Top 10 Movies of the 1990s
By Sunil Rajaraman
What do you think of when you think back to the 90s (please don’t say you are not old enough to remember)? I mostly think of bad music, a booming economy and good movies. There are parts I don’t remember, but we don’t need to get into that. Speaking of great movies, I’ve rounded up a list of the best 10 from the decade that brought us the Clinton years and the Macarena.
10. The Big Lebowski
The Dude, White Russians and Nihilists – TBL makes the list for an outstanding ensemble cast and memorable performances. People often forget that this is a Coen brothers movie – TBL shows their range. Hilarious that TBL won the 1998 “Best Foreign Film” award from The Russian Film Critics association.
9. Fight Club
To this day, I often ask myself “What Would Tyler Durden Do”? Brad Pitt, Ed Norton and David Fincher absolutely knock it out of the park in one of the most groundbreaking films of the decade. If you don’t know the first rule of Fight Club, you need to watch this movie again. Though snubbed by the Academy, Fight Club is currently #17 on IMDB’s top-250 of all time.
8. The Usual Suspects
“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist. And like that, poof. He’s gone.” Kevin Spacey will almost certainly never top his performance as Verbal King/Keyser Sose, and how can you hold that against him? A very complete movie, that deservedly pulled in a couple of Oscars.
7. American History X
Another Ed Norton flick cracks the top ten. If you are not haunted by the curb-side scene in Venice Beach, you are not a human being. Powerful cinematography and a great cast (no A-listers – Norton was still an up-and-comer) make American History X one of the best ten of the 1990′s. Though American History X did not haul in any major awards, Norton did receive an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.
6. Office Space
Before you throw something at your computer screen for seeing Office Space on the list, consider this – can you think of any movie that’s more part of our day-to-day work vernacular than Office Space? All of this from a movie that was produced on a very low budget, and only had a small cult following when it initially came out. Office Space makes the list for the cult following it has garnered over the past decade.
5. Pulp Fiction
Tarantino made “playing with time” in films trendy with Pulp Fiction. Not only did he do that, but he revived Travolta’s career, and put together an all-time classic in the process. I wonder what’s in the suitcase (aside from the 43 award wins that PF hauled in)…
4. Braveheart
Mel Gibson, before he got super creepy….. Braveheart was recognized by critics and viewers alike as the best movie of 1995. Ten academy award nominations, and 5 wins aside, Braveheart is a touching story. To this day, you still hear Gibson’s famous pre-Falkirk speech in sports arenas across the country.
3. Saving Private Ryan
All due respect to Apocalypse Now, Platoon, and Hurt Locker (etc, etc) lovers, but Saving Private Ryan is the best war movie of all time. Putting aside my personal opinion for a moment, SPR’s 52 award wins across multiple categories show how well received it was. The most telling awards, in my opinion, is the Best Ensemble Cast award from SAG. Hanks, Damon, Vin Diesel, Giovani Ribisi, Edward Burns, Adam Goldberg, Tom Sizemore…. all of that talent directed by Spielberg and you have one for the ages.
2. Silence of the Lambs
Silence of the Lambs doesn’t just crack the top ten of the 1990s, but probably the top ten of all time. One of three films that swept the major categories, and deservedly so. Anthony Hopkins is still in a lot of peoples’ nightmares, not least of which is Clarice Starling.
1. The Shawshank Redemption
Shawshank may very well fall into the same category as Silence of the Lambs – top ten of all time. Masterful performances by Robbins and Morgan Freeman and a very touching story all the way through. Shawshank is currently the number one movie of all time on IMDB’s top-250 list.
Honorable Mention: Swingers, The Sixth Sense, Heat, The Matrix, Reservoir Dogs, Forrest Gump, Goodfellas, Clerks, Dances With Wolves, Toy Story, Dazed and Confused
Written by Sunil Rajaraman who is the President and CEO of Scripped.com.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 10:41AM
Actually, a pretty fair list. I can't think of any of the films that doesn't make a case to belong in a top 10. Though, I might swap some of the honorable mentions in instead ('Heat' and 'Dances with Wolves', specifically). I'd probably toss in 'Philadelphia', 'Jerry Maguire', 'The Truman Show', 'Glengarry Glen Ross', 'Fargo', 'American Beauty', 'Leaving Las Vegas', 'The Player', 'Unforgiven' and a few others in the Honorable Mentions, as well.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 11:08AM
As a guy, I think the list is spot on. But I wonder what the fairer sex thinks. I'm fairly certain that if you pull in the other 50% of the population into account a couple of these fall off the list – Usual suspects, Fight Club, American History X. Also personally, I'd pick Se7en over Fight Club.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 2:38PM
Goodfellas? Hello? How the hell can you leave that off the list?
My top 10 OTTOMH:
Glengarry Glen Ross (92, James Foley)
1) Goodfellas (90, Scorsese)
2) Naked (93, Mike Leigh)
3) Fargo (96, Joel & Ethan Coen)
4) Pulp Fiction (94, Quentin Tarantino)
5) Magnolia (99, P.T. Anderson)
6) JFK (91, Oliver Stone)
7) Malcolm X (92, Spike Lee)
9) Being John Malkovich (99, Spike Jonez)
10) Dark City (98, Alex Proyas)
Honorable (no particular order): The Age of Innocence (93, Scorsese), The Player (92, Robert Altman), Short Cuts (93, Altman), L.A. Confidential (97, Curtis Hanson), Lone Star (96, John Sayles), Boogie Nights (97, P.T. Anderson), Pleasantville (98, Gary Ross), Map of the Human Heart (93, Vincent Ward), Breaking the Waves (96, Lars von Trier), The Fugitive (93, Andrew Davis), Se7en (95, David Fincher), Leaving Las Vegas (95, Mike Figgis), Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (96, Joe Berlinger & Bruce Sinofsky), Bound (96, The Wachowski Brothers)
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 3:04PM
Ok, this is bullcrap as long as there is no Forrest Gump on one of 3 best places. My list:
10. Man on the moon
9. Dances with Wolves
8. Sleepers
7. Don Juan DeMarco
6. The Brave
5. The Big Lebowski
4. Saving Private Ryan
3. The Shawshank Redemption
2. Pulp Fiction
1. Forrest Gump
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 5:45PM
Please…Office Space getting it over Goodfellas? What a fucking joke.
The world is not filled with social outcasts.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 5:50PM
I found a typo, you spelled "Forrest Gump" as "Office Space"
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 5:53PM
Schindler's List?
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 7:23PM
Really great list, it's hard to argue with any of those.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 7:32PM
AHEM! The Matrix, 1999 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/
You Failed.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 8:46PM
Seriously crap list. I came here from Digg expecting to see a struggle between Pulp Fiction and Goodfellas for the top spot. At least you found room on the list for Pulp Fiction…
Seriously, this is a list of "Top 10 Cult Movies" of the 1990s. I love Lebowski, Fight Club, Office Space, History X, etc., but none of them belong in a list of Top 10 best movies of the 1990s. There are so many more films of higher artistic merit from this era. Maybe you weren't using art as your criteria?
Also, you might look outside the USA. Yes, the '90s were the best decade for American cinema since the '70s, but there were a lot of great films from England, France and especially China in that era, too.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 10:03PM
Um… GoodFella's and Schindlers List?
Thursday, November 18, 2010 3:47AM
Dude, "Contact"! One the (if not THE) best sci-fi movies of all time! It definitely should be here…
Thursday, November 18, 2010 4:12AM
THE MATRIX?????????
Thursday, November 18, 2010 6:30AM
I think Schindler's List should not only be on the list. It is my nomination for the best movie ever.
Thursday, November 18, 2010 7:03AM
It's actually a really really good list. I would have to make room for Forrest Gump tho, it's easily the best film of the past 25 years.
Thursday, November 18, 2010 7:09AM
SE7EN by far the best movie of the 90's
Thursday, November 18, 2010 7:14AM
1.SEVEN
2.FIGHT CLUB
3.THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
4.CONTACT
5.JURASSIC PARK
6.TWELVE MONKEYS
7.THE MATRIX
8.TERMINATOR 2
9.FOREST GUMP
10.UNFORGIVEN
That's the list.
Thursday, November 18, 2010 7:45AM
You all have nice lists, and for me it would be impossible to create a top ten, cause it would change from day to day, depending what mood I would be in….
Thursday, November 18, 2010 8:08AM
Where is "Heat"?
Thursday, November 18, 2010 9:10AM
I have never understood what is so great about Pulp Fiction. Its just not that good. I think its become such a cult classic (not sure why) that people feel like they have to like it.
Thursday, November 18, 2010 10:48AM
The Matrix and Fight Club should be in the top 3.
Thursday, November 18, 2010 8:45PM
TOMBSTONE!
Friday, November 19, 2010 5:50AM
To anyonw who loved THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION you should take a look at THE ESCAPIST http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0961728/
Friday, November 19, 2010 9:43AM
they're forgetting tmnt 2 secret of the ooze!
Friday, November 19, 2010 2:17PM
the movie missing from the list is "Seven", from 1995
Tuesday, December 14, 2010 5:40PM
that movie was my childhood
Tuesday, January 25, 2011 5:22PM
the matrix was one of the best movies of 1990s through 2000
Wednesday, January 26, 2011 11:10AM
Marcos = right
Chango = wrong
Sunday, February 6, 2011 11:00AM
What about
Forrest Gump
Goodfellas
Titanic(11 Oscars)