Ten most-liked English-language, live-action films of the 1990s

I used to do top-ten lists on a whim when I was a teenager, and I thought it would be a good idea to revive it here. Who knows, I might come up with more like it soon.

Being John Malkovich (1999). I became an instant fan of screenwriter Charlie Kaufman after watching this brilliant, out-of-this-world film, which also marked the feature-film directorial debut of longtime music-video director (and Sofia Coppola’s ex-husband) Spike Jonze and the first time the normally luminous Cameron Diaz looked unattractive onscreen.

Breaking the Waves (1996). Lars von Trier directed this film, introducing me—and the world—to Dogma 95 and its principles. It also set a trend in von Trier’s movies, wherein his selfless heroines undergo increasingly degrading hardships and, in most cases, eventual martyrdom. No wonder Emily Watson, Björk and Nicole Kidman never worked with him again.

The Crying Game (1992). This British film, helmed by Neil Jordan, caused a sensation when it first came out, mainly because its distributor, Miramax Films, made a big deal about its “secret.” But as far as I’m concerned, this “romantic thriller,” as one critic had described it, is an insightful, tender and—yes, unconventional—study of human nature.

Dead Man Walking (1995). Many movies have been made about capital punishment, but I think this film stands out as one of the best. Tim Robbins expertly balanced both sides of this complicated issue, handling them sensibly and sensitively. And Susan Sarandon’s Oscar-winning portrayal of Sister Helen Prejean remains to be the most credible portrait of a nun ever presented on film.

Heavenly Creatures (1994). The Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson first made his mark with this film, which also marked the film debut of Kate Winslet. Dazzling and disturbing in equal doses, I was surprised to learn then that it was actually based on a real-life matricide case in 1950s New Zealand, and even more so when Winslet’s character later turned out to be novelist Anne Perry. Truth can indeed be stranger than fiction.

The Piano (1993). I love everything about this film—the performances, the direction, the script, the cinematography, the music. And so many layers of meaning, from the figurative value of the title musical instrument to the unusual sexual bargaining between Holly Hunter’s Ada and Harvey Keitel’s George. This film remains to be Jane Campion’s finest.

Pulp Fiction (1994). If Baz Lurhmann’s Moulin Rouge is a postmodern musical, then Quentin Tarantino’s sophomore opus is probably the closest thing Hollywood has to a postmodern crime caper. A lot of pop-culture and Tinseltown references abound, especially in the first episode, with several horribly hysterical scenes—Mia’s resuscitation, a police officer butt-fucking Marcellus, Vincent accidentally blowing up a fellow passenger's brains—thrown in for good measure. The result? A memorable mix.

Schindler’s List (1993). Objectively speaking, the best picture of 1993. Enough said.

The Sweet Hereafter (1997). If Titanic is the most overrated movie of 1997, this one, I think, is the most underrated. This Canadian film, based on Russell Banks’s novel, deals with the greatest tragedy a parent can face, and what makes it even more tragic is that the secrets the affected parents stubbornly keep prevent them from giving their dead children the justice they deserve. The allusions to the story of the Pied Piper resonated subtly and superbly. The film is still Atom Egoyan’s best-known work to date.

The Truman Show (1998). Peter Weir helmed this movie, which confirmed Andrew Niccol’s reputation as one of Hollywood’s most intelligent and inventive screenwriters today. His fantastic premise of an Everyman who unknowingly stars in his very own show turned out to prefigure the onslaught of reality shows, featuring media-conscious—and media-savvy—common folk, that invaded American TV a few years later.