Flirty Thirty: 1994’s Best Movies
1994 still remains one of the best years in movie history. From critical and box-office smashes to worthwhile remakes and little-known comedies, 1994 proves that the ’90s reign as one of the greatest decades for movie fans.
Happy 30th birthday: Meet the best 1994 movies.
1. Angels in the Outfield
A loose remake of the 1951 film, Angels in the Outfield follows Roger (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a boy living away from his father in foster care. After he prays for a stable home with his dad and to see his favorite baseball team — the California Angels — win the pennant, angels answer his prayers. Letting the struggling team’s manager (Danny Glover) know about this divine intervention begins a journey about family and overcoming adversity.
For classic film fans, living up to the original movie seems impossible. However, the 1994 version updates the story with a modern look at adoption and family, surprisingly poignant moments, and a healthy dose of hilarious pratfalls, all of which give the movie its charm.
2. Bullets Over Broadway
One of Woody Allen’s critical darlings, Bullets Over Broadway, follows the struggling playwright David Shayne (John Cusack), who takes his work seriously and considers himself a true artist. Facing the realities of the theater, his longtime producer, Julian (Jack Warden), finds an investor with one caveat. The notorious mobster Nick Valenti (Joe Viterelli) wants his mistress Olive (Jennifer Tilly) cast in the play.
Reluctantly, David agrees; with other experienced actors cast, notably the over-dramatic Helen Sinclair (Diane Wiest), things seem good — that is until David loses the plot, and Olive’s bodyguard Cheech (Chazz Palminteri) starts adding his two cents.
Bullets Over Broadway skirts the line between light and witty comedy, drama, and satire. The cast’s chemistry and hilarious performances generate laughter even in dark moments. The film notably earned seven Oscars nominations, with Wiest taking home the award for Best Supporting Actress.
3. Clear and Present Danger
The second Jack Ryan movie to star Harrison Ford after Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger feels more like its own story rather than a traditional sequel. Indeed, viewers do not need to see Patriot Games to understand and enjoy the film.
With a tone that exudes the 1990s, this political thriller sees CIA analyst Jack Ryan stepping in as Deputy Director and investigating the murder of a businessman and his family by a Columbian Cartel. Unbeknownst to Ryan, more significant things come into play, including a covert military operation led by Willem Dafoe.
Clear and Present Danger’s virtues include fine performances and an intelligent script that builds to a tense, satisfying conclusion. Much more happens than in the average two-and-a-half-hour film, with not one minute wasted.
4. Forrest Gump
Although Forrest Gump feels like a more divisive film with audiences today, in 1994, the Robert Zemeckis movie reigned supreme in the hearts of critics and moviegoers alike. The story chronicles a simple man named Forrest (Tom Hanks) and his extraordinary life. He lacks mental capacity, but his emotional intelligence carries him through many trials. From a tour of duty in Vietnam to a self-imposed cross-country marathon, Forrest remains pure of heart.
Modern audiences may be split, but few can deny that Forrest Gump pulls at the heartstrings with its simple but profound values and themes about life, love, and adversity. The performances also represent some of the finest, including Hanks (who won Best Actor), Gary Sinise, and Robin Wright. Quotable and undeniably iconic, Forrest Gump remains one of the most commercially and critically successful 1994 movies.
5. Four Weddings and A Funeral
Though audiences today know and love British writer and director Richard Curtis, he worked primarily in British television in the 1980s and early 1990s. 1994 changed everything with Four Weddings and a Funeral, a thoughtful, funny romantic comedy that established Curtis as an exceptional comedic writer and laid the groundwork for star Hugh Grant’s career.
The plot consists of five vignettes, following numerous looking for love and connection at these social gatherings. At the center of it all lies Charles (Hugh Grant), a sweet but awkward serial dater and commitment-phobe whose world changes when he meets and falls for the alluring American woman, Carrie (Andie McDowell).
The narrative framework, primarily revolving around these five occasions, makes for a fun, unique, and engaging film. These characters range from sweet-natured to wild and repressed, each feeling relatable and fully developed despite limited screen time. All in all, Four Weddings and a Funeral gives viewers the laughs they look for in a comedy and the tears that take the film to a high plane.
6. Guarding Tess
A perfect example of the mixed genre “dramedy,” Guarding Tess follows secret service agent Doug Chesnic (Nicolas Cage), ready to move on from his frustrating and difficult detail — protecting the temperamental and persnickety former First Lady Tess Carlisle (Shirley MacLaine). When she prevents him from leaving, tensions rise until a genuine threat to her safety becomes apparent.
Guarding Tess feels like a particular brand of film that dominated the 90s: a hybrid of comedy and a dash of thrills with terrific, funny, and touching results. Moreover, the rapport between Cage and MacLaine provides laughs and helps the more severe moments resonate.
7. Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles
Dark, elegant, and bombastic, Ann Rice’s novel gets a sumptuous, star-studded treatment in one of 1994’s most provocative films. The story follows two vampires: the vicious Lestat (Tom Cruise), who takes pleasure in his victim’s pain, and the film’s narrator, Louis (Brad Pitt), a tortured soul filled with regret.
In the present day, Louis tells his 200-year story of his life as a vampire, from her early days with his companion turned enemy Lestat to his fatherly relationship with Claudia (Kirsten Dunst), the orphaned child they turned into a fellow vampire.
Interview With The Vampire takes itself very seriously, with no moments of reprieve or humor. Instead, viewers witness an intense, melodramatic, bloodthirsty, violent, and ultimately gripping tale that serves as a fine adaptation of the source material. The film won’t be to everyone’s taste. Still, the excellent performances from Pitt, Cruise, and Dunst, fascinating story, stunning production design, and moody cinematography create a dark, gothic atmosphere that fans of vampire lore can sink their teeth into.
8. It Could Happen to You
A gentle, heartwarming, underrated rom-com, It Could Happen to You follows kindly police officer Charlie (Nicolas Cage), who agrees to split his potential lottery winnings with sweet, harried waitress Yvonne (Bridget Fonda) instead of leaving a tip. When he wins two million dollars, Charlie keeps his promise, much to the chagrin of his vain wife Muriel (Rosie Perez).
While filmmakers took creative license with this true story, the heart of the gesture remains, resulting in a touching look at the joys and downsides of sudden wealth and fame. Portraying two inherently good characters, Cage and Fonda’s lovely, understated chemistry helps make this lesser-known gem shine.
9. I.Q.
I.Q. represents a particular type of romantic comedy: a PG, sweet-natured, star-studded film that time has forgotten. But it also stands out from its counterparts with its 1950s setting and use of a real person as a main character, albeit a fictionalized version.
The story centers on the intelligent, quirky, insecure Catherine (Meg Ryan), the niece of Albert Einstein (Walter Matthau), with a brilliant mind and stuffy boyfriend (Stephen Fryer). When the shy, charming auto mechanic Ed (Tim Robbins) enters their lives, Einstein and his fellow scientist friends devise a plan to bring Catherine and Ed together.
Any full-fledged rom-com fan who doesn’t know this 1994 jewel needs to rectify that. I.Q. embodies both aspects of the genre to a “T,” with many laugh-out-loud and unapologetically romantic moments. Matthau and the other eccentric scientists (Lou Jacobi, Gene Saks, Joseph Maher) provide so much heart and laughter, while the palpable chemistry between Ryan and Robbins rivals any other on-screen couple.
10. Iron Will
Though most cinephiles think of 1990s Disney as primarily the Disney animated renaissance, they also released several excellent live-action films, many being dramas inspired by true stories. In their 1994 effort, Iron Will, filmmakers bring the incredible tale of Will Stoneman to life with vigor and poignancy.
The story follows Will (Mackenzie Astin), a young man who enters a dog sled race to earn money from his family. Dangers arise from harsh weather conditions to treacherous fellow contestants, especially the ruthless Harry Kingsley (Kevin Spacey).
Iron Will follows the tried and true tropes of biopic dramas but to its benefit. The straightforward narrative, guided by the fine acting, helps create a good-natured, inspiring film about courage and overcoming dark times.
11. Legends of the Fall
One of the most beautiful 1994 movies, Legends of the Fall, harkens back to the epic films of the past and breathes new, emotional life into the genre.
The story centers on three very different brothers living with their father in the Montana Wilderness in the early 1900s. The stoic and brave Tristan (Brad Pitt) beats to his own drum. The straight-laced Alfred (Aidan Quinn) leads with his head but has a good heart, and the youngest Samuel (Henry Thomas) lives by ideals that clash with his father (Anthony Hopkins). When Samuel brings home a fiancé, the lovely Susannah (Julia Ormond), she also enchants Tristan and Alfred. With the onset of WWI, significant losses, and messy romantic entanglements, their lives became ever complicated.
Legends of the Fall proves to be a shining example of the benefit of filming in actual locations. Amongst the gorgeous wilderness, director Edward Zwick and cinematographer John Toll create a luminous landscape and atmosphere that matches the gripping emotions of the characters and the riveting narrative of the story. Though it goes into quite sad territory, Legends of the Fall remains a captivating experience.
12. Léon: The Professional
The 90s had a flare for movies that mixed violent plots with dark humor, and Léon: The Professional more than qualifies. The plot follows a professional hitman (Jean Reno) who reluctantly takes care of a young girl (Natalie Portman) after corrupt police officers murder her family. Still in danger, the two must flee further their lives.
Léon: The Professional marked the film debut of Portman, and what a debut. Her gripping performance exudes a maturity and vulnerability rarely seen in any performer so young. Reno also gives an excellent performance that blends dark, deadpan humor with cool intensity. It’s a riveting film from start to finish.
13. The Lion King
The highest-grossing film of 1994, the juggernaut film remains beloved and popular today. A peak in the Disney Renaissance era, The Lion King takes inspiration from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, transforming the 17th-century play into a modern musical set in Africa featuring talking animals.
At face value, these elements sound ridiculous. Still, The Lion King works brilliantly because of the gorgeous animation, terrific voice performances, and spectacular music from Hans Zimmer and Elton John. Moreover, despite Shakespeare and Disney feeling vastly different, the heart and themes remain unchanged, with a happier ending that lifts the spirits.
14. Little Women
A story brought to life many times, Little Women follows a family with four very different sisters, navigating the pangs of transitioning from adolescence into womanhood, the absence of their father during the Civil War, the joys of friendship and family, and finding themselves into a time that offers women’s few options. Tenacious Jo (Winona Ryder) wants to become an author and finds a best friend in their neighbor Laurie (Christian Bale); Perpetually ill Beth (Claire Danes) finds solace playing piano; youngest Amy (Kirsten Dunst and Samantha Mathis) loves painting and playacting but must do a lot of growing up; and Meg (Trini Alvarado) longs to get married and raise a family.
With four feature film adaptations of Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel, 1994’s version stands out as the most faithful and well-acted. That statement by no means acts as a slight to director Greta Gerwig’s beautiful, inspired film, nor the classic ones starring Katharine Hepburn and June Allyson.
Still, the 90s film remains one of the finest period films of the decade and two of the most outstanding performances in Winona Ryder and Claire Danes’ careers. With gentle direction by Gillian Armstrong and lovely production value, this film captures the spirit and themes of sisterhood, independence, and love that permeate the story.
15. Maverick
Westerns and comedies don’t typically go hand-in-hand. Still, Maverick showcases how well the two genres can complement each other. In this film (inspired by the 1960s television series), ne’er-do-well gambler Brett Maverick (Mel Gibson) constantly gets into precarious situations as he attempts to raise money to enter a poker tournament. Along with the imperious Marshal Zane Cooper (James Garner) and alluring thief Annabelle Bransford (Jodie Foster), the three must dodge more than just bullets en route to the tournament.
With director Richard Donner (The Goonies, Superman) and writer William Goldman (The Princess Bride, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) at the helm, viewers should not be surprised at Maverick’s terrific mix of adventure and humor. The cast chemistry rivals any other Western, with the actors at the top of the games. Overall, Maverick gives viewers a rollicking good time.
16. Miracle on 34th Street
The best proper remake of 1994, Miracle on 34th, follows the same basic plot as the 1947 film with a few additions and modern updates. The story involves Kris Kringle (Richard Attenborough), who claims to be the real Santa Claus. After being hired by Cole’s department store, Kris, along with Dorey’s boyfriend, lawyer Bryan Bedford (Dylan McDermott), makes it his mission to make believers of the guarded single working mother Dorey Walker (Elizabeth Perkins), her sweet, precious daughter Susan (Mara Wilson), and the entire world.
Though the original remains the definitive version, this Miracle on 34th Street remains a worthy remake. The film has a glorious sheen and brims with color and a sense of whimsy. With its cozy, heartwarming atmosphere, like its predecessor, it has become a modern Christmas classic with another generation.
17. Only You
Regarding romantic comedies, Only You comes in like a fresh breeze on a Summer’s day. The story follows Faith (Marisa Tomei), a lovely English teacher who grows up believing in destiny, signs, and that her soulmate is named Damon Bradley, as said to her by a Ouija board and a carnival gypsy.
As an adult, she moves on from this fantasy and gets engaged. Soon, fate intervenes when she receives a phone call from Damon (calling for her fiancé). On a whim, Faith drops everything and heads to Italy with her best friend Kate (Bonnie Hunt). When she meets and falls for Peter (Robert Downey Jr.), Faith must decide where her heart truly lies.
Only You features the beloved tropes of the rom-com genre and executes them beautifully. The palpable chemistry between Tomei and Downey Jr. radiates off the screen, Hunt provides so much comedy, and the Italian locales make fur a glorious backdrop fitting this unabashedly romantic movie.
18. Pulp Fiction
Quentin Tarantino’s intense, darkly comedic crime thriller made a tremendous impact in 1994, with many moviegoers still considering it his masterpiece. The story plays out in a series of vignettes. It follows two very different hitmen (John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson), a notorious gangster (Ving Rhames), his vivacious wife (Uma Thurman), a hot-headed boxer (Bruce Willis), and a thieving couple doing their best Bonnie and Clyde impression (Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer).
Pulp Fiction succeeds on multiple levels with Tarantino’s trademark bombastic and provocative storytelling, riddled with profanity, gruesome violence, and sharply written, often funny dialogue. Its subject matter has a specific audience who relish the creative, non-linear narrative and excellent cast.
19. Reality Bites
The thoughtful, intelligent, and poignant Reality Bites follows an aspiring documentary filmmaker, Lelaina (Winona Ryder), and her friends as they navigate a post-college world, trying to find themselves in a world where they feel helpless and cynical about the future. When she begins dating a mature, typical Yuppie (Ben Stiller), her closest friend, slacker musician Troy (Ethan Hawke), challenges her choices and vies for her heart.
For Generation X, Reality Bites stands out as one of the most seminal and representative of their generation. Indeed, the tone, characters, and format of Lelaina’s documentary firmly sits in the 90s. Still, that does not detract from its engaging story and likable cast.
20. The River Wild
Suppose audiences want to see a thriller with a stellar cast and a plot that goes in unexpected directions. In that case, they need look no further than The River Wild. Starring Meryl Streep, Kevin Bacon, David Strathairn, and John C. Reilly, the movie follows a family who agree to take two passengers downriver on their rafting excursion. It’s not long, however, before things turn dangerous, and the family must fight for their lives.
With such an exceptional cast, the strong performances come as no surprise. In truth, they help to elevate the material past mediocre and into excellent territory. It also helps that the script often feels subversive and surprising, where the endpoint may not be as obvious as expected. The River Wild lives up to its title and then some.
21. The Santa Clause
1994’s finest Christmas offering, The Santa Clause, became an instant classic thanks to its charming, hilarious, and heartfelt nature. The story follows a divorced father, Scott Calvin (Tim Allen). On Christmas Eve, with his son Charlie staying with him, he startles Santa Claus, who promptly falls off the roof and disappears. When he puts on the suit and goes about the duties of the magical being, he contractually becomes the new Santa.
The Santa Clause represents Allen’s best and most iconic role in the movie realm. He embodies the part with his unique humor while retaining the jovial sparkle Santa always possesses. Moreover, the film succeeds because of the lovely portrayal of a father and son reconnecting and the acceptance and reconciliation between Scott, his ex-wife, and her husband. These modern depictions of family dynamics bring a refreshing new perspective, seen in very few holiday films before.
22. The Shawshank Redemption
Many moviegoers consider The Shawshank Redemption the finest of 1994. In hindsight, some think it should have won Best Picture instead of Forrest Gump. Awards aside, The Shawshank Redemption has moved viewers for 30 years and has become one of the most highly regarded films in cinema history.
The story follows Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins), a man convicted of murder, serving his time at Shawshank Prison. While there, his despondent isolation shifts to a hopeful determination. Making enemies and friends, he forms an indelible friendship with fellow inmate Ellis “Red” Redding (Morgan Freeman).
Robbins and Freeman give career-best performances in this film, creating one of the finest friendships ever on screen. Likewise, the compelling screenplay by Frank Darabont unfolds with a sense of mystery, melancholy, and compassion. Timeless and engrossing, The Shawshank Redemption proves cinema’s ability to move countless generations of filmgoers.
23. Speed
1990s genre films dominated the decade, and action thrillers led the way. With Speed, filmmakers created the quintessential action film and made stars out of Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock.
The relatively simple plot sees the disgruntled and violent Howard Payne (Dennis Hopper) place a bomb on a Los Angeles bus that will explode if their speed falls below 50 mph. On board, the courageous police officer Jack Traven (Reeves) works with the bus driver Annie (Bullock) to prevent catastrophe and get all the passengers to safety.
Speed keeps the audience engaged with its brisk pace, intense moments, and fantastic rapport between the characters that feel authentic. Indeed, the performances help make a seemingly ridiculous plot anything but. On the contrary, each nail-biting moment keeps viewers on the edge of their seats.
24. True Lies
True Lies follows secret agent Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger), who fights terrorists while keeping his wife Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis) in the dark. When he fears she’s having an affair, the truth for both of them becomes more complicated than either of them expected.
This James Cameron action comedy remains the only thriller that can rival Speed as the best of the decade. The kind of film that feels of its era (especially with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s presence), True Lies has a nostalgic appeal and yet holds up as one the greatest of its kind.
25. Quiz Show
The 1990s had a knack for giving audiences compelling stories from unexpected places. This true life-inspired 1994 drama centers on investigating a possible cheating scandal on the 1950s game show Twenty-One. In particular, a lawyer from a Congressional subcommittee suspects the producers have fixed the show to keep ratings up. The path to the truth proves unexpectedly riveting.
With a cast that includes Ralph Fiennes, John Turturro, and Rob Moreover, Quiz Show never falters nor trudges along. The fascinating film, filled with a great sense of authentic period atmosphere, has been somewhat forgotten. Still, it represents what made 1994 such a spectacular year.
