It’s here! 90’s week on SeppinRek! I love the 90’s because I came of age in the nineties. Actually, it was a completely transformative decade for me. I was a freshman in high school when the clock turned midnight on January, 1, 1990 and I ended 1999 married with twin boys. Did I party like it was 1999? Funny enough, I have a vague recollection of being part of a conga line around our cottage on December 31, 1999, so, yes, I had a blast in the nineties!
Before we get started with my list, I just want to put it out there that these are MY favorite movies. I realize I am going to annoy people for not adding certain movies, critically acclaimed movies, but I was in my twenties, and this is what I liked. I will give a shout out to a few movies which deserve mentioning.
Silence of the Lambs was a great movie. I watched it, but I do not like to be scared, and psychological thrillers aren’t my jam. I can appreciate the acting and story though. That leads me into the movie Seven. Again, wonderful movie, the ending (!), but it’s not a rewatch for me. Honorable mentions also include…Shawshank Redemption. Yes, this movie is consistently known as one of the best, and I liked it, but it didn’t make my cut…sorry. Schindler’s List, Goodfellas (I know. Sorry. Doesn’t hold a candle to my favorite movie of all time The Godfather). Jerry Maguire… last good Tom Cruise movie IMO. L.A. Confidential, which just missed the top twenty, Clueless, Patriot Games, Wayne’s World ( who doesn’t head bang to Bohemian Rhapsody because of this movie?) Scream, which brought a new slick version of horror movies, Men in Black, c’mon, good movie.
Okay, and the last movie that didn’t make the cut. Oh, I’m sorry, but it’s Titanic.
For one simple reason. There was plenty of room on that board for Jack.
Now that we got THAT out of the way…let’s begin with my top twenty!
20. The Brother’s McMullen
The Brother’s McMullen was an Indie movie by then first-time director Ed Burns. I just really liked this movie and I felt it deserved to be in the top twenty because it was such a low-budget, well-directed, well-written film. Fun side note: PapaSeppinRek met Ed Burns at a bar in the airport and found him to be a pretty down-to-earth guy.
19. Ten Things I hate about you
Another controversial pick that film bluffs might not like, but I think it’s one of the best teen movies. It was loosely based on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew and really launched Julia Stiles, and, of course, Heath Ledger’s careers.
18. Four Weddings and a Funeral
This movie started my love of British films and also propelled Hugh Grant onto Hollywood’s radar. It is simply fabulous from start to finish.
17. Tombstone
“I’m your huckleberry.” I really feel Tombstone brought back the good ol’ western. Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp was a great casting, but Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday? Legendary. On a personal note, our very own Rek was named after Wyatt Earp because of this movie.
16. Hocus Pocus
I’m not even defending this because frankly, I should not have to.
15. Reservoir Dogs
Before Pulp Fiction, there was Reservoir Dogs. This might be an unpopular opinion but I preferred Reservoir Dogs over Pulp Fiction. Although, Pulp Fiction is on my list higher up which I will explain later. This was a different kind of independent film. Violent and the story was spread in an unusual way. It truly astounded me when I watched it.
14. A Few Good Men
A Few Good Men has fantastic acting, compelling story, and dramatic court room scenes…”You can’t handle the truth.” It is, shall I be bold, and say, almost flawless?
13. Point Break
Don’t even try to say this isn’t in your top movies of the nineties. Keanu Reeves as an undercover F.B.I agent. Patrick Swayze as a bank robbing surfer. It should not have worked, but it did. Period.
12. GoldenEye
To bring James Bond back in the movie universe and cast Pierce Brosnan? Thank you, MGM! Oh, Seppin and Rek are going to roll their eyes, but I am sorry. Pierce Brosnan was my first celebrity crush. I remember watching Remington Steel with my mother as a little girl and knowing, even then, this man had it going on. I still think he is an attractive older man and I thought he brought such swagger to the role of James Bond.
11. Forrest Gump
Did Tom Hanks reinvent himself in the nineties or what? To go from slapstick comedy movies to more dramatic roles was quite a turn. Forrest Gump was incredibly engaging from start to finish. It’s a movie you can watch over and over again and still enjoy it which is the mark of a great film.
10. The Usual Suspects
The Usual Suspects is definitely more of a slow moving crime drama but the ending…one of the best endings in a movie ever…Who is Keyser Soze? Well, he is a man who outsmarted them with barely a limp *wink*
9. Speed
How can I put Speed at number 9? Well, it was one of the biggest action movies of 1994 and one of the best selling VHS tapes, thank you very much. It also had Keanu Reeves, who we love here at SeppinRek, and it also introduced Sandra Bullock, who has become one of the most well-respected actresses in the business. Fight me on it.
8. The Matrix
Oh, look who we have again? Mr. Reeves. The Matrix was groundbreaking. The action was jaw dropping. I had never seen scenes like we had in this movie. The wire work which was used for action scenes has now become the norm but back then it a stunning visual achievement. To think Will Smith turned down the The Matrix for Wild Wild West is somewhat laughable but thank goodness he did. The Reeves/ Fishbourne dynamic was movie magic and Carrie Ann Moss was a badass female on screen.
7. Pulp Fiction
Pulp Fiction propelled a new kind of filmmaking. An independent film which broke records and captivated movie goers. It was violent, it depicted drug use, rape, and it took a somewhat has-been John Travolta back into the star stratosphere. Quentin Tarantino may not be my favorite person. I have found some things he has said, particularly about women, concerning, but I will not deprive him of this masterpiece. Plus, it had a kick-ass soundtrack.
6. Good Will Hunting
What can you say about Good Will Hunting? Besides, “How about them apples?”…It was amazing and being a New England girl, I loved the fact Boston was one of the main characters. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck delivered an astounding movie and Robin Williams was phenomenal. Casey Affleck should also be commended because he stole a few scenes, right?
5. Pretty Woman
Oh, I know you comic boys won’t agree, but Pretty Woman was a HUGE hit. It featured Richard Gere and then unknown actress Julia Roberts. The whole millionaire/hooker aspect is a bit off putting in this day and age, but us girls, and most guys, loved it. I remember one of my friends said Julia Roberts character reminded her of me. I was somewhat insulted until she reassured me not the hooker part, but just how she acted. Totally took it as a compliment after she explained.
4. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
“Hasta la vista, baby.” the first Terminator movie certainty was a hit, but T2 was a blockbuster action movie ahead of its time. It deserves to be high up on any list concerning best movies of the 90’s. The best moment for me was always the moment when Sarah Conner is escaping the mental institute and the elevator doors open to reveal Schwarzenegger…gets me every single time.
3. Sleepless in Seattle
I don’t know how many times I have seen this movie. I don’t know how many times I listened to the soundtrack over and over again. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are akin to Bogie and Bacall to me. On yet another personal note. The song, ‘Wink and a Smile‘, is the love song for me and PSR. I also used to sing ‘Bye Bye Blackbird‘ to Seppin and Rek when they were babies, so it is just an extremely personal movie for me.
2. Dazed and Confused
I’m not going to lie, I really wanted to put this movie at number one. I love, love, love Dazed and Confused. It’s just…perfection. Matthew McConaughey…alright, alright, alright. I can’t even go into detail because it would turn into a long essay. If you haven’t seen it, ahhhh…see it.
1 Sense & Sensibility
I’m not putting Sense & Sensibility at number one just because I am a massive Jane Austen fan… Okay, maybe a little, but this is a perfect movie. It is well-acted, well-adapted, and I don’t care if you don’t agree. This is my list and I’ll put it at the top if I want to.
I hope you enjoyed reading my list and walking down memory lane. I’m sure there are some you don’t agree with and that’s okay. I don’t agree with some of the lists out there either. The great thing about being a movie lover is that we don’t have to agree on what it the best. We’re all different and we all have personal favorites for different reasons. I mean, every notable list has The Piano on its top five, but I thought it was a snooze fest. Same thing with The English Patient. That was, like, three hours of my life I can’t get back.
Happy 90’s week! Can’t wait to share my top televisions shows and music later this week!
~MSR
SeppinRek 
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