A couple of years ago, John Travolta made his big screen comeback in the hit "Pulp Fiction", directed by Quentin Tarantino. More recently, both Pam Grier and Robert Forster hit back with a vengeance in the film "Jackie Brown", again directed by Tarantino. So the question remains, can actors make comebacks without Tarantino. lets see. 1999 is proving that myth wrong. Nearly everyone that was anyone last decade and prior are planning on a comeback.

Bury Reynolds continues his great return to screen (following "Boogie Nights") with a series of promising roles, the first being in Disney's upcoming "Mystery Alaska". Reynolds didn't need Tarantino to make his comeback.

Rob Lowe has had a troubled career. The former brat packer was basically blacklisted up until a couple of years back, until he started to get small, but juicy supporting roles in films like "Waynes World", "Austin Powers" and "Contact". Now, Lowe has scored the plum role as villain to Austin Powers in "Austin Powers : The Spy Who Shagged Me". If word of mouth is anything to go by, this could be the big one for the former heartthrob, who had audiences lining up years ago to see him in movies like "St Elmos Fire" and "About Last Night". Lou Diamond Philips, will probably always be two characters, Sanchez from the great "Young Guns" films and Ritchie Valens in his breakthrough movie "La Bamba" (1987). It looked as if the actor, who has spent much of the 90's in TV movies, was making a major comeback with "Courage Under Fire" (1996), but shortly after that he dissapeared again. Philips plans to make it big this year, with two major roles. One in the Sci/Fic film "Supernova" and the other opposite Mel Gibson in "The Million Dollar Hotel". As for his other "Young Guns" co-stars, the future doesn't look real bright for Kiefer Sutherland, Casey Seimasko or Charlie (sorry, Charles) Sheen. Ally Sheedy was another of the "Brat Packers" who scored big in the 1980's with roles in films like "St Elmos Fire" and "The Breakfast Club", has decided to go the independent way and star in the indy film "High Art". It has won her a heap of acclaim, and hopefully, could be her big comeback. Ally's "Breakfast Club" Co-star Molly Ringwald is also on the verge of a comeback, with a role in the new Aussie Screamer called "Cut" and a role in Kevin Williamson's "Killing Mrs Tingle".

Tom Selleck owes his career comeback to the TV series "Friends". He hasn't been so lucky to score a big screen comeback yet, so this could be the year. The next major film he will star in is "The Love Letter". Co-incedentally, he is starring in the film with two other actresses who are in real need of comebacks, Ellen DeGeneris and former "Indiana Jones" star, Kate Capshaw.

Australian readers may notice that some of the bigger TV stars of yesteryear have been popping up in some major films. Matt Doran, who played Damien in the high rating TV series "Home and Away" has scored lucky this year, starring in both "The Thin Red Line" and "The Matrix", as an intelligent off sider to Keanu Reeves. Doran's former "Home and Away" co-star Simon Baker Denny is also riding high, he has already been in "Mad City", "L.A Confidential" and "Judas Kiss" and now, Denny is playing in Jewel's new film "Ride with the Devil". "Home and Away" has already been responsible for spawning many future movie stars, including Guy Pearce (Ravenous), Mellisa George (Dark City) and Dee Smart (Welcome to Woop Woop).

Australia's nearby country, New Zealand, has also produced a future up and comer. Anna Paquin. Paquin, won an Oscar as a youngster for her role in "The Piano", and is now making a comeback in more adult roles. She plays teen bimbo in "Hurly Burly" (1998), Played Freddie Prinze Jr's sister in "Shes all That" and plays a horny daughter in "A Walk on the Moon". She's one to watch.

Independent films have also been responsible for relaunching careers. Dexter Fletcher, star of many UK projects and films of the 80's, hit back with "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels", Michael Caton (TV's The Sullivans) hit back big time with a role in the Aussie hit "The Castle" (Coming to US Cinemas soon), Mary Elisabeth Mastrantonio who sunk to the bottom of the sea with her role in the much unseen James Cameron film "The Abyss" hopes "Limbo" will be her comeback. Gaby Hoffman, one time John Hughes and Nora Ephron fave, has also done well making the transition from child to adult with a role in "200 Cigarettes".

Madeline Stowe is John Travolta's co-star in "The Generals Daughter" and if that film is big, it will be Stowe's biggest film in a long time. Also in need of some big film fever is John Cleese, who bombed with "Fierce Creatures". Cleese has the opportunity to make a comeback with "The Out of Towners" and the next 007 film "The World is Not Enough". Alicia Silverstone is also after better roles following her stint as Batgirl. She will sing in Branagh's next "Loves Labour Lost", and also practicing his vocal chords (for voice over work) is Michael J Fox, who hopes "Stuart Little" will be his movie comeback.

Alicia Silverstone (top left), John Cleese (top right) Keanu Reeves (bottom left), Sophie Marceau (bottom right) are all making comebacks.

Kelly McGillis was back in the 1980's and now she is making her comeback too in "At First Sight". Keri Russell from TV's "Felicity" is returning to the big screen, in major films, like "Mad About Mambo". Sophie Marceau, whose biggest role was in "Braveheart" hopes her role in 007 effort "The World is Not Enough" will do similiar business. The biggest round of applause for a comeback in 1999 must go to Keanu Reeves though. After being classed as one of today's worst actors, and struggling to find any good roles. The actor, whose biggest film was "Speed", flew to Australia and starred in what seemed to be a small time movie called "The Matrix". The film now looks set to be one of the years biggest, and as a recent reporter stated "the words Keanu Reeves and Brilliant Film can finally be said in the same sentence". Bravo to Keanu, and bravo to all the stars of yesterday who are trying to claim back the careers they lost to such youngsters like Neve Campbell, Devon Sawa and Seth Green. The point of it all, you don't need a Quentin Tarantino, to be desperate enough for success, the second time around, or third...

Visit Clint's webpage at http://www.members.tripod.com/~Clint_3/cinema.html