Top 10 Movies of 1994
By Cinema Sugar
It’s been 30 years since we were introduced to the colorful characters and stories from the movies of 1994. Here are the ones we’ve stayed in love with all these decades later.
10. Hoop Dreams
A cinéma vérité documentary time capsule of the early ‘90s and the Michael Jordan era, Hoop Dreams follows two boys, Arthur and William, in inner-city Chicago as they pursue their dreams of going to the NBA. The filmmakers adeptly portray how their families and coaches project their own hopes onto them, wanting the boys to succeed where they couldn’t and in some ways tie their own success to them. Perhaps most importantly, the film spotlights the college sports recruiting practices that can be so disruptive to a young athlete’s development and chews them up for the sake of money for the schools. It’s thrilling, it’s moving, and even with a nearly three-hour runtime you can’t look away. —Natalie Pohorski
9. Dumb and Dumber
With deep respect to Month Python and the Holy Grail and Anchorman, I’m telling you there’s a chance this is the most quotable comedy ever. Between the writing of the Farrelly brothers and the improvisational alchemy of Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, Dumb and Dumber managed (for a certain type of cinephile anyway) to become the go-to reference for road trip antics, friendship foibles, doomed romances, and so much more. It bestowed upon the world immutable truths like “You can’t triple stamp a double stamp” and “that John Denver was full of shit, man.” This was the final of the three ‘94 Jim Carrey joints released, and he saved his best for last. —Chad Comello
8. The River Wild
Everyone has their version of Meryl Streep they love the most. For some, it’s her prestigious, swoon-worthy roles in films like Out of Africa and Sophie’s Choice. For others, it’s her scene-stealing and vivacious turn as Donna in the Mamma Mia! movies. But for this ‘90s kid, it’s the fiercely smart and protective Gail Hartman in Curtis Hanson’s action thriller The River Wild. Tasked with outsmarting a pair of criminals who hijack her family’s rafting trip, Streep rises to the role with all the physical and emotional complexity the movie demands. Filmed on location in Oregon and Montana in real rafts on a real river, this film is a reminder of just how good action movies can be when they don’t rely on cringey, instantly-dated CGI shortcuts. And if that doesn’t sell you, please take a moment to marvel at its impeccable cast of ’90s hall of famers: Meryl Streep, David Strathairn, Kevin Bacon, John C. Reilly, and Joseph Mazzello (the kid from Jurassic Park). —Kevin Prchal
7. Heavenly Creatures
Heavenly Creatures is a story of imagination and fascination contingent on an intense relationship between two teenage girls, Juliet and Pauline, who find they have preoccupations and ambitions everybody around them can’t possibly comprehend: Italian opera singers, Orson Welles, the disreputable activities of fictitious emperors, and the key to a realm of devotional immunity where reality and daydreaming intermingle and they can freely be themselves. More than anything, this movie is a hazy nightmare. The full-tilt momentum and plummeting camerawork deftly mirror Pauline and Juliet’s immature fervor in a tragically dreamy amalgamation of director Peter Jackson’s crude enthusiasm and raw zeal, attaining a perfect equilibrium between the two that he’s never been able to fully replicate since. —Natalie Bauer
6. Little Women
Greta Gerwig’s 2019 adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s classic story is my personal favorite, but this one was my first and therefore most formative rendition of the March family escapades. And there’s so much to love about it: the insouciance of Kristen Dunst’s Amy, the pointed maternal warmth of Susan Sarandon’s Marmee, the indelible chemistry of Christian Bale and Winona Ryder as Laurie and Jo, not to mention the buoyant score of Thomas Newman. It’s a Christmas movie as much as a summer romp, a romantic drama as much as a family comedy. “We’ll all grow up someday,” says Amy. “We might as well know what we want.” Well, I want Little Women. —Chad Comello
5. Pulp Fiction
We’ve been praising Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction as one of the great American films for 30 years now. So one night while I was out of town, I decided to catch an anniversary screening to see how it holds up. And Tarantino’s cameo aside, there is no denying: the guy knows how to make a MFing movie. To this day, Jules’ profanity-paved and blood-stained road to salvation, Butch’s wild and crazy day, Vincent and Mia’s era-defining shake and twist, and every unforgettable scene in between unfolds like a book you can’t put down. So is Pulp Fiction still as good as it was in 1994? Yes, and if my answer frightens you, then you should cease asking scary questions. —Kevin Prchal
4. Three Colours: Red
The third film in the so-called Three Colors trilogy, Red is also the crowning jewel of Krzysztof Kieslowski’s career. The story follows a model, played by the mesmerizing Irene Jacob, who meets a retired judge and discovers interesting parallels between their lives as she’s drawn closer and closer to her destiny, culminating in a stunning finale. You do not need to see its predecessors Blue and White to appreciate Red as it will knock your socks off regardless, but if you do you’ll appreciate it on a whole other level. Kieslowski’s brilliant repeated connections to themes, characters, and colors give you so many chances to piece it together, yet it’s somehow impossible to see the big picture until the very end. The film is quintessential and worthy of every accolade. —Natalie Pohorski
3. Reality Bites
The instantaneous allure of Ben Stiller’s post-academia adulthood dramedy is its exceptional list of soon-to-be-famous actors. Winona Ryder gives Lelaina a robust shot of charm and complexity, while Ethan Hawke takes precedence as her recklessly inescapable love interest Troy and Stiller himself hones the comic figure he typifies better than anyone: the blundering, benign Michael suffused with righteous indignation he can’t fully articulate. Helen Childress’ script is also pretty killer, with nearly every scene accelerating into a savvy punchline or melodramatic swivel. The soundtrack accentuates the emotional extremes, even when it may periodically seem a bit heavy-handed. And while the movie surely has some hiccups (I’m looking at you, third act), it still nails the poignant turmoil of post-collegiate aimlessness better than almost any other movie I’ve seen. —Natalie Bauer
2. Forrest Gump
To the growing community of Forrest Gump haters: If you feel nothing when you hear Alan Silvestri’s sweeping score as that feather drifts across the screen; if you’re blank at the sight of Forrest and Jenny embracing at the Reflecting Pool; if you aren’t emotionally ravaged by Forrest asking “Is he smart?” after meeting his son for the first time; if you aren’t fist-pumping the air when Lieutenant Dan makes his physical and spiritual comeback… well, I don’t know how to help you. But I submit that Forrest Gump endures not just because of these moments and more, or its six Oscar wins including Best Picture, or its endlessly quotable lines still used today—but because it’s heartening (in today’s reactionary climate especially) to see someone react to significant social, political, and cultural moments with warmth and curiosity instead of outrage and arrogance. Gump may not be a smart man, but he sure knows how to be a good citizen and a decent human being. And that’s all I have to say about that. —Kevin Prchal
1. The Shawshank Redemption
What more can be said about the movie IMDb considers the greatest of all time? The movie that went 0-for-7 at the Oscars amidst the Gump run but steadily grew in its reputation as the ultimate rewatchable story about friendship and determination and money laundering? The movie with a Thomas Newman score and Roger Freakin’ Deakins behind the camera? The movie that so elegantly ebbs from the darkness of carceral depravities to the brightness of a sandy beach in Zihuatanejo? The movie with one of the most satisfying narrative turns in modern cinema? The Shawshank Redemption is a good movie, maybe the best of movies, and no good movie ever dies. —Chad Comello