‘Speed’ 20th Anniversary: Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves’ Post-Bus Career Paths (Photos)

‘Speed’

When Speed hit theaters, Keanu Reeves was known for his roles in the Bill & Ted films and Point Break. Meanwhile, Sandra Bullock had appeared in Love Potion No. 9 and Demolition Man. Speed, which was made for $30 million, earned more than $350 million at the global box office and won two Oscars. Reeves and Bullock both earned praise for their performances, with Roger Ebert writing, “Generally [Reeves] tends toward dreamy, sensitive characters. That's why it's sort of amazing to see him so cool and focused here, a completely convincing action hero. … He and Bullock have good chemistry; they appreciate the humor that is always flickering just beneath the surface of the preposterous plot.”
Early Follow-ups

After Speed blew up, Bullock and Reeves went their separate ways, with Bullock starring in hits like While You Were Sleeping and A Time to Kill, which collectively grossed more than $300 million at the global box office, while Reeves opted for movies like Johnny Mnemonic, A Walk in the Clouds and Chain Reaction, all of which earned him worst actor Razzie nominations.
‘Speed 2’

Reeves opted not to take a ride on the cruise-ship-instead-of-city-bus sequel that Speed spawned in 1997. But it seems he made the better choice as Speed 2, which was made for more than five times what Speed cost to produce, only grossed $164.5 million worldwide and has a pitiful 3 percent freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film was nominated for eight Razzies, winning the trophy for worst remake or sequel. However, the projects Reeves did choose didn't fare much better with critics or audience: He starred in the poorly performing indie The Last Time I Committed Suicide and met Satan in The Devil’s Advocate.
‘The Matrix’/’Miss Congeniality’

Reeves and Bullock both found success on their own around the turn of the 21st century, appearing in The Matrix ($463.5 million worldwide and four Oscars) and Miss Congeniality ($212.7 million worldwide and a Golden Globe nom for Bullock), respectively. Reeves led two Matrix sequels to box-office success in 2003, with May's Reloaded taking in $742 million worldwide and November's Revolutions grossing $427 million worldwide. Before appearing in the Oscar winner Crash in 2004, Bullock also starred in the poorly received 28 Days, Two Weeks Notice and Miss Congeniality 2, which has a 15 percent freshness rating.
‘The Lake House’

Reeves and Bullock tried to rekindle the Speed magic when they reunited for the 2006 time-travel romance The Lake House. The movie earned nearly $115 million at the global box office but only has a 35 percent freshness rating, with many critics complaining that the story didn’t make sense. Still, the actors were praised for their chemistry. “As they proved in Speed, Keanu and Sandra have so much chemistry that you happily wait for them to overcome their ridiculous spatial-temporal hurdles,” David Edelstein wrote in New York magazine.
Bullock’s Oscar/’The Private Lives of Pippa Lee’

In 2010, Bullock won her first Oscar for her starring role in The Blind Side, but she also won her first Razzie the same year, even showing up for the bad-movies ceremony the night before the Academy Awards to accept her trophy for All About Steve with a hilarious speech. She had another hit in 2009, starring opposite Ryan Reynolds in The Proposal. Meanwhile, Reeves was sort of quiet around that time, but he did appear in the relatively well-reviewed The Private Lives of Pippa Lee.
Most Recent Films

Most recently, Bullock starred in Warner Bros. critically acclaimed Gravity, for which she earned her second best actress Oscar nomination. The space epic was also a hit with audiences, grossing $716.4 million worldwide. Reeves, meanwhile, starred in the poorly received 47 Ronin, which cost $175 million to produce but only earned $151 million worldwide and has a 13 percent freshness rating.

‘Speed’

Early Follow-ups

‘Speed 2’

‘The Matrix’/’Miss Congeniality’

‘The Lake House’

Bullock’s Oscar/’The Private Lives of Pippa Lee’

Most Recent Films