# What movies best sum up the 90's? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 8, 2002, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-best-sum-up-the-90s/131367 "2002-10-08T14:59:00Z")\ **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:** [October 8, 2002, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-best-sum-up-the-90s/131367/1 "2002-10-08T14:59:00Z")
So if you had to list ten movies that sum up the feel/vibe of the 90’s, what would they be? If a future historian is studying the 90’s and wants to really get a feel for the era, what should she/he watch? I have some ideas of my own, but I’ll hold on to them for now to see what other Dopers come up with. Thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![Second\_Guest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@Second\_Guest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Second_Guest)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-best-sum-up-the-90s/131367/2 "2002-10-08T15:24:44Z")
The only one that leaps to my mind at the moment is **Reality Bites**. It doesn’t really sum up the entire decade, but at least it provides an insight into the whole “Generation X” mindset. One line in particular, I think, embodies the Gen X attitude and how it came about: “Mr. Brady died of AIDS.” I didn’t really like the film that much, but that one line has stayed with me. ---
**Author:** ![Legomancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/779978/32.png) [@Legomancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legomancer)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-best-sum-up-the-90s/131367/3 "2002-10-08T15:25:10Z")
The one that first springs to mind is **Pulp Fiction**. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-best-sum-up-the-90s/131367/4 "2002-10-08T15:36:02Z")
Three Kings. ---
**Author:** ![Legomancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/779978/32.png) [@Legomancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Legomancer)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-best-sum-up-the-90s/131367/5 "2002-10-08T15:45:16Z")
I may have misread the OP. Pulp fiction doesn’t really have a 90s feel to it, though I think it was a big chunk of the 90s. **Slacker** , however, does fit the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-best-sum-up-the-90s/131367/6 "2002-10-08T15:50:20Z")
I would have said ‘Pulp Fiction’, but it has more of a '50s or '70s feel to it. How about **Trainspotting**? ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-best-sum-up-the-90s/131367/7 "2002-10-08T15:52:02Z")
OK, I’ll go ahead and drop in a couple that came to mind for me: **Singles** and **Office Space**. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-best-sum-up-the-90s/131367/8 "2002-10-08T15:57:12Z")
Oh yeah, and I think **Pulp Fiction** _sort of_ qualifies. It features some 90’s fashions, and the 90’s “hip” drug, heroin, and it was certainly highly influential on the filmmaking style of the 90’s. The 60’s-70’s soundtrack throws a monkeywrench into things, though. ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-best-sum-up-the-90s/131367/9 "2002-10-08T16:05:42Z")
My first thought upon reading the OP was _ **Slacker** _, which **Legomancer** beat me to. Without being all self-conciously grungey, it does a pretty good job conveying early 90’s attitudes. I also agree with _ **Office Space** _, and maybe _ **Singles** _. I am loathe to menition this one, but maybe–just maybe–I’d consider putting _You’ve Got Mail_ on the list around #49 or so, just because it combines two major themes that emerged in the 90’s: the Corporate Evil Megastore defeats Mom and Pop, and that whole e-mail fad. ---
**Author:** ![Oblong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c0e974/32.png) [@Oblong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oblong)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-best-sum-up-the-90s/131367/10 "2002-10-08T16:06:47Z")
I’d go with either Singles/Reality Bites and Office Space. ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-best-sum-up-the-90s/131367/11 "2002-10-08T16:07:50Z")
My first thought upon reading the OP was _ **Slacker** _, which **Legomancer** beat me to. Without being all self-conciously grungey, it does a pretty good job conveying early 90’s attitudes. I also agree with _ **Office Space** _, and maybe _ **Singles** _. I loathe to menition this one, but maybe–just maybe–I’d consider putting _You’ve Got Mail_ on the list around #49 or so, just because it combines two major themes that emerged in the 90’s: the Corporate Evil Megastore defeats Mom and Pop, and that whole e-mail fad. ---
**Author:** ![SweetLilKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@SweetLilKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SweetLilKitty)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-best-sum-up-the-90s/131367/12 "2002-10-08T16:20:19Z")
I would have to go with **Clerks** and/or **MallRats** As much as I love **Office Space** , I just have to go with the early Kevin Smith movies. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-best-sum-up-the-90s/131367/13 "2002-10-08T16:24:39Z")
Nice call with Office Space. I think Clueless covers '90s teens, with a little Empire Records and Can’t Hardly Wait thrown in (no, I don’t think theat last one was particularly good, but that scene with the two potheads describing the guy- "“So he’s sorta tall, with hair, and wears t-shirts sometimes” was classic). ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-best-sum-up-the-90s/131367/14 "2002-10-08T16:35:41Z")
I would agree with **Can’t Hardly Wait**. (It also nicely lampoons the 90’s white suburban fascination with hip-hop culture.) Here’s an odd one to add to the list: **So I married an Axe Murderer** , which I throw out there mainly because it features several coffee house scenes. ---
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-best-sum-up-the-90s/131367/15 "2002-10-08T16:42:42Z")
se7en, the dark urban decay and self doubt of the mid point of the decade. The great opening montage with the great sound track denoting the Alternative scene as it was before it was replced by boybands and prefabricated singers. ---
**Author:** ![japatlgt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@japatlgt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/japatlgt)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-best-sum-up-the-90s/131367/16 "2002-10-08T17:00:04Z")
Sleepless in Seattle you’ve got mail ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-best-sum-up-the-90s/131367/17 "2002-10-08T22:06:49Z")
Interesting that romantic comedies keep popping up. I guess that genre is more attuned to popular style than some others. Say, how about **Boyz N Tha Hood**? (After all, the 90’s weren’t just about angst-ridden grungers.) Also, aside from **Trainspotting** (a good choice), what sums up the 90’s across the pond? **Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels** , perhaps? (Was that a 90’s release?) And how about **High Fidelity**? ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-best-sum-up-the-90s/131367/18 "2002-10-08T22:12:51Z")
**spoke-** , yes it was. How about **Four Weddings and a Funeral**? (bit timeless for me) ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-best-sum-up-the-90s/131367/19 "2002-10-08T23:09:06Z")
I think Nightmare before Christmas captures something very 90s. Not sure how – maybe it’s because of Goth pseudoinnocence in that movie. Blair Witch Project changed a genre, whether you love it or hate it. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2002, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-best-sum-up-the-90s/131367/20 "2002-10-08T23:48:36Z")
I can’t watch 5 minutes of **The Crow** without being punched in the face with 1994. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movies-best-sum-up-the-90s/131367.md?page=2)