The 90's were an important decade for me - I was growing up, going through my teenage years, and learning more and more about movies. Nearly a third of my all-time favorite films come from the 90's so I decided this list should be a larger one, a Top 20. Even with the extra ten spots, I still had to eliminate some of my favorites, so this list was very difficult for me to put together.
Don't forget to check out Kyle's list at his blog, Enter the Movies.
My Top 20 Favorite Films of the 1990's, in alphabetical order:
Year: 1995
Director: Ron Howard
There are few films that can retain their sense of tension from viewing to viewing like Apollo 13 can. I know the astronauts are going to make it home, but that doesn't stop me from sitting on the edge of my seat and holding my breath during parts of this film. That's a testament to Ron Howard's level of skill as a director. He's a man who has directed just as many bad films as good ones in my opinion, but when he's good, he's really good. Apollo 13 is a drama, but also an adventure film. It's a period piece and a bio-pic, in a way, too. There are moments of comedy and of heartbreaking emotion. It makes me cry in at least two parts, every time I watch it. At the center of that perfection is the talented cast. In the 90's, Tom Hanks was on a roll. He had won the Academy Award for both Philadelphia and Forrest Gump, but I thought he was even more deserving as Jim Lovell in Apollo 13. He's joined by Kevin Bacon (never better than he is here), Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, and Ed Harris, who is another one of my favorites and completely nails his role of NASA flight coordinator Gene Kranz. The film essentially shifts back and forth between three settings: from the space shuttle to NASA and then to the Lovell's home in Texas, where his wife and family anxiously watch the news footage of the damaged shuttle's experience in space. All three sections are wonderfully done and add up to one of my favorite films of all-time.
Year: 1997
Director: James L. Brooks
Very few movies are as funny and heartwarming, in equal measure, as As Good As It Gets. It strikes the perfect balance between acerbic, sarcastic wit and emotional moments that tug on your heartstrings. Director/writer/producer James L. Brooks has a history of creating these kinds of films, like Academy Award winner Terms of Endearment or Broadcast News, and all three are very good examples of what great writing and great acting can do. Brooks is not a very talented visual director - his films, and As Good As It Gets is no exception, are not especially interesting to look at and he doesn't employ anything flashy to enhance his shots. If the characters aren't interesting or if the performances fall flat, a film from Brooks will not be worth much. Luckily, that's not the case here. All of the characters, including the tiniest supporting parts, in As Good As It Gets are well written and fully developed. The cast, headlined by my all-time favorite actor Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt, are superb. Nicholson and Hunt each deservedly won Academy Awards and Greg Kinnear, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Shirley Knight have never been better. Nicholson's Melvin Udall is one of my absolute favorite characters and he has some of the best and most memorable lines of the 90's.
Year: 1995
Director: Martin Scorsese
A lot of people consider Casino to be a lesser, retread version of Goodfellas and while there are some similarities, I've always found Casino to be the better film. It's more entertaining, better paced, has more interesting characters, and features much better performances across the board. Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, and - in a very surprising turn - Sharon Stone all turn in captivating performances as mostly awful individuals dealing with power, money, and greed. The supporting cast - especially James Woods and Don Rickles - is almost as good, which ensures that each and every scene has someone interesting to watch. Scorsese is a tremendous director and uses all the camera tricks, editing cuts, and lighting techniques in his considerable repertoire to make the long, winding story stay fresh throughout. Casino runs nearly three hours, but, like the best films, never feels too long. This is a particular skill of Scorsese's it seems, as he has directed several films of similar length, but they rarely seem to drag or disappoint. When Casino ends, I'd be game for even more time with these characters and their stories.
Director: Kevin Smith
Dogma is definitely not a film for everyone. If you're deeply religious (and don't have a sense of humor), you probably would find it unpleasant, to say the least. If you don't care for vulgar language, it's not something you should seek out. But if you have a certain sense of humor and would like a slightly more "grown up" comedy, I can't recommend it enough. From writer/director Kevin Smith - a filmmaker I've grown to loathe in recent years - Dogma is by far his most ambitious film. Smith is widely known as a much better writer than director (even he admits his movies look pretty terrible most of the time), but I think Dogma is not only his best screenplay but also a beautifully shot film. The entire expansive cast is a joy to watch and it's hard for me to pick any standout performances, as I really like them all about equally. I do have a soft spot for George Carlin as Cardinal Glick and Alan Rickman as the voice of God, Metatron. If I had my way, a few of the sillier and broad comedic moments would be removed, but I understand that Smith didn't intend to make a dark comedy. Dogma isn't a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination, but it is highly entertaining and never gets old for me.
Year: 1999
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Kubrick's final film is one of his best and most intriguing, layered, and intense productions. I first saw Eyes Wide Shut in the theater in 1999 and was not impressed. There were aspects that I enjoyed - being a 17-year-old guy, the female nudity was sure appreciated - but overall, I left the theater feeling bored. It wasn't until a few years ago, after discovering a lot more of Kubrick's filmography, that I decided to give Eyes Wide Shut another chance. This time I loved nearly everything about it, but the atmosphere Kubrick creates is by far my favorite aspect of the film. For long stretches, the sense of dread and tension is palpable and the nightmarish feeling in certain scenes is deeply effective. The score adds a lot to the overall feel and ranks among my favorite scores of Kubrick's - and, considering his excellent use of music throughout his career, that's saying a lot. Tom Cruise is an actor who is often times unfairly maligned, but he delivers one of the most effective performances of his career here as Dr. Stanley Hartford. Nicole Kidman is much less impressive as his wife, and it's this performance that is the only real negative in the film for me. The next most substantial role went to Sydney Pollack, who shines as the mega rich, ultra swarthy Victor Ziegler, who may have even more power and influence than he lets on. I'm happy I gave this film another chance. Since my second viewing, I've gone on to watch it several more times, have read numerous in depth analyses online, and devote a lot of time and thought to the film. Something about it just resonates with me and, like with The Shining, I can't seem to go more than a few weeks without thinking about it in some fashion.
Year: 1996
Director: Joel and Ethan Coen
Like most of the Coen brothers films, Fargo seems to get better with each viewing. Every time I watch it, I notice some little detail or hear a subtle line of dialogue that I hadn't caught before. These small moments aren't game changers or anything, but they always add to the overall experience of watching the film. The Coens are widely known for their ability to mix humor and drama into a unique experience and I think Fargo is the perfect example of this skill - it's filled with moments of hilarious comedy, heartfelt drama, and shocking violence. The cast - especially Steve Buscemi, William H. Macy, and Oscar-winner Frances McDormand - is superb, with everyone giving career best performances. The screenplay also won the Oscar and was certainly deserving. The plot is captivating, the characters are mesmerizing, the dialogue is crisp and there's not a wasted moment in the entire script. In addition to being expertly written and performed, Fargo also boasts some beautiful cinematography - the snowy landscapes, in particular, are breathtaking - and a wonderful score. Not only is it one of my favorite movies ever, but Fargo has the distinction of spawning quite possibly the best TV series currently running, too. Quite the achievement!
Year: 1997
Director: Gus Van Sant
A lot of the entries on this "Favorite Films" list are from directors who I really admire. Directors who have made numerous films which I greatly love. Good Will Hunting is in a completely different position. Gus Van Sant has made sixteen feature films, but I have only seen five of them. I haven't seen more because I despise two of them, dislike two of them, and only love Good Will Hunting. I'm convinced it's a film saved by the script and performances. The two guys responsible for a lot of the film's charm and appeal, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, just happened to blow up into mega stars following the release of the film and have continued to provide me a lot of great entertainment in the years since. They wrote a fantastic script and give very good performances, as does the entire cast. Robin Williams, in particular, is exceptional. I think his work as Dr. Sean Maguire was the best of his entire career. Good Will Hunting is an emotional, funny, and touching film and I think it gets better with each viewing.
Year: 1993
Director: Harold Ramis
Bill Murray is a comic genius, a talented dramatic actor, and one of my favorite movie stars. His crowning achievement as a star is almost certainly Groundhog Day. Like all the best comedies, it's uproariously funny, highly quotable, and infinitely re-watchable, but the really unique thing about Groundhog Day is how deep and layered it is. If you want to look further into it, the film has a lot to say about philosophy and spirituality, but you can appreciate it on a surface level with no problems. Murray is absolutely phenomenal as Phil Connors, the surly and sarcastic Pittsburgh weatherman who gets stuck in a temporal loop and has to repeat the titular day over and over again. Murray plays each line, gesture, and expression just perfectly. He's surrounded by a talented supporting cast, but the movie rests squarely on Murray's shoulders and he doesn't disappoint. The screenplay by Danny Rubin and Ramis - with considerable input from Murray, no doubt - is just about perfect. One of my favorite things is that the script doesn't try to explain why Phil gets stuck in this predicament as I'm sure any sort of explanation would ring false and hurt the story. During my days working at Family Video, I used to have Groundhog Day playing constantly and never grew tired of it, even after the third or fourth viewing in one day. I can't think of many movies where I could say that.
Year: 1994
Director: Joel and Ethan Coen
The Hudsucker Proxy is easily the least well-known film on this list, but also one of the funniest and most charming. The Coen brothers really came into their own in the 90's - their 1980's films are solid, but can't compete with what came later - and could have easily had three or four films make this list. The Hudsucker Proxy is an homage to the screwball comedies of the 30's and 40's, with fast paced dialogue and zany characters. Tim Robbins is fantastic as the naive (but not as dumb as everyone else thinks he is) Norville Barnes, a small town business graduate who wants to make it in the corporate world of 1958 NYC. Jennifer Jason Leigh shines as a fast talking journalist reminiscent of Rosalind Russell and Katherine Hepburn and Paul Newman steals most of the scenes he's in as Norville's conniving boss. Like practically all the Coen brothers films, the script is the best part of The Hudsucker Proxy - there are so many memorable characters, laugh out loud moments, and an endearing whimsical charm that few films could match. The offbeat humor and style might not be for everyone, but I'd highly recommend you check out The Hudsucker Proxy if you haven't already seen it.
Year: 1999
Director: Michael Mann
After several viewings, The Insider has become one of my favorite films. I first saw it in the theater in 1999 and liked it quite a bit, but with each new viewing, I find more and more to love. I've written about The Insider several times before, including in my piece about my Favorite Lead Actor Performances so I won't get into Russell Crowe's masterful performance again. Al Pacino, one of my favorite actors, gives one of the very best performances of his storied career as the 60 Minutes producer who oversees the story on big tobacco and their cover up. Pacino sometimes gets carried away and can go too far over the top, but here he balances his fiery emotions with a subtle side that is simply marvelous to behold. Christopher Plummer has a fantastic role as Mike Wallace and is in one of my favorite scenes of the film when Wallace goes off on the corporate lackeys who tamper with his program. Bruce McGill also shines brightly in a memorable scene as a lawyer representing Crowe's character. Rounding out the cast is Philip Baker Hall, Stephen Tobolowsky, Gina Gershon, Michael Gambon, Rip Torn, Lynne Thigpen, and Colm Feore. All of them deliver such impressive performances that The Insider might be the best-acted film I've ever seen, considering the collective force of performances from all these individuals. That's not to take away from Michael Mann's impressive work as director. He creates an intense atmosphere and takes a story that could have been just a character study and makes it into a suspenseful and beautiful film. The cinematography, editing, and score are all first rate. It all adds up to a breathtaking film, something I recommend to people all the time and rarely hear any negative comments in return.
Year: 1991
Director: Oliver Stone
I revisited JFK for the first time since high school last summer and was amazed by what a terrific, thrilling, and layered film it was. I know it gets a lot of flak for presenting "crazy" conspiracy theories as facts and that was the one thing that kind of rubbed me the wrong way, but I quickly came to accept that the film tells the story of one man, New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison and portrays what he believes happened to President Kennedy and the coverup afterward. This is a narrative film, not meant to be taken as 100% historically accurate and I don't think it's fair to criticize the film as such. As a film, I don't know what people could scoff at - it is technically flawless (especially the cinematography and editing, which both won Oscars coincidentally) and features a captivating script and a glorious ensemble cast, with many of the actors doing some of their best work. I know some people who complain about JFK's length, but it wasn't an issue for me. The director's cut - seemingly the only version widely available these days - runs nearly 3.5 hours, but the time just flew by. It's got to be one of the "quickest" long movies I've ever seen. The highlight of the whole film is probably Donald Sutherland's lone scene, where he plays a mysterious covert operative who meets with Garrison to give his explanation of what happened. The scene is a frenzied monologue of information and Sutherland is fantastic. I recently ranked it #1 on my list of My Favorite Movie Speeches. Like the whole film, it's insanely entertaining and rewatchable.
Director: Curtis Hanson
Since L.A. Confidential is one of my Top 10 favorite films, it's going to get mentioned on this blog quite a bit. It's already appeared several times, including on my Favorite Opening Credit Sequences list and I doubt I will ever tire of talking about this entertaining, intriguing, and beautiful film. L.A. Confidential has a lot going for it - a great script, an amazing cast, fantastic direction, and a jazzy soundtrack and score. The script is densely packed with details and subplots, but never feels overcrowded or rushed. Everything moves at the perfect pace. The cast - headlined by Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, and Kevin Spacey with supporting turns by Kim Basinger, James Cromwell, Danny DeVito, and David Strathairn - is practically flawless. Curtis Hanson is an interesting director and he's made such varied films as Losin' It, The River Wild, The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, Wonder Boys, and 8 Mile, so he's nearly impossible to pigeonhole into any one style or genre. He really hit it out of the park with L.A. Confidential, though, and I'm sure this will go down as his masterpiece, and rightfully so. If it hadn't come out in such a competitive year - 1997 had Titanic, As Good As It Gets, and Good Will Hunting capture most of the big awards - I'm sure L.A. Confidential would have been a front-runner for many Oscars. Instead, it was nominated in nine different categories and won for Best Supporting Actress (Basinger) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Brian Helgeland and Hanson), so still not a bad showing.
Year: 1999
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Paul Thomas Anderson is one of my Favorite Directors and Magnolia is my favorite film of his. It starts out with a truly wonderful scene that ranks among my Favorite Opening Scenes and doesn't lose much steam from there out, despite its three hour running time. Magnolia is comprised of several different and at times overlapping, stories taking place in Los Angeles over the course of one 24 hour period. The themes of these stories are similar - chance, causality, and "the sins of the father" - and help to tie everything together in a marvelous way. All of Anderson's films have great casts and Magnolia is no different. No one is really the star, but almost everyone shines brightly. Tom Cruise (in one of his best roles), Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, John C. Reilly, Melora Walters, Philip Baker Hall, and young Jeremy Blackman are all very impressive, but I think Jason Robards - who has been featured in my lists for Favorite Supporting Actor Performances and Favorite Movie Speeches - gives the best performance of the group as an old man, filled with regrets, on his deathbed. The only weak link in the whole ensemble is the usually excellent Julianne Moore, who goes too far over the top too often for my liking. Everything else about the film is fantastic, especially the cinematography and soundtrack. The ending, which I won't spoil for anyone, is somewhat controversial, but I thought it was a perfectly surreal and fitting ending to this wonderful film. I know Magnolia is a film that is very decisive - it seems like a real "love it or hate it" type of film. I definitely fall into the "love it" camp.
Year: 1994
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Pulp Fiction is a very unique film. Part neo noir and part dark comedy, with a retro vibe and some of the most memorable characters assembled in a non-linear story frame with moments of intense and graphic violence. It can shock you into laughter, but also put you on the edge of your seat. Quentin Tarantino - one of my Favorite Directors - crafted a superb film, surpassing his wonderful debut, Reservoir Dogs, with ease. It's hard to pick a favorite moment, character, or line of dialogue, as the whole film is filled with such unbelievably great ones. I will say that Christopher Walken and Harvey Keitel are involved with some of my favorite moments and Bruce Willis gives one of the best performances of his career. With a film as famous and loved as Pulp Fiction, there's not a lot more to say. If you haven't seen it yet, get to it! If you've seen it, but only once a long time ago, see it again! If you've seen it multiple times and again just recently, watch it again soon! It's a film that never gets old, no matter how many times I sit down to watch it.
Year: 1998
Director: Steven Spielberg
There are only a handful of films that I love as much as Saving Private Ryan. It has everything that I look for in a film: fantastic writing (especially the characters and plot), wonderful acting (Tom Hanks, once again, shines, but the whole cast is great), a moving score, excellent direction, editing, and cinematography, plus it's an undeniably emotional film. It makes me cry, laugh, and sit on the edge of my seat with tension and suspense. Saving Private Ryan is Stephen Spielberg's most accomplished and detailed film, which is really saying something considering the number of truly remarkable films the man has created. I know a lot of people praise Saving Private Ryan for the opening battle - the landing at Normandy beach - but I think that's just the first of many fantastic moments (both big and small) and I think it's a shame that some people only think of that one section, when the film as a whole is so wonderful.
Year: 1995
Director: David Fincher
Se7en is a grisly, dark, and depressing film, but one that I have no problem watching again and again. Maybe that says something about me, but I'd rather concentrate on how great this film is. From a technical standpoint, it's flawless. David Fincher is one of my Favorite Directors and this is his best film, just edging out Zodiac and The Social Network for me. Fincher - and everyone else working behind the scenes - does everything just perfectly. I love the moody score (especially during the opening credits, which rank among my Favorite Opening Credit Scenes), the dark cinematography, and the editing. Andrew Walker wrote an amazing script, filled with shocking moments and twists and turns in the plot. Morgan Freeman and Kevin Spacey - who appears on the list of My Favorite Movie Villains - are terrific in their polar opposite roles. Brad Pitt is good, for the most part, but his work at the end really dampens what would have been an otherwise perfect scene. He overacts and looks even sillier while performing his histrionics next to Freeman and Spacey. Anyone who has seen the film knows what I mean. Other than that scene, Pitt is very serviceable, but I've always felt that with a better actor in that role, Se7en could have been perfect.
Year: 1994
Director: Frank Darabont
The Shawshank Redemption isn't simply one of my favorite films, it is my absolute favorite. I saw it for the first time during the summer of 2000, instantly fell in love with it, and from that moment on I've considered it my favorite. It's recently appeared on My Favorite Movie Speeches list and will no doubt continue to show up on lots of future lists. Everything about the film just feels perfect to me, but the writing - from the plot (with one of the best "twists" I've yet to see) to the characters and dialogue - is by far its most impressive aspect. Andy (Tim Robbins) and Red (Morgan Freeman) have one of the best and most inspiring relationships that I've seen on film. It's rare to see a friendship between two adult men on screen and I've always loved this aspect of The Shawshank Redemption. All the side characters get their moment to shine, but Warden Norton (played with a perfect amount of vileness by Bob Gunton) and Brooks (the wonderful James Whitmore) shine especially bright. Two aspects that I've grown to appreciate more and more over the years are the cinematography (by Roger Deakins, one of the best in the business) and score (composed by Thomas Newman, who has provided the music for many of my favorite films). The two combine, along with the marvelous direction of Frank Darabont, to create a timeless, magnificent film that never fails to engage me. I'm happy to be among the millions of fans who discovered The Shawshank Redemption years after its initial release.
Year: 1999
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
The Sixth Sense is a film that took me by complete surprise. I wasn't very excited about it coming out (in August of 1999 I was more interested in Mystery Men which debuted on the same day as The Sixth Sense and turned out to be a disappointment) and can't remember the trailer at all. That was maybe the perfect way to experience a movie like this - no expectations, no knowledge or "spoilers" about the plot - and it paid off wonderfully. From the first moments on, I was hooked. Last year I wrote about how much I love Toni Collette's performance as part of My Favorite Supporting Actress Performances, but the entire main cast is phenomenal. Bruce Willis, who once was my favorite action star, gives one of his best performances and the brilliant Haley Joel Osment took the movie world by storm with his exceptional work as Cole, a young man who can see and interact with ghosts. Shyamalan, who has turned into a joke at this point, was THE director to watch out for after the success of The Sixth Sense. He pulled double duty here, writing and directing, and was nominated for an Oscar in both categories. Even though a lot of people say The Sixth Sense relied too heavily on the twist ending, I never thought that was the case. I enjoyed the film just as much the second time when I was trying to see if everything actually made sense, and I've continued to love the film over the years.
Director: James Cameron
Terminator 2: Judgement Day is, quite simply, one of the greatest action films - not to mention greatest sequels - I've ever had the pleasure of seeing. While I've only seen The Terminator a couple of times, I've returned to T2 repeatedly over the years and I'm consistently enthralled with the action set pieces, interesting story line, and amazing special effects. The decision to have Arnold Schwarzenegger's T-800 go from the villain in the original film to the hero in this one was, in my opinion, genius as it allowed the franchise to go down a different path and paved the way for the inclusion of the T-100 to be T2's villain, which was a marvelous success. The T-1000 is everything a great villain should be and I ranked him #7 on My Favorite Movie Villains list. Both Arnie's T-800 and Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor were among the finalists to make the list of My Favorite Movie Heroes, but they just missed the cut. That isn't a slight against them, just that there's a ton of worthy competition. Really, the only negative aspect of the whole film is Edward Furlong's wooden, amateurish performance. Since he was just a kid at the time and was working for a director not known for inspiring great performances, I do cut him a little slack. T2 does also have one of my favorite bits of movie trivia: "Given Schwarzenegger's $15M salary, and his total of only seven hundred words of dialogue, he was paid $21,429 per word. So 'Hasta la vista, baby' cost $85,716." Money well spent, I think!
Year: 1997
Director: James Cameron
Titanic seems to be a polarizing film these days. Cited by some as one of the greatest movies ever made and by others as cliched and over hyped. I count myself firmly in the former camp and have loved Titanic since I first saw it in the theaters in 1997. As a 15-year-old boy, I wasn't exactly the target demographic and I wasn't well versed in cinema, but that didn't stop me from appreciating the beautiful cinematography, wonderful score, and amazing set and costume design. The two lead performances from Leonardo DiCaprio (now one of my favorite actors) and Kate Winslet were nearly perfect for a film like this. The supporting cast had definite standouts (Bernard Hill, Victor Garber, Gloria Stuart, and Kathy Bates) and a couple (Billy Zane and Frances Fisher) who could have used less screen time. James Cameron is no stranger to making fantastic films (see previous entry on this list) but I think Titanic is by far his greatest achievement. The epic scale of his production is almost hard to comprehend and the attention to detail in recreating the fabled ship is second to none. Of course, Titanic isn't perfect, and it's one considerable flaw is Cameron's screenplay. It's a bit weak in certain areas, most notably the dialogue. This type of flaw is usually a deal breaker for me (I generally gravitate to character/dialogue heavy films), but considering everything else that Titanic does so exceptionally well, it's a flaw I can forgive.
There's my list! Do you love or hate any of my picks? Did I miss any of your favorites from the 90's? Let me know in the comments!
Up next, my list of Best Movie Casts!
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