The 90s proved a hugely successful time for cinema, churning out box office hits after hits. Marked by technological advancements in filmmaking, the decade brought us the likes of Terminator 2: Judgement Day, Jurassic Park, and Toy Story.
It seemed to be a golden time for cinema, with some of the most prominent filmmaking in modern times taking place then. With Titanic, Pulp Fiction, and Star Wars all releasing in the 90s, it is easy to forget just how successful these other films on this list were at the box office.
The Sixth Sense
A vast change in direction from his first two films, Praying with Anger and Wide Awake, The Sixth Sense, started M. Night Shyamalan’s venture into the thriller/mystery space.
Armageddon
There weren’t many bigger stars in Hollywood in the 1990s than Bruce Willis. This Michael Bay-directed disaster film was the 10th highest-grossing film of the decade.
Ghost
Demi Moore, Patrick Swayze, Whoopi Goldberg, and Tony Goldwyn star in this supernatural romance about the spirit of a murdered man attempting to warn his left-behind lover of the dangers she is to face.
Twister
The first of two films from Jan de Bont on this list, Twister is another that falls into the disaster film category. It was the second highest-grossing film of 1996, behind another disaster film, Independence Day.
Saving Private Ryan
The 90s proved to be an incredibly busy (and successful) decade for Steven Spielberg, putting out no less than six films, with Saving Private Ryan the last of them from that period. This World War II film racked up five Academy Awards, with many believing it should have had a sixth (losing out to another film on this list).
Mrs. Doubtfire
Based on the novel Madame Doubtfire, Robin Williams’ portrayal of a recently divorced actor in disguise as a housekeeper earned the film over $400 million in worldwide earnings on just a $25 million budget. It took home the Oscar for Best Makeup in 1993.
Dances with Wolves
Like Willis, the 90s was a busy decade for Kevin Costner. He directs and stars in this Western epic, with his directorial debut seeing him take home the Best Director award at the Oscars that year.
The Bodyguard
Another film starring Kevin Costner, The Bodyguard, also saw Whitney Houston on the big screen for her acting debut. Perhaps not well regarded for its filmmaking, Houston’s soundtrack won a Grammy and became the best-selling soundtrack album of all time. The film Costner and Houston all received nominations at the Golden Raspberry Awards for Worst Film, Worst Actor, and Worst Actress, respectively.
True Lies
The James Cameron-Arnold Schwarzenegger combination in Terminator 2: Judgement Day saw the film rack up $519,843,345 global earnings, and their reunion in 1994’s True Lies was not far behind. It was also the first film with a $100 million budget.
There’s Something About Mary
Starring Cameron Diaz (Mary), There’s Something About Mary is the second highest-grossing rom-com of the 90s behind Pretty Woman. Ben Stiller, Matt Dillon, Lee Evans, and Chris Elliott play the folly love interests after Mary’s affection.
The Fugitive
Based on the 1960s TV series The Fugitive, Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones star together in this action thriller. Upon its release, the film earned seven Academy Award nominations, including a win for Jones in the Best Supporting Actor category.
A Bug’s Life
The Lion King, Toy Story, Aladdin, and Tarzan were all part of the huge success at the box office Disney in the 90s, and A Bug’s Life was yet another to do so. Following on from Toy Story, this was Pixar’s second feature-length film.
American Beauty
In his debut feature film, Sam Mendes found huge commercial success with this black comedy-drama about an advertising executive becoming obsessed with his teenage daughter’s best friend.
Speed
Bruce Willis and Die Hard set off a trajectory of action films in the 90s that all had three things in common: an everyday hero, a villain, and a cut-off setting. Keanu Reeves stars as the hero on a bus in the other Jan de Bont film on this list.
As Good as It Gets
Jack Nicholson leads the cast in the 1997 romantic comedy-drama about an uncongenial writer whose life is thrown into disarray when he is placed in charge of a dog.
Runaway Bride
Pretty Woman starring Julia Roberts and Richard Gere, is easily one of the most revered films of the 1990s and the third highest-grossing rom-com ever. The two stars starred alongside each other once again in another romantic comedy from the decade that did pretty well at cinemas, too.
Shakespeare in Love
On the back of the 1996 release of Romeo + Juliet starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes, John Madden directed this period romantic drama about William Shakespeare and his falling in love with someone while writing Romeo and Juliet. It also controversially pipped Saving Private Ryan to the award for Best Picture at the Oscars that year.
The Green Mile
The Green Mile rounded off a decade that saw Tom Hanks star in some of the biggest films (Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, Toy Story, Apollo 13, and Sleepless In Seattle). It is well-worth the 189-minute runtime.
The Firm
Eyes Wide Shut, Magnolia, Mission: Impossible, and The Firm were among Tom Cruise’s biggest films in the 1990s. This legal thriller, directed by Sydney Pollack and based on the John Grisham novel, was a huge commercial success, especially given its $45 million budget.
The Blair Witch Project
Speaking of films that have exceeded budgetary expectations, The Blair Witch Project went into production with a $60,000 budget and became one of the highest-grossing films of the 1990s.
