# Best Movies of the 90s: Help me compile a master list **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 30, 2010, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movies-of-the-90s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/541245 "2010-05-30T01:12:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movies-of-the-90s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/541245/1 "2010-05-30T01:12:08Z")
We did this before with movies of the 00s. let’s try it again. I am trying to come up with my list of the best 50 movies of the 90s. To do that, I need to first compile a master list of good movies from the 90s, which I can then winnow down to get my 50. In my view, the 90s was one of the best decades in film, so the list could be pretty long. Below are the movies that have occurred to me so far. I’m sure I have forgotten a lot of good ones. As you can see from my list so far, the movies don’t have to be high-brow. Just good, entertaining movies. Help me out, please. What am I missing?.. A River Runs Through It A Few Good Men A Civil Action American Beauty American Pie Amistad Apollo 13 The Apostle Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me Awakenings Barcelona Basquiat Before Sunrise Being John Malkovich Benny & Joon The Big Lebowski Boogie Nights Bottle Rocket The Boxer Boyz ‘N the Hood Brassed Off Braveheart Bugsy Can’t Hardly wait Candyman Casino Chaplin Chasing Amy Clerks Clueless The Crucible Crumb Dances With Wolves Dark City Dazed and Confused Dead Man Walking Dead Alive (Braindead) Deep Impact Doc Hollywood Dogfight Donnie Brasco Dumb and Dumber The Edge Ed Wood Edward Scissorhands Election Elizabeth The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain The English Patient Farewell My Concubine Fargo Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Fifth Element Fight Club Flirting Forrest Gump Four Weddings and a Funeral Friday The Fugitive The Full Monty Funny Games Galaxy Quest Gattaca Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai Glengarry Glen Ross Good Will Hunting Goodfellas Grosse Pointe Blank Groundhog Day Heat Heavenly Creatures Hoop Dreams The Hudsucker Proxy The Hunt for Red October The Ice Storm In the Name of the Father Interview With the Vampire Into the West It Could Happen to You Jerry Maguire Jurassic Park Kingpin Kolya L.A. Confidential The Last Broadcast Last of the Mohicans Leaving Las Vegas Léon (The Professional) Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels Lone Star Mars Attacks The Matrix Men in Black Men With Guns (Hombres Armados) Miller’s Crossing Murder in the First My Cousin Vinny Mystery Men Notting Hill Office Space Outbreak The People vs. Larry Flint Philadelphia Pretty Woman Primal Fear Primal Fear Restoration Primary Colors Princess Mononoke Pulp Fiction Quick Change Raise the Red Lantern The Ref The Remains of the Day Reservoir Dogs Ride With the Devil Run Lola Run Rushmore Saving Private Ryan Schindler’s List Scream The Secret of Roan Inish Se7en Shakespeare in Love Shawshank Redemption The Silence of the Lambs Singles Sirens The Sixth Sense Slacker (not to be confused with Slackers) Sling Blade So I Married an Axe Murderer Speed Stir of Echoes The Straight Story Sweet and Lowdown The Sweet Hereafter Swingers The Talented Mr. Ripley Terminator 2: Judgment Day Thelma & Louise There’s Something About Mary Three Kings Titanic (I know, I know…) Tombstone Total Recall Toy Story Trainspotting Trekkies Tremors True Romance Twelve Monkeys Unforgiven The Usual Suspects Waiting for Guffman Waking Ned Devine Wayne’s World What About Bob? When We Were Kings ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movies-of-the-90s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/541245/2 "2010-05-30T01:15:08Z")
By the way, feel free to give me your own top 50 list. I would be interested to see it. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movies-of-the-90s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/541245/3 "2010-05-30T01:24:55Z")
I think I see a lot fewer movies than the average Doper, but I really liked the movies “Go” and “Best In Show” (I saw that you included Waiting For Guffman in your list) which were both from sometime in the mid 1990’s if I recall correctly… Your list has several all-time favorites of mine including Kingpin, 12 Monkeys, Waking Ned Devine, Waiting For Guffman and Being John Malkovich, all of which I think are excellent films. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movies-of-the-90s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/541245/4 "2010-05-30T01:29:43Z")
My Top 20 (in chronological order): \*La Belle Noiseuse The Double Life of Veronique Vacas \*The Last of the Mohicans Simple Men \*Groundhog Day The City of Lost Children Dead Man A Moment of Innocence \*Se7en Smoke Underground \*Lone Star A Summer’s Tale \*When We Were Kings _The Sweet Hereafter Out of Sight Show Me Love Belfast, Maine Topsy-Turvy_ And the best short: \*The Wrong Trousers \* - = already on your list ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movies-of-the-90s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/541245/5 "2010-05-30T01:30:17Z")
_Best in Show_ came out in 2000, so it doesn’t quite qualify. \*Great \*move, though. I haven’t seen [Go](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0139239/). The description on IMDb looks interesting. I will have to check that out. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movies-of-the-90s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/541245/6 "2010-05-30T01:41:12Z")
Just thought of another good one: [Smoke Signals](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120321/). And **ArchiveGuy** , I was hoping someone would come in with some foreign films I need to see. I notice a few on your list that look promising. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movies-of-the-90s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/541245/7 "2010-05-30T05:00:04Z")
Looking at the [IMDB top 50 of the 1990s](http://www.imdb.com/chart/1990s) I think you left off **Magnolia** and **The Truman Show**. I didn’t compare your list to theirs 1:1, I just noticed those are 2 movies I liked that you didn’t list. **American History X** is amazing. And missing. What about **What Dreams May Come**? **Babe**? **Wag the Dog**? What is **Primal Fear Restoration**? Did you mis-paste that? The '90s WERE a great time for film. Damn 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movies-of-the-90s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/541245/8 "2010-05-30T05:02:56Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > What is **Primal Fear Restoration**? Did you mis-paste that? Nah, he just forgot to hit the return key to split the two titles up. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movies-of-the-90s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/541245/9 "2010-05-30T08:07:17Z")
It’s not quite clear, from the massive list, exactly what the OP is after here. Some of the movies listed in the OP are, IMO, rather awful. Deep Impact? Notting Hill? Anyway, i thought i’d add a few Australian movies that i liked. None of them are in my Top 10 movies of all time, but i found them all entertaining and worth watching. Two Hands The Sum of Us Shine Bad Boy Bubby Babe Kiss or Kill Doing Time for Patsy Cline The Boys Priscilla: Queen of the Desert Romper Stomper The Interview Children of the Revolution Kiss or Kill Strictly Ballroom Muriel’s Wedding Cosi Some of these, like Babe, made it big in the US; others, like Bad Boy Bubby, were only ever cult hits even in their home country. Some are serious and dramatic or violent; others are very light fare. ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movies-of-the-90s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/541245/10 "2010-05-30T08:48:37Z")
How about A Simple Plan? Oh, and Walk the Line… ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movies-of-the-90s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/541245/11 "2010-05-30T15:37:58Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > It’s not quite clear, from the massive list, exactly what the OP is after here. As I said, I am compiling a master list of good movies from the 90s (from which I - or anyone else - may then create a Top 50 list). Yes, the master list will be massive, because the 90s produced a **lot** of good movies. > [@](#): > > Some of the movies listed in the OP are, IMO, rather awful. OK, well tastes vary I suppose. I don’t think any of the movies in the OP are rated less than 6 on IMDb, and most are north of 7. Like I said, the 90s produced a lot of good movies. 🙂 > [@](#): > > Deep Impact? Notting Hill? [Notting Hill](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0125439/) gets a 6.9 on IMDb, and is a _very_ well-reviewed movie. [82% at Rotten Tomatoes](http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/notting_hill/). Are you sure you’re thinking of the right film? _Deep Impact_ gets a 6 on IMDb. I’ll admit that it’s more of a stretch, but it’s a personal favorite. Possibly because I really like Tea Leoni. And the movie also features a strong performance by Robert Duvall. Plus Morgan Freeman as President! Had to include it. Tastes vary, I suppose. 🙂 > [@](#): > > Anyway, i thought i’d add a few Australian movies that i liked. None of them are in my Top 10 movies of all time, but i found them all entertaining and worth watching. > > Two Hands > The Sum of Us > Shine > Bad Boy Bubby > Babe > Kiss or Kill > Doing Time for Patsy Cline > The Boys > Priscilla: Queen of the Desert > Romper Stomper > The Interview > Children of the Revolution > Kiss or Kill > Strictly Ballroom > Muriel’s Wedding > Cosi > > Some of these, like Babe, made it big in the US; others, like Bad Boy Bubby, were only ever cult hits even in their home country. Some are serious and dramatic or violent; others are very light fare. I thought about Babe, but didn’t include it. (Personal prejudice against cute animal movies.) I’m willing to admit it deserves a spot on the master list, though. A lot of people love it. _The Interview_, _Muriel’s Wedding_, _Strictly Ballroom_ and _Romper Stomper_ definitely deserve spots on the master list. Thanks for mentioning them. I’ve always thought _Shine_ was seriously over-rated. Still, I suppose it deserves a spot. The others may deserve spots, but alas I haven’t seen them. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movies-of-the-90s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/541245/12 "2010-05-30T15:40:29Z")
Thought of a few more: [The Castle](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118826/) (Speaking of Australian movies.) [SLC Punk](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133189/) [Shallow Grave](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111149/) [Cube](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0123755/) [O Que É Isso, Companheiro? (Four Days in September)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119815/) [October Sky](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0132477/) [The Commitments](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101605/) > [@ZipperJJ](#): > > What is **Primal Fear Restoration**? Did you mis-paste that? Yes, sorry. [Primal Fear](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117381/) [Restoration](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114272/) Two different movies. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movies-of-the-90s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/541245/13 "2010-05-30T16:28:22Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > OK, well tastes vary I suppose. I don’t think any of the movies in the OP are rated less than 6 on IMDb, and most are north of 7. Like I said, the 90s produced a lot of good movies. 🙂 You know what else rates above a 6 on IMDb? _Matrix Revolutions_. There are plenty of people out there willing to give any piece of dreck a score of 6 or 7 out of 10. > [@spoke-](#): > > [Notting Hill](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0125439/) gets a 6.9 on IMDb, and is a _very_ well-reviewed movie. [82% at Rotten Tomatoes](http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/notting_hill/). Are you sure you’re thinking of the right film? The piece of stupid fluff with Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts? Yes, that’s the one. The fact that a whole bunch of lobotomy patients gave it 82% on Rotten Tomatoes doesn’t change my mind. > [@spoke-](#): > > _Deep Impact_ gets a 6 on IMDb. I’ll admit that it’s more of a stretch, but it’s a personal favorite. Possibly because I really like Tea Leoni. And the movie also features a strong performance by Robert Duvall. Plus Morgan Freeman as President! Had to include it. Tastes vary, I suppose. 🙂 You’re right, tastes do vary. No problem at all with that concept. But this leads me to further confusion about what you actually want. You say you’re looking for “a master list of good movies from the 90s,” but it’s not clear what qualifies a movie to make the list. On the one hand, it seems to qualify if the dunderheads on IMDb gave it more than a 6; on the other hand, you reject Babe (which gets a 7.3) because you don’t like cute animal movies. And we also learn that there are films that “may deserve spots, but alas I haven’t seen them.” Is that a disqualifying criterion, or can movies you haven’t seen make the list under certain circumstances? I’ve never gotten around to seeing _The English Patient_, but i wouldn’t cavil too much if someone had it on a list of good '90s movies., because i know that it was well-received by audiences and critics. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movies-of-the-90s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/541245/14 "2010-05-30T16:37:37Z")
You seem to be a bit prickly about this whole thing **mhendo** , and I’m not sure why. But thanks for your participation anyway. I am not restricting what movies people may mention. And if they mention them, they have effectively made the master list. This thread in effect _comprises_ the master list. So, any other 90s movies worthy of inclusion? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movies-of-the-90s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/541245/15 "2010-05-30T18:02:05Z")
Some that I don’t think have been mentioned: Aladdin Antz The Blair Witch Project Bowfinger The Brady Bunch Movie A Bronx Tale Buffalo ’66 But I’m a Cheerleader Carlito’s Way City Slickers Clay Pigeons Coming Soon Cop Land Cruel Intentions Dave Defending Your Life Delicatessen Dick Dogma Empire Records eXistenZ Exotica La Femme Nikita The Fisher King The Fugitive The Grifters Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer Immortal Beloved The Iron Giant Jumanji Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. Kalifornia Kids Killing Zoe The Krays L.A. Story The Last Days of Disco A League of Their Own The Limey The Lion King The Madness of King George El Mariachi Menace II Society Metropolitan Mulan Mulholland Falls The Mummy New Jack City The Nightmare Before Christmas Once Were Warriors The Player Pleasantville Poison Ivy Porco Rosso Rambling Rose Reality Bites Romeo Is Bleeding Shakes the Clown She’s All That Short Cuts Single White Female Sneakers Stargate The Thin Red Line To Die For Toy Story 2 Trois Couleurs: Blanc Trois Couleurs: Bleu Trois Couleurs: Rouge True Lies The Truth About Cats & Dogs Two Days in the Valley Ulee’s Gold Under Siege The Waterdance Welcome to the Dollhouse What’s Eating Gilbert Grape Wild Things Zero Effect ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movies-of-the-90s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/541245/16 "2010-05-30T18:05:39Z")
Wow. as long as my list was, can’t believe I still missed so many good ones. (_Iron Giant_! How did I forget that? The best animated movie of the 90s IMHO.) The 90s was an amazing decade for movies. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movies-of-the-90s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/541245/17 "2010-05-30T18:13:53Z")
The one that surprised me was you not naming _Dogma_, after you had named _Clerks_ and _Chasing Amy_. All great movies, but in my opinion, _Dogma_ is Smith’s masterpiece. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movies-of-the-90s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/541245/18 "2010-05-30T18:26:15Z")
I didn’t really care for _Dogma_. (In fact, I’m surprised to see it rated so highly at IMDb.) It was a little too didactic for me. ---
**Author:** ![pope\_hentai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@pope\_hentai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pope_hentai)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movies-of-the-90s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/541245/19 "2010-05-30T18:48:26Z")
no love for “city of lost children”? ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movies-of-the-90s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/541245/20 "2010-05-30T18:56:53Z")
> [@pope\_hentai](#): > > no love for “city of lost children”? Pssst. Post # 4 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movies-of-the-90s-help-me-compile-a-master-list/541245.md?page=2)