50. Jerry Maguire (1996)
49. Heavenly Creatures (1994)
48. The Sixth Sense (1999)
47. Princess Mononoke (1997)
46. Cop Land (1997)
45. Before Sunrise (1995)
44. Swimming with Sharks (1994)
43. Titanic (1997)
42. L.A. Confidential (1997)
41. Sweet and Lowdown (1999)
40. Malcolm X (1992)
39. Open Your Eyes (Abre Los Ojos) (1997)
38. Being John Malkovich (1999)
37. Backdraft (1991)
36. Unforgiven (1992)
35. A Bronx Tale (1993)
34. Boogie Nights (1997)
33. Falling Down (1993)
32. Tombstone (1993)
31. The Big Lebowski (1998)
30. Gattaca (1997)
29. The Crow (1994)
28. Heat (1995)
27. Philadelphia (1993)
26. Magnolia (1999)
25. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
24. Goodfellas (1990)
23. American Beauty (1999)
22. Fargo (1996)
21. The Thin Red Line (1998)
20. The Truman Show (1998)
19. Schindler's List (1993)
18. Fight Club (1999)
17. True Romance (1993)
16. Toy Story 2 (1999)
15. Election (1999)
14. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
13. Groundhog Day (1993)
12. Rushmore (1998)
11. Leon: The Professional (1994)
Without further ado, here are the final TOP 10 picks for the Top Films of the 1990s!
10. Miller's Crossing (1990)
Directed by The Coen Brothers
Starring Gabriel Byrne, Marcia Gay Harden, John Turturro, Jon Polito, J.E. Freeman, Steve Buscemi, and Albert Finney
Jay: The Coen Brothers did what they do best, bend genres, with their stylized, intricately plotted masterpiece, Miller's Crossing. Gabriel Byrne gives his greatest performance as Tom Regan, a quick-thinking advisor to Albert Finney's Irish mob boss, Leo O'Bannon. When Tom has a tryst with Leo's girl, Verna (Marcia Gay Harden), he is forced into the employment of Johnny Casper (Jon Polito in a fantastic supporting role). Tom is able to manipulate Johnny into a conflict with Leo in order to both protect himself and orchestrate his way back into Leo's good graces. The Coens were on the cusp of refining their style and amassing talented people like Carter Burwell, who composed the score, Barry Sonnenfeld, who shot the movie and an excellent supporting cast including John Turturro and J.E. Freeman. Miller's Crossing isn't often brought up when folks discuss the Coens filmography and I never understand why. It is easily one of their best movies. It captures a time and place so well, especially through the excellent dialogue that is heavy with dialect and slang of the times. The Prohibition Era has never been depicted as well.
Matt: My favorite Coen Brothers film! This gangster tale of switching loyalties, love triangles, betrayal, and revenge was done oh so right by the Coens, the actors, and the crew (which included legendary cinematographer/director Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black) as director of photography, and the music of composer Carter Burwell)! Gabriel Byrne's protagonist character Tom Regan is the classic loner-type that was often played by Humphrey Bogart (in fact, I could see Bogart easily taking a part like this). Set during the Prohibition era, the story centers on Tom, a consigliere to Irish American mob boss Leo O'Bannon (an awesome, tough-as-nails Albert Finney), who disagrees with Leo's decision to assist a lowlife bookie (Turturro), and decides to team up with rival Italian American mob boss Johnny Caspar (Polito), thus pitting the two warring gangs against each other. The Coens excellently captured the tone and language of the era in which the film takes place, and the story is constantly going in directions which will leave the viewer unsure of how it will all end. The story is reminiscent of -- and partly inspired -- Dashiell Hammett's 1929 novel Red Harvest, which also inspired Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo, Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars, and Walter Hill's Last Man Standing. The scene alone in this film, where Finney's mob boss is attacked by Caspar's men and Finney retaliates -- all to the tune of "Danny Boy" -- is one of the greatest cinematic scenes! Of course, I'm also a big fan of gangster films (which take place in the 1920s and 1930s), so I am a little biased but the film is pure greatness -- a masterpiece of filmmaking I never get tired of watching!
9. The Matrix (1999)
Directed by The Wachowskis
Starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantoliano
Jay: Though it became a cultural phenomenon, The Matrix, at the time of its release in 1999, was not expected to be the success it was. The Wachowskis had only made one previous film of note, the smart and unique thriller, Bound, so they were unproven in the science fiction genre. The Matrix was such a hit because of two reasons. One, it displayed techniques that had been untested but are now industry standards. Bullet-time photography and "wire-fu" fight choreography being the chief among these. Regular actors like Keanu Reeves and Lawrence Fishburne were made to look like they could fight like Bruce Lee. Second, was the smart and layered script. The story of The Matrix was most certainly a "thinking man's" sci-fi action flick. It wrestled with deeper philosophical themes that most movies never touch. Who hasn't pondered that the reality they perceive is not reality at all, but a simulation? It confronted the questions surrounding the nature of control and how we as people allow ourselves to be controlled by forces we give our freedom over to. The two sequels would be panned universally by critics and audiences alike, but I feel that while they are clearly not as good as the original, they do get unfairly judged. The Matrix Reloaded in particular probes deeper into the philosophy behind The Matrix and the nature of man. As a side note too, Hugo Weaving's work as the villainous Agent Smith is a highlight for me. The idea of a program that resists it's own purpose to become a virus capable of wiping out humanity was a stroke of genius.
Matt: Some may easily forget the impact this film had when it was first released. So, let me give a brief refresher through a small history. When the film's teaser trailer was first released about a year before the movie's release, people were intrigued as all hell when they heard Laurence Fishburne's voiceover saying he "... can't exactly tell you what the Matrix is," then saw him leap from one far-away skyscraper top to another. It gave absolutely no clue as to what the film was about -- and that was one of the best film marketing schemes ever! So, not many people knew what to expect from the film when they went to go see it. I remember going to see the film, only knowing it was sci-fi action and had Keanu Reeves in it. What followed was one of the best sci-fi films I'd ever seen in recent memory. And, despite its messy sequels, The Matrix still holds up really well! The film looks at the mundanity of life and takes a trip "down the rabbit hole" into a technological real world, revealing that the world we know is merely an illusionary lie. The film's message centers on living a full life -- outside of "normal" -- and rising up to take charge of your life and fulfilling a better destiny in life. The action and style of the film went on to inspire future filmmakers; however, there was slight controversy when it was discovered that the Columbine High School massacre shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were inspired (even more so) in their violent action after viewing the film. Love it or hate it, this first film in the franchise was a stylish, sleek, one-of-a-kind trendsetter of a sci-fi film, using cutting edge special effects to convey a story like no other before it.
8. Seven (1995)
Directed by David Fincher
Starring Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman, and Gwyneth Paltrow
Jay: I remember when Seven came out and how many people I heard saying it was better than The Silence of the Lambs, the Best Picture winner from 1992, which was pretty much considered the pinnacle of the serial killer genre. I was skeptical before seeing it, but, after I was forced to admit that if not better, it was certainly worthy of comparison. Over time my appreciation of the movie has grown and grown. It still remains the darkest film I think I've seen, filled with the hopelessness of a lost cause and the desperation of people looking for a better life away from death and decay. But in David Fincher's world there is no escape from it. Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman star as Detectives Mills and Somerset, respectively, newly partnered, and faced with the gruesome slayings of several people that seem to be patterned after the seven deadly sins. The murders themselves are horrific and the mind that committed them is broken, a product of the rotting society around them. I am hard pressed to remember a film that is as misanthropic as Seven. The final moments of it are as shocking and disturbing as any you will find.
Matt: Even though director David Fincher had one major film under his belt (Alien 3), this is the film that placed him on everyone's radar! Screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker wrote a modern-day detective noir film featuring one of the most brutally gory serial killers ever placed on film. The story centers around a newly-transplanted homicide detective (Pitt) who is placed on a serial killer case with a weary, cynical partner (Freeman) when a killer begins killing people who have each committed one of the seven deadly sins (gluttony, greed, sloth, envy, wrath, pride, and lust). The killer begins a dangerous cat-and-mouse game with the detectives as he/she leads them through some of the seediest places in the city. All the while, the detectives get to know each other and comes to term with where they are in their lives as well as where they may be headed. The film's production design was very gloomy, gray, and rainy, making the film's mood fit that of the story revolving around a killer shrouded in mystery. Plus, the actor who does portray the killer is so wonderful in their performance, it's hard not to be mesmerized. Cinematographer Darius Khondji (Alien: Resurrection, Panic Room, Midnight in Paris) is one of the best in the business and his work here really shines! Seven really paved the way for graphic crime procedurals, and it's a story where no one is safe from the killer.
7. Dazed and Confused (1993)
Directed by Richard Linklater
Starring Jason London, Matthew McConaughey, Rory Cochrane, Adam Goldberg, Anthony Rapp, Sasha Jenson, Michelle Burke, Parker Posey, Cole Hauser, Wiley Wiggins, and Ben Affleck
Jay: Richard Linklater has been quietly becoming one of our best filmmakers over the last few decades. He is an artist who has always been interested in narrative and the different ways to convey a message. Dazed and Confused was his first critical and financial success, after Slacker in 1991, which, while it was beloved by the art house crowd, never found an audience until years later. With Dazed, Linklater amassed a huge ensemble cast, and in the vein of George Lucas's American Graffiti (1973), he tells the stories of a group of about-to-be high school seniors on the last day of school in 1976. For me, no film has captured an era of teenage life as well as this picture, but, to be honest, with what Linklater's trying to say about the decade is -- in some ways -- irrelevant. These kids could have been living in almost any time period and the message could have been the same. There is an innocence to their fun and party lifestyle with adulthood just waiting to greet them around the corner. Many of them will learn life lessons this night. Like Adam Goldberg's Mike who stands up to a bully (Nicky Katt) for the first time; Mitch Kramer (Wiley Wiggins), a young freshman, who tastes his first mouthful of adolescence, leaving childhood behind him; and then there's Randall "Pink" Floyd (Jason London), the star quarterback, who refuses to compromise his values in order to do what his coach wants him to do. The movie was also a starting point for some of the most famous faces of Hollywood today including Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck and Parker Posey. Dazed and Confused remains the best snapshot of the space between being kids and being grown-ups . . . . oh and its hysterically funny,
Matt: What most people would pass off as some immature teen party movie actually has more going on under the surface in Richard Linklater's ode to growing up in the 1970s. Sure, the movie does center on the day in a life of a group of teens and an all-nighter party. But what this ensemble cast's main protagonist, Randall "Pink" Floyd (London), deals with is a defining moment in all adolescents' lives. When all the partying is stripped away, Dazed and Confused mirrors that of its predecessor, which takes place in the 1960s (1962, to be exact) -- George Lucas's American Graffiti. (in fact, every decade has had its ode to teenage life told in a party-like setting: the 1960s are depicted in Graffiti; the 1970s are depicted in Dazed; the 1980s are depicted in Fast Times at Ridgemont High; and the 1990s are depicted in Can't Hardly Wait). Dazed is the story of growing up and making decisions that will help shape who you become. In Lucas's Graffiti, the protagonist faced whether to leave his sleepy little town or not for college; whereas, in Dazed, the protagonist has to face whether to conform to what society expects of him and blindly give up his beliefs or take a stand against the majority. The film also marks some of the first major performances from then-unknown actors such as Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club), Adam Goldberg (Saving Private Ryan), Parker Posey (Superman Returns), Joey Lauren Adams (Chasing Amy, which should have made this list!), and Ben Affleck (Argo). The film not only has a message of doing what you believe is right in life, but also is generally a fun film to watch! The soundtrack has some well-known 1970s rock, as well as some hidden gems -- the top one being Bob Dylan's "Hurricane" (my favorite Dylan song) -- and the ensemble cast of characters will likely make you think back to your high school days and the different personalities you encountered. It is movies like this that got me started on my love for ensemble casts! I think to focus on one particular character is easy, but to round out a numerous amount of characters -- giving them all personalities and eccentricities -- takes talent. And that is something Linklater certainly has in abundance. From the quotable dialogue to the fashion to the music to the acting, this film is one of the cult hits of the decade!
6. JFK (1991)
Directed by Oliver Stone
Starring Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones, Michael Rooker, Jay O. Sanders, Sissy Spacek, Joe Pesci, Gary Oldman, and Donald Sutherland
Jay: The late, great Roger Ebert said it best when reviewing Oliver Stone's masterpiece, "I don't have the slightest idea whether Oliver Stone knows who killed President John F. Kennedy. I have no opinion on the factual accuracy of his 1991 film JFK . . . . JFK is a brilliant reflection of our unease and paranoia, our restless dissatisfaction. On that level, it is completely factual."
I couldn't have said it better. JFK is a master-class in how to depict paranoia on film. Editors Joe Hutshing and Pietro Scalia did amazing work on piecing together the rapid cuts and images -- some real-life, some staged. Their work is brilliant. It unweaves its conspiracy plotline onto the viewer and, by the end, you are left wanting answers. That was the whole point. Stone was attacking a certain apathy in the attitude of the American public towards the murder of their President. Kevin Costner has never been better than his portrayal of New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison, who brought a case against local businessman and former CIA operative Clay Shaw (Tommy Lee Jones, who was nominated for an Oscar for his role), for his supposed role in the assassination. As Garrison builds his case, we get more and more bought into the concept of the government's possible role in Kennedy's death. By the time we reach the terrific courtroom scenes, we are bought in. Costner's speech at the end is one of the most moving closing arguments I've ever seen, as he looks straight at us, into the camera and says "It's up to you."
Matt: Based on the books On the Trail of the Assassins by Jim Garrison and Crossfire: The Plot That Killed Kennedy by Jim Marrs, writer/director Oliver Stone's JFK goes where most films about President John F. Kennedy's assassination had never gone before (save 1973's Executive Action). Touching on what many label "conspiracy theory," JFK takes some facts, some speculation and mixes it all together to make some greatly intense cinema. Stone's style of filmmaking on this film marked one of the first times he utilized what has now come to be his trademark: fast edit montages and images racing across the screen; he used this same seminal technique in three of his other films: Natural Born Killers, Nixon and Any Given Sunday. But not every "story" within this film is true. For instance, New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison (Kevin Costner) did not truly meet up with a man called "X" (Donald Sutherland) in Washington, D.C. However, what "X" describes to Garrison is the true-life research of a former Chief of Special Operations on the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Kennedy, as well as a former Air Force Colonol, L. Fletcher Prouty, who believed in the same coup d'etat with which "X" believes, and Garrison did eventually meet with Prouty. Nevertheless, the film -- as Stone put it -- was intended to raise questions, specifically a reasonable doubt, about the official story of the Kennedy assassination as told by the investigating, government-sanctioned Warren Commission. And the film succeeded in abundance! Shortly after the film's release, the U.S. government passed the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 and the formation of the U.S. Assassination Records Review Board. The Board found that there was a conspiracy (meaning more than one individual was involved in the death of Kennedy) but did not go any further beyond that. As for transparency, even though the review had ended by 1998, and most of the subjects alive during that time were dead or on their deathbed, the Board did not agree to release all existing assassination-related documents to the public until 2017. The performances are all solid and Stone really knows his craft well enough to create some of the greatest edge-of-your-seat tense moments on film. No matter what you believe, Stone's JFK is a spectacular film, not only in its technicalities such as pacing, acting and writing, but also in its effectiveness. That makes for a great film!
5. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Starring Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Barry Pepper, Adam Goldberg, Jeremy Davies, Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Diesel, and Matt Damon
Jay: I don't know that I can agree with Matt when he calls Saving Private Ryan the "best war move ever" below, but I'd definetily put it in my top ten for sure. No film has captured the chaos and violence of major conflict like the beginning of Steven Spielberg's WWII epic when Allied forces land on the beaches of Normandy, France. It was jaw-dropping to see for the first time on the big screen in 1998. But, honestly, my favorite moments in the movie are usually the quieter ones. Like when Captain Miller (Tom Hanks) and Sergeant Horville (Tom Sizemore) recall the happy memories of comrads who have since died in combat. Even though it is large in scope, Saving Private Ryan is still an intimate film, proving that one man's life really is worth the sacrifice.
Matt: Best. War. Movie. Ever! Director Steven Spielberg's epic WWII film easily raised the bar for all war movies with this one! The opening sequence of the soldiers landing on Omaha Beach in Normandy is epic in of itself -- taking up approximately 25 minutes of the film, proving that war truly is hell! The scene's bloody, gory detail earned rave reviews by real-life WWII veterans for its authenticity. However, don't think this is your father's WWII film -- like The Longest Day (which is a very good war film), with its bloodless death scenes; this is an extremely graphically-violent film. Aside from the excellent acting and action sequences, what makes this film so great are the existential motifs presented throughout the film. Screenwriter Robert Rodat (The Patriot, Thor: The Dark World) essentially took some of the greatest aspects of classic novelists such as Ernest Hemingway, Kurt Vonnegut, and Norman Mailer, and injected it into this taut, emotional story. The ultimate mission of Hanks' small platoon of soldiers may seem a bit inconsequential -- and the film addresses this issue throughout -- but the importance of such a mission is proven as somewhat of a metaphor for those of us and the world these servicemen sacrificed themselves for. It is especially proven in Hanks' advice to Damon's character near the end of the film. This is my favorite war movie of all time!
4. The Usual Suspects (1995)
Directed by Bryan Singer
Starring Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri, Kevin Spacey, Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Pollack, Pete Postlethwaite, and Benicio Del Toro
Jay: Bryan Singer's clever little crime story has the distinction of being the only movie I've ever been so blown away by the ending that I had to go back and immediately watch it all over again just so I could see all the clues and hints that led to one of the best plot twists ever orchestrated on film. A small group of career thieves are all pinched at the same time by the NYPD and dropped into the same jail cell. Coincidence? Not on your life. Turns out these five talented individuals have all at one time wronged the fabled crime boss, Keyser Soze. Their tale of how they got mixed up with this shadowy underworld crime-lord is told by the only survivor of their group, the handicapped lowlife Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey, who won his first Oscar for this role). Singer's film plays with narrative and notions of perspective as it takes the viewer on a journey that -- by the end -- will leave them breathless. Christopher McQuarrie won an Oscar as well for his smart and wholly original screenplay.
Matt: This film is easily the best crime drama of the decade! Not only for its amazing performances and the nuanced direction of a new filmmaker, Bryan Singer, but mostly just for the story. The legendary plot twist within the film made this seemingly normal contemporary crime noir into one of the biggest jaw-dropping moments in cinema. The story begins with a small-time, handicapped thief (Spacey), who is brought into a police station to be interrogated by two detectives -- U.S. Customs Agent Dave Kujan (Palminteri) and San Pedro Police Sgt. Jeff Rabin (Dan Hedaya). The thief tells the story about how he got involved in the robbery heist with which he was arrested for, how he met his fellow team, and how they came to work for a notorious criminal named Keyser Soze. Starring the awesome Gabriel Byrne (who scores an additional "win" on this list for Miller's Crossing), the film has a great ensemble of villains who the audience somewhat can't help but cheer for. And the role of Verbal Kent was the crown jewel among Kevin Spacey's roles throughout the 1990s (other films of his on this list include American Beauty, Swimming With Sharks, L.A. Confidential, and a film I'd rather not name so not to spoil the surprise). With the direction, acting, writing, production, editing, and every other technical aspect, this film is a near flawless example of moviemaking!
3. Braveheart (1995)
Directed by Mel Gibson
Starring Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, Catherine McCormack, Angus Macfadyen, and Brendan Gleeson
Jay: Braveheart is epic moviemaking on a scale not seen since the golden age of the studio-funded, big-budget films like Ben-Hur, Spartacus and Lawrence of Arabia. Like those pinnacles of the genre it balanced it's grandly staged battle scenes with the more personal story of William Wallace (Mel Gibson) and the woman he married in secret, Murron (Catherine McCormack). Who cares if it played a little fast and loose with the historical facts? Braveheart would embolden studios to take more chances with bigger scaled epics, after seeing its commercial critical success. Movies like Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven and even The Lord of the Rings Trilogy owe something to Braveheart. The battle scenes were visceral and brutal and the most true to actual melees of the Middle Ages. Mel Gibson proved he was no slouch in the director's chair, staging these massive fights without the use of CGI or many of the effects used today. In many ways it could be the last of its kind. A last hurrah for a kind of movie that we'll probably never see again. While I wholeheartedly agree it belongs high on this list, though, I believe it is placed too high here at #3. There are several films I personally consider better on our list, but Matt's high ranking lands it here. I just feel that films like Goodfellas, Fargo, and even JFK are all better made and more influential in technique and inventive in storytelling, but I will never deny Braveheart's brilliance as a great film of the 90's.
Matt: I thought this film should have been in either the #1 or #2 slot, but Jay disagreed. So, thus, it falls at #3. When it was discovered that Mel Gibson was directing this epic film, most critics were thinking "flop" -- especially since Gibson had only directed one film prior to this one: the 1993 underrated sleeper hit film The Man Without a Face, based on the classic Isabelle Holland novel. But when Braveheart was released, the praises from those same critics were deafening! Taking home 5 Academy Awards (Oscars), Gibson proved that he was now a double threat to the industry. Based on the true life of Scotsman Sir William Wallace, the film shows in epic detail Wallace's start from childhood to what drove him to fight the British to his unending quest for freedom. Since the film came out, many historians have labeled the film "one of the most historically inaccurate modern films to date." But it doesn't really matter. Audiences still love the film for all of the raw emotions it stirs with every viewing. I remember the film for its romance between the characters of Wallace and Murron (McCormack), as well as some of the most brutal battle scenes I had ever seen in a "period film." People can say what they will about Gibson's personal life, but, all I know is, he's one hell of an actor! His face conveys so much emotion; for instance, there's this scene where Gibson's Wallace finds out he has been betrayed by one of his own and he simply stares at the man with a look of utter heartbreak, confusion and disbelief all wrapped up into one! From beginning to end, Braveheart works on so many levels and I have to say it's one of the very best of the decade!
2. Pulp Fiction (1994)
Directed by Quentin Tarantino
Starring John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, and Harvey Keitel
Jay: Let it be known that when we first decided to do this list there was no doubt in my mind what my pick for the top spot would be. Tarantino's Pulp Fiction was a massive hit for Miramax and single-handedly ignited the independent film revolution of the 90's, making that kind of moviemaking mainstream for the first time. Once studios saw the box office potential a smaller budgeted picture like Pulp Fiction could make, there was no turning back. Events like the Sundance and Cannes Film Festivals, though they had been around for a while, suddenly became household names. Producers started searching for the next Tarantino and many artists who might never have had a chance before Tarantino came along now were being given a chance. Now, there a lot of great movies on this list, but none of them can even touch the influence Pulp Fiction had on the business of movies, and that influence is still being felt today. For me, it is impossible to ignore the historical significance this film already has when making this list. Besides all of that it is simply a dynamic, nuclear bomb of style that was unlike anything I had ever seen before. The narrative structure was all over the place but totally served the interweaving stories being told. The writing was tight and filled with highly entertaining dialogue. The performances were career-making for John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman. The soundtrack was a mix of surfer rock, old country western tunes and 70's disco, proving that Quentin knew that the music was just as important as any other element in his movie. Looking back at the 1994 Academy Awards I find it difficult to believe that Forest Gump would beat out Pulp Fiction for Best Picture if the vote were held again today. There is no other picture that is as important to its time and place and none other that was as daringly different and exciting as Pulp Fiction, the best film of the 1990's.
Matt: I do think Pulp Fiction was a massive hit for the decade and I think it should've definitely been in the top 10 -- the top 5, even -- but I'm not so sure about agreeing with Jay and it being #1 or even in the #2 slot. Nevertheless, this anthology film from writer/director Quentin Tarantino and co-screenwriter Roger Avary is an influential piece of filmmaking. The film tells three stories all told out of chronological order but all interconnected through the characters: two hitmen (Travolta and Jackson), a crime boss' unruly wife (Thurman), and a prizefighting boxer (Willis). I remember this film coming under fire when it was released because of the violence and drug use in the film. I had just graduated high school and I remember thinking the people who were panning the film for these qualities were uptight and making mountains out of molehills. Now that I'm a parent, I can see the concern; however, I still appreciate the film and enjoy viewing it. Plus, I'll list something those people -- and most others who don't like the film today for the same reasons -- know something. SPOILER ALERT: Every person who does evil in this film, dies. That's how it is in most of Tarantino's original films (Reservoir Dogs, the original ending of True Romance, the original ending of Natural Born Killers, Kill Bill, Death Proof, Inglourious Basterds, and Django Unchained) if you pay attention. Sure, there are maybe one or two (if that) who escape such a fate, but it's very rare. END SPOILER. Plus, as a parent, it's my responsibility to teach my kids wrong from right, what is OK and what is not. Now, back to Fiction, if it weren't for Tarantino's special "touch" on the writing, of course, it wouldn't be the same film! But it also probably simply wouldn't be as good of a film in general! Tarantino's voice speaks to many -- specifically cinephiles -- because you know he's a lover of films. He uses many genres he adores and mixes them together into his stories to come out with some of the most outrageous characters ever put on film. And while Tarantino's films aren't for everyone (and that's OK), Fiction belongs in the top 5 because it is one of the most American contemporary films made. From its blending of multiple movie genres to its disgusting violence and language. Fiction depicts the dark side of America and its criminal element -- a view most would not like or want to see, but it does not lessen the fact that that side does indeed exist. In the end, I don't watch -- or like -- Pulp Fiction because of these things. I enjoy the film because of its style, acting, music, technical aspects, and writing that is so distinctly Tarantino!
1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Directed by Frank Darabont
Starring Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler, Clancy Brown, and James Whitmore
Jay: I will start off by saying that I LOVE The Shawshank Redemption. Its placement here at the top spot of our 90's list does not hurt my feelings in the least bit. Frank Darabont did an exceptional job adapting the short story by Stephen King for the big screen. Andy Dufresne's (Tim Robbins) story is moving and uplifting. A banker who discovered his wife's affair with a golf pro, Dufresne is convicted of both her and her lover's murder but maintains he is innocent. Sentenced to two life sentences at Shawshank Prison the film chronicles the decades he spends incarcerated. There he meets the best friend he will ever have in Red (Morgan Freeman) and the main theme of the movie is their friendship. It also concerns Andy's time working for the corrupt Warden (Bob Gunton) who uses Dufresne's financial acumen to prosper himself despite discovering the banker's innocence. The "redemption" in the title doesn't just concern Andy's revenge against the warden but also his own personal redemption for the man he was before he was sent to prison and how he had treated his late wife in particular. As he says later in the film, "She was beautiful. God, I loved her. I just didn't know how to show it, that's all. I killed her, Red. I didn't pull the trigger, but I drove her away. And that's why she died, because of me."
The Shawshank Redemption is certainly one of the very best movies of all time. At the time of its release, it was lost in the hurricane of two other majorly important movies of the decade, Forrest Gump and Pulp Fiction. Despite a Best Picture nomination, it was not successful at the box office. It found its audience on video and DVD and today is beloved as one of the best dramas ever filmed. I only disagree with its placement at #1 because, when compared to Pulp Fiction, it didn't really offer anything different in the medium -- just a very good story, where as Tarantino's film felt like nothing I had seen before. The Shawshank Redemption is one of the most emotionally powerful movies you will ever see, though, and that deserves to be celebrated.
Matt: This is it! The #1 film we picked for the 1990s! Based on the Stephen King novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, director Frank Darabont (who would go on to adapt Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead for television) crafted a deeply moving film. The story is about Andy Dufresne (Robbins), who is found guilty for killing his adulterous wife and her lover. He is sentenced to two consecutive life sentences and sent to Shawshank State Penitentiary in Maine. While there, he meets a group of inmates who he soon comes to befriend -- particularly Red (Freeman) -- and struggles between dealing with his imprisonment and the harsh realities of his new environment. As I look back at Jay and I's list, I realize something that most of the films -- well, the ones in the top 10, anyway -- have in common. Nearly all of the films focus on the criminal outlaw element. This was certainly not planned! And for those who think this aspect in any way negates or lessens the impact of our list, I would say, first, they are free to think that and to each his own, but, mostly, I would also say they may want to think again about the history of the outlaw. If the outlaw is such a major focus in these wonderful films it is because our country has always had a fascination with the real-life outlaw. From the days of a treasonous band of rebels who broke away from England to find their own country to the days of the Great Depression and the underprivileged gangsters it produced to the government whistleblowers exposing civil liberty violations which, deep down, everyone knows are there. Love them or hate them, outlaws -- particularly rebels -- always held a fascination with Americans and they still do today. And this film proves the point. Shawshank passionately explores the human condition in surroundings that no one wants to experience. Yet, this is a film which everyone should see. King's tale of life, death, friendship and redemption makes for not only one of the best films to be released in the 1990s, but also one of the best films to ever be released ... period.
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