The Bottom Line Which movies of the 90s will film students be talking about in 2050? This list consists of my choices of movies that should become classics in the future.
The problem with the 1990s is that those years are still fresh in our memory and times haven’t changed that much. The 00s of today are almost interchangeable with the last decade. It is still too early to tell what movies will become classics and what movies will become dated. Most of the big stars of the 90s arrived through smaller movies of the 1980s. The biggest stars of the next decade probably started in the 90s and their initial movies, now overlooked, may become future classics.
All of the movies on my list are included because I enjoyed the direction, acting, writing or cinematography more than other movies released during the period. This list will likely change over time far more than my top ten movies of other decades. For instance, "Casablanca" has been a favorite of mine for over 30 years. It has aged well and will continue to age well. Humphrey Bogart and Ingred Bergman went on to make more great movies which only made "Casablanca" more endearing. Other attempts at the same genre have not tarnished the merits of the 50+ year old movie. The movies that I have seen since have not displaced it as my favorite whereas, I may feel different about any of these movies two years from now. It takes time for a movie to be earn the label "timeless."
These movies may be timeless but we will have to wait for another couple of decades for a proper evaluation.
10. Dances With Wolves (1990)
There are very few good civil war films and the beginning for "Dances With Wolves" is stunning as it is set during a wonderfully filmed battle. There were also very few good westerns made during the previous two decades, but this film was able to break the trend and deliver a compelling historical drama about life with the Sioux Indians. the buffalo hunt is spectacular and demonstrates the vastness and beauty of the country.
9. Three Colors Blue, White, Red (1994)
The three colors of the French flag are made into three different movies. Other than a short one minute period, the films do not interrelate other than each uses an assigned color throughout the film. The "Blue" movie is heavy, the "White" movie colorless and the "Red" movie alive. Other movies have used color for effectiveness, but a movie titled with a color has to pass more scrutiny. The artistic quality in all three films made the viewing an enjoyable experience.
8. Home Alone (1990)
Another genre that had been unsuccessful for years was the slapstick comedy. This story about a little boy protecting his home from bumbling crooks had all of the right ingredients; good vs. bad, youth vs. age, and brain vs. brawn. The Rube Goldberg like contraptions coupled with the comedic talents of Daniel Stern and Joe Pesci provide an entertainment that had almost become a lost art form.
7. Shakespeare in Love (1998)
This movie would get my vote for the best dialogue of the decade. It may have been the best dialogue since "All about Eve." A film about the greatest playwright in history would receive some brilliance just from the subject matter. But brilliance also shines through with screenwriting, set design, costumes and direction. Although homage is paid to the Bard in style and content, I actually liked the movie more than most of his plays.
6. Braveheart (1995)
"Dances with Wolves" was an epic western that worked for actor turned director Kevin Costner. In similar ways, "Braveheart" works the same for Mel Gibson. In both cases, the leading actor, although powerfully played, is secondary to the cinematography, the historical crisis and the compelling story. Some movies are meant for the big screen because of their immenseness and grandeur. "Braveheart" fills up the theater.
5. Toy Story (1995)
Disney began making quality family shows again in the 1980s. A quality family show is one where the parents can enjoy it as much as the kids. "Toy Story" took it one step further and added state of the art technology to provide a wonderful Disney story. We all have wondered if our toys came alive, but we never knew that there would be so much team work.
4. Hoop Dreams (1994)
Every basketball star had a childhood that is in the background somewhere. "Hoop Dreams" looks at the story another way by focusing on the child and their development into a star. The movie was 4 1/2 years in the making and chronicles in real life, the rising athletes. It is fascinating to watch the players grow up and work through family and school challenges. Supposedly 250 hours of film was shot and edited to 3 hours where the viewer becomes a neighbor, classmate and spectator through the movie.
3. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
The battle scenes are vivid and extraordinary but the most riveting part of the movie is the story behind the mission to save Ryan. Tom Hanks plays the leader of a group of soldiers, all of whom were peaceful private citizens before the war. Duty and honor are emphasized as the soldiers perform their warrior responsibilities as trained. The humanity of the individual being is illuminated against the inhumanity of war.
2. Forrest Gump (1994)
I may be biased regarding this film because I grew up in a small town during about the same time period. This is a modern day fairy tale demonstrating that love, dignity and perseverance conquer all. "Forrest Gump’ runs the viewer through the entire spectrum of emotions as it tells the story of a slow thinking innocent kid traversing through five decades of life.
1. Schindler’s List (1993)
It may have taken until the 1990s to be able to showcase a movie about the holocaust. Shot in black and white, which provides a newsreel documentary feel for the film, the movie takes us into the life of Oscar Schindler and the lives that he saved. The horror of the film is that the events depicted actually happened. The beauty of the film is represented by the triumph over adversity that is so well illustrated through the lens of the camera.
