Best Film Of The 90s

[FoolOfATook]

Since the 1990s were when most of the members of our Guild came to age, I thought it would be interesting to see which films are considered the best of that decade. The ten I listed were the first to come to mind, so I expect (and hope for) a flurry of write-ins infroming me how wrong I was to pick those then. ;)

And remember- this is what you think the best film was, not your favorite...

For what it's worth, I chose ten films that I thought would recieve the most votes. While I don't think any of them would be bad choices for the title, that list does slightly differ from my own list of the ten best- which, given my ego, will appear below. ;)

The fact that there are no foreign films on the list is something I'm aware of- I thought about including films like "Burnt By The Sun", "Run Lola Run", "The Bandit Queen", etc..., but decided to give the space to the films that would recieve the most votes, which I believe to be the Hollywood films. Read into that whatever you will.

Anyway, this is my tentative list of the ten best films of the 90s...It is heavily subject to change depending on my mood...

-"Pulp Fiction", 1994, Quentin Tarrantino
-"Schindler's List", 1993, Stephen Spielberg
-"Goodfellas", 1990, Martin Scorsese
-"Fight Club", 1999, David Fincher
-"Magnolia", 1999, P.T. Anderson
-"Rushmore", 1998, Wes Anderson
-"Unforgiven", 1992, Clint Eastwood
-"L.A. Confidential", 1997, Curtis Hanson
-"Eyes Wide Shut", 1999, Stanley Kubrick
-"Clerks", 1994, Kevin Smith

Edit- and to prove that, here's an alternate top ten

-"Reality Bites", 1994, Ben Stiller
-"American Beauty", 1999, Sam Mendes
-"Fargo", 1996, Joel and Ethan Coen
-"The Usual Suspects", 1995, Bryan Singer
-"Being John Malkovich", 199, Spike Jonze
-"Toy Story", 1995, John Lasseter
-"Trainspotting", 1996, Danny Boyle
-"The Player", 1992, Robert Altman
-"Ed Wood", 1994, Tim Burton
-"Good Will Hunting", 1997, Gus Van Sant

And that's without naming two films by the same director...

[DGoeij]

Funny how other peoples top ten are always filled with both true masterpieces and utter ****. Completely IMHO off course.
I'm not even going to name my favorite movie from the 90's because it really does depends on my mood and I'm also very bad in naming movies from the head. I usually need other people to go around saying things like: "That movie with Eastwood and Morgan as old cowboys..." To yell: "Unforgiven!"

The ones I saw myself and I agree to be good from both your lists in your post?:

-"Pulp Fiction", 1994, Quentin Tarrantino
-"Schindler's List", 1993, Stephen Spielberg
-"Goodfellas", 1990, Martin Scorsese
-"Fight Club", 1999, David Fincher
-"Unforgiven", 1992, Clint Eastwood
-"The Usual Suspects", 1995, Bryan Singer
-"Trainspotting", 1996, Danny Boyle
-"Good Will Hunting", 1997, Gus Van Sant

From the poll (which I all happen to have seen), I can only say I don't think Apollo 13 or Braveheart belongs there. The other's are great pieces of film.

Pulp Fiction, 1994
Schindler's List, 1993
Saving Private Ryan, 1999
Forrest Gump, 1994
The Silence Of The Lambs, 1991
Goodfellas, 1990
The Matrix, 1999
The Shawshank Redemption, 1994

Absolutely.

[Celebthôl]

Some very good films up there, i really cant decide...so its either:


Saving Private Ryan
The Matrix
The Shawshank Redemption
or Braveheart.

[Aulë]

Of the movies in the poll which I have seen:
Saving Private Ryan, 1999
Apollo 13, 1995
Forrest Gump, 1994
The Matrix, 1999
Braveheart, 1995;

my two favourites would be The Matrix and Forrest Gump.
But in some ways I prefer the 'simple' storyline of FG.

Other 90's movies I have liked would be:
-"Fight Club", 1999
-"Die Hard 2", 1990
-"Die Hard: With a Vengeance", 1995
-"The Last Boy Scout", 1991
-"Beavis & Butthead Do America", 1996
-"The Fifth Element", 1997
-"Reservoir Dogs", 1992
-"Men in Black", 1997
-"Mission: Impossible", 1996
-"Goldeneye", 1995
-"Liar, Liar", 1997
-"Back to the Future: Part III", 1990

[Celebthôl]

Originally posted by Aulë

But in some ways I prefer the 'simple' storyline of FG.


I guess thats coz you can relate, huh? ;) :p

[Aulë]

Yeah, cause life is like a box of chocolates....:p
I was a hero in Nam, I was a successful shrimp fisherman, I was a world table-tennis champ, I ran across America a few dozen times, and I married a hot chick.
Yep- I can relate :D

[Ithrynluin]

I voted for the Shawshank Redemption. Absolute masterpiece.

From your alternative list, I would have picked American Beauty. Simply excellent.

Otherwise here are some of my own favourites from the 1990s:

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe 1991
The Bridges of Madison County 1995
Thelma & Louise 1991
Priscilla Queen of the Desert 1993 :D
The House of the Spirits 1993
Girl, Interrupted 1999

[Elbereth]

I must concur Ith.

Shawshank Redemption was simply top notch.

As for my favorite alternative picks....

-"Reality Bites", 1994, Ben Stiller

I love this film...I relate to this film...this film is poetry for my post gen X generation. (I missed gen X status by 2 years...darn it!
:mad: :p )

-"Good Will Hunting", 1997, Gus Van Sant

Brilliant...Brilliant movie. It was both intellegently written and authentic to the area it portrayed. I loved this movie thoroughly.

I also loved the movie "Singles" (1993?)
This movie...although very much like Reality Bites...made me realize that indeed I am not alone in my confusion about dating and relationships...(ok, I guess you need to be a girl to enjoy this flick...) but...in its defense...this film was very witty and intellegent for what it is worth.

[FoolOfATook]

I also loved the movie "Singles" (1993?)

1992, actually, but no one's keeping score.

Singles has a status all of its own among the greatest films ever made, because it features Eddie Vedder's triumphant film debut, playing a character named Eddie Vedder who is a member of Matt Dillon's band.

Cameron Crowe's sophomore outing was as solid as his first.

[Snaga]

Schindler's List gets my vote. Just a fantastic film... incredibly powerful.

[Inderjit S]

Goodfellas
Pulp Fiction
Resevoir Dogs
Fight Club
American History X
American Beauty
Theres Something About Mary

[Thorin]

Out of the list that was given I could agree with these:

Schindler's List
Braveheart
Saving Private Ryan
Forrest Gump
Silence of the Lambs

The above truly rank as great movies (though GoodFellas does rank up there close).

Other great movies:
Dances With Wolves (1990)
Tombstone (1994)

Pulp Fiction and American Beauty were pure dreck and were incredibly overhyped as good movies (along with Shakespeare in Love). Unforgiven, though having great acting from Freeman and Hackman was incredibly overhyped and doesn't even come close to ranking as one of the great westerns.

[Gamil Zirak]

Is it bad that I've only seen six of the movies on the list?

I went with Braveheart as it's my all-time favorite movie. It gives me chills just thinking about it.