Defining a decade with a movie: 1990s

[johnsemlak]

I don't know, I think the '90s have had a bunch of very good movies, but none of them are hugely genre/time/whatever defining as much as other decades have had.

Well, this is an incredibly subjective matter, but all in good fun

In the 80s, off the top of my head, I can think of the following 'genre' defining films:

Raiders of the Lost Ark
Empire Strkes Back
'Jedi
Tootsie
Blade Runner
Raging Bull
Breakfast CLub
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Back to the Future
Ghostbusters
Caddyshack
Full Metal Jacket
Terminator

and a lot of others.

Obviously some of the names I've listed are sort of debatable but I just can't see making a list nearly as large for the 90s. Dunno, maybe some of the 90s Films didn't do it for me like for some others. I didn't think much of the Usual Suspects. I'll reluctantly concede Pulp Fiction is some sort of classic.

One film from the 90s I loved that hasn't been metioned IIRC is Unforgiven.

 

[GreyOne]

I would say Terminator 2 - Judgement Day, though personally for me, it was Heat.

 

[S'mon]

I'm going to have to go with Braveheart (1995).

This film caused me to meet my future wife (on soc.culture.scottish) so I'll vote that.

 

[S'mon]

I agree that overall 80s films were far better and more memorable. Though 2000s films are mostly even blander than 90s films... *sigh*

 

[Klaus]

Let's not forget Disney's Beauty & The Beast, the very first animated motion picture to be nominated for Best Picture (none of this "Best Animated" thingie).

Lost to Silence of the Lambs (another hallmark movie of the 90s).

 

[Kesh]

I would actually have to go with Batman. That's the first film I remember to have that much hype, product placement, etc.

 

[Orius]

I'll have to agree with the statement that the 90's didn't produce as many memorable films as the 80's. Or maybe it's just nostalgia talking, I don't know. I do know that I had to actually think about this category, where the same really wasn't true of 80's movies.

I'd say the most important films of the 90's would be Jurassic Park, Shindler's List, and Forrest Gump

 

[Viking Bastard]

I would actually have to go with Batman.

1989.

 

[Ranger REG]

By the 90's, though, those "indpendents" were part of the Hollywood elite. And Hollywood was into the "larger than life and must be directed by a famous director to be successful" phase. I think Rodriguez helped to bring them back to earth and remind them of what happened in the 70's.

Rodriguez? Nah. It's Ed Burn, a former Entertainment Tonight intern that did The Brothers McMullen. It's also that damn movie that I cannot delete from my mind (like that THAC0 equation), The Blair Witch Project. IIRC both films debuted at the Sundance Film Festival.

 

[Nellisir]

Schindler's List. I'm not sure it defined the '90s so much as was & is the best movie I've ever seen.

Other than that...Braveheart, Sneakers, The Matrix....