My favorite movies of the 90s, Part 2

Please check out part 1 of the my favorite movies of the 90s for a full breakdown of my year-by-year favorites.

I inadvertantly left off one of my all-time favorites, The Shawshank Redemption (1994). I orginally created my list using boxofficemojo.com's top grossing movies by year lists. I forgot what a commercial failure Shawshank was. So I appologize for the egregious error. Now, on with the show.

20. The Saint (1997) – Not sure why this movie doesn’t get more love. Val Kilmer is awesome, and Elisabeth Shue is at her hottest. Hypothermia scene anyone?

19. Mission: Impossible (1996) – This was the second movie I saw after my Mormon mission. It and The Saint are the best spy movies of the 90s.

18. Life is Beautiful (1998) – Can a holocaust movie be uplifting? Roberto Benigni manages to do it.


17. Toy Story 2 (1999) – Not as good as the original, but still a great story, great animation and great voices.

16. Braveheart (1995) – Maybe Mel Gibson’s most inspired performance. Fantastic epic.

15. Forrest Gump (1994) – Tom Hanks’ ultimate performance, but I realize this iconic movie isn’t as high as most people would have it. I guess it’s not as rewatcheable as some of the movies above it on this list. Can’t explain it.

14. Apollo 13 (1995) – Just thinking about this movie gets me excited. Ed Harris is the MVP of this one, and starting with an inspiring true story doesn’t hurt.

13. The Sixth Sense (1999) – Best ending ever. This is by far M. Night Shyamalan’s best film, and the career performance of Bruce Willis. It was haunting, depressing, uplifting and terrifying. Quite a range of emotions.

12. Groundhog Day (1993) – My favorite comedy. I could watch it over and over. (I’ll be here all week.) And though it is a comedy, it’s really more than that, and Bill Murray is so awesome that, if I was ranking 1990s acting performances, his could be the top.

11. Toy Story (1995) – Revolutionary film that ushered in the modern era of animation. Great story, great voices, and intriguing characters. Next to The Incredibles, it’s Pixar’s greatest work.

10. Patriot Games (1992) – I know, I have a big man-crush on Harrison Ford, but he is the action hero of my adolescence. Adapted from a tremendous Tom Clancy novel of the same name, this movie delivers the goods for an action drama: Action, suspense, characters you cheer on, and hateable villains (thank you, Sean Bean).

9. Good Will Hunting (1997) – Maybe because I grew up in Boston, this is a nostalgic movie for me. I think it is very well done (though Robin Williams’ Boston accent is brutal). It’s just a really good drama, one that I like to re-watch with memorable performances (Damon, Afleck, Williams, Driver).

8. A Few Good Men (1992) – I always stop when this movie is playing on cable, especially if it’s in the last 45 minutes. This has one of the most suspenseful endings of all time. For a non-action flick, after you watch it, you feel like you’ve been watching an action flick, it winds you up so much. Tom Cruise was never better.

7. In the Line of Fire (1993) – What makes this movie so great is the tension-filled dance between the main characters, played by Clint Eastwood and John Malkovich. They wind you up to a dramatic crescendo, and then deliver with great ending.

6. Beauty and the Beast (1991) – There is something incredibly beautiful about this film. The animation is great, the music is the best Disney ever did, and the story is compelling. It is incredibly re-watchable, and delivers so much more than 99% of kids movies.

5. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999) – Yes, I am a Star Wars fanatic. Yes, you could put the name Star Wars on a toilet, and I might say it’s the best toilet I’ve ever seen. But go back and watch this film. It’s very, very good. Liam Neeson is awesome, there are very good supporting performances, and the action and effects are awesome.

4. The Matrix (1999) – When this movie came out, it completely blew me away. Could Keanu Reeves really be in one of the greatest movies of all time? Yes, despite him, it’s one awesome film. The effects were revolutionary, the characters were interesting, and the story was extremely compelling. I could watch this movie 6-10 times a year and not get bored. Just wishing they had done a better job on the sequels.

3. Aladdin (1992) – My favorite Disney movie of all time. There’s something about this story that touched my 16-year-old romantic heart. I’ll stop there so I don’t lose my man card. Robin Williams delivers the best animation voice-acting of all time.

2. The Shawshank Redpemtion (1994) – Maybe the most powerful fiction story of all time, penned by none other than Stephen King. Though dark, the story is one of hope. And Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman turn in one of the best partnership performances of all time.

1. Saving Private Ryan (1998) – Because of its violent and haunting nature, this is not a film I re-watch frequently (though I own it). It’s so deep, so dark, so emotionally draining, that I can’t visit this world too frequently. But what a terrific film. Every single note in the movie is expertly done by Stephen Spielberg, and Tom Hanks anchors a great cast. It may not be the most re-watchable film of the 90s, but it is its best.

The rest:

21. Independence Day (1996)
22. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
23. Jerry Maguire (1996)
24. Jurassic Park (1993)
25. A League of Their Own (1992)
26. The Fifth Element (1997)
27. The Fugitive (1993)
28. What About Bob? (1991)
29. Stargate (1994)
30. Clear and Present Danger (1994)
31. Father of the Bride (1991)
32. Meet Joe Black (1998)
33. Mulan (1998)
34. Hercules (1997)
35. Dances With Wolves (1990)
36. Enemy of the State (1998)
37. Happy Gilmore (1996)
38. The Lion King (1994)
39. The Cutting Edge (1992)
40. The Wedding Singer (1998)
41. Home Alone (1990)