A decade after teenage stardom and seven years after her arrested adolescence got her cited for shoplifting and busted for marijuana possession, a disciplined, fit Capriati smashed her way back to the top. She began the year with a stunning upset in the Australian Open and a few months later took the French Open. She also reached the semis at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in a year when women's tennis outshone the men's game in straight sets.
Animated actors dominated the box office, Barry Bonds hit 73 and 'It' turned out to be a scooter. TIME picks the bests and the worsts of this year...