Editing Traffic (2000 film)

{{Short description|2000 film by Steven Soderbergh}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Good article}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Traffic
| image          = Traffic2000Poster.jpg
| alt            = Film poster with five people shown from the neck up. The man on the left has his pointer finger pressed against his lips; the woman to his right has long hair and is smiling; the three men on the right have grim looks as they stare to the right. Below them are several vehicles and a man holding a gun that is getting shot. The top of the image includes the starring credits, while the bottom includes the title of the film and the main credits.
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Steven Soderbergh]]
| producer       = {{ubl|[[Edward Zwick]]|[[Marshall Herskovitz]]|[[Laura Bickford]]}}
| screenplay     = [[Stephen Gaghan]]
| based_on       = {{Based on|''[[Traffik]]''|[[Simon Moore (writer)|Simon Moore]]}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Don Cheadle]]
* [[Benicio del Toro]]
* [[Michael Douglas]]
* [[Luis Guzmán]]
* [[Dennis Quaid]]
* [[Catherine Zeta-Jones]]}}
| music          = [[Cliff Martinez]]
| cinematography = [[Steven Soderbergh|Peter Andrews]]
| editing        = [[Stephen Mirrione]]
| studio         = {{ubl|[[Bedford Falls Productions]]|Laura Bickford Productions|[[GK Films|Initial Entertainment Group]]}}
| distributor    = {{Plainlist|
* [[Focus Features|USA Films]] (United States and Canada)
* Initial Entertainment Group (International)<ref>{{cite web|title=Traffic (2000)|website=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]]|access-date=1 March 2024|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/53887-TRAFFIC?sid=fd7b96f9-ac26-48c1-8958-da0c4fa02f0f&sr=10.001264&cp=1&pos=0}}</ref>
}}
| released       = {{Film date|2000|12|27|United States}}
| runtime        = 147 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = {{ubl|English|Spanish}}
| budget         = $48 million<ref name="Dargis" />
| gross          = $207.5 million<ref name="BOM">[https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=traffic.htm "Traffic (2000)"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150815115503/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=traffic.htm |date=2015-08-15 }}. ''[[Box Office Mojo]]''. [[IMDb]]. Retrieved 2012-03-03.</ref>
}}

'''''Traffic''''' is a 2000 American [[Crime film|crime]] [[Drama (film and television)|drama film]] directed by [[Steven Soderbergh]] and written by [[Stephen Gaghan]]. It explores the [[illegal drug trade]] from several perspectives: users, enforcers, politicians, and [[Drug trafficking|trafficker]]s. Their stories are edited together throughout the film, although some characters do not meet each other. The film is an adaptation of the 1989 British [[Channel 4]] television series ''[[Traffik]]''. The film stars an international [[ensemble cast]], including [[Don Cheadle]], [[Benicio del Toro]], [[Michael Douglas]], [[Erika Christensen]], [[Luis Guzmán]], [[Dennis Quaid]], [[Catherine Zeta-Jones]], [[Jacob Vargas]], [[Tomas Milian]], [[Topher Grace]], [[James Brolin]], [[Steven Bauer]], and [[Benjamin Bratt]]. It features both English and Spanish-language dialogue.

[[20th Century Fox]], the original financiers of the film, demanded that [[Harrison Ford]] play a leading role and that significant changes to the screenplay be made. Soderbergh refused and proposed the script to other major Hollywood studios; it was rejected because of the three-hour running time and the subject matter—''Traffic'' is more of a [[political film]] than most Hollywood productions.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/203|title= ''Traffic'': Border Wars|publisher=[[The Criterion Collection]] |author= Dargis, Manohla |author-link= Manohla Dargis }}</ref> [[Focus Features|USA Films]], however, liked the project from the start and offered the filmmakers more money than Fox. Soderbergh [[Camera operator|operated]] the camera himself and adopted a distinctive [[Color grading|color grade]] for each story line so that audiences could tell them apart.

''Traffic'' was released in the United States on December 27, 2000, and received critical acclaim for Soderbergh's direction, the film's style, complexity, messages, and the cast's performances (particularly del Toro's). ''Traffic'' earned numerous awards, including four [[Academy Awards|Oscars]] (from five nominations): [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]] for Steven Soderbergh, [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]] for [[Benicio del Toro]], [[Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Adapted Screenplay]] for [[Stephen Gaghan]] and [[Academy Award for Best Film Editing|Best Film Editing]] for [[Stephen Mirrione]]. It was also a commercial success with a worldwide box-office revenue total of $207.5 million, well above its estimated $48 million budget.

In 2004, [[USA Network]] ran a [[miniseries]]—also called ''[[Traffic (miniseries)|Traffic]]''—based on the film and the [[Traffik|1989 British television series]].

==Plot==
===Mexico story line===
In [[Mexico]], police officers Javier Rodriguez Rodriguez and Manolo Sanchez stop a drug transport. General Salazar, a high-ranking Mexican official, interrupts their arrest to offer Javier a special assignment: apprehending Francisco Flores, a hitman for the [[Tijuana Cartel]], headed by the Obregón brothers.

In Tijuana, under torture, Flores gives Salazar the names of Obregón cartel members, who are arrested. Javier and Salazar's efforts cripple the Obregóns' cocaine outfit, but Javier discovers that Salazar is a pawn of the rival [[Juárez Cartel]]; Salazar's anti-drug campaign is a charade to wipe out the Juárez Cartel's competitors.

Sanchez attempts to sell information about Salazar's true affiliation to the [[Drug Enforcement Administration]], but Salazar has him murdered in the desert with Javier forced to watch. Javier arranges a deal with the DEA to testify against Salazar in exchange for electricity in his neighborhood to keep local children from being tempted by street gangs and crime. Salazar's secrets are revealed, and he is arrested.

Javier makes a statement to the media about the widespread corruption in the police force and army. Later, Javier watches as children play baseball at night in their new stadium.

===Wakefield story line===
Robert Wakefield, a conservative [[Ohio]] judge, is appointed to head the [[President of the United States|President]]'s [[Office of National Drug Control Policy]] as [[drug czar]], though he is warned that the [[War on Drugs]] is unwinnable. Meanwhile, Robert's teenage daughter Caroline has been using [[cocaine]], [[methamphetamine]], and [[heroin]], developing a drug addiction after her boyfriend Seth introduces her to [[freebasing]]. Caroline, Seth, and their friend Vanessa are arrested when they try to dump an overdosing fellow student at a hospital. Robert and his wife Barbara struggle to deal with Caroline's addiction, which Barbara has secretly known about for months.

Robert finds himself caught between his demanding new position and difficult family life. Visiting Mexico, he is encouraged by Salazar's successful efforts in hurting the Obregón brothers. Returning to Ohio, Robert learns that Caroline has run away to [[Cincinnati]] after stealing money from her parents to pay for drugs.

Dragging Seth along, Robert searches Cincinnati for his daughter. After a drug dealer who is prostituting Caroline refuses to reveal her whereabouts, Robert breaks into a seedy hotel room and finds a semi-conscious Caroline in the company of an older man. In Washington, D.C. to present a "10-point plan" to win the War on Drugs, Robert falters halfway through the speech, and tells the press that the War on Drugs implies a war on one's own family, which he cannot endorse. Later, Robert and Barbara attend a [[Narcotics Anonymous]] meeting with Caroline, telling the other attendees that they are "here to listen".

===Ayala/DEA story line===
In [[San Diego]], an undercover DEA investigation led by Montel Gordon and Ray Castro leads to the arrest of Eduardo Ruiz, a dealer posing as a fisherman. Ruiz gives up his boss, [[drug lord]] Carl Ayala, the Obregóns' biggest distributor in the United States. Ayala is indicted by a tough prosecutor, hand-selected by Robert Wakefield to send a message to the cartels.

As Ayala's trial begins, his pregnant wife Helena learns of her husband's true profession from his associate, Arnie Metzger. Facing the prospect of life imprisonment for her husband and death threats against her child, Helena hires Flores to assassinate Ruiz and end the trial ''[[nolle prosequi]]''. Flores plants a [[car bomb]], but he is killed by a sniper in retaliation for his cooperation with General Salazar, and the bomb meant to kill Ruiz instead kills Agent Castro.

Knowing Ruiz will soon testify, Helena makes a deal with Juan Obregón, who forgives the Ayala family's debt and has Ruiz poisoned. Ayala is released, and he deduces that Metzger accepted $3 million to inform on Ruiz to the FBI and facilitate Ayala's downfall; Metzger is later visited by armed men. Soon after Ayala's release, Gordon bursts into his homecoming celebration and is forced out. Having planted a [[Covert listening device|listening device]] under Ayala's desk, Gordon smiles as he walks away.

==Relationship to actual events==
Some aspects of the plotline are based on actual people and events:
* The character General Arturo Salazar is closely modeled after Mexican General [[Jesús Gutiérrez Rebollo]], who was secretly on the payroll of [[Amado Carrillo Fuentes]], head of the [[Juarez Cartel]].
* The character Porfirio Madrigal is modeled after Fuentes.
* The Obregón brothers are modeled after the [[Tijuana Cartel]]'s [[Arellano Félix]] brothers.<ref>{{cite news |title=Traffic, película que podría ser la crítica más severa a la lucha antidrogas de EU |first=Jim |last=Cason |author2=David Brooks |url=http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2001/01/09/012n1pol.html |work=[[La Jornada]] |language=es |date=2001-03-09 |access-date=2009-02-25 |archive-date=2011-05-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526033546/http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2001/01/09/012n1pol.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Traffic |first=Ascanio |last=Cavallo |url=http://diario.elmercurio.cl/detalle/index.asp?id={783e7062-aab9-4a26-bffb-c1c3a3142a18} |work=[[El Mercurio]] |language=es |date=2001-03-10 |access-date=2009-02-25}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last=Shaw |first=Deborah |title="You Are Alright, But...": Individual and Collective Representations of Mexicans, Latinos, Anglo-Americans and African-Americans in Steven Soderbergh's 'Traffic' |journal=[[Quarterly Review of Film and Video]] |volume=22 |pages=211–223 |year=2005 |doi=10.1080/10509200490474339 |s2cid=190712388 |access-date=2009-02-25 |url=http://www.cfa.arizona.edu/mar453/Traffic%20Quarterly%20Review.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722133318/http://www.cfa.arizona.edu/mar453/Traffic%20Quarterly%20Review.htm |archive-date=2011-07-22 }}</ref>

At one point in the film, an [[El Paso Intelligence Center]] agent tells Robert his position, official in charge of drug control, does not exist in Mexico. As noted in the original script, a Director of the ''Instituto Nacional para el Combate a las Drogas'' was created by the [[Attorney General of Mexico]] in 1996.

==Cast==
{{castlist|
* [[Benicio del Toro]] as Javier Rodríguez Rodríguez, officer of the [[Federal Police (Mexico)|Mexican police]] and police partner of Manolo Sánchez
* [[Jacob Vargas]] as Manolo Sánchez, officer of the [[Federal Police (Mexico)|Mexican police]] and police partner of Javier Rodríguez
* Marisol Padilla Sánchez as Ana Sánchez, Manolo's wife
* [[Tomas Milian]] as General Arturo Salazar, a corrupt general of the [[Mexican Army]] who has ties with Porfirio Madrigal, head of the powerful [[Juárez Cartel]]
* [[Jose Yenque]] as Salazar Soldier / The Torturer
* [[Michael Douglas]] as Robert Wakefield, a powerful [[judge]] from [[Ohio]] and Caroline's father
* [[Amy Irving]] as Barbara Wakefield, Robert Wakefield's wife
* [[Erika Christensen]] as Caroline Wakefield, Robert Wakefield's daughter, and an endangered drug user
* [[Topher Grace]] as Seth Abrahams, Caroline's drug-using boyfriend
* [[D. W. Moffett]] as Jeff Sheridan
* [[James Brolin]] as General Ralph Landry, Robert's predecessor
* [[Albert Finney]] as [[White House Chief of Staff]]
* [[Steven Bauer]] as Carlos Ayala, a notorious and powerful drug lord from [[Mexico]]
* [[Catherine Zeta-Jones]] as Helena Ayala, Carlos Ayala's pregnant wife
* [[Dennis Quaid]] as Arnie Metzger, Carlos Ayala's crime partner
* [[Clifton Collins Jr.]] as Francisco "Frankie Flowers" Flores, a [[Hitman|''sicario'']] who works for the Obregón brothers, the heads of the powerful [[Tijuana Cartel]]
* [[Don Cheadle]] as Montel Gordon, [[DEA]] agent and Ray's fellow undercover partner
* [[Luis Guzmán]] as Ray Castro, [[DEA]] agent and Montel's fellow undercover partner
* [[Miguel Ferrer]] as Eduardo Ruiz, a drug dealer who works for Carlos Ayala
* [[Peter Riegert]] as Michael Adler
* [[Benjamin Bratt]] as Juan Obregón, a powerful Mexican [[drug lord]], one of the Obregón brothers and the head of [[Tijuana Cartel]]
* [[Viola Davis]] as the Social Worker
* [[John Slattery]] as Assistant District Attorney Dan Colier
* [[James Pickens Jr.]] as The Prosecutor
* [[Salma Hayek]] as Rosario (uncredited)
* [[Michael O'Neill (actor)|Michael O'Neill]] as Lawyer Rodman
* [[Yul Vazquez]] as Tigrillo / Obregón Assassin
* [[Jack Conley (actor)|Jack Conley]] as Agent Hughes
* [[Eddie Velez]] as Agent Johnson
* [[James Lew]] as DEA Agent - CalTrans
* [[Enrique Murciano]] as DEA Agent - Trailer
* [[Carl Ciarfalio]] as Ruiz's Assistant
* [[Rick Avery]] as DEA Agent - Public Storage
* [[Majandra Delfino]] as Vanessa
* Alec Roberts as David Ayala
* [[Rena Sofer]] as Helena's Friend
* [[Stacey Travis]] as Helena's Friend
* [[Brandon Keener]] as Tourist Man
* [[Stephen Dunham]] as Lobbyist
* [[Margaret Travolta]] as Economist
* [[Tucker Smallwood]] as Partygoer #4
* [[Thomas Rosales Jr.]] as Tackled Man #2
* [[Mike Siegel]] as DEA Representative
* [[Harsh Nayyar]] as Witness #1
* [[Mary Pat Gleason]] as Witness #2
* [[Vincent M. Ward]] as Man on Street
* [[Jsu Garcia]] as Pablo Obregón
* [[Bill Weld|Governor Bill Weld]] as Himself
* [[Don Nickles|Senator Don Nickles]] as Himself
* [[Harry Reid|Senator Harry Reid]] as Himself
* [[Barbara Boxer|Senator Barbara Boxer]] as Herself
* [[Orrin Hatch|Senator Orrin Hatch]] as Himself
* [[Charles Grassley|Senator Charles Grassley]] as Himself
* [[David Bickford]] as Stan (uncredited)
}}

==Production==
===Development===
[[Steven Soderbergh]] had been interested in making a film about the drug wars for some time but did not want to make one about addicts.<ref name="Hope">{{cite news|title=The 'Traffic' Report with Steven Soderbergh |first=Darrell |last=Hope |url=http://www.dga.org/news/v25_5/feat_soderbergh.php3 |work=DGA Magazine |date=January 2001 |access-date=2011-08-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100316021948/http://www.dga.org/news/v25_5/feat_soderbergh.php3 |archive-date=March 16, 2010 }}</ref> Producer Laura Bickford obtained the rights to the British television miniseries ''[[Traffik]]'' (1989) and liked its structure. Soderbergh, who had seen the miniseries in 1990,<ref name="Lemons">{{cite news |title=Steven Soderbergh |first=Stephen |last=Lemons |url=http://archive.salon.com/people/conv/2000/12/20/soderbergh |work=[[Salon.com]] |date=2000-12-20 |access-date=2008-05-25 |archive-date=2008-06-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080622144348/http://archive.salon.com/people/conv/2000/12/20/soderbergh/ |url-status=live }}</ref> started looking for a screenwriter to adapt it into a film. They read a script by [[Stephen Gaghan]] called ''[[Havoc (2005 film)|Havoc]]'', about upper-class white kids in [[Palisades Charter High School|Palisades High School]] doing drugs and getting involved with gangs.<ref name="Divine">{{cite news |title=Pushing Words |first=Christian |last=Divine |work=Creative Screenwriting |pages=57–58 |date=2001-01-02}}</ref> Soderbergh approached Gaghan to work on his film but found he was already developing a film about drugs for producer/director [[Edward Zwick]]. Bickford and Soderbergh approached Zwick, who agreed to merge the two projects and come aboard as a producer.<ref name="Hope" />

''Traffic'' was originally going to be distributed by [[20th Century Studios|20th Century Fox]], but it was put into [[Turnaround (filmmaking)|turnaround]] unless actor [[Harrison Ford]] agreed to star. Soderbergh began shopping the film to other studios, but when Ford suddenly showed interest in ''Traffic'', Fox's interest in the film was renewed; the studio took it out of turnaround.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Red Light, Green Light |first=Rebecca |last=Ascher-Walsh |url=http://www.ew.com/article/2000/02/15/harrison-ford-may-star-steven-soderberghs-next-flick |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=2000-02-15 |access-date=2008-05-25}}</ref> Fox CEO [[Bill Mechanic]] championed the film, but he departed from the studio by the time the first draft was finished. It went back into turnaround.<ref name="Kaufman">{{cite news |title=Interview: Man of the Year, Steven Soderbergh 'Traffic'{{'}}s in Success |first=Anthony |last=Kaufman |url=https://www.indiewire.com/people/int_Soderbergh_Stev_010103.html |work=[[indieWIRE]] |date=2001-01-03 |access-date=2010-04-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060412080246/http://www.indiewire.com/people/int_Soderbergh_Stev_010103.html |archive-date=2006-04-12}}</ref> Mechanic had also wanted to make some changes to the script, but Soderbergh disagreed<ref name="Dargis">{{cite news |title=Go! Go! Go! |first=Manohla |last=Dargis |url=http://www.laweekly.com/2000-12-28/news/go-go-go |work=[[L.A. Weekly]] |date=2000-12-26 |access-date=2010-04-14 |archive-date=2010-01-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100104193957/http://www.laweekly.com/2000-12-28/news/go-go-go/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and decided to shop the film to other major studios. They all turned him down because they were not confident in the prospects of a three-hour film about drugs, according to Gaghan.<ref name="Divine" /> [[Focus Features|USA Films]], however, had wanted to take on the movie from the first time Soderbergh approached them.<ref name="Kaufman" /> They provided the filmmakers with a $46 million budget, a considerable increase from the $25 million which Fox offered.<ref name="Dargis" />

===Screenplay===
Soderbergh had "conceptual discussions" with Gaghan while he was shooting ''[[The Limey]]'' in October 1998; they finished the outline before he went off to shoot ''[[Erin Brockovich (film)|Erin Brockovich]]''.<ref name="Hope" /> After Soderbergh was finished with that film, Gaghan had written a first draft in six weeks that was 165 pages long.<ref name="Divine" /> After the film was approved for production, Soderbergh and Gaghan met two separate times for three days to reformat the script.<ref name="Divine" /> The draft they shot had 163 pages with 135 speaking parts and featured seven cities.<ref name="Hope" /> The film shortens the story line of the original miniseries; a significant character arc of a farmer is taken out, and the [[Pakistan]]i plotline is replaced with one set in Mexico.<ref name="Lemons" />

===Casting===
Harrison Ford was initially considered for the role of Robert Wakefield in January 2000 but would have had to take a significant cut in his usual $20 million salary.<ref name="Daly" /> Ford met with Soderbergh to flesh out the character. Gaghan agreed to rework the role, adding several scenes to the screenplay. On February 20, Ford turned down the role, and the filmmakers brought it back to [[Michael Douglas]], who had turned down an earlier draft. He liked the changes and agreed to star, which helped greenlight the project.<ref name="Daly" /> Gaghan believes Ford turned down the role because he wanted to "reconnect with his action fans".<ref name="Divine" />

The filmmakers sent out letters to many politicians, both [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] and [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]], asking them to make cameo appearances in the film. Several of the scenes had already been shot using actors in these roles, but the filmmakers went back and reshot those scenes when real politicians agreed to be in the film.<ref>Conversations with Ross: [http://www.rosscarey.com/2011/02/09/episode-24-featuring-sam-jaeger "Featuring Sam Jaeger"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110424061938/http://www.rosscarey.com/2011/02/09/episode-24-featuring-sam-jaeger |date=2011-04-24 }}. ''RossCarey.com''. Retrieved 2012-03-03.</ref> Those who agreed, including U.S. Senators [[Harry Reid]], [[Barbara Boxer]], [[Orrin Hatch]], [[Charles Grassley]], and [[Don Nickles]], and [[Massachusetts]] governor [[Bill Weld]], were filmed in a scene that was entirely improvised.<ref name="Lemons" />

===Pre-production===
The project was obtained from Fox by Initial Entertainment Group and was sold to USA Films by IEG for North American rights only. Steven Soderbergh never approached USA Films, and Initial Entertainment Group fully funded the film.

After Fox dropped the film in early 2000, and before USA Films expressed interest, Soderbergh paid for [[pre-production]] with his own money.<ref name="Divine" /> USA Films agreed to give him the final cut on ''Traffic'' and also agreed to his term that all the Mexican characters would speak [[Spanish language|Spanish]] while talking to each other.<ref name="Daly">{{cite magazine |title=Dope & Glory |first=Steve |last=Daly |url=http://www.ew.com/article/2001/03/02/dope-and-glory-soderbergh-talks-about-directing-traffic |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=2001-03-02 |access-date=2008-05-25 |archive-date=2008-07-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723201207/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,280028,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref> This meant that almost all of Benicio del Toro's dialogue would be subtitled. Once the studio realized this, they suggested that his scenes be shot in English and Spanish, but Soderbergh and del Toro rejected the suggestion.<ref name="Daly" /> Del Toro, a native of [[Puerto Rico]],<ref name="Méndez-Méndez Mendez Cueto Deynes 2003 p. 139">{{cite book | last1=Méndez-Méndez | first1=S. | last2=Mendez | first2=S.M. | last3=Cueto | first3=G. | last4=Deynes | first4=N.R. | last5=Rodríguez-Deynes | first5=N. | title=Notable Caribbeans and Caribbean Americans: A Biographical Dictionary | publisher=Greenwood Press | year=2003 | isbn=978-0-313-31443-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NLPrMMKmynwC&pg=PA139 | access-date=August 10, 2019 | page=139}}</ref> was worried that another actor would be brought in and re-record his dialogue in English after he had worked hard to master Mexican inflections and improve his Spanish vocabulary. Del Toro remembers: "Can you imagine? You do the whole movie, bust your butt to get it as realistic as possible, and someone dubs your voice? I said, 'No way. Over my dead body.' Steven was like, 'Don't worry. It's not gonna happen.'"<ref name="Daly" /> The director fought for subtitles for the Mexico scenes, arguing that if the characters did not speak Spanish, the film would have no integrity and would not convincingly portray what he described as the "impenetrability of another culture".<ref name="Lemons" />

The filmmakers went to the [[Drug Enforcement Administration]] (DEA) and [[United States Customs Service|U.S. Customs]] early on with the script; they told them that they were trying to present as detailed and accurate a picture of the current drug war as possible.<ref name="Lemons" /> The DEA and Customs pointed out inaccuracies in the script. In addition, they gave the production team access to the border checkpoint to Mexico, as shown in the film during the scene in which Wakefield and his people talk with border officials. Despite the assistance, the DEA did not try to influence the script's content.<ref name="Lemons" /> Soderbergh said ''Traffic'' had influences from the films of [[Richard Lester]] and [[Jean-Luc Godard]]. He also spent time analyzing ''[[The Battle of Algiers (film)|The Battle of Algiers]]'' and ''[[Z (1969 film)|Z]]'', which, according to the director, had the feeling that the footage was "caught" and not staged.<ref name="Kaufman" /> Another inspiration was [[Alan J. Pakula]]'s film ''[[All the President's Men (film)|All the President's Men]]'' because of its ability to tackle serious issues while being entertaining.<ref name="Lyman">{{cite news |title=Follow the Muse: Inspiration to Balance Lofty and Light |first=Rick |last=Lyman |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E02E3D91530F935A25751C0A9679C8B63&scp=1&sq=%22Follow+the+Muse%22&st=nyt |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2001-02-16 |access-date=2008-05-26}}</ref> In the opening credits of the film, Soderbergh tried to replicate the typeface from ''All the President's Men'' and the placement on-screen at the bottom left-hand corner. Analyzing this film helped the director deal with the large cast and working in many different locations for ''Traffic''.<ref name="Lyman" />

===Principal photography===
Half of the first day's footage came out overexposed and unusable.<ref name="Daly" /> Before the financiers or studio bosses knew about the problem, Soderbergh was already doing reshoots. The insurers made him agree that any further mishaps resulting in additional filming would come from the director's pocket.<ref name="Daly" /> Soderbergh shot in various cities in California, Ohio, and Texas, on a 54-day schedule and came in $2 million under budget.<ref name="Hope" /> The director acted as his cinematographer under the [[pseudonym]] Peter Andrews and operated the camera himself to "get as close to the movie as I can" and to eliminate the distance between the actors and himself.<ref>{{cite web|last1=French|first1=Phillip|title=Traffic|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/News_Story/Critic_Review/Observer_review/0,,430492,00.html|website=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=March 29, 2018|date=January 28, 2001|archive-date=April 18, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160418174448/http://www.theguardian.com/film/News_Story/Critic_Review/Observer_review/0,,430492,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Hope" /> Soderbergh drew inspiration from the cinema verite style of [[Ken Loach]]'s films, studying the framing of scenes, the distance of the camera to the actors, lens length, and the tightness of eyelines depending on the position of a character. Soderbergh remembers, "I noticed that there's a space that's inviolate, that if you get within something, you cross the edge into a more theatrical aesthetic as opposed to a documentary aesthetic".<ref name="Hope" /> Most of the day was spent shooting because a lot of the film was shot with available light.<ref name="Kaufman" />

For the hand-held camera footage, Soderbergh used [[Panavision cameras|Panavision Millennium XL]]s that were smaller and lighter than previous cameras and allowed him to move freely.<ref name="Hope" /> He adopted a distinctive look for each to tell the three stories apart. For Robert Wakefield's story, Soderbergh used tungsten film with no filter for a cold, monochrome blue feel.<ref name="Hope" /> For Helena Ayala's story, Soderbergh used diffusion filters, flashing the film and overexposing it for a warmer feel. For Javier Rodriguez's story, the director used [[Mexican filter|tobacco filters]] and a 45-degree shutter angle whenever possible to produce a strobe-like sharp feeling.<ref name="Hope" /> Then, he took the entire film through an [[Ektachrome]] step, which increased the contrast and grain significantly.<ref name="Hope" /> He wanted different looks for each story because the audience had to keep track of many characters and absorb a lot of information, and he did not want them to have to figure out which story they were watching.<ref name="Lemons" />

Benicio del Toro had significant input into certain parts of the film; for example, he suggested a more straightforward, concise way of depicting his character kidnapping Francisco Flores that Soderbergh ended up using.<ref name="Lemons" /> The director cut a scene from the screenplay in which Robert Wakefield smokes crack after finding it in his daughter's bedroom. After rehearsing this scene with the actors, he felt that the character would not do it; after consulting with Gaghan, the screenwriter agreed, and the filmmakers cut the scene shortly before it was scheduled to be shot.<ref name="Divine" />

[[Rancho Bernardo]], [[Balboa Park (San Diego)|Balboa Park]],<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |last=Sklar |first=Debbie L. |date=2025-04-04 |title='Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!' and 9 other off-the-wall movies filmed in San Diego |url=https://timesofsandiego.com/arts/2025/04/04/attack-of-the-killer-tomatoes-and-9-other-off-the-wall-movies-filmed-in-san-diego/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250405081551/https://timesofsandiego.com/arts/2025/04/04/attack-of-the-killer-tomatoes-and-9-other-off-the-wall-movies-filmed-in-san-diego/ |archive-date=2025-04-05 |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=[[Times of San Diego]] |language=en-US}}</ref> [[downtown San Diego]] and [[La Jolla]] were utilized as the environment for the film.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Benninger |first=Michael |date=2016-03-01 |title=Hot Shots |url=https://www.pacificsandiego.com/things-to-do/pac-hot-shots-story.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200809120653/https://www.pacificsandiego.com/things-to-do/pac-hot-shots-story.html |archive-date=2020-08-09 |access-date=2022-12-10 |website=Pacific San Diego |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Post-production===
The first cut of ''Traffic'' ran three hours and ten minutes.<ref name="Hope" /> Soderbergh cut it to two hours and twenty minutes. Early on, there were concerns that the film might get an [[Motion Picture Association of America film rating system#X is replaced by NC-17|NC-17]] rating, and he was prepared to release it with that rating, but the [[Motion Picture Association of America|MPAA]] assigned it an R.<ref name="Hope" />

==Release==
===Home media===
In the United States, the film was released on [[DVD]] on May 28, 2002, by The Criterion Collection.<ref>{{cite web|first=Enrique |last=Rivero |url=http://www.hive4media.com/news/html/Product_article.cfm?article_id=2530 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020225165041/http://www.hive4media.com/news/html/Product_article.cfm?article_id=2530 |title=USA's Traffic' Travels to Criterion Collection |website=hive4media.com|archive-date=February 25, 2002|date=February 1, 2002|access-date=September 9, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> In Australia, ''Traffic'' was released on DVD by Village Roadshow, with an MA15+ rating. Despite the Australian packaging stating the length to be 124 minutes, the actual DVD version is just over 141 minutes long.

==Reception==
===Box office performance===
''Traffic'' was given a limited release on December 27, 2000, in four theaters where it grossed {{USD|184,725}} on its opening weekend. It was given a wide release on January 5, 2001, in 1,510 theaters, grossing $15.5 million on its opening weekend. The film made $124.1 million in North America and $83.4 million in foreign markets for a worldwide total of $207.5 million, well above its estimated $46 million budget.<ref name="Dargis" /><ref name="BoxOfficeMojo">{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=traffic.htm |title=Traffic |work=[[Box Office Mojo]] |publisher=[[IMDb]] |access-date=2008-05-07 |archive-date=2015-08-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150815115503/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=traffic.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Critical response===
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds an approval rating of 93% based on 223 reviews, with an [[Weighted mean|average rating]] of 8/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Soderbergh successfully pulls off the highly ambitious ''Traffic'', a movie with three different stories and a very large cast. The issues of ethics are gray rather than black-and-white, with no clear-cut good guys. Terrific acting all around."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1103281-traffic |title=Traffic (2000)|work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[Fandango Media|Fandango]] |access-date=September 9, 2023}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has received an average score of 86 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/traffic |title=Traffic reviews |work=[[Metacritic]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=April 14, 2014 |archive-date=October 24, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024060800/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/traffic |url-status=live }}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://cinemascore.com/ |access-date=2022-03-25 |website=CinemaScore}}</ref>

Film critic [[Roger Ebert]] gave the film four out of four stars, and wrote: "The movie is powerful precisely because it doesn't preach. It is so restrained that at one moment—the judge's final speech—I wanted one more sentence, making a point, but the movie lets us supply that thought for ourselves".<ref>{{cite news |last=Ebert |first=Roger |date=2001-01-01 |title=Traffic |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/traffic-2001 |url-status=live |access-date=2008-05-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080419071411/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20010101%2FREVIEWS%2F101010301%2F1023 |archive-date=2008-04-19}}</ref> [[Stephen Holden]], in his review for ''[[The New York Times]]'', wrote: "''Traffic'' is an utterly gripping, edge-of-your-seat thriller. Or rather it is several interwoven thrillers, each with its own tense rhythm and explosive payoff".<ref>{{cite news|title=Teeming Mural of a War Fought and Lost |first=Stephen |last=Holden |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/27/arts/27TRAF.html?ex=1220760000&en=b5df86a2fb4e3422&ei=5070 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2000-12-27 |access-date=2008-09-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531105459/http://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/27/arts/27TRAF.html?ex=1220760000&en=b5df86a2fb4e3422&ei=5070 |archive-date=May 31, 2014 }}</ref> In his review for ''[[The New York Observer]]'', [[Andrew Sarris]] wrote: "''Traffic'' marks [Soderbergh] definitively as an enormous talent, one who never lets us guess what he's going to do next. The promise of ''[[Sex, Lies, and Videotape]]'' has been fulfilled".<ref>{{cite news |title=Soderbergh, on Border Patrol, Dissects the Drug Economy |first=Andrew |last=Sarris |url=http://www.observer.com/node/43787 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080101144349/http://www.observer.com/node/43787 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2008-01-01 |work=[[The New York Observer]] |date=2000-12-24 |access-date=2008-05-07}}</ref>

''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' gave the film an "A" rating and praised Benicio del Toro's performance, which critic [[Owen Gleiberman]] called, "haunting in his understatement, [it] becomes the film's quietly awakening moral center".<ref>{{cite magazine |title=The High Drama |first=Owen |last=Gleiberman |url=https://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,279203,00.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120731194329/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,279203,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 31, 2012 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=2001-01-05 |access-date=2008-05-07}}</ref> Desson Howe, in his review for the ''[[Washington Post]]'', wrote: "Soderbergh and screenwriter Stephen Gaghan, who based this on a British television miniseries of the same name, have created an often exhilarating, soup-to-nuts exposé of the world's most lucrative trade".<ref>{{cite news |last=Howe |first=Desson |title=Green Light for 'Traffic' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/entertainment/movies/reviews/traffichowe.htm |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=2001-01-05 |access-date=2008-05-07 |archive-date=2021-03-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320104920/https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/entertainment/movies/reviews/traffichowe.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In his review for ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', [[Peter Travers]] wrote: "The hand-held camerawork – Soderbergh himself did the holding—provides a documentary feel that rivets attention".<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Traffic |first=Peter |last=Travers |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/traffic-20001218 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=2001-12-18 |access-date=2011-03-10 |archive-date=2021-03-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320104902/https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-reviews/traffic-253246/ |url-status=live }}</ref> However, [[Richard Schickel]] of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', in a rare negative review, finds the film's biggest weakness to be that it contains the "cliches of a hundred crime movies" before concluding that "''Traffic'', for all its earnestness, does not work. It leaves one feeling restless and dissatisfied".<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Caution: Gridlock Ahead |first=Richard |last=Schickel |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,93286,00.html |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=2000-12-31 |access-date=2008-05-07 |archive-date=2008-04-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080402051051/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,93286,00.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> In an interview, director [[Ingmar Bergman]] lauded the film as "amazing".<ref>{{cite news|title=EuroScreenwriters – Interviews with European Film Directors – Ingmar Bergman|url=http://zakka.dk/euroscreenwriters/interviews/ingmar_bergman_03.htm|work=Sydsvenskan|access-date=March 5, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826082557/http://zakka.dk/euroscreenwriters/interviews/ingmar_bergman_03.htm|archive-date=2016-08-26|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Accolades===

[[Steven Soderbergh]] received dual nominations for [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]] that year for both ''[[Erin Brockovich (film)|Erin Brockovich]]'' and ''Traffic'', winning the award for the latter.
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
! Ref.
|-
| rowspan="5"| [[73rd Academy Awards|Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]]
| [[Marshall Herskovitz]], [[Edward Zwick]], and [[Laura Bickford]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="5"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2001 |title=The 73rd Academy Awards (2001) Nominees and Winners |publisher=[[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] |access-date=November 19, 2011}}</ref>
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| [[Steven Soderbergh]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| [[Benicio del Toro]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Screenplay – Based on Material Previously Produced or Published]]
| [[Stephen Gaghan]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Film Editing|Best Film Editing]]
| [[Stephen Mirrione]]
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="3"| [[ALMA Award]]s
| colspan="2"| Outstanding Feature Film
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="3"| 
|-
| colspan="2"| Outstanding Latino Cast in a Feature Film
| {{won}}
|-
| colspan="2"| Outstanding Soundtrack or Compilation for Television and Film
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Amanda Award]]s
| Best Foreign Feature Film
| Steven Soderbergh
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| [[American Cinema Editors#Eddie Awards|American Cinema Editors Awards]]
| [[American Cinema Editors Award for Best Edited Feature Film – Dramatic|Best Edited Feature Film – Dramatic]]
| Stephen Mirrione
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| [[American Film Institute Awards#2000|American Film Institute Awards]]
| colspan="2"| Top 10 Movies of the Year
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.afi.com/award/afi-awards-2000/ |title=AFI Awards 2000 |access-date=December 23, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[Casting Society of America#Artios Awards|Artios Awards]]
| [[Artios Award for Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Big Budget Feature (Drama)|Outstanding Achievement in Feature Film Casting – Drama]]
| [[Debra Zane]]
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.castingsociety.com/awards/artios/2001 |title=2001 Artios Awards |publisher=[[Casting Society of America]] |access-date= July 10, 2019}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[51st Berlin International Film Festival|Berlin International Film Festival]]
| [[Golden Bear]]
| Steven Soderbergh
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="2"| <ref name="Berlinale 2001">{{cite web |url=http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/2001/03_preistr_ger_2001/03_Preistraeger_1997.html |title=Berlinale: 2001 Prize Winners |access-date=8 January 2012 |work=berlinale.de}}</ref>
|-
| [[Silver Bear for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| Benicio del Toro
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Black Reel Awards of 2001|Black Reel Awards]]
| [[Black Reel Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| [[Don Cheadle]]
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.blackreelawards.com/past-nominees-winners-by-category |title=Black Reel Awards – Past Nominees & Winners by Category |publisher=[[Black Reel Awards]] |access-date=December 18, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="3"| [[7th Blockbuster Entertainment Awards|Blockbuster Entertainment Awards]]
| Favorite Actor – Drama
| [[Michael Douglas]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="3"| <ref>{{cite web |date=April 12, 2001 |author=LANCE FIASCO |title='NSync Takes Home Three Blockbuster Entertainment Awards |url=http://idobi.com/news/nsync-takes-home-three-blockbuster-entertainment-awards/ |website=idobi Network |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911194939/https://idobi.com/news/nsync-takes-home-three-blockbuster-entertainment-awards/ |archive-date=2016-09-11 |access-date=November 4, 2016}}</ref>
|-
| Favorite Supporting Actor – Drama
| Benicio del Toro
| {{won}}
|-
| Favorite Supporting Actress – Drama
| [[Catherine Zeta-Jones]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[BMI Film & TV Awards]]
| Film Music Award
| [[Cliff Martinez]]
| {{won}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| [[55th Bodil Awards|Bodil Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[Bodil Award for Best American Film|Best American Film]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| [[Boston Society of Film Critics Awards 2000|Boston Society of Film Critics Awards]]
| [[Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| rowspan="2"| Steven Soderbergh
| {{draw|3rd Place}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://bostonfilmcritics.org/past-winners-2000s/ |title=BSFC Winners: 2000s |publisher=[[Boston Society of Film Critics]] |date=July 27, 2018 |access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="4"| [[54th British Academy Film Awards|British Academy Film Awards]]
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Direction|Best Direction]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="4"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/2001/film |title=BAFTA Awards: Film in 2001 |publisher=[[British Academy Film Awards]] |access-date=September 16, 2016}}</ref>
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role|Best Actor in a Supporting Role]]
| Benicio del Toro
| {{won}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Adapted Screenplay]]
| Stephen Gaghan
| {{won}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Editing|Best Editing]]
| Stephen Mirrione
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[British Society of Cinematographers#Award categories|British Society of Cinematographers Awards]]
| [[British Society of Cinematographers Award for Best Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature Film|Best Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature Film]]
| Steven Soderbergh
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://bscine.com/media/uploads/awards/bsc-cinematography-feature-film.pdf?v |title=Best Cinematography in Feature Film |publisher=[[British Society of Cinematographers]] |access-date=June 3, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[27th César Awards|César Awards]]
| [[César Award for Best Foreign Film|Best Foreign Film]]
| Anthony Minghella
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.academie-cinema.org/evenements/ceremonie-des-cesar-2002/ |title=The 2002 Caesars Ceremony |publisher=[[César Awards]] |access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="6"| [[Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 2000|Chicago Film Critics Association Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="6"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://chicagofilmcritics.org/awards-blog/archives |title=1988-2013 Award Winner Archives |publisher=[[Chicago Film Critics Association]] |date=January 1, 2013 |access-date=August 24, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| Steven Soderbergh
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| Benicio del Toro
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
| Catherine Zeta-Jones
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]]
| Stephen Gaghan
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]]
| Steven Soderbergh
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="5"| [[Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film|Chlotrudis Awards]]
| colspan="2"| Best Movie
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="5"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://chlotrudis.org/awards/past-awards/2001-7th-annual-awards/ |title=7th Annual Chlotrudis Awards |publisher=[[Chlotrudis Society for Independent Films]] |access-date=April 23, 2022}}</ref>
|-
| Best Director
| Steven Soderbergh
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Supporting Actor
| Benicio del Toro
| {{won}}
|-
| Best Adapted Screenplay
| Stephen Gaghan
| {{nom}}
|-
| colspan="2"| Best Cast
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Costume Designers Guild|Costume Designers Guild Awards]]
| [[Costume Designers Guild Award for Excellence in Contemporary Film|Excellence in Contemporary Film]]
| Louise Frogley
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.costumedesignersguild.com/awards-archives/3rd-cdga-2001/ |title=3rd CDGA (2001) |publisher=[[Costume Designers Guild]] |access-date=May 27, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="5"| [[6th Critics' Choice Awards|Critics' Choice Movie Awards]]
| colspan="2"| Top 10 Films
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="5"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bfca.org/ccawards/2000.php |title=The BFCA Critics' Choice Awards :: 2000 |website=Bfca.org |access-date=August 10, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110225195441/http://bfca.org/ccawards/2000.php |archive-date=February 25, 2011}}</ref>
|-
| colspan="2"| [[Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| Steven Soderbergh {{small|(also for ''[[Erin Brockovich (film)|Erin Brockovich]]'')}}
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| Benicio del Toro
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Adapted Screenplay]]
| Stephen Gaghan
| {{won}}{{efn|Tied with [[Steve Kloves]] for ''[[Wonder Boys (film)|Wonder Boys]]''.}}
|-
| rowspan="5"| [[Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards 2000|Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association: Top 10 Films|Top 10 Films]]
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="5"| 
|-
| colspan="2"| [[Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Picture|Best Film]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| Steven Soderbergh
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| Benicio del Toro
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
| Catherine Zeta-Jones
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[53rd Directors Guild of America Awards|Directors Guild of America Awards]]
| [[Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film|Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures]]
| Steven Soderbergh
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dga.org/Awards/History/2000s/2000.aspx?value=2000 |title=53rd Annual DGA Awards |publisher=[[Directors Guild of America Awards]] |access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[Edgar Awards|Edgar Allan Poe Awards]]
| [[List of Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay winners|Best Motion Picture]]
| Stephen Gaghan {{small|(screenplay)}}; <br> [[Simon Moore (writer)|Simon Moore]] {{small|(based on the [[Traffik|miniseries]])}}
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://edgarawards.com/category-list-best-motion-picture/ |title=Category List – Best Motion Picture |publisher=[[Edgar Awards]] |access-date=August 15, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="3"| [[7th Empire Awards|Empire Awards]]
| [[Empire Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| Steven Soderbergh
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="3"| 
|-
| [[Empire Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| Benicio del Toro
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Empire Award for Best British Actress|Best British Actress]]
| Catherine Zeta-Jones
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Film Critics Circle of Australia|Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards]]
| colspan="2"| Best Foreign Film
| {{won}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| rowspan="3"| [[Florida Film Critics Circle Awards 2000|Florida Film Critics Circle Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="3"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.floridafilmcritics.com/2013/11/16/2000-ffcc-winners/ |title=2000 FFCC AWARD WINNERS |publisher=[[Florida Film Critics Circle]] |access-date=August 24, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| Steven Soderbergh {{small|(also for ''[[Erin Brockovich (film)|Erin Brockovich]]'')}}
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| rowspan="2"| Benicio del Toro
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Gold Derby|Gold Derby Awards]]
| Best Supporting Actor of the Decade
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| rowspan="5"| [[58th Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama|Best Motion Picture – Drama]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="5"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/traffic |title=Traffic |publisher=[[Golden Globe Awards]] |access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture|Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture]]
| Benicio del Toro
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture|Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture]]
| Catherine Zeta-Jones
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Director|Best Director – Motion Picture]]
| Steven Soderbergh
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay – Motion Picture]]
| Stephen Gaghan
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Motion Picture Sound Editors#Golden Reel Awards|Golden Reel Awards]]
| [[Golden Reel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Dialogue and ADR for Feature Film|Best Sound Editing – Dialogue & ADR, Domestic Feature Film]]
| Larry Blake and [[Aaron Glascock]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| [[44th Annual Grammy Awards|Grammy Awards]]
| [[Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media|Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or <br> Other Visual Media]]
| Cliff Martinez
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.grammy.com/awards/44th-annual-grammy-awards |title=44th Annual GRAMMY Awards |publisher=[[Grammy Awards]] |access-date=May 1, 2011}}</ref>
|-
| [[Humanitas Prize]]
| [[List of Humanitas Prize recipients#2002 (27th Humanitas Awards)|Feature Film]]
| Stephen Gaghan
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.humanitasprize.org/prize-winners |title=Past Winners & Nominees |publisher=[[Humanitas Prize]] |access-date=June 11, 2022}}</ref>
|-
| [[Imagen Awards]]
| colspan="2"| Best Theatrical Feature Film
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| rowspan="3"| Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards
| colspan="2"| Best Film
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="3"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://kcfcc.org/kcfcc-award-winners-2000-09/ |title=KCFCC Award Winners – 2000-09 |publisher=Kansas City Film Critics Circle |date=December 14, 2013 |access-date=July 10, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| Best Director
| Steven Soderbergh
| {{won}}
|-
| Best Supporting Actor
| Benicio del Toro
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[Kinema Junpo#Annual award categories|Kinema Junpo Awards]]
| Best Foreign Language Film
| rowspan="2"| Steven Soderbergh
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="2"| 
|-
| Best Foreign Language Film Director
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="5"| Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards
| Best Director
| Steven Soderbergh {{small|(also for ''[[Erin Brockovich (film)|Erin Brockovich]]'')}}
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="5"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lvfcs.org/sierra-award-winners.html |title=Previous Sierra Award Winners |publisher=Las Vegas Film Critics Society |access-date=May 15, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| Best Actor
| Michael Douglas
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Supporting Actor
| Benicio del Toro
| {{won}}
|-
| Best Original Screenplay
| Stephen Gaghan
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Film Editing
| Stephen Mirrione
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="3"| [[2000 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards|Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards]]
| [[Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| Steven Soderbergh {{small|(also for ''[[Erin Brockovich (film)|Erin Brockovich]]'')}}
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="3"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lafca.net/Years/2000.php |title=The 26th Annual Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards |publisher=[[Los Angeles Film Critics Association]] |access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| Benicio del Toro
| {{Runner-up}}
|-
| [[Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]]
| rowspan="2"| Steven Soderbergh
| {{Runner-up}}
|-
| [[Manaki Brothers Film Festival]]
| Golden Camera 300
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| [[2001 MTV Movie Awards|MTV Movie Awards]]
| [[MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance|Breakthrough Female Performance]]
| [[Erika Christensen]]
| {{won}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| [[Nastro d'Argento]]
| Best Foreign Director
| Steven Soderbergh
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[National Board of Review Awards 2000|National Board of Review Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[National Board of Review: Top Ten Films|Top Ten Films]]
| {{draw|2nd Place}}
| align="center" rowspan="2"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://nationalboardofreview.org/award-years/2000/ |title=2000 Award Winners |publisher=[[National Board of Review]] |access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[National Board of Review Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| Steven Soderbergh {{small|(also for ''[[Erin Brockovich (film)|Erin Brockovich]]'')}}
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="5"| [[2000 National Society of Film Critics Awards|National Society of Film Critics Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
| {{draw|2nd Place}}
| align="center" rowspan="5"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://nationalsocietyoffilmcritics.com/about-2/ |title=Past Awards |publisher=[[National Society of Film Critics]] |date=December 19, 2009 |access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| Steven Soderbergh {{small|(also for ''[[Erin Brockovich (film)|Erin Brockovich]]'')}}
| {{won}}
|-
| [[National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| Benicio Del Toro
| {{won}}
|-
| [[National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]]
| Stephen Gaghan
| {{draw|3rd Place}}
|-
| [[National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]]
| Steven Soderbergh
| {{draw|3rd Place}}
|-
| rowspan="4"| [[2000 New York Film Critics Circle Awards|New York Film Critics Circle Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="4"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nyfcc.com/awards/?awardyear=2000 |title=2000 New York Film Critics Circle Awards |publisher=[[New York Film Critics Circle]] |access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref> <br> <ref>{{cite news |title='Traffic' Captures Awards From New York Film Critics |first=Stephen |last=Holden |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B04EFDC1E3FF937A25751C1A9669C8B63&scp=1&sq=%22Traffic+Captures+Awards+From+New+York+Film+Critics%22&st=nyt |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2000-12-14 |access-date=2009-02-11 |archive-date=2021-03-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320104841/https://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/14/nyregion/traffic-captures-awards-from-new-york-film-critics.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| Steven Soderbergh {{small|(also for ''[[Erin Brockovich (film)|Erin Brockovich]]'')}}
| {{won}}
|-
| [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| rowspan="2"| Benicio del Toro
| {{Runner-up}}
|-
| [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="12"| Online Film & Television Association Awards<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oftaawards.com/film-awards/5th-annual-film-awards-2000/ |title=5th Annual Film Awards (2000) |publisher=Online Film & Television Association |access-date=May 15, 2021}}</ref>
| Best Picture
| Marshall Herskovitz, Edward Zwick, and Laura Bickford
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="12"| 
|-
| Best Director
| Steven Soderbergh 
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Supporting Actor
| Benicio del Toro
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Youth Performance
| Erika Christensen
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Adapted Screenplay
| Stephen Gaghan
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Casting
| Debra Zane
| {{won}}
|-
| Best Cinematography
| Steven Soderbergh 
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Film Editing
| Stephen Mirrione
| {{nom}}
|-
| colspan="2"| Best Sound
| {{nom}}
|-
| colspan="2"| Best Ensemble
| {{won}}
|-
| colspan="2"| Best Titles Sequence
| {{nom}}
|-
| colspan="2"| Best Official Film Website
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="8"| [[Online Film Critics Society Awards 2000|Online Film Critics Society Awards]]
| colspan="2"| Top 10 Films
| {{draw|5th Place}}
| align="center" rowspan="8"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://ofcs.org/awards/2000-awards-4th-annual/ |title=2000 Awards (4th Annual) |publisher=[[Online Film Critics Society]] |date=January 3, 2012 |access-date=November 21, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| colspan="2"| [[Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| Steven Soderbergh 
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| Benicio del Toro
| {{won}}{{efn|Tied with [[Philip Seymour Hoffman]] for ''[[Almost Famous]]''.}}
|-
| [[Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]]
| Stephen Gaghan
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]]
| Steven Soderbergh 
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Editing|Best Editing]]
| Stephen Mirrione
| {{nom}}
|-
| colspan="2"| [[Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast|Best Ensemble]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="6"| Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards
| colspan="2"| Best Picture
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="6"| 
|-
| Best Director
| Steven Soderbergh 
| {{won}}
|-
| Best Actor in a Supporting Role
| Benicio del Toro
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Adapted Screenplay
| Stephen Gaghan
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Cinematography
| Steven Soderbergh 
| {{nom}}
|-
| Best Film Editing
| Stephen Mirrione
| {{nom}}
|-
| Political Film Society Awards
| colspan="2"| [[Political Film Society Award for Exposé|Exposé]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| [[Entertainment Industries Council#Prism Awards|Prism Awards]]
| colspan="2"| Theatrical Feature Film
| {{won}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| [[San Diego Film Critics Society Awards 2000|San Diego Film Critics Society Awards]]
| [[San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
| Benicio del Toro
| {{won}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| rowspan="9"| [[5th Golden Satellite Awards|Satellite Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[Satellite Award for Best Film|Best Motion Picture – Drama]]
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="9"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pressacademy.com/satawards/awards2001.shtml |title=International Press Academy website – 2001 5th Annual SATELLITE Awards |publisher=[[International Press Academy]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080201175700/http://www.pressacademy.com/satawards/awards2001.shtml |archive-date=1 February 2008}}</ref>
|-
| [[Satellite Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| Steven Soderbergh 
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture|Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama]]
| Benicio del Toro
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Satellite Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Adapted Screenplay]]
| Stephen Gaghan
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Satellite Award for Best Art Direction and Production Design|Best Art Direction]]
| Keith P. Cunningham
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Satellite Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]]
| Steven Soderbergh 
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Satellite Award for Best Editing|Best Editing]]
| Stephen Mirrione
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Satellite Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Score]]
| Cliff Martinez
| {{nom}}
|-
| colspan="2"| [[Satellite Award for Best Cast – Motion Picture|Outstanding Motion Picture Ensemble]]
| {{won}}
|-
| [[27th Saturn Awards|Saturn Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[Saturn Award for Best Action or Adventure Film|Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html |title=Past Saturn Awards |publisher=[[Saturn Awards]] |access-date=May 7, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080914184217/http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html |archive-date=September 14, 2008 |df=mdy}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[7th Screen Actors Guild Awards|Screen Actors Guild Awards]]
| [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture|Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture]]
| [[Benjamin Bratt]], [[James Brolin]], Don Cheadle, <br> Erika Christensen, [[Clifton Collins Jr.]], Benicio del Toro, <br> Michael Douglas, [[Albert Finney]], [[Topher Grace]], <br> [[Amy Irving]], [[Dennis Quaid]], and Catherine Zeta-Jones
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="2"| <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/7th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards |title=The 7th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards |publisher=[[Screen Actors Guild Awards]] |access-date=May 21, 2016|archive-date=November 1, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111101205428/http://www.sagawards.org/awards/nominees-and-recipients/7th-annual-screen-actors-guild-awards|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
| [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role|Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role]]
| Benicio del Toro
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="4"| Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards
| colspan="2"| Best Picture
| {{draw|2nd Place}}
| align="center" rowspan="4"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sefca.net/winners#/2000 |title=2000 SEFA Awards |publisher=Southeastern Film Critics Association |access-date=May 15, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| Best Director
| Steven Soderbergh 
| {{won}}
|-
| Best Supporting Actor
| Benicio del Toro
| {{won}}
|-
| Best Adapted Screenplay
| Stephen Gaghan
| {{won}}
|-
| [[2001 Teen Choice Awards|Teen Choice Awards]]
| Choice Movie Breakout
| Erika Christensen
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| 
|-
| rowspan="3"| [[Toronto Film Critics Association Awards 2000|Toronto Film Critics Association Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
| {{Runner-up}}
| align="center" rowspan="3"| <ref name="TFCA Awards 2000">{{cite web |url=http://torontofilmcritics.com/blog/2000/12/21/tfca-awards-2000/ |title=TFCA Awards 2000 |publisher=[[Toronto Film Critics Association]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006010525/http://torontofilmcritics.com/blog/2000/12/21/tfca-awards-2000/ |archive-date=2011-10-06}}</ref>
|-
| [[Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| Steven Soderbergh
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor|Best Male Performance]]
| Benicio Del Toro
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Turkish Film Critics Association|Turkish Film Critics Association Awards]]
| colspan="2"| Best Foreign Film
| {{draw|2nd Place}}
|-
| rowspan="3"| [[Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards 2000|Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards]]
| colspan="2"| [[Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film|Best Film]]
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="3"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://vancouverfilmcritics.com/2001/02/01/1st-annual-award-winners/ |title=1st Annual Award Winners |publisher=[[Vancouver Film Critics Circle]] |date=February 2001 |access-date=December 5, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| Steven Soderbergh
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| rowspan="2"| Benicio Del Toro
| {{won}}
|-
| [[Village Voice Film Poll]]
| Best Supporting Performance
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://mubi.com/awards-and-festivals/village-voice?year=2000 |title=2000 Village Voice Film Poll |publisher=[[Mubi (streaming service)|Mubi]] |access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[53rd Writers Guild of America Awards|Writers Guild of America Awards]]
| [[Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Screenplay – Based on Material Previously Produced or Published]]
| Stephen Gaghan
| {{won}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1517 |title=Writers Guild Awards Winners |access-date=March 7, 2019 |publisher=[[Writers Guild of America Awards]] |year=2010 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120525050852/http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1517 |archive-date=May 25, 2012}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[Young Hollywood Awards]]
| Breakthrough Male Performance
| Topher Grace
| {{won}}
| align="center" rowspan="2"| 
|-
| Standout Female Performance
| Erika Christensen
| {{won}}
|}

===Top ten lists===
''Traffic'' appeared on several critics' top ten lists for 2000. Some of the notable top-ten list appearances are:<ref name="Metacrix">{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/film/awards/2000 |title=Metacritic: 2000 Film Critic Top Ten Lists |work=[[Metacritic]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=2009-02-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080731095402/http://www.metacritic.com/film/awards/2000 |archive-date=July 31, 2008}}</ref>
* 2nd: [[A. O. Scott]], ''[[The New York Times]]''
* 2nd: [[Jami Bernard]], New York ''[[New York Daily News|Daily News]]''<ref>{{cite news |title=Jami's Top 10 Movies |first=Jami |last=Bernard | work=[[New York Daily News]] |date=2000-12-29}}</ref>
* 2nd: Bruce Kirkland, ''[[The Toronto Sun]]''<ref>{{cite news |title=The Best, and the Rest |first=Bruce |last=Kirkland |newspaper=[[Toronto Sun]] |date=2000-12-29}}</ref>
* 3rd: [[Stephen Holden]], ''The New York Times''
* 3rd: [[Owen Gleiberman]], ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
* 3rd: [[Peter Travers]], ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
* 4th: [[Roger Ebert]], ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]''
* 4th: Jack Mathews, New York ''Daily News''<ref>{{cite news |title=Jack's Top 10 Movies |first=Jack |last=Mathews |work=[[New York Daily News]] |date=2000-12-29}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Film}}
* [[Hyperlink cinema]]—the film style of using multiple interconnected story lines
* [[List of media set in San Diego]]
* [[Mexican Drug War]]
* [[Narco film]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote|Traffic}}
* {{IMDb title|181865}}
* {{Metacritic film}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|1103281-traffic}}
* {{Mojo title|traffic}}
* [https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/203-traffic-border-wars ''Traffic: Border Wars''] an essay by [[Manohla Dargis]] at the [[Criterion Collection]]

{{Steven Soderbergh}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for ''Traffic''
|list =
{{Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Film}}
{{Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film}}
{{New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film}}
{{Satellite Award Best Motion Picture}}
{{Satellite Award for Best Cast – Motion Picture}}
{{ScreenActorsGuildAward CastMotionPicture 1995–2000}}
{{Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Traffic}}
[[Category:2000 films]]
[[Category:2000 crime drama films]]
[[Category:2000s American films]]
[[Category:2000s English-language films]]
[[Category:2000s Mexican films]]
[[Category:2000s Spanish-language films]]
[[Category:American crime drama films]]
[[Category:American crime thriller films]]
[[Category:American political drama films]]
[[Category:American political thriller films]]
[[Category:BAFTA winners (films)]]
[[Category:Edgar Award–winning works]]
[[Category:English-language crime drama films]]
[[Category:Films about cocaine]]
[[Category:Films about Mexican drug cartels]]
[[Category:Films based on television series]]
[[Category:Films directed by Steven Soderbergh]]
[[Category:Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award–winning performance]]
[[Category:Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe winning performance]]
[[Category:Films scored by Cliff Martinez]]
[[Category:Films set in Maryland]]
[[Category:Films set in Mexico]]
[[Category:Films set in Ohio]]
[[Category:Films set in Cincinnati]]
[[Category:Films set in San Diego]]
[[Category:Films set in Texas]]
[[Category:Films set in Tijuana]]
[[Category:Films set in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Films shot in California]]
[[Category:Films shot in Cincinnati]]
[[Category:Films shot in El Paso, Texas]]
[[Category:Films shot in Mexico]]
[[Category:Films shot in New Mexico]]
[[Category:Films shot in San Diego]]
[[Category:Films whose director won the Best Directing Academy Award]]
[[Category:Films whose editor won the Best Film Editing Academy Award]]
[[Category:Films whose writer won the Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award]]
[[Category:Films whose writer won the Best Adapted Screenplay BAFTA Award]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Stephen Gaghan]]
[[Category:Harry Reid]]
[[Category:Hyperlink films]]
[[Category:Initial Entertainment Group films]]
[[Category:Satellite Award–winning films]]
[[Category:Tijuana Cartel]]
[[Category:USA Films films]]