# What were the best movies of the 90's? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 22, 2009, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-movies-of-the-90s/518500 "2009-11-22T04:54:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-movies-of-the-90s/518500/21 "2009-11-22T17:35:52Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > You’re gonna have to shorten that list to 10, **Simplicio**. Quit cheating! 😉 Ug, counting is hard. Scratch Lola, Matrix, American History X. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-movies-of-the-90s/518500/22 "2009-11-22T20:24:23Z")
Interesting that _Good Will Hunting_ hasn’t turned up on anyone’s list. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-movies-of-the-90s/518500/23 "2009-11-22T20:38:53Z")
A similar thread from three months ago [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=524383&highlight=movies) that I contributed to and had forgotten. So, really I can’t be trusted to remember my favorite films from 15 years back. Compared to that thread, the most surprising no-show here is probably _Tombstone_. Other honorable mentions: _Bound_ and _Howard’s End._ ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-movies-of-the-90s/518500/24 "2009-11-22T23:34:12Z")
Unforgiven. Definitely. Not just one of the best movies of the 90s, but IMHO one of the best movies, period. Saving Private Ryan, one of the best war movies ever made. Silence of the Lambs. The Usual Suspects. Great acting, great pacing, great writing. LA Confidential. Still one of Russell Crowe’s best roles. Pulp Fiction. Terminator 2. The Matrix. Ed Wood. Toy Story 2. Groundhog Day. Apollo 13. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-movies-of-the-90s/518500/25 "2009-11-23T02:29:52Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > No ones gonna admit to liking Titanic, huh? Someone was buying all those tickets… If I had made this list in 1999 I probably would have included _Titanic_. I saw it in the theater and really liked it, but it just hasn’t held up as well as a lot of the other movies on this list. I don’t think anyone here has listed _Jurassic Park_ either. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-movies-of-the-90s/518500/26 "2009-11-23T09:18:40Z")
fifth element fugitive ghost groundhog day matrix shawshank redemption speed t2 the mummy totoro ---
**Author:** ![independentminded](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed8c4c/32.png) [@independentminded](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/independentminded)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-movies-of-the-90s/518500/27 "2009-11-24T07:17:30Z")
> [@Lakai](#): > > The purpose of this thread is to get nominations for a poll on the ten best movies of the 90’s, and to hopefully to get some new movie suggestions. > > So list your top 10 of the 90’s and sooner or later I’ll make a poll with the movies that get mentioned the most in this thread. > > You can list more than ten movies as honorable mentions, which won’t get counted for the poll. > > My list: > > Goodfellas > Pulp Fiction > Reservoir Dogs > Unforgiven > Leon > Nikita > Terminator 2 > The Big Lebowski > Office Space > Clerks > > Honorable Mentions: > > Fight Club > Show Me Love > Groundhog Day > The Matrix > The Unsual Suspects > Silence of the Lambs > The Shawshank Redemption > Se7en > Saving Private Ryan > Schindler’s List > Fargo > Heat > Miller’s Crossing Regarding movies of the 1990’s, I’ll go with _Schindler’s List_ and _Saving Private Ryan_, although the latter, while it was worth seeing, due to the fact that it brings home the fact that there’s really no such thing as a “just” war. ---
**Author:** ![kidneyfailure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kidneyfailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidneyfailure)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-movies-of-the-90s/518500/28 "2009-11-24T07:55:24Z")
I didn’t see _Forrest Gump_ on here yet, now that I think about it… ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-movies-of-the-90s/518500/29 "2009-11-24T09:27:53Z")
**My Neighbour Totoro** came out in 1988. I don’t have a list. All I know is that Fargo would be on it. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Klutz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captain_klutz/32/4993_2.png) [@Captain\_Klutz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Klutz)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-movies-of-the-90s/518500/30 "2009-11-24T12:32:15Z")
Difficult to cut it down to only 10: Ed Wood (1994) Fargo (1996) Fight Club (1999) Goodfellas (1990) Léon (1994) Pulp Fiction (1994) Schindler’s List (1993) Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) The Usual Suspects (1995) Twelve Monkeys (1995) Honourable mentions: Apollo 13 (1995) Forrest Gump (1994) Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) Reservoir Dogs (1992) Saving Private Ryan (1998) Se7en (1995) The Big Lebowski (1998) The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Titanic (1997) Trainspotting (1996) Unforgiven (1992) ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-movies-of-the-90s/518500/31 "2009-11-24T13:25:30Z")
> [@independentminded](#): > > Regarding movies of the 1990’s, I’ll go with _Schindler’s List_ and _Saving Private Ryan_, although the latter, while it was worth seeing, due to the fact that it brings home the fact that there’s really no such thing as a “just” war. Then I think you missed the point of the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Dorothea\_Book](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dorothea\_Book](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorothea_Book)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-movies-of-the-90s/518500/32 "2009-11-24T14:12:30Z")
Plug for _The Piano_ (1993), an unforgettable movie. ---
**Author:** ![Dorothea\_Book](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dorothea\_Book](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorothea_Book)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-movies-of-the-90s/518500/33 "2009-11-24T14:13:34Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > Then I think you missed the point of the movie. Ditto. ---
**Author:** ![BaconAndEggs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f4b2a3/32.png) [@BaconAndEggs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaconAndEggs)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-movies-of-the-90s/518500/34 "2009-11-24T14:53:38Z")
Edward Scissorhands Shawshank Redemption Titanic Forrest Gump Terminator 2 Casino American Beauty Pulp Fiction American History X Lion King Beauty and the Beast Toy Story 1&2 Aladdin ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-movies-of-the-90s/518500/35 "2009-11-24T15:32:39Z")
> [@Baal\_Houtham](#): > > Here’s the IMDB top [50](http://www.imdb.com/chart/1990s) for that decade. I was happy to see “The Straight Story” (David Lynch’s family film) wiggle onto the ballot results. Looking at that list, Kevin Spacey was in \*\*four \*\*of the top 16 rated movies. Wow! Oh Kevin Spacey, what has happened to your career lately? You used to be so cool. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-movies-of-the-90s/518500/36 "2009-11-24T15:41:18Z")
> [@cactus\_waltz](#): > > **My Neighbour Totoro** came out in 1988. I was going by the release date on the back of my DVD, but apparently 1993 is just the first English language version. So, I’ll withdraw my nomination, unless there were substantial differences in the English version (beyond the dubbing.) ---
**Author:** ![Moonchild](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@Moonchild](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonchild)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-movies-of-the-90s/518500/37 "2009-11-25T01:30:54Z")
The 90s was an awesome decade for movies, IMHO!!! My favorites The Matrix Toy Story Dead Man Walking Fisher King (nobody’s mentioned this yet???) Three Kings Swingers Defending Your Life Braveheart 12 Monkeys Shawshank Redemption (What I consider) The Greatest Achievements in Filmmaking Schindler’s List Shawshank Redemption Pulp Fiction Goodfellas Toy Story Braveheart Saving Private Ryan Titanic Dances with Wolves (Go ahead, hammer away) tie: 12 Monkeys, Silence of the Lambs Surprisingly Omitted (thus far) Awakenings JFK (okay, I can understand why) Something About Mary Being John Malkovich Bronx Tale Bullets Over Broadway Falling Down Others perhaps worth mentioning (that I don’t think have yet been mentioned): Go! Run Lola Run Clueless Quick Change Nightmare Before Christmas Searching for Bobby Fisher Pleasantville Jurassic Park Wayne’s World Dogma A League of Their Own Independence Day Mr. Holland’s Opus An American President Flirting with Disaster Living in Oblivion The Insider Executive Decision Primary Colors Notting Hill A Few Good Men Clockers American Pie Kalifornia Not to hijack, but why is Forrest Gump such a fitting punchline for all the kewel Dopers? I loved it (even if it didn’t deserve to win Best Picture). ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-movies-of-the-90s/518500/38 "2009-11-25T02:23:59Z")
I’d put Forrest Gump on my top ten. Well, maybe. I haven’t made my list. Top 20-25 for sure. It was a great movie and the hate for it baffles me. Ten is a tough number; if you love movies, there’s more than ten movies in ten years you adore. ---
**Author:** ![kidneyfailure](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kidneyfailure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidneyfailure)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2009, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-movies-of-the-90s/518500/39 "2009-11-26T09:47:33Z")
I sure wasn’t hating on _Gump_. I thought it was a great, touching movie that included practically every important American historical event since the 1950’s. Not seeing it on anyone’s list confused me since it was obviously one of the best and most well-known movies of the 90’s. To each his own, though. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2009, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-movies-of-the-90s/518500/40 "2009-11-26T15:03:54Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Ten is a tough number; if you love movies, there’s more than ten movies in ten years you adore. Especially for the 90s, which I think may be film’s best decade. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-movies-of-the-90s/518500.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-the-best-movies-of-the-90s/518500.md?page=3)