engineer | ||
| 29 | Simone Renant | 93 | France | Actress | ||
| April | 1 | Carrie Snodgress | 58 | US | Actress | |
| 4 | Ralph Kemplen | 91 | UK | Film Editor | ||
| 4 | Austin Willis | 87 | Canada | Actor | ||
| 7 | Victor Argo | 69 | US | Actor | ||
| 17 | Bruce Boa | 73 | Canada | Actor | ||
| 18 | Frances Rafferty | 81 | US | Actress | ||
| 19 | Tim Burstall | 77 | UK | Director, Screenwriter | ||
| 19 | Philip Locke | 76 | UK | Actor | ||
| 21 | Mary Selway | 68 | UK | Casting Director | ||
| 25 | Albert Paulsen | 78 | US | Actor | ||
| May | 1 | Nelson Gidding | 84 | US | Screenwriter | |
| 3 | Anthony Ainley | 71 | UK | Actor | ||
| 4 | Hugh Gillin | 78 | US | Actor | ||
| 5 | Vern Taylor | 71 | US | Actor | ||
| 6 | Virginia Capers | 78 | US | Actress | ||
| 9 | Tommy Farrell | 82 | US | Actress | ||
| 9 | Alan King | 76 | US | Actor, Producer | ||
| 14 | Anna Lee | 91 | UK | Actress | ||
| 17 | Tony Randall | 84 | US | Actor | ||
| 18 | Lincoln Kilpatrick | 73 | US | Actor | ||
| 23 | Trudy Marshall | 84 | US | Actress | ||
| 27 | Patience Cleveland | 73 | US | Actress | ||
| 28 | Irene Manning | 91 | US | Actress | ||
| 31 | Robert A. Burns | 60 | US | Art Director | ||
| June | 3 | Harold Goodwin | 86 | UK | Actor | |
| 4 | Charles Correll | 60 | US | Cinematographer | ||
| 4 | Nino Manfredi | 83 | Italy | Actor, Director | ||
| 4 | Anthony Steffen | 73 | Italy | Actor | ||
| 5 | Virginia North | 58 | UK | Actress | ||
| 5 | Mark Northover | 54 | UK | Actor | ||
| 5 | Ronald Reagan | 93 | US | Actor,40th President of the United States | ||
| 6 | Judy Campbell | 88 | UK | Actress | ||
| 7 | Donald Trumbull | 95 | US | Visual Effects Artist | ||
| 9 | Barbara Whiting | 73 | US | Actress | ||
| 10 | Ray Charles | 73 | US | Singer, Actor | ||
| 13 | Robert Lees | 91 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| 14 | Max Rosenberg | 89 | US | Producer | ||
| 18 | Doris Dowling | 81 | US | Actress | ||
| 18 | George Buck Flower | 66 | US | Actor | ||
| 19 | Colin McCormack | 62 | UK | Actor | ||
| 26 | Muriel Angelus | 92 | UK | Actress | ||
| 30 | Chris Alcaide | 80 | US | Actor | ||
| July | 1 | Marlon Brando | 80 | US | Actor | |
| 6 | Eric Douglas | 46 | US | Actor | ||
| 6 | Jimmie F. Skaggs | 59 | US | Actor | ||
| 9 | Carlo Di Palma | 79 | Italy | Cinematographer | ||
| 9 | Isabel Sanford | 86 | US | Actress | ||
| 11 | Dorothy Hart | 82 | US | Actress | ||
| 12 | Jeff Morris | 69 | US | Actor | ||
| 13 | George Mallaby | 64 | UK | Actor | ||
| 17 | Pat Roach | 67 | UK | Actor | ||
| 18 | Richard Ney | 87 | US | Actor | ||
| 19 | Irvin Yeaworth | 78 | Germany | Director | ||
| 21 | Jerry Goldsmith | 75 | US | Composer | ||
| 22 | Muriel Angelus | 92 | UK | Actress | ||
| 23 | Serge Reggiani | 82 | Italy | Actor, Singer | ||
| 27 | Sam Edwards | 89 | US | Actor | ||
| 28 | Eugene Roche | 75 | US | Actor | ||
| 31 | Laura Betti | 77 | Italy | Actress | ||
| 31 | Virginia Grey | 87 | US | Actress | ||
| August | 1 | Vivian Austin | 84 | US | Actress | |
| 3 | Geraldine Peroni | 51 | US | Film Editor | ||
| 8 | Paul Garner | 95 | US | Actor | ||
| 8 | Fay Wray | 96 | Canada | Actress | ||
| 9 | David Raksin | 92 | US | Composer | ||
| 12 | Peter Woodthorpe | 72 | UK | Actor | ||
| 16 | Mildred "Acquanetta" Davenport | 83 | US | Actress | ||
| 18 | Elmer Bernstein | 82 | US | Composer | ||
| 18 | Hugh Manning | 83 | UK | Actor | ||
| 22 | Daniel Petrie | 83 | Canada | Director | ||
| 25 | Donald M. Ashton | 85 | UK | Production Designer | ||
| 26 | David Myers | 90 | US | Cinematographer | ||
| 27 | William Pierson | 78 | US | Actor | ||
| 30 | Bob Sherman | 63 | US | Actor | ||
| September | 8 | Frank Thomas | 92 | US | Animator | |
| 9 | Caitlin Clarke | 52 | US | Actress | ||
| 10 | O. L. Duke | 51 | US | Actor | ||
| 11 | Michael A. Carter | 77 | UK | Sound Engineer | ||
| 11 | Fred Ebb | 76 | US | Lyricist | ||
| 15 | Bernard Gribble | 77 | UK | Film Editor | ||
| 17 | Evi Rauer | 88 | Estonia | Actress | ||
| 18 | Russ Meyer | 82 | US | Director | ||
| 19 | Annabella Incontrera | 61 | Italy | Actress | ||
| 19 | Robert Lawrence | 90 | Canada | Film Editor | ||
| 24 | Tim Choate | 49 | US | Actor | ||
| 30 | Michael Relph | 89 | UK | Producer | ||
| 30 | Ignatius Wolfington | 83 | US | Actor | ||
| October | 3 | Janet Leigh | 77 | US | Actress | |
| 5 | Rodney Dangerfield | 82 | US | Actor, Comedian | ||
| 8 | Irina Demick | 67 | France | Actress | ||
| 10 | Christopher Reeve | 52 | US | Actor | ||
| 17 | Julius Harris | 81 | US | Actor | ||
| 26 | Patricia Knight | 89 | US | Actress | ||
| 28 | Gil Mellé | 72 | US | Composer | ||
| 28 | Charles F. Wheeler | 88 | US | Cinematographer | ||
| 30 | Peggy Ryan | 80 | US | Actress, Dancer | ||
| 31 | Mari Aldon | 78 | Lithuania | Actress | ||
| November | 6 | Robert Lang | 70 | UK | Actor | |
| 6 | Elizabeth Rogers | 70 | US | Actress | ||
| 6 | Edward Warschilka | 76 | Hungary | Film Editor | ||
| 7 | Howard Keel | 85 | US | Actor | ||
| 9 | Ed Kemmer | 83 | US | Actor | ||
| 12 | Norman Rose | 87 | US | Actor | ||
| 13 | Carlo Rustichelli | 87 | Italy | Composer | ||
| 13 | Don Sharpe | 75 | UK | Sound Engineer | ||
| 14 | Michel Colombier | 65 | France | Composer | ||
| 19 | Helmut Griem | 72 | Germany | Actor | ||
| 20 | Anna Keaveney | 55 | UK | Actress | ||
| 22 | Jerry Bick | 81 | US | Producer | ||
| 25 | David Bailey | 71 | US | Actor | ||
| 26 | Philippe de Broca | 71 | France | Director, Screenwriter | ||
| 27 | John Drew Barrymore | 72 | US | Actor | ||
| 28 | Molly Weir | 94 | UK | Actress | ||
| December | 1 | William Sackheim | 85 | US | Screenwriter, Producer | |
| 4 | Carl Esmond | 102 | Austria | Actor | ||
| 9 | Jean Tournier | 78 | France | Cinematographer | ||
| 10 | John Monks Jr. | 94 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| 15 | Maria Perschy | 66 | Austria | Actress | ||
| 16 | Stefano Madia | 49 | Italy | Actor | ||
| 20 | Howard Feuer | 56 | US | Casting Director | ||
| 21 | Richard Hamilton | 83 | US | Actor | ||
| 28 | Jerry Orbach | 69 | US | Actor | ||
| 29 | William Boyett | 77 | US | Actor | ||
| 29 | Liddy Holloway | 57 | New Zealand | Actress |
