90 Favorites of the ‘90s: 45-1
Welcome back to my 90 Favorites of the ‘90s! This piece finishes off the countdown to my favorite ‘90s movies. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out 90-46 and come back!
Let’s not waste any more time. Let’s get back into it.
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45. Beauty & The Beast (1991)
The only Disney animated movie to be nominated for Best Picture, this is one of the best by the studio in the ‘90s. This film has one of the best villains and villain songs, songbooks, ‘I Want’ songs, and the best Disney princess and is simply one of the best in the entire history of the animation studio. I absolutely love Belle and think she’s one of the most fascinating and progressive female characters by the studio. The opening sequence is a perfect amalgamation of musical blocking, beautiful animation, and opening musical number. Very few Disney movies have such a perfect opening.
44. Office Space (1999)
This comedy absolutely bombed at the box office, earning only $2 million more than its budget. I don’t really understand it, because it’s a movie that’s so relatable to so many people. It’s an example of the beauty of the video market, because the film found a new life there and grew a cult following (had that translated to the box office I’m sure it would’ve earned at least $20 million). It’s a quotable movie. My wife quotes it sometimes. It’s a movie I’ve personally related to. And very little of it is objectionable today. It’s one of the decade’s best comedies.
43. Singles (1992)
This was my first Cameron Crowe movie. I saw it on cable when I was 12 or 13. It was the rom-com of the time. Everything about it is so particular to the early ‘90s. There’s elements about the dating life depicted in this movie that today’s generation just won’t understand. But I love it. I love its cast (especially Kyra Sedgewick, Bridget Fonda, and Matt Dillon). I love that it’s shot in Seattle and features the bands of the time that were considered part of the grunge era. And that soundtrack… That is my favorite soundtrack of all time! Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Paul Westerberg, Mother Love Bone… Every song and every band is awesome! It’s surprising this movie didn’t rank higher on the list.
42. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
This seems to be one of the most forgotten entries in the Star Trek film series and I absolutely love every moment of it. This is the one with the assassination of the Klingons and Kirk and McCoy are framed for the crime and sent to a prison planet. There isn’t a single thing about it I don’t love: the creature designs, the Klingons, the mystery, Christopher Plummer… all of it! I distinctly remember when a particular ship blew up during the climax the audience in the theater cheered! It was so much fun.
41. Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
I prefer Gremlins 2. This was Joe Dante’s middle finger to the concept of sequels and merchandising. I love it for that. I love the various types of Gremlins and the creativity behind them. I love John Glover in it. I love Robert Picardo in it. Just about everyone except Zach Galligan and Phoebe Cates are interesting in this movie. I also love the self-awareness and satirical aspects of it. It’s just so much more fun than the original movie. I even had a Gremlins 2 poster in my room and the computer game!
40. Fargo (1996)
There is a grandness to Fargo as it opens with Carter Burwell’s score and the camera staring at a snowy landscape, a car slowly nearing closer. The rest of the film undercuts that grandness through its quirky characters and humor. Frances McDormand has played several remarkable characters, but Sheriff Marge Gunderson may be the one she’s remembered for most. She’s kind and polite, but as clever and thoughtful as the best detectives in fiction. The toxic effect of money on people is a recurring theme throughout most of the Coens’ work. This is probably their best example of that theme.
39. The Fugitive (1993)
Nobody these days knows about or remembers the hit TV series, The Fugitive, and the mystery behind the one-armed man. There’s been attempts to remake it, but none ever stuck in the public consciousness. This film adaptation of the show is one of the greatest adaptations of TV shows ever. It’s a gripping mystery starring Harrison Ford as the wrongfully accused titular character seeking the truth behind his wife’s (Sela Ward) murder. The murder scene is brutal and difficult to watch. But you understand what motivates Ford’s Richard Kimble. Tommy Lee Jones’s career exploded after this movie, because he adds so much spice as the U.S. Marshall hunting Kimble. It’s a riveting film with an excellent score by James Newton Howard.
38. Jurassic Park (1993)
I still remember seeing this at the theater with my family. My mom was not a horror fan. While Jurassic Park wasn’t exactly a horror movie there was one or two jump scares involving the velociraptors she did not appreciate. Of course, Jurassic Park was a massive touchstone cinematically and culturally. I’m not thrilled that sequels to this film are still being produced, as the past couple have clearly run the concept into the ground. This film is the only film in the series that is truly great. Although… there is a flaw in the staging of the T. Rex pen sequence that has always bugged me and may be the only reason this film is this low on the list. But the score is one of the first score CDs I owned and I used to play it often in the mid-90s.
37. Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
On my Instagram account I create bracket polls for people to vote on their favorite movies. I’ve done polls for romantic comedies and the year 1993 and I’m always astonished by how unpopular this movie is! There was a time when this film was considered top shelf modern rom-com material! For me for a long time at the top of the list was this film and When Harry Met Sally… just above it. I’ve seen a few more movies since then, as you can probably tell, but I’d still include this among the Top 10 Romantic Comedies and 1993 films without hesitation. There are few romantic comedies that are both as charming and as endearing as this one. That’s due to a combination of Nora Ephron’s direction; the performances of Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Bill Pullman, Rosie O’Donnell, Ross Malinger, and Gabby Hoffman; and the script. In addition to that there’s a wonderful cast that includes Rob Reiner, Victor Garber, Rita Wilson, and David Hyde Pierce. It’s a gem of a movie with one of the sweetest soundtracks. I can’t believe it’s fallen out of favor.
36. Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
Okay, so the original Star Trek cast officially passed the silver screen mantle to the Next Generation cast with the mediocre Star Trek: Generations in 1994. Co-star Jonathan Frakes (Will Riker) sat in the director’s chair and he managed to create arguably the best Star Trek film since The Wrath of Khan. What made First Contact so fresh and exciting was its focus on the alien species The Borg and leaning into the horror and sci-fi action potential of that. Anyone who preferred the more recent action-driven Star Trek movies would enjoy this entry. Also, the film explores Earth’s first contact with an alien species, what made that possible, and how it eventually led to the creation of the United Federation of Planets. Those were all really fun and interesting angles that were outside the norm for Star Trek films. I still find it riveting and a blast and it remains one of my all-time favorites of the franchise.
35. The Rocketeer (1991)
This was a Touchstone Pictures movie directed by Joe Johnston, who would direct Captain America 20 years later, based on a superhero comic. I think a lot of the elements that made the first Captain America movie great can be found in The Rocketeer: the Average Joe becoming something more, the superheroics, the Nazi villains, the rousing score. The Rocketeer is an absolute blast from a time when the Batman movies were the only great superhero movies for a long time. Anyone who has slept on this movie will regret it once they see Jennifer Connelly in it. But Alan Arkin is fantastic, Timothy Dalton (who had recently played James Bond) is a terrific villain, there’s a Bond-like henchman that I sometimes quote (“Where’s the rocket?”), and, of course, Billy Campbell as the titular character is so lovable. Unfortunately, it bombed at the box office and has never received a great physical media release. But it remains fondly in my heart.
34. Speed (1994)
Speed is a perfect action movie. Its premise - that a bus has a bomb on it that will blow if the bus goes below 50 mph and one cop has to outwit the man responsible - can make the film sound dumb, betraying how great it actually is. This is Jan de Bont’s one film he can be proud of. It’s perfectly directed, paced, and edited. It is peak ‘90s action thrills. Keanu Reeves became a legit action movie star with this film. You thought he became an action movie star in John Wick? No, Speed did it 20 years before. Jeff Daniels was on fire the first half of the decade and made a great partner to Reeves. Sandra Bullock became a star as the no-nonsense Annie, a commuter who unwittingly became Reeves’s right hand gal and eventual love interest. Dennis Hopper was wonderfully unhinged as the villain. His diabolical Payne may be my favorite character he played. Speed is Die-Hard-on-a-bus not just in premise, but in every good way possible.
33. Romeo + Juliet (1996)
Okay, so I mentioned before that there was a Shakespeare movie trend throughout the ‘90s. Several of them are very good and highly recommendable. And then there’s Baz Lurhmann’s vision. It doesn’t always work to adapt one of Shakespeare’s plays to the 20th century in some fashion. There’s been a couple of attempts and they usually fall flat. This film is the lone exception in my estimation. Immediately with the pre-title sequence, it becomes clear Baz brought an adrenaline rush to the classic tale of star-crossed lovers. And it is stunning. The direction, cinematography, and editing add so much to this film. But Leonardo DiCaprio became a heartthrob and Claire Danes was every boy’s crush. It was impossible not to buy into this film’s romance. On top of it there’s a great supporting cast with John Leguizamo, Paul Sorvino, Harold Perrineau, Paul Rudd, Brian Dennehy, and Jamie Kennedy. In a decade stuffed with action and fast editing Romeo + Juliet was the perfect take on Shakespeare for the time.
32. The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
This just might be my favorite Coen Brothers movie. Keep your No Country for Old Men and Big Lebowski. This was my jam. It’s partially a tribute to ‘40s comedies like His Girl Friday. Tim Robbins become an unwitting dope in a scheme to make the board of a corporation richer. Meanwhile, Jennifer Jason Leigh is a fast-talking journalist determined to get to the truth of Robbins’s character. The style is typical Coen quirky comedy with beautiful cinematography by the legendary Roger Deakins. The score by Carter Burwell is among my favorite of the decade. I’ve quoted the film several times. Leigh has an excellent monologue at a typewriter that always mesmerized me - it’s possibly the best monologue performance of her career. There’s just so many things I can toss out there that I love about what may be the most underrated movie of the Coens’ career.
31. Gettysburg (1993)
Okay, so this film was produced by Ted Turner of Turner Broadcasting System, Turner Network Television, CNN, and a bunch of other basic cable channels. He was a media mogul with a passion for the Civil War. He released this film in theaters through New Line Cinema, which he had recently acquired. It was screened in roughly 250 theaters once a day due to its 4hrs. 14mins. runtime and it grossed the equivalent of $27.4 million today. It was nowhere near enough to be a success, but was still impressive that a film could earn so much with such limited screenings. Turner was already planning on releasing it on his TNT where it earned over 34 million viewers. It’s gone on to become a staple in classrooms and a big seller in the physical media market. All of this wouldn’t matter or would be baffling if it weren’t such a tremendous film. While its focus is on one region, it is a definitive Civil War film and a film I’ve always adored. It’s the only war film that tops Saving Private Ryan for me. The score by Randy Edelman, the direction by Ronald F. Maxwell, and the cast that includes Martin Sheen, Tom Berenger, Jeff Daniels, Sam Elliott, Richard Jordan, Stephen Lang, and more are what make this film so incredible. Check out the 4hr. 31mins director’s cut. Skip the inferior prequel, Gods and Generals.
30. Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
This may be Francis Ford Coppola’s last great film, an operatic and visually sumptuous adaptation of the classic horror novel. It’s the most faithful adaptation as I recall, but it’s also the most cinematic. No disrespect to Bela Lugosi, whose Dracula I love, but this version of Dracula leaned into the horror with various extraordinary make-up and visual effects. It’s just as gorgeous as it is horrific. Gary Oldman is the only actor to rival Lugosi in the role. He makes the Count a tragic figure. Anthony Hopkins adds a dose of humor as Abraham Van Helsing. And I greatly enjoy the rest of the cast: Winona Ryder, Keanu Reeves, Cary Elwes, Billy Campbell, Richard E. Grant, and especially Tom Waits as Renfield. The filming techniques are among the greatest of the year, utilizing only techniques accurate to the story’s period. And the score by Wojciech Kilar is one of my favorites of the decade.
29. Scream (1996)
Like a handful of the movies that came out in the ‘90s, Scream is still going strong. It wasn’t initially intended to be a slasher franchise with endless sequels like the films it referenced and ribbed. Scream was originally a trilogy about a specific character and her mother’s past. The whole “sins of the [mother] shall be visited upon the children” thing. It’s only the past few years that it’s evolved away from that into something that’s being driven into the ground. The original film on its own terms is a perfect slasher film. It references movies like Halloween and A Nightmare on Elm Street while being just as great as them. It started off with an extraordinary pre-title sequence that slowly ratcheted up the pressure until a final bloody mini-climax. In any other horror film that wouldn’t be entirely revolutionary. But this scene starred Drew Barrymore, an inherently lovable sweetheart and pretty big star. Nobody wanted to see her sliced and diced - or would believe she could be within the first 10 minutes of a movie! The film, directed by the legendary Wes Craven, got better from there, creating a cast of characters that I fell in love with and somehow managed to survive several films. Scream is easily one of my all-time favorite horror movies.
28. The Rock (1996)
I loathe director Michael Bay. Generally, he represents the worst elements of Hollywood filmmaking in the ‘90s and beyond: idiot-proof storytelling, low-brow humor, blunt and brash attitudes and direction, and objectification. But he managed to make 2 or 3 good movies despite his tendencies. The Rock is easily his greatest film. Rather than being defined by idiot-proof storytelling, The Rock is about smart people (Nicolas Cage and Sean Connery) doing smart things to outsmart a couple of very misguided servicemen (Ed Harris and David Morse) and their mercenaries. Some consider Connery’s former MI:6 Alcatraz prisoner an older version of his James Bond. That’s fun. But the movie doesn’t need that extra-textual conceit to be interesting. Cage and Connery bring enough with their rapport. Add to that one of cinema’s greatest car chases and one of the most sympathetic movie “terrorists” via Ed Harris and you have a top shelf actioner.
27. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)
The first Austin Powers movie was funny. The second movie was side-splittingly hilarious. There are key scenes in this film where I was gasping for air from laughter. In addition to those scenes, this is the film that introduced Mini Me (Vern Troyer). It was borderline criminal what the film did to Vanessa (Elizabeth Hurley). But Heather Graham’s Felicity Shagwell was a balm that made it go down easy. Unfortunately, this is the movie that introduced Fat Bastard, a character I’m not terribly fond of. But, unpleasant as he is, he’s only a ahem small part of the overall film. This entry in the trilogy features time travel and it has its fun with that with a young Number 2 played by Rob Lowe. There’s just so much to enjoy and guffaw at in this one. And it has a pretty decent soundtrack that features Madonna and Lenny Kravitz. I love it.
26. City Slickers (1991)
I hate to say it: I’m now older than Billy Crystal’s character in City Slickers. It’s enough to make me as depressed as he is during his birthday week at the beginning of the film. Crystal has a monologue in a classroom about how quickly one’s life goes by. Every word of that monologue is true. Look, I’ve always loved City Slickers since it became the sleeper hit of its year. I think every man hopes to have friends like Bruno Kirby and Daniel Stern in this film (you just hope your friends are less miserable than Stern’s character is). I love the three of them together. I also love the adventure they decide to go on and the cast of characters it causes to cross their paths. Jack Palance stole the spotlight in 1991 with his turn as Curly - and he was fantastic. But I also loved Josh Mostel and David Paymer as the ice cream mogul brothers and Helen Slater as the attractive Bonnie, who apparently thought it was a good idea to go on this trip without any girl friends. What was going on in her life that made that seem like a good idea? Anyway, I find City Slickers still to be charming and hilarious. It also has a fun animated opening title sequence the likes of which you just don’t see anymore.
25. Dick Tracy (1990)
This is up there with Hook as one of the most underrated movies of the decade - it might be more underrated than Hook since I know that Spielberg film has an ardent fanbase who grew up with it. But I don’t hear as much passion about Dick Tracy. It’s unfortunate, because the production design with its color choices, the costuming, the make-up effects, the score by Danny Elfman, the songs by Stephen Sondheim, and the cast are all so damn cool. I’ve always loved this movie. It had a huge marketing machine behind it with merchandising, fast food promotions, and a revival of the 1961 cartoon series everywhere you looked. It was the Batman of 1990. Except it didn’t perform nearly as well at the box office. The film cost upwards of $100 million after P&A and grossed over $160 million. That’s not bad, but CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg was brutal and didn’t always make the best decisions and pulled the plug on sequel plans. Even physical media prints have been half-hearted. This is despite the film earning 7 Academy Award nominations and winning 3 of them. Oh well, at least I can enjoy the film and all of its delightful performances even if few others will.
24. Tremors (1990)
Okay, so here’s what’s great about Tremors and why it’s one of the best horror films of the ‘90s: it’s a creature feature that uses several traditional filmmaking techniques to bring tension and terror to each scene - from POV shots to puppetry, this small budget B-movie set in BFN Texas is more effective than most of the horror films that came out that decade. It’s also got a great dose of comedy throughout. The cast bring so much of that relief: Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward bicker, Reba McEntire and Michael Gross talk ammunition and survival preparedness, and Victor Wong is trying to make a buck out of anything. I just have so much fun with this flick. I even have the Arrow Video limited edition with upwards of 9 hours of features.
23. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
I’ve always loved this live action version of the Robin Hood legend. I eventually learned that its plot took elements of The Adventures of Robin Hood, which is also a great film, and Robin Hood and His Merrie Men, an obscure 1950s Disney feature. Regardless, this was a more grounded take on the legend and I ate it up. I always found the Celts that the Sheriff of Nottingham hired to be fascinating. Speaking of the Sheriff, Alan Rickman gives a career highlight here as the film’s villain. The action and the set pieces are all thrilling. And Morgan Freeman, Christian Slater, Michael McShane, and Nick Brimble are the highlights of the Merry Men of Sherwood Forest. Kevin Costner was a huge star at this point and I think he does well. People like to give this film a hard time largely due to accents. Critics like Roger Ebert called the film depressing and joyless. I always had a good time with it and got lots of joy from it. I even owned the novelization, which drew from deleted scenes and went into more detail. Oh, and the score by Michael Kamen is another favorite of mine. The love theme by Bryan Adams was so popular I even played it on piano for my class in school.
22. Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
I consider this the peak of Robin Williams’s career. Yes, comedically speaking, Aladdin, Toys, Jumanji, and The Birdcage featured great comedic performances by Williams. But Doubtfire was the apex of that entire period. He didn’t release any comedic work nearly as great as his work in the early ‘90s. Doubtfire features a performance that is hilarious and touching. I laugh and cry when I watch Doubtfire, because I’m a separated parent and I can relate to the feelings Williams expresses as a parent. And that final monologue about split families may be quaint by today’s standards, but it was significant in 1993 and it always moves me to tears. So yes, Mrs. Doubtfire is the peak of Williams’s comedies for me.
21. Clueless (1995)
We’ve officially entered my favorite movies of all time. Clueless was a modern spin on Jane Austen that spoke to my generation. My generation got the jokes, the attitude, and the references. I originally saw this at a drive-in theater with my parents. I laughed my butt off in the back seat. My parents didn’t understand it. That said a lot to me. My son has had several moments with me already that are similar. But I thought nobody was hotter than Alicia Silverstone in the ‘90s. I actually wished she was in more movies as good as Clueless. Donald Faison is someone I’ve been a fan of since this movie, because he is so hilarious and relatable. Anyway, I’m a fan of much of the cast: Paul Rudd, Dan Hedaya (whom I often quote), Wallace Shawn, and Breckin Meyer. Clueless is a brilliant film that may be a bit dated now, but still amuses.
20. Ghost in the Shell (1995)
This is my second favorite anime. The first is Grave of the Fireflies, which was featured in my ‘80s list. I first discovered this movie in college 4-5 years after it reached the States. We had to study and analyze it. I found it to be fascinating. On the one hand there’s a very simple terrorist plot. But there’s so much philosophical stuff that the basic plot sort of gets buried. But that’s okay, because it gives the film a lot of value for repeat viewings. I get something new just about every time I watch this film. I encourage you to really think about and discuss all of the ideas it brings up throughout its 82-minute runtime. It’s endlessly fascinating for me. Also, the character of Major Kusanagi is a fascinating one and one of the best “female” characters ever put to film up to that point. Just don’t watch the American live action remake; it’s an absolute embarrassment and a black mark on Scarlett Johansson’s filmography.
19. Wayne’s World (1992)
I don’t think people today will ever understand how big a cultural touchstone Wayne’s World was at the time. Yes, it came out during this funky time in rock music between the popularity of metal and grunge. But it was the most comedically brilliant movie. To this day, I find it endlessly quotable. It was also an excellent satire on commercialism. Unfortunately, watching it with my son made me realize that several of the references are dated and virtually unknown by younger generations. But I get the references. I grew up in a time where you were raised on sitcoms like Laverne & Shirley and TV commercials like those for Nuprin. The soundtrack was also one of my first soundtracks on CD and it still holds a hard rock appeal to me. It’s a tough call between this and The Blues Brothers for the title of Best SNL Movie.
18. Independence Day (1996)
This film was a big deal in the summer of 1996! This brought back the disaster subgenre in a big way. Entire cities exploded, national monuments and tourist attractions blew up, and many many known actors died throughout. I remember the anticipation of that movie based on the first trailer or two alone. Who would live? Who would die? It was thrilling! I still love it. I love the main ensemble. I love the rousing score by David Arnold (of the Brosnan Bond movies). I love the ideas behind the alien invasion. It’s a blast of a movie.
17. Boogie Nights (1997)
This remains my favorite Paul Thomas Anderson movie. I still think it’s one of his best. And Magnolia is the only other film of his that comes close to being a favorite. This film was extraordinary. If it weren’t for Titanic also coming out the same year Boogie Nights would’ve been my pick for the best film of the year. It’s prestige, but also really entertaining and really funny. And it’s got a killer soundtrack! I might have to hunt it down, because it’s so good. This film has the best collection of character actors of the time: John C. Reilly, Luis Guzman, Phillip Baker Hall, Joanna Gleason, Laurel Holloman, Ricky Jay, Melora Walters, plus Philip Seymour Hoffman, Alfred Molina, Thomas Jane, William H. Macy, and Burt Reynolds in his last great performance. And that opening “oner” that tries to top Goodfellas…! The entire movie is a chef’s kiss.
16. The Fifth Element (1997)
Science fiction action was huge in the ‘90s. Few were as bonkers as The Fifth Element. I don’t think Luc Besson has proven himself to be a great filmmaker. But he had 3 solid films in him: La Femme Nikita, Leon: The Professional, and The Fifth Element. The latter couldn’t be more different from the others. It was manic. It was operatic. It was thrilling, It was a blast. Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, and Chris Tucker bring so much energy and fun to the film. Milla Jovovich was a revelation. Just about everyone else brought comic relief. I love the world-building in this film, the production design, the colors, the costumes, the score by Eric Serra (GoldenEye), the action choreography… The opera sequence is one of the best-edited fight scenes of the entire decade. There’s pretty much nothing about this film I don’t enjoy.
15. GoldenEye (1995)
By 1995 there had been 4 different James Bonds and there hadn’t been a new film in over 5 years. GoldenEye was the first film to feel like a big introduction to a new era in the franchise. Everything about the franchise was reinvigorated with GoldenEye: the pre-title sequence had huge stunts, the opening title sequence was visually creative, the theme was among the best in the franchise and recruited the best in the business (Tina Turner, Bono, and The Edge of U2), the Bond girl was feisty, the henchmen were unforgettable, and the Big Bad was one of the best and least mustache-twirling in the franchise’s history. At the center of it all was Pierce Brosnan, who was charismatic, yet could turn it off and become a cold-blooded killer. Everything about this film was awesome. Unfortunately, it would prove to be the best film of the Brosnan era. But it also happens to be one of the best in franchise history.
14. The Lion King (1994)
While Disney Animation Studios had a really good run the last 15 years, The Lion King may be their best film in the past 60 years. There is a beauty and majesty to it that has remained mostly unmatched since. The songbook is one of the greatest in studio history. The script, which is an animal kingdom spin on Hamlet, is well executed. And the characters are some of the most beloved in studio history. What’s not to love about The Lion King?
13. The Hunt for Red October (1990)
If you’re going to watch one movie in what has become known as the Jack Ryan franchise this is the one to see. It’s the most faithful to author Tom Clancy’s vision both in plot and character. Jack Ryan is a CIA analyst. He’s not an action hero. He doesn’t go on missions. He doesn’t go after the bad guy. Because of that this film isn’t an action movie, rather an intelligent thriller that’s about analyzing information and guesstimating one’s motives. Alec Baldwin was fantastic in this role and is the best Jack Ryan. Sean Connery, a Scotsman, played a decorated Russian submarine captain who goes rogue with a new nuclear submarine. What is he doing? What’s his motive? Is he planning on turning the Cold War into WWIII? This is riveting and the performances by Baldwin and Connery carry the material exceptionally. But the supporting cast is also really great: Sam Neill, James Earl Jones, Jeffrey Jones, Tim Curry, Joss Acklund, Scott Glenn, Richard Jordan, Stellan Skarsgard, Fred Thompson, Courtney B. Vance, and a handful of character actors. Oh, and lest I forget the score by Basil Poledouris, which is one of my favorite scores of all time, much to my wife’s chagrin.
12. Seven (1995)
This is easily my favorite David Fincher movie, my favorite murder mystery, and one of my favorite movies starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman. It’s a ingeniously crafted serial killer plot that reveals itself to be a commentary on society. It’s very dark and disturbing and I love it, which is interesting, because I’m not a big fan of serial killer shows or horror movies. But I find this movie to be rich with layers and thematic significance throughout. Characters represent ideas and contribute to the overall themes. It’s a film that I discovered new elements with every viewing. And the score by Howard Shore is unlike any of his other scores, yet hits every emotional and dramatic note in the story perfectly. It’s a great film.
11. Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)
This is my favorite Die Hard movie - and the one they should’ve ended with. I’m a fan of John McTiernan’s ‘80s and ‘90s work and it was really great that he was able to return for the third film, which acts as a direct sequel to the original movie. Jeremy Irons creates one of his best characters as the villain Simon. And the chemistry between Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson is among the best of any action duo. It’s smart and everything I want in an action movie.
10. Pleasantville (1998)
This is a gorgeous, moving, and funny movie. My 10th favorite ‘90s movie has just about everything I could love in a movie: comedy, social issues, layered themes, moving performances, and beautiful visuals. Like so many movies on this list it also has an excellent cast: Tobey Maguire, Reese Witherspoon, William H. Macy, Joan Allen, Jeff Daniels, J.T. Walsh, Marley Shelton, Paul Walker, and with Jane Kazmarek and TV legend Don Knotts. I also love how it captures TV programming rituals and how those might conflict with others in the household. It’s an underrated film that should be considered among the best of its year.
9. Lethal Weapon 3 (1992)
This is my favorite of the Lethal Weapon movies. I love the central conflict regarding illegal firearms being sold on the streets to gangs. I love the humor. I love the chemistry between Joe Pesci and our leading buddy cops. I love the chemistry between Mel Gibson and Renee Russo, who became an instant crush of mine. I love the Eric Clapton and Sting song that opens the film. I love the score by Michael Kamen and Eric Clapton. There’s so much about this movie that makes it my favorite of the series. It was also my first of the series, as I was considered old enough at the age of 12 to see the film. So, I was surprised by how dark and serious the first film is by comparison when I eventually caught up with it. Anyway, it’s one of my absolute favorite action movies of the ‘90s.
8. Contact (1997)
This was one of the first films in my lifetime that blew my mind. It asserted that if we’re the only ones in the universe then that’s a lot of wasted space. It also pointed out the arrogance of those who feel 95% of the world who believes in a form of religion suffer from mass delusion. I deeply appreciate the balance of science and faith in this film. Both push back against each other in equal measure through the characters Ellie Arroway (Jodie Foster) and Palmer Joss (Matthew McConaughey). That’s the sort of intelligence we rarely get in sci-fi and I love it. It’s a shame people don’t remember let alone celebrate this film.
7. Jerry Maguire (1996)
Is Jerry Maguire a love story, a sports movie, or an entrepreneur movie? I think it’s all of those things and a movie about being authentic in life and in relationships. Tom Cruise took more chances in the ‘90s than any other decade of his career. He was a star, but he was also trying to be an actor. This basically started in the late ‘80s with Rain Man and continued until Collateral after which he mostly gave up and stuck with action movies. I think those more dramatic roles are his most interesting. Jerry Maguire is my favorite of those.
6. Pulp Fiction (1994)
Pulp Fiction is one of the films of the decade that had the greatest effect on what came afterwards. There were so many crime films, so many movies following various characters, so many non-chronological movies after Pulp Fiction - and most weren’t that great; the worst of them were obvious carbon copies. What do I love about Pulp Fiction? The opening title crawl with ‘Miserlou’ in the background. The dialogue. People sometimes focus on the unsavory elements of the dialogue too much. What’s great about the dialogue is it balances the realism of conversational dialogue with stylized attitude. It has a rhythm to it. But it also uses anecdotes to make a point. Pulp Fiction has some of the best modern dialogue in any film of the past 50 years. Again, it also comes down to the cast for me: Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta, Bruce Willis, Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Ving Rhames, Amanda Plummer, and Eric Stoltz with appearances by Christopher Walken, Rosanna Arquette, Steve Buscemi, Peter Greene, and Frank Whaley. They are all parts of a whole that add up to a masterpiece.
5. The Matrix (1999)
This is one of the other most influential films of the decade. Wire-fu was common practice for a few years even when it defied logic as much as gravity. However, this was a film that balanced popcorn thrills with high brow sci-fi. I’m a big fan of genre or drama that explores ideas and is rich in themes, symbolism, etc. The Matrix was certainly that. It’s a perfect piece of sci-fi and pop art. It’s visually imaginative, striking, and iconic. The action choreography raised the bar and re-popularized martial arts in American cinema. It was one of the most exciting films of the decade.
4. Ed Wood (1994)
This is Tim Burton’s last great film and one of the last times Johnny Depp actually acted in a film or gave anything interesting in a performance. Both have since leaned mostly into broad movies and performances that have a homogeneous quality to them. As a result, both have been boring for over 25 years. But Ed Wood is one of the greatest movies about movies. Depp looked and sounded nothing like the real Edward Wood. But he gave us a performance that’s passionate and sympathetic. It’s a film about someone whose ambitions and passion exceed his skills and talent. It’s tragic, yet inspiring to watch. Throw in an excellent performance by Martin Landau as Bela Lugosi and supporting performances by Bill Murray, Jeffrey Jones, Patricia Arquette, Sarah Jessica Parker, Max Casella, Mike Starr, with appearances by Rance Howard and Vincent D’Onofrio. It’s a great film and my favorite Burton movie.
3. Tombstone (1993)
Tombstone is the perfect western. If you don’t like Tombstone then you just don’t like westerns. It’s the story of Wyatt Earp and his brothers as they start a new life. Of course, things don’t go smoothly. It’s funny how reality turned out like a Hollywood movie, so the film was able to be fairly faithful to real events. I love how the movie begins with silent cinema like ‘The Great Train Robbery’ with a voice-over by Robert Mitchum. I love the huge cast of stars and character actors: Kurt Russell, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Val Kilmer, Dana Delaney, Michael Biehn, Jason Priestley, Jon Tenney, Stephen Lang, Thomas Haden Church, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, Michael Rooker, Powers Boothe, Paul Ben-Victor, Billy Zane, John Corbett, Terry O’Quinn, and Frank Stallone with appearances by Billy Bob Thornton and Charleton Heston. Russell and Kilmer are the stand-outs. It’s remarkable that such a superb film came from such a trashfire of a production.
2. A League of Their Own (1992)
This is my favorite Penny Marshall movie and one of my 10 all-time favorite movies. This film has stuck with me since I was a preteen. I was taken by the history of it to the point of writing a history report about the All American Girl’s Professional Baseball League. I was moved by the bonds the women formed, the lead sisters’ relationship, and the reverence and nostalgia the film holds for the league’s members and their place in history. I also often found the film amusing with some greatly quotable lines. This movie made me a fan of several of the cast: Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Madonna, Rosie O’Donnell, Tracy Reiner, Jon Lovitz, David Strathairn, Garry Marshall, Bill Pullman, Tea Leoni, and Eddie Jones. The scene, in fact, with Eddie Jones encouraging his daughter to go try out for the league is one of several moments that moves me to tears. It’s a great film that I adore.
1. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
This film is better than the original in just about every way. It’s one of the greatest sequels of all time. It developed its characters further, developed its lore further, pushed the visual effects to ground-breaking levels, and was rich with ideas to analyze. Oh, and it had some extraordinary action! It’s one of my absolute favorite movies; I own three different physical copies each with different special features. I love the surprising father/son element Cameron added to the film. It adds an emotional layer that is unexpected and much needed in a film this brawny. This and The Matrix are the perfect combinations of popcorn thrills and cerebral sci-fi filmmaking. It’s absolute catnip for me and I love it.
So, those are my favorite movies of the 1990s. Every year of the decade is represented and no year has less than 7 movies on this list. The year 1993 edges above all other years with 11 films! Following just behind that were 1990, 1995, and 1996 with 10 films each! When we did our favorite years in film on The Movie Lovers podcast the 1990s were surprisingly absent! The year to be represented the least was 1998 with 7 films. There were 13 directors who had two films appear on this list. The one director to barely edge them all out was Steven Spielberg with 3 films. That’s two consecutive decades in this series he dominated. Similarly, there were several actors who appeared 4 times on my list. But the actor who beats them easily with 6 movies on the list is Tom Hanks. Who are your favorites from the ‘90s?
That does it for one of my most watched decades of all time. Again, the best resources for films from this decade are Amazon Prime and Max. You can also rent many films on Amazon. I hope you find some new favorites. What are some of your favorites from the decade already? Feel free to share.