New Zealand-born star Russell Crowe missed out on the best actor Oscar with his role in The Insider. But it was second time lucky when he won the award for his role as a wronged Roman general in Gladiator. It was perhaps fitting that while accepting the award for his
portrayal of one fighter, he wore the MBE medal gained by another - his grandfather, Stan Wemyss - during the Second World War.
Christine Rankin's fortunes went the other way, and she sued State Services Commissioner Michael Wintringham for failing to reappoint her as chief of Work and Income NZ. During the June court case she enthralled the nation with detailed accusations of sexism and political interference. She lost.
But the Tall Blacks won a historic basketball victory over the Australian Boomers - their first series win and the first time New Zealand had secured an Oceania spot for a world championships.
And in cricketing terms the Black Caps did almost as well against the arch enemy when they found an opener in Lou Vincent and managed to hold the awesome Australians to a draw in a thrilling test series. Funnily enough that sort of result would probably send the All Black coach packing.
Meeting their fate overseas were villains of varying degrees of infamy: former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic was extradited to the Hague to face trial; Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs returned to Britain to serve out his time; prison escaper Brian Curtis was caught in the Philippines and brought home to Auckland; and perjuring British peer and author Jeffrey Archer was jailed.
Not villainous, but somewhat unpopular, the Army's Major-General Maurice Dodson became embroiled in political intrigue, scuppering his chances of winning the Chief of Defence Force job. And Attorney-General Margaret Wilson caught flak over appointments and a defeated attempt to reintroduce the offence of criminal libel.
2001 – The year in review
