The Best Movie of the 90s

I'm not really sure, I have my favorite unique, thoughtful films, but sometimes regular mainstream manufactured movies can hit home even harder as for emotional impact.

 

I can't believe I forgot Beauty and the Beast! That's just a classic. It deserved to WIN Best Picture, but of course so did Silence of the Lambs I love this film. One of the best animateds, if not the best, ever. I have the soundtrack and I listen to it all the time. I know the whole thing (and I really don't like musicals, so that's surprising )

-sj loves kevin spacey

 

Didn't you kind of say that already?

Okay, just for even more fun, I've decided to list the films from the nineties that were nominated by the American Film Institute for the prevoius lists. There's a boatload, so I'm splitting them up, alphabetically.

Films (beginning with the letter 'A') nominated for one or more of the American Film Institute's lists:

Apollo 13--a real classic. The direction is stellar and the cast is bang up. Hanks, Sinise, Bacon, Paxton and Harris all give incredible performances. There are moments of sheer palpable tension that steal your ability to breathe and if you don't tear up at the ending, you're not human.

Ace Ventura, Pet Detective--never seen it.

Addam's Family Values--I saw this one, but I don't actually remember that much. I thought it was funny at the time, but I can't for the life of me remember a single joke from it.

Aladdin--One of Disney's best animated cartoons, in my opinion. An old story has new life breathed into it via the magical talents of Robin Williams and Gilbert Gottfried. The Genie and Iago, respectively, can make me laugh until I cry. It's quite possibly the funniest animated feature ever.

As Good As It Gets--Nicholson is one of my favorite actors and he does an amazing job here. Kinnear is equally as good and so is Hunt. A very, very funny film that manages to also be very heartwarming.

Austin Powers, International Man of Mystery--never seen it.

Air Force One--Ford and Oldman sizzle. The special effects are marvelous and the roller coaster never lets up in this spectacular film. Suspense that will have you on the edge of your seat, confrontations that will have you cheering, and stunts that will get you on your feet. Classic!

The Age of Innocence--never seen it.

Comments on those films?

 

None of them are even in the top 100 films of the nineties, let alone the possibility of a top spot.

 

I love Apollo 13, As Good as it Gets, and Air Force One. I'm not sure I'd put them in the very top films of the 90's, but I would certainly say that they are good ones.

-sj loves kevin spacey

 

I'll except that a lot of these films aren't what one might call the'best of the nineties' but I just thought I'd offer them for discussion since they are considered, shall we say, 'among' the best of the nineties by the American Film Institute.

Here's the 'B' List for your perusal:

Babe--a real classic. Perhaps the only children's film that manages to also appeal on so many levels to the adult. From humour to artistic direction, this film sparkles and if not for Braveheart, would have deserved to win Best Picture. I'll sing you a day, indeed. No need. I'll just watch this film again.

Bullets Over Broadway--never seen it but I like Cusack.

Bulworth--never seen it, but I hear from a friend it's hysterical.

The Birdcage--ah, the sex romp has survived to the present day. Williams and Lane are wonderfully hysterical. Hackman and West get high marks for their spot on performances as well. Dare we delve to far into this film for underlying meaning, I'll just say that it's an extremely funny film and that's enough.

Backdraft--never seen it.

Basic Instinct--I'm torn about this movie. On the one hand, the sex scenes are cheap, gratitious to a large degree and smack of exploitation. That's a shame, because when everyone is actually fully clothed, it's a darn good thriller. A nice update on the noir idea: femme fatale, a convoluted plot, the tainted hero, etc. Douglas and Stone, both of whom I disliked with a passion at one time, are both great casting. They both seem to radiate a kind of sleazy darkness that hints at the murk of their souls. The suspense is nicely done as is the music, though I can't for the life of me decide why people think this is a sexy film. Disturbing, suspenseful, tragic: yes. Sexy: no.

The Blair Witch Project--never seen it.

Bram Stoker's Dracula--never seen it.

Before Sunrise--never seen it.

Benny and Joon--never seen it.

The Bodyguard--never seen it.

Thoughts on those films?

 

Of those I have seen:

Babe- I haven't seen it in a while, but as I remember, it was a good film. But now whenever I see James Cromwell (like in LA Confidential) I think "That'll do, pig"

Backdraft- I have this on laserdisc (how sad!) but I haven't seen it since I was a kid. I remember it being pretty good, but I've been meaning to watch it again.

The Birdcage- What a funny movie. I think my favourite part is, "Ah! I pierced the toast!" Williams and Lane are both hysterical in this movie. Love it

-sj loves kevin spacey

 

Of your A & B lists, select comments:

A's:

Apollo 13 - indeed a worthy film. I'd say it captured the look and feel that one would expect in this historic event

Ace Ventura - not a great film for emotional impact, social commentary, or drama...but I enjoyed it. Alllllrighty then!
I was a big fan of Carey in In Living Color, and this first starring role in a feature film captures his essence from the t.v. show. Over the top and annoying? Well, yes, but it has great lines. A local H.S. football mascot looks just like the one Ace beat up in the movie, and I laugh every time I look at it. OK, enough already.

Aladdin - I echo Rogue1-and-a-half's comments here. Great story regarding the importance of who we are inside, rather than station in life. Humor is excellent, the colors superb, and the action is first rate. The songs are pretty good too.

Austin Powers, International Man of Mystery - I love this movie, as many do. It parodies Bond films in a big way, such as mocking the usual bad guy schemes to execute the good guy. The one-liners are often quite amusing.

Babe - First of all, like solojones I think of 'that'll do pig' every time I see Cromwell. A gentle and engaging children's film for all ages. It has a similar theme to Aladdin, IMO of a moral lesson centered on the fact that it is what is inside us that counts, and also believing in yourself.

Backdraft - one of my wife's favorites, it is a pretty good action film, with the profession of firefighting as it's core element. Action, betrayal...good stuff.

Blair Witch - a refreshing movie, compared to slasher flicks that dominated the theatres in the 80's, and direct-to-video in the 90's. The ending was particularly good. It made me go ? ?

Bram Stoker's Dracula - I liked the film. I cannot recall enough to say much about it, except that although Keanu's presence somewhat ruined it for me (I can't say why, but it might be Bill & Ted), I loved Hopkins' performance.

The Bodyguard - the first half of the soundtrack is pretty good, for Whitney.

 

Oh yeah, Aladdin is another of my favourite animated films (and also, A Bug's Life ). It's really fun, and it does have a great theme. Another one I haven't seen in a while.

Which reminds me, I have been meaning to watch my laserdisc of Hook again. It's great! Dustin Hoffman is a riot, and Robin Williams is too!

-sj loves kevin spacey

 

Thank you, Phelps and solojones.

You're comments are, as always, appreciated.

I'll post the films starting with 'C' now.

Casino--never seen it.

Clerks--never seen it.

Clueless--never seen it.

Candyman--never seen it.

Cliffhanger--ah, at last, one I've seen. This is a true classic that most action movies could stand to take a lesson from. Spectacular scenery and beautiful photography combine with a despicable villian, a haunted hero and some spectacular stunt set pieces. An intense thrill ride, no question, that is one of Stallone's few really great films.

Contact--never seen it.

Copycat--never seen it.

Chasing Amy--never seen it.

Hmm, looks like 'C' is not a good letter for me. Thoughts on those films?

 

Casino--Goodfellas rehashed. Disappointing.

Clerks--Great fun with a final "denoument" that transcends the immature material of the surface into something truly meaningful about life, friendship and people's positions.

Clueless--The Citizen Kane of High-School Pictures. In this repect, it is closely followed by 10 Things I Hate About You.

Candyman--Clever and scary. Not one of my personal favourites, nonetheless.

Cliffhanger--Thrilling enough but have not had the desire to see it again since I first saw it at the cinema in 1993(?).

Contact--Great book, ponderously and pretentiously realised into the worst kind of Hollywood tripe: a film which takes itself way too seriously. The final confrontation with the aliens is truly underwhelming.

Copycat--Ample.

Chasing Amy--Kevin Smith's best film to date, and arguably the finest romantic comedy of the nineties and one of the nineties best films.

 

All I can say here is that I have seen only some, and parts of Clueless, and that I enjoyed Cliffhanger, as well as Candyman.

Unfortunately, it has been some years since I've seen either, and cannot add anything Amphitheatre-worthy. Apologies for even making this post.

I think the actor who plays the tragic villian in Candyman is the same guy who plays Worf's brother in TNG; is that right? I've always thought so.

*slinks away*

 

That'd be Tony Todd, veteran of many a B-grade Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror movie and TV show. He also appears in "The Crow".

Yes, that was him playing Kurn on ST:TNG. He also appears as an adult Jake Sisko in the STS9 episode "The Visitor". Arguably one of the finest episodes to come out of any Trek series. Even if you're not a DS9 fan, check it out. It's heartbreaking.

Sorry to get off topic.

 

Comments are appreciated, once again.

On to the 'D' films:

Dave--a nice lighthearted film that owes quite a bit to Capra. Kline is excellent and Weaver isn't bad. Lots of really funny moments and lots of great heartwarming drama. Features a stellar score. Also, it was sheer genius to give Ben Stein a cameo, playing himself.

Defending Your Life--I must admit to having never even heard of this film.

Dumb and Dumber--certainly one of the best comedies of the nineties. One of Carrey's true masterpieces, this hilarious ride from the Farrelley Brothers features some pretty low humour, but one can't deny the charm and sheer hilarity of this film. Even my mother, who is very straight laced laughed out loud several times during this film. And, of course, very influential film as well.

Dogfight--I don't believe I've ever heard of this one either.

Don Juan DeMarco--never seen it.

Thoughts?

 

Man. Of those I've only seen Dumb & Dumber. It was a truly good comedy that gets a bit of a bad rap. The 'Hawaiian Tropic' ending is especially amusing.

Edit: sorry for getting off-track, but I do recall that particular DS9 (& Todd), and it was exceptional.

 

Oh, by the way, if I do mention a film you've never heard of, just holler and I'll give you a plot run down and the stars so you can see if it sounds good to you.

I investigated the two I hadn't heard of above.

Defending Your Life--Albert Brooks plays a yuppie lawyer who dies and is sent to Judgment City, a waiting room of the afterlife where he must spend his days defending the life he lived in a courtroom setting. The nights he spends falling for Meryl Streep, the only other young person in town.

Dogfight--it's the night before River Pheonix and his friends will be shipped off to Vietnam and so they play a cruel game. They will each cruise town in an attempt to find the ugliest woman they can. They will meet and see who wins. Pheonix finds pacifist Lili Taylor and thinks he's a shoe in, but as the night progresses, he begins to see behind the facade. Will he win her heart or just win the game?

 

sorry I've been gone...

Clueless- AWESOME, AWESOME movie! Forget all your stupid teen movies that have been made since (I agree that 10 things is good, because it's based on Shakespear ) this one is the best! I mean, it's based on Jane Austen's "Emma", so of course the story is good. I hate teen movies, but I love this one.

Dumb and Dumber- I haven't seen it in a long time I do remember that it was great, though. Plus, the discovery of Jim Carrey which, in my opinion, is great. I love Jim.


-sj loves kevin spacey

 

Okay, let's get this baby back up there.

Films nominated, starting with the letter 'E':

Emma--never seen it.

The End of the Affair--never seen it.

Ever After--love it, love it, love it. Easily one of the best romances of the 90s for sheer overpowering good natured storytelling. It has it all: a nice score, an enchanting female lead, a wonderful male lead (big Scott fan), humour, poignance, a beautiful performance by Huston and a swordfight! Great film. Never fails to lift my spirits.

Thoughts on those films?

By the way, just a reminder, if I mention a film you've not heard of, just holler and I'll hunt down the stars and a plot summary.

 

Ok, I'll comment on the one's I've seen:

Emma- good movie. I was thinking I was going to be bored by it because it's a 19th century romance... but it turned out to be quite good. I still like the modern adaptation, Clueless, more

Ever After- gosh I haven't seen this in a long time! It's a good movie. It's got lots of humor, too. I don't think it gets too horribly mushy. It's a fun movie, and a new twist on an old tale. Drew Barrymore is great as usual

-sj loves kevin spacey

 

Dave-- Great, great flick. William Goldman once wrote: "I saw Dave today. If you don't like it, you're wrong."

Defending Your Life-- On the surface one of those annoying life after death flicks of the 80s, it is, however, a very witty satire on 80s and early 90s America.

Dumb and Dumber-- Mock - Yeah! What a fantastic comdey.

Dogfight-- OK, but definetely not one of the best of the 90s.

Don Juan DeMarco-- Rubbish.

Emma-- Annoying, if not only for the Jane Austin plot but also for Gwyneth's accent/performance.

The End of the Affair-- Brief Encounter wannabe. Neil Jordan thought exchanging Coward's wit for hot, hot, hot sex scenes would work. A five year old could have predicted that it would not.

Ever After-- Just the type of film that I would watch if I thought I had eaten something nasty.

 

Thank you for your comments. I'm bored so I'm going to post the next ones now.

Nominated films beginning with the letter 'F':

Flirting With Disaster--never seen it.

The First Wives Club--ah, forgive me for liking this movie. Keaton is my favorite comedianne and Hawn is equally as good here. Bronson Pinchot has a hysterical supporting role. Is it feminist? Maybe, but who cares? It's funny.

The Freshman--never seen it.

Face/Off--never seen it.

Frankie and Johnny--never even heard of it.

French Kiss--never even heard of it.

Hold on . . .


Okay, I dug up plot summaries for the two I haven't heard of.

Frankie and Johnny--Al Pacino is released from prison and gets a job working in a diner alongside Michelle Pfeiffer. She's a loner, but Pacino is determined to win her heart.

French Kiss--Timothy Hutton is engaged to Meg Ryan, but ends up in Paris, falling for a French girl. Ryan rushes to the rescue, but when she meets Kevin Kline, a handsome French criminal, it's anyone's guess how the whole thing will turn out.

Comments on those films?

 

hm... I haven't seen any of those (but I'm watching Duck Soup tonight, Rogue 1.5! Don't forget to rent TUS )

-sj loves kevin spacey

 

Yeah, you'd better watch it.

*shakes fist*

[homer]Waaaatch iiiiit . . .[/homer]



I'll get TUS soon, I promise.

 

Nominated films starting with the letter 'G':

Get Shorty--never seen it.

Grumpy Old Men--never seen it.

The Game--an excellent thriller. Douglas, an actor I used to really dislike, is excellent and he receives stellar support from Penn. Brilliant direction and a killer score round out the reasons to watch this suspense thriller who's plot will keep you guessing until the (seriously) final shot.

Comments on those films?

 

Flirting With Disaster-- A great, great comedy and you can see why Ben Stiller and David O. Russell are so popular in Hollywood. Great talent, a brilliant film.

The First Wives Club-- Acceptable.

The Freshman-- Brando's own pastiche of his most important part aside, this is a forgettable work.

Face/Off-- Wrethched.

Frankie and Johnny-- Great play, pants film.

French Kiss-- Disasterously bad. Coinciding with the release of the immaculately funny Forget Paris was also a sign from the Gods to Kevin Kline stating: "Funny accents do not a funny movie make"

Get Shorty-- Fairly Amusing with a great performance from Danny DeVito.

Grumpy Old Men-- It's fine as a nostalgia piece for Lemmon and Mathau but is far from "The Odd Couple".

The Game-- A film based on gimmicks; a full-length Outer Limits episode. I could not believe that the man who gave us Se7en could give us this next.

And while we are on "G", I am appalled that Groundhog Day is not on the list, the finest comedy of the nineties by miles.