| CAMERON | Director of the 1997 blockbuster film |
| MEL | Mr. Smith, late director of the 1997 film Bean (3) |
| WOO | John, director of the 1997 film Face/ Off (3) |
| ALLEN | Co-writer and director of the 1997 film Twin Town (5,5) |
| KEVIN | Co-writer and director of the 1997 film Twin Town (5,5) |
| RIDLEYSCOTT | Director of the 1997 US war film GI Jane (6,5) |
| GUSVANSANT | Director of the 1997 film 'Good Will Hunting' (3,3,4) |
| TITANIC | This 1997 blockbuster sailed into the record books |
| BENCHLEY | Peter, author of the novel Jaws on which the 1975 blockbuster film was based (8) |
| TEZAAB | 1988 blockbuster film which launched Madhuri Dixit as the leading actress of the era |
| MIB | 1997 blockbuster, for short |
| LEONARDO | He starred in 1997 blockbuster Titanic, -------- DiCaprio (8) |
| JACKANDROSE | Cross Atlantic couple in a 1997 blockbuster (4,3,4) |
| LEANNRIMES | Winner of the 1997 Best New Artist Grammy (or homophonically, the starts of this puzzle's theme entries) |
| HIT | A blockbuster film or a smasher of a song; a visit to a website; or, a strike of a real or proverbial nail-head (3) |
| ICEAGE | Blockbuster film featuring the vocal talents of Ray Romano and John Leguizamo |
| FOSSEY | Subject of the 1997 biography "Woman in the Mists" |
| ASSANTE | Star of the 1997 mini-series The Odyssey, Armand - (7) |
| SHANIATWAIN | Singer of the 1997 hit "You're Still the One" |
| DEAVER | Jeffrey, author of the 1997 novel The Bone Collector (6) |
