The 1990s were a great time for movies. Indie cinema made a comeback in a big way, allowing aspiring directors like Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith to get recognized by producing their own feature films on the cheap and storming the festival scene. On top of that, blockbuster filmmakers like Steven Spielberg and James Cameron pioneered CGI technologies that changed the way big-budget Hollywood fare gets made.
As Generation X took over the film industry, the acting in movies became rawer and more intense to match the rebellious streak of contemporary youth. Here are the 10 best casts from ‘90s movies.
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Despite opening with the father-son bond between Mr. White and Mr. Orange, built on misplaced trust, beautifully, bringing a real emotional core to a genre gangster flick. Michael Madsen offsets Mr. Blonde’s sociopathic violence with a charming smile, while Lawrence Tierney and Chris Penn have a fun dynamic as a curmudgeonly crime boss and his spoiled, happy-go-lucky son.
From Steve Buscemi’s fast-talking, panicky portrayal of Mr. Pink to real-life career criminal’s Edward Bunker’s authentic turn as Mr. Blue to Steven Wright’s deadpan vocal performance as the K-Billy DJ, everyone in this movie is great.
The Matrix (1999)
The Wachowskis’ The Matrix brought sci-fi cinema to new heights. Keanu Reeves enjoyed yet another career comeback following his revelatory turn as Neo, and Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss provide terrific as Morpheus and Trinity, respectively, who introduce him to “the real world.”
There are also some great ing performances, too, from Hugo Weaving’s deadpan delivery of Agent Smith’s lines to Joe Pantoliano’s smug, double-crossing Cypher.
Good Will Hunting (1997)
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck wrote the script for Good Will Hunting as a pair of struggling actors from Boston, so there’s an air of authenticity to their portrayal of working-class buddies, living in Boston, hoping that life will get better.
Robin Williams is the real standout here, earning an Academy Award for his performance as Will’s psychiatrist, Dr. Sean Maguire, the only scholar who actually talks to Will on his level. The cast is rounded out by wonderful turns by Minnie Driver as love interest Skylar and Stellan Skarsgård as “mathematical d*ck” Professor Lambeau.
American Beauty (1999)
It’s been difficult to rewatch Sam Mendes’ American Beauty ever since it came to light that Kevin Spacey is basically an even more twisted, real-life version of Lester Burnham. But the acting in this movie is still undeniably brilliant, from Annette Bening as the repressed, career-driven, secretly miserable Carolyn to Chris Cooper as the aggressive, sexually confused Col. Frank Fitts.
The young stars — Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, and Mena Suvari — all give powerhouse performances as damaged, insecure teenagers.
Heat (1995)
Michael Mann paired up Al Pacino and Robert De Niro for the first time in his action-packed crime epic a masterclass of acting.
But just for good measure, Mann filled out the ing cast with terrific performances from actors including Val Kilmer, Diane Venora, Jon Voight, Amy Brenneman, and Tom Sizemore.
Jurassic Park (1993)
What the Jurassic World movies have been missing, in addition to original storytelling, is memorable characters. Whereas Owen Grady is known to fans as “Chris Pratt,” Jurassic Park’s Alan Grant, Ellie Sattler, and Ian Malcolm are all fleshed-out, iconic characters in their own right. And a lot of the credit can be taken by Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum for rounding out their characters with real personalities and exemplifying their strengths and flaws.
Richard Attenborough was the perfect person to bring the power-crazed “dark Walt Disney” John Hammond to life. Plus, a pre-fame performance by Samuel L. Jackson and a mid-Newman performance by Wayne Knight stand out in the film’s subplots.
The Big Lebowski (1998)
Jeff Bridges’ performance as the Dude in Walter Sobchak, a hot-tempered Vietnam War veteran, and the clueless, mild-mannered Donny Kerabatsos, respectively. David Huddleston as Jeffrey “the Big” Lebowski and Philip Seymour Hoffman as his assistant Brandt are wonderfully stuffy and pompous.
John Turturro brings his own quirky flairs to Jesus Quintana at the Coens’ behest, while Sam Elliott sets the tone for the movie beautifully as the narrating “the Stranger,” and Julianne Moore is unforgettably bold as Maude Lebowski.
Boogie Nights (1997)
Paul Thomas Anderson’s Burt Reynolds as pretentious porn director Jack Horner.
But there are also terrific ing performances from greats like Don Cheadle, Heather Graham, William H. Macy, Philip Seymour Hoffman, John C. Reilly, and Luis Guzmán.
Goodfellas (1990)
Martin Scorsese caught lightning in a bottle with the cast of authentic portrayals of gangsters.
Lorraine Bracco gives an incredibly powerful performance as Henry’s long-suffering wife Karen, and there’s strong from Paul Sorvino as unflinching mob boss Paulie and Frank Vincent as the doomed Billy Batts.
Pulp Fiction (1994)
From Samuel L. Jackson’s captivating delivery of Pulp Fiction is phenomenal. Cast like Uma Thurman and John Travolta bring a real humanity to the genre characters they’re playing, while Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer bookend the movie as a pair of petty stick-up artists.
In just one scene, Christopher Walken leaves a lasting impression with Captain Koons’ monologue about the gold watch. Even Bruce Willis gives a compelling dramatic performance. The only weak link is Maria de Medeiros, who’s pretty annoying as Butch’s girlfriend Fabienne.
