Conversation so far:
what made Joaquin Phoenix return to acting?
During the comeback portion of his career, Phoenix went back to his given name Joaquin and was often cast in supporting roles as conflicted, insecure characters with a dark side.
did he like doing these roles?
In 1995, he co-starred in To Die For, as the disturbed young man Jimmy who gets seduced by Suzanne Stone (Nicole Kidman) to commit murder.
what else happened in 1995?
the film was screened out of competition at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival and became a financial and critical success, resulting in a domestic box office total of $21 million.
what else did he do in 1995?
Janet Maslin praised Phoenix's performance, writing "So pity poor Jimmy.
Rivetingly played by Mr.
Phoenix with a raw, anguished expressiveness that makes him an actor to watch for.
what significant event happened in 1996?
In 1997, Phoenix played a small-town troublemaker in Oliver Stone's U Turn, and a poor man in love with a rich woman in Inventing the Abbotts.
how did this movie perform at the box office?
The films were received with mostly mixed and negative reviews, respectively, and neither performed well at the box office.
what happened in 1998?
The following year, Phoenix starred in Clay Pigeons (1998) as a young man in a small town who befriends a serial killer.
how did the clay pigeons do?
Budgeted at $8 million, the film became a box office flop, grossing only $1 million and was, like Phoenix's previous projects, not well received by critics.

Question: what followed this flop?
Self-contained rewrite: what followed Clay Pigeons?