10 Movies from the 90’s Worth Rewatching
Not all of us have perfect memories, so it’s not exactly a damning error to forgot a good movie every once in a while. For the sake of reliving those memories and opening the nostalgia container, here is a short list of ten films from the 1990’s that you personally may have forgotten or haven’t been introduced to yet. Either way, most of these films are easily accessible through streaming platforms or available on DVD and are worth the watch.
Air Force One (1997). With names like Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, and Glenn Close above the title, it’s not surprise that this film had a good box office reception and with Wolfgang Petersen in the director’s chair it’s not too surprising that the film was fairly well received by critics. Some sequences, like the plane crash, look laughable today, and there are better Harrison Ford films out there. Sure, the plot isn’t up to the level of a Tom Clancy novel, but it’s enough to get you by for a couple of hours. Plus it’s hard to hate Oldman as the villain.
Babe (1995). A surprise to many back in early 1996 was when Babe was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, and it’s a film that now many kids of the late 90’s have grown up watching. Some have even called it “the Wizard of Oz (1939) of the 90’s” and that’s not necessarily a stretch. The film has some great special effects, a family-friendly story, and a couple of good songs, too. Also worth mentioning is the sequel, Babe: Pig in the City (1998), directed by, of all people, George Miller. While the sequel lacks in quality, it’s a double feature worth going through.
Bowfinger (1999). Written by and starring Steve Martin, Bowfinger is probably the best of the overlooked late 90’s comedies with a great supporting cast of Eddie Murphy, Heather Graham, Christine Baranski–even Robert Downey, Jr. and Terrence Stamp show up. Martin knows how to write funny one-liners, and especially film fans will be all over this one as Martin takes a whack at the film industry and independent film production. While a couple of subplots with the Graham character stop the momentum of the story, there’s enough laughs to keep you happy.
Ed Wood (1994). Perhaps the most highly regarded film of both Tim Burton and Johnny Depp’s careers, Ed Wood is of course the story of the “worst filmmaker in Hollywood history” though Uwe Boll is another candidate for that title. Burton’s usually stylistic visuals are off to the side for this one; it’s a 50’s Hollywood retrospective, and the story is front and center. In particular, the friendship that blooms between Wood and Bela Lugosi, magnificently portrayed by Martin Landau in an Oscar-winning role, is funny and heartfelt, and Wood’s spirit of never giving up can be an inspiration for young filmmakers.
Kingpin (1996). Move over, There’s Something about Mary (1998), the Farrelly brothers have an even funnier movie out there. Again, a great cast in this one: Woody Harrelson, Randy Quaid, and Bill Murray, and from start to finish there’s laughs to be had. A road trip movie, a sports comedy, a sting operation, an Amish tale, a revenge story, and a really, really, really fake plastic hand are all included, and while the film does run a bit long, close to two hours, it’s well worth your time revisiting or for a first viewing.
Life is Beautiful (1998). Roberto Benigni co-writes, stars, and directs this very emotional film set in the WWII era. We start in pre-WWII Italy with a classic love story between a greaseball and a lady who’s well above him in class, and how she just can’t help but fall for him. Then the film skips a few years and now they have a son and the Nazis are coming. Set primarily in a concentration camp, we see a now father lovingly protect his son from the horrors of a death camp by making it a game to stay alive with a tank as a gift at the end. It’s an extremely emotional movie that has big laughs, a classic love story, and a truly heartbreaking ending.
Magnolia (1999). Fresh off of Boogie Nights (1997), Paul Thomas Anderson makes Magnolia, and while we’ve discussed big casts on this list already, here’s an even bigger one: Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore, William H. Macy, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Jason Robards, and other recognizable faces. The story is basically about seven short stories that collide, more or less, with a finale of Biblical proportions. It’s not a perfect film; once two of its three hours are up there’s an extended scene of Robards rambling for about ten minutes, and there’s a feeling of wanting the story to wrap up, and the conclusion is a mixed bag. However, those first two hours are masterful filmmaking and feature two nearly perfect performances from Tom Cruise and Phillip Baker Hall.
The Nutty Professor (1996). By 1996 Eddie Murphy had lost a bit of his luster as a comedic star, and remake of a Jerry Lewis classic could easily have bombed as well. As it turned out, it wasn’t just a huge hit for 1996, but one of the best-reviewed films of Murphy’s career. The makeup even won the Academy Award. The highlight comedy scenes have to be a scene in a nightclub where Dave Chappelle and Murphy go back and forth insulting each other, ending with Murphy throwing Chappelle into a piano and the gassy dinner scene with multiple Murphys as the Klump family. Just re-watching these clips alone on YouTube without the context of the rest of the film will split your sides with laughter.
Pleasantville (1998). One of the more criminally overlooked films of 1998, where other films like Saving Private Ryan (1998), Shakespeare in Love (1998), and The Thin Red Line (1998) were all in the winners’ circle in Academy Award conversations, Pleasantville was left out in the cold, despite being more relevant and a wonderful viewing experience. In particular, the performances of Joan Allen and William H. Macy were overlooked and the wonderful musical score by Randy Newman is deserving of more attention. On top of that there’s political commentary and a reflection of the faults of the 50’s society.
Sling Blade (1996). Written and directed by Billy Bob Thorton, who also stars, Sling Blade is your basic fish out of water tale, but with a couple of twists. Instead of an outsider coming in and having trouble with technology or not knowing the lingo, we have a mentally challenged killer released from a hospital and trying to readjust to society. We see him befriend a small boy and his family, interact with an abusive boyfriend, and set the record straight with his father. The dynamic between Thorton and the boy is touching and the ending is excellent, and the entire cast, especially Thorton, bring their characters to life in a way that makes other ensemble casts feel ashamed.
If you’re looking for some older films that will rock your world, bring you to tears, laugh your rear end off, or tell heartfelt stories, here’s just a few examples that I think are worth checking out again or for the first time.
