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| 1870s |
The following is an overview of events in2006, including the highest-grossing films, award ceremonies and festivals, a list of films released and notable deaths. Pixar celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2006 with the release of its 7th film,Cars.
Philip French ofThe Guardian described 2006 as "an outstanding year for British cinema". He went on to emphasize, "Six of our well-established directors have made highly individual films of real distinction:Michael Winterbottom'sA Cock and Bull Story,Ken Loach'sPalme d'Or winnerThe Wind That Shakes the Barley,Christopher Nolan'sThe Prestige,Stephen Frears'sThe Queen,Paul Greengrass'sUnited 93 andNicholas Hytner'sThe History Boys. Two young directors made confident debuts, both offering a jaundiced view of contemporary Britain:Andrea Arnold's Red Road and Paul Andrew Williams's London to Brighton. In addition the gifted MexicanAlfonso Cuaron came here to make the dystopian thrillerChildren of Men." He also stated, "In the (United) States,M. Night Shyamalan ofThe Sixth Sense fame fell flat on his over-confident face withLady in the Water, butMartin Scorsese'sThe Departed was his best for years, and he was withJack Nicholson at last. Apart from that, the best American films were political (Syriana,Good Night, and Good Luck,The New World) or very personal (Little Miss Sunshine,Little Children,The Squid and the Whale). Sadly,Oliver Stone's9/11 pictureWorld Trade Center was neither. Asian cinema produced a string of elegant thrillers and horror flicks. The best Eastern European movie wasThe Death of Mr. Lazarescu, a devastating look at the Romania Ceausescu left behind him. Most of the best Western European films came from France, withMichael Haneke'sCaché, proving the most widely discussed art-house puzzle picture sinceLast Year at Marienbad. The award of 18 certificates by the BBFC to Shortbus and Destricted has brought close the abolition of censorship, but not of classification, andAng Lee'sBrokeback Mountain was a real step forward for the representation of homosexuals in mainstream cinema, thoughGore Vidal claims that there's a gay subtext to every western. However, the year's most extraordinary event, or conjunction, was the almost simultaneous release ofTommy Lee Jones's directorial debutThe Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada andAl Gore's documentaryAn Inconvenient Truth. Who would have predicted in the Sixties, when they were roommates at Harvard and used byErich Segal as joint models for Oliver Barrett IV inLove Story, that both Jones and Gore would end up as movie stars - if, in Gore's case, accidentally and temporarily?"[1]
The top 10 films released in 2006 by worldwide gross are as follows:[2]
| Rank | Title | Distributor(s) | Worldwide gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest | Buena Vista | $1,066,179,725 |
| 2 | The Da Vinci Code | Sony | $760,006,945 |
| 3 | Ice Age: The Meltdown | 20th Century Fox | $660,998,756 |
| 4 | Casino Royale | Sony /MGM | $606,099,584 |
| 5 | Night at the Museum | 20th Century Fox | $574,480,841 |
| 6 | Cars | Buena Vista | $461,983,149 |
| 7 | X-Men: The Last Stand | 20th Century Fox | $460,435,291 |
| 8 | Mission: Impossible III | Paramount | $398,479,497 |
| 9 | Superman Returns | Warner Bros. | $391,081,192 |
| 10 | Happy Feet | $384,335,608 |
| Month | Day | Event |
| January | 4 | TheProducers Guild of America nominatesBrokeback Mountain,Capote,Crash,Good Night, and Good Luck andWalk the Line as contenders for their best-produced film award. TheWriters Guild of America (WGA) nominateThe 40-Year-Old Virgin,I Tried,Crash,Good Night, and Good Luck andThe Squid and the Whale for best original screenplay. The WGA nominees for best adapted screenplay areBrokeback Mountain,Capote,The Constant Gardener,A History of Violence andSyriana. |
| 5 | Jon Stewart is named host of the78th Academy Awards. | |
| 9 | TheBroadcast Film Critics Association present theirCritics' Choice Awards for the best films of 2005 live onThe WB network in the United States.Brokeback Mountain is named best picture, best director forAng Lee and ties for best supporting actress forMichelle Williams.Philip Seymour Hoffman is named best actor forCapote andReese Witherspoon is awarded best actress forWalk the Line. | |
| 16 | The winners of the63rd Golden Globe Awards includeBrokeback Mountain for best dramatic picture and best director. | |
| 19 | The 2006Sundance Film Festival starts inPark City, Utah. | |
| 24 | Disney announces plans to acquirePixar | |
| 28 | TheDirectors Guild of America namesAng Lee best film director of 2005 forBrokeback Mountain, best documentary goes toWerner Herzog forGrizzly Man and its Lifetime Achievement Award goes toClint Eastwood. | |
| 29 | TheScreen Actors Guild namesPhilip Seymour Hoffman outstanding male movie actor forCapote,Reese Witherspoon as outstanding female lead movie actor forWalk the Line,Rachel Weisz as outstanding female actor in a supporting role forThe Constant Gardener,Paul Giamatti as outstanding male actor in a supporting role forCinderella Man, the cast ofCrash as outstanding ensemble in a theatrical motion picture, andShirley Temple Black is given a life achievement award. | |
| 30 | The26th Golden Raspberry Awards nominees includeDeuce Bigalow: European Gigolo,Dirty Love,The Dukes of Hazzard,House of Wax andSon of the Mask for worst film;Tom Cruise,Will Ferrell,Jamie Kennedy,The Rock andRob Schneider for worst actor; andJessica Alba,Hilary Duff,Jennifer Lopez,Jenny McCarthy andTara Reid for worst actress. | |
| 31 | TheAcademy Awards for best film achievement in 2005 had nominated primarily independent films.Brokeback Mountain led the nominations with 8, followed byCrash,Good Night, and Good Luck andMemoirs of a Geisha all earning six. | |
| February | 5 | The 33rd annualAnnie Award -Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit won the best animated feature, as well as all nine categories which it was nominated.Family Guy won the best voice acting and directing,Star Wars: Clone Wars II Chapters 21-25 won the best animated TV production,Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch won the best home entertainment award, andUltimate Spider-Man won the new "best video game award". |
| 6 | Disney re-acquires the rights toOswald the Lucky Rabbit fromNBCUniversal, in exchange for ABC letting commentatorAl Michaels work onNBC Sunday Night Football. | |
| March | 4 | Dirty Love dominates the26th Golden Raspberry Awards with 4 awards including Worst Picture and Worst Actress forJenny McCarthy.Rob Schneider took home for Worst Actor for his performance inDeuce Bigalow: European Gigolo. Other awards went toHayden Christensen as Worst Supporting Actor forStar Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith andParis Hilton as Worst Supporting Actress forHouse of Wax |
| 5 | 78th Academy Awards:Crash earns a win forBest Picture upsetting favoriteBrokeback Mountain. No film, for the first time in 58 years, won a clear majority. Both films as well asMemoirs of a Geisha andKing Kong win threeOscars each. FavoriteMarch of the Penguins wins Oscar forDocumentary Feature. South Africa wins its first motion picture Oscar with the Best Foreign Film award forTsotsi.Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit wins Oscar forAnimated feature film. Major awards as follows: | |
| 13 | 11th Empire Awards:Pride & Prejudice andStar Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith win the most awards with two. | |
| April | 18 | Tom Cruise and fiancéeKatie Holmes welcomed their newborn babySuri. |
| 25 | The 5th annualTribeca Film Festival opens with notable films such asMission: Impossible III andUnited 93. | |
| 28 | TV double actAnt & Dec make their big screen debut withAlien Autopsy. | |
| May | 17 | The2006 Cannes Film Festival began inCannes, France. It continued until May 28. It was hosted byVincent Cassel. Films in competition includedBabel byAlejandro González Iñárritu,Fast Food Nation byRichard Linklater,Iklimler byNuri Bilge Ceylan,El Laberinto del Fauno byGuillermo del Toro,Marie Antoinette bySofia Coppola,Southland Tales byRichard Kelly,Volver byPedro Almodóvar, andThe Wind That Shakes the Barley byKen Loach |
| 27 | Brad Pitt andOscar-winnerAngelina Jolie give birth to daughter Shiloh in the African nation ofNamibia. | |
| June | 3 | The2006 MTV Movie Awards winners were announced. |
| 14 | TheAmerican Film Institute releases its ninth list of itsAFI 100 Years... series,AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers recognizing 100 films as the most "inspirational" in cinema history.Frank Capra'sIt's a Wonderful Life is named the most "inspirational" film of all time. | |
| July | 7 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest opens later grossing $55.8 million on its opening day, setting records for the largest opening day, the largest single day gross, and the largest Friday gross of all time (the previous record was held byStar Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith with $50,013,859, the previous year). It also surpassed the opening weekend gross (at $135,634,554 between July 7–9) previously set bySpider-Man in 2002 with $114,844,116 between May 3–5. |
| 28 | Actor andOscar-winning director producerMel Gibson is arrested after speeding onPacific Coast Highway due to aDUI. Police reports later reveal stinginganti-Semitic comments made to the officer (a Jew). Gibson checked into rehab and issued several statements apologizing for his rude comments.SeeMel Gibson DUI incident for more details. | |
| September | 7 | Ellen DeGeneres is named host of the79th Academy Awards. |
| 7-16 | The2006 Toronto International Film Festival takes place. | |
| December | 7 | 64th Golden Globe Awards nominees are announced.Babel leads nominations with seven. |
Palme d'Or (59th Cannes Film Festival):
Golden Lion (63rd Venice International Film Festival):
Golden Bear (56th Berlin International Film Festival):
| Month | Date | Name | Age | Country | Profession | Notable films |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2 | Osa Massen | 91 | Denmark | Actress | |
| 2 | John Woodnutt | 81 | UK | Actor | ||
| 5 | Mark Roberts | 84 | US | Actor | ||
| 7 | Jim Zulevic | 40 | US | Actor | ||
| 12 | Stu Linder | 74 | US | Film Editor | ||
| 12 | Norris Spencer | 62 | UK | Production Designer | ||
| 14 | Shelley Winters | 85 | US | Actress | ||
| 19 | Anthony Franciosa | 77 | US | Actor | ||
| 21 | Robert Knudson | 80 | US | Sound Engineer | ||
| 23 | Joseph M. Newman | 96 | US | Director | ||
| 24 | Fayard Nicholas | 91 | US | Actor, Dancer, Choreographer | ||
| 24 | Chris Penn | 40 | US | Actor | ||
| 25 | Moss Mabry | 87 | US | Costume Designer | ||
| 27 | Paul Valentine | 86 | US | Actor | ||
| 28 | Henry McGee | 77 | UK | Actor | ||
| 31 | Moira Shearer | 80 | UK | Actress, Dancer | ||
| February | 1 | Roy Alon | 63 | UK | Stuntman | |
| 3 | Walerian Borowczyk | 82 | Poland | Director, Screenwriter | ||
| 3 | Jean Byron | 80 | US | Actress | ||
| 3 | Al Lewis | 82 | US | Actor | ||
| 5 | Franklin Cover | 77 | US | Actor | ||
| 6 | Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez | 80 | US | Actor | ||
| 8 | Akira Ifukube | 91 | Japan | Composer | ||
| 9 | Phil Brown | 89 | US | Actor | ||
| 13 | Andreas Katsulas | 59 | US | Actor | ||
| 14 | Darry Cowl | 80 | France | Actor | ||
| 18 | Richard Bright | 64 | US | Actor | ||
| 19 | Erna Lazarus | 102 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| 21 | Richard Snell | 50 | US | Makeup Artist | ||
| 24 | Don Knotts | 81 | US | Actor | ||
| 24 | Dennis Weaver | 81 | US | Actor | ||
| 25 | Darren McGavin | 83 | US | Actor | ||
| March | 1 | Peter Sykes | 66 | Australia | Director | |
| 1 | Jack Wild | 53 | UK | Actor | ||
| 2 | Phyllis Huffman | 61 | US | Casting Director | ||
| 7 | John Junkin | 76 | UK | Actor | ||
| 7 | Gordon Parks | 93 | US | Director | ||
| 8 | Rhoda Williams | 75 | US | Actress | ||
| 12 | Joseph Bova | 81 | US | Actor | ||
| 13 | Maureen Stapleton | 80 | US | Actress | ||
| 16 | Moira Redmond | 77 | UK | Actress | ||
| 17 | Bob Papenbrook | 50 | US | Voice Actor | ||
| 18 | Michael Attwell | 63 | UK | Actor | ||
| 25 | Richard Fleischer | 89 | US | Director | ||
| 29 | Henry Farrell | 85 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| 29 | Gretchen Rau | 66 | US | Set Decorator, Art Director | ||
| 31 | Candice Rialson | 54 | US | Actress | ||
| April | 4 | Gary Gray | 69 | US | Actor | |
| 9 | Vilgot Sjöman | 82 | Sweden | Director | ||
| 13 | Jacques Maumont | 81 | France | Sound Engineer | ||
| 17 | Henderson Forsythe | 88 | US | Actor | ||
| 22 | Alida Valli | 84 | Italy | Actress | ||
| 23 | Susan Browning | 65 | US | Actress | ||
| 23 | Jennifer Jayne | 74 | UK | Actress, Screenwriter | ||
| 29 | Alberta Nelson | 68 | US | Actress | ||
| May | 1 | Jay Presson Allen | 84 | US | Screenwriter | |
| 1 | Betsy Jones-Moreland | 76 | US | Actress | ||
| 4 | Michael Taliferro | 44 | US | Actor | ||
| 7 | Tanis Chandler | 81 | France | Actress | ||
| 10 | Val Guest | 94 | UK | Director, Screenwriter | ||
| 14 | Paul Marco | 78 | US | Actor | ||
| 21 | Katherine Dunham | 96 | US | Dancer | ||
| 24 | Henry Bumstead | 91 | US | Art Director, Production Designer | ||
| 27 | Barbara Cohen | 53 | US | Casting Director | ||
| 27 | Paul Gleason | 67 | US | Actor | ||
| 29 | Katarína Kolníková | 85 | Slovakia | Actress | ||
| 30 | Shōhei Imamura | 79 | Japan | Director, Screenwriter | ||
| 30 | Robert Sterling | 88 | US | Actor | ||
| June | 8 | Robert Donner | 75 | US | Actor | |
| 10 | Gerald James | 88 | UK | Actor | ||
| 12 | Hugh Latimer | 75 | UK | Actor | ||
| 10 | Monty Berman | 92 | UK | Producer, Director, Cinematographer | ||
| 16 | Arthur Franz | 86 | US | Actor | ||
| 18 | Vincent Sherman | 99 | US | Director | ||
| 18 | Richard Stahl | 74 | US | Actor | ||
| 23 | Aaron Spelling | 83 | US | Producer, Actor | ||
| 25 | Kenneth Griffith | 84 | UK | Actor | ||
| July | 2 | Jan Murray | 89 | US | Actor | |
| 3 | Jack Smith | 92 | US | Actor | ||
| 5 | Amzie Strickland | 87 | US | Actress | ||
| 6 | Kasey Rogers | 80 | US | Actress | ||
| 8 | June Allyson | 88 | US | Actress | ||
| 9 | Chris Drake | 82 | US | Actor | ||
| 11 | Barnard Hughes | 90 | US | Actor | ||
| 12 | Kurt Kreuger | 89 | Germany | Actor | ||
| 12 | Loredana Nusciak | 64 | Italy | Actress | ||
| 13 | Red Buttons | 87 | US | Actor | ||
| 19 | Pascal Renwick [fr] | 51 | FR | French voice actor | ||
| 19 | Jack Warden | 85 | US | Actor | ||
| 20 | Robert Cornthwaite | 89 | US | Actor | ||
| 21 | Mako | 72 | Japan | Actor | ||
| 27 | Johnny Weissmuller Jr. | 65 | US | Actor | ||
| 28 | Patrick Allen | 79 | Malawi | Actor | ||
| August | 4 | John Alderson | 90 | UK | Actor | |
| 7 | Lois January | 92 | US | Actress | ||
| 13 | Tony Jay | 73 | UK | Voice Actor, Actor | ||
| 14 | Bruno Kirby | 57 | US | Actor | ||
| 16 | Alan Vint | 61 | US | Actor | ||
| 19 | Sig Shore | 87 | US | Producer, Director | ||
| 25 | Ann Richards | 88 | Australia | Actress | ||
| 25 | Joseph Stefano | 84 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| 29 | Bill Stewart | 63 | UK | Actor | ||
| 30 | Glenn Ford | 90 | Canada | Actor | ||
| 31 | William Aldrich | 61 | US | Producer, Actor | ||
| September | 4 | Steve Irwin | 44 | Australia | Wildlife Expert, Actor | |
| 4 | Fernando Siro | 74 | Argentina | Actor, Director | ||
| 5 | Hilary Mason | 89 | UK | Actress | ||
| 7 | Robert Earl Jones | 96 | US | Actor | ||
| 8 | Frank Middlemass | 87 | UK | Actor | ||
| 9 | Gérard Brach | 79 | France | Director, Screenwriter | ||
| 9 | Herbert Rudley | 96 | US | Actor | ||
| 11 | Pat Corley | 76 | US | Actor | ||
| 14 | Mickey Hargitay | 80 | Hungary | Actor | ||
| 14 | Johnny Sekka | 72 | Senegal | Actor | ||
| 14 | Virginia Vale | 86 | US | Actress | ||
| 19 | Elizabeth Allen | 77 | US | Actress | ||
| 20 | Sven Nykvist | 83 | Sweden | Cinematographer | ||
| 22 | Edward Albert | 55 | US | Actor | ||
| 23 | Malcolm Arnold | 84 | UK | Composer | ||
| 24 | Sally Gray | 91 | UK | Actress | ||
| 24 | Tetsurō Tamba | 84 | Japan | Actor | ||
| 26 | Lionel Murton | 91 | UK | Actor | ||
| 28 | Hy Pyke | 70 | US | Actor | ||
| October | 2 | Frances Bergen | 84 | US | Actress | |
| 2 | Tamara Dobson | 59 | US | Actress | ||
| 4 | Tom Bell | 73 | UK | Actor | ||
| 9 | Danièle Huillet | 70 | France | Director | ||
| 10 | Jerry Belson | 68 | US | Screenwriter, Producer | ||
| 12 | Gillo Pontecorvo | 86 | Italy | Director, Screenwriter | ||
| 15 | Derek Bond | 86 | UK | Actor | ||
| 16 | Jack DeLeon | 81 | US | Actor | ||
| 16 | Tommy Johnson | 71 | US | Musician | ||
| 19 | James Glennon | 64 | US | Cinematographer | ||
| 19 | Phyllis Kirk | 79 | US | Actress | ||
| 20 | Jane Wyatt | 96 | US | Actress | ||
| 21 | Peter Barkworth | 77 | UK | Actor | ||
| 21 | Daryl Duke | 77 | Canada | Director | ||
| 21 | Milton Selzer | 87 | US | Actor | ||
| 22 | Arthur Hill | 84 | Canada | Actor | ||
| 22 | Richard Mayes | 83 | UK | Actor | ||
| 29 | Roy Barnes | 70 | US | Set Designer, Art Director | ||
| 29 | Nigel Kneale | 84 | UK | Screenwriter | ||
| 31 | William Franklyn | 81 | UK | Actor | ||
| November | 1 | Adrienne Shelly | 40 | US | Actress, Director | |
| 2 | Leonard Schrader | 62 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| 2 | Milly Vitale | 73 | Italy | Actress | ||
| 8 | Basil Poledouris | 61 | US | Composer | ||
| 9 | Wayne Artman | 69 | US | Sound Engineer | ||
| 9 | Marian Marsh | 93 | Trinidad | Actress | ||
| 10 | Diana Coupland | 74 | UK | Actress | ||
| 10 | Jack Palance | 87 | US | Actor | ||
| 11 | Ronnie Stevens | 81 | UK | Actor | ||
| 14 | John Hallam | 65 | UK | Actor | ||
| 16 | Ernest Day | 79 | UK | Cinematographer, Director | ||
| 16 | Eustace Lycett | 91 | UK | Special Effects Artist | ||
| 19 | Jeremy Slate | 80 | US | Actor | ||
| 20 | Robert Altman | 81 | US | Director, Screenwriter | ||
| 20 | Kevin McClory | 80 | Ireland | Producer | ||
| 23 | Betty Comden | 89 | US | Screenwriter, Lyricist | ||
| 23 | Philippe Noiret | 76 | France | Actor | ||
| 24 | Phyllis Cerf | 90 | US | Actress | ||
| 27 | Alan Freeman | 79 | Australia | Actor | ||
| 30 | Shirley Walker | 61 | US | Composer, Orchestrator | ||
| December | 1 | Sid Raymond | 97 | US | Actor, Voice Actor | |
| 4 | Adam Williams | 84 | US | Actor | ||
| 5 | Michael Gilden | 44 | US | Actor | ||
| 5 | Gerry Humphreys | 74 | UK | Sound Engineer | ||
| 5 | Van Smith | 61 | US | Costume Designer, Makeup Artist | ||
| 8 | Martha Tilton | 91 | US | Singer, Actress | ||
| 9 | Russell Wade | 89 | US | Actor | ||
| 12 | Ivor Barry | 87 | UK | Actor | ||
| 12 | Peter Boyle | 71 | US | Actor | ||
| 14 | Hallie D'Amore | 64 | US | Makeup Artist | ||
| 18 | Joseph Barbera | 95 | US | Animator, Director, Producer | ||
| 20 | John Bishop | 77 | US | Screenwriter | ||
| 21 | Lois Hall | 80 | US | Actress | ||
| 22 | Philip Pine | 86 | US | Actor | ||
| 23 | Charlie Drake | 81 | UK | Actor | ||
| 25 | James Brown | 73 | US | Singer, Actor | ||
| 30 | Frank Campanella | 87 | US | Actor |
