My top 10 Movies for 1993

In 1993 and the beginning of 1994 I saw about 50 movies that are considered to be 1993 movies. Here is my top 12 list. Why 12? Two movies are actually 1992 movies but I didn’t get a chance to put them in my ‘92 list because I couldn’t see them until much later.

 

12. Groundhog Day - Judging from the rest of this list, comedy must be very hard to do. This was the best comedy of the year in my view. Even seeing it a second time didn’t seem boring which it should be since the story is by nature rather repetitive.
11. In The Name of the Father - An agonizing view of life inside of a British prison. Emotional but it would be very hard to sit through it a second time.
10. Lorenzo's Oil ('92) - The story was amazing just by itself. A family tries to cope with the son’s illness and then tries to cure it. The resistance from the medical community was played true to life instead of making the doctors into caricatures.
9. Tombstone - There are 2 westerns in this list and that’s kind of strange. (And "Unforgiven" could have made this list also). This latest version of the Wyatt Earp legend feels closer to the truth but what do I know.
8. The Joy Luck Club - The football movie Rudy actually made me cry more than this one but most of the audience was halfway into the Kleenex box by the end. It was not only an excellent view into the life of Asian American women, it also underscored the fact that there are so many excellent Asian actresses.
7. The Fugitive - This was my favorite thriller. In general I skip movie remakes of TV shows but the great reviews talked me into seeing it and I’m glad. Now watching the TV reruns is boring because I see where the story could be very adequately told in 2 hours. Tommy Lee Jones could win for best supporting actor.
6. Geronimo - An important part of American history is told here. I could recommend it on that basis alone. Add in the excellent photography and the acting and you have a superior movie.
5. Shadowlands - Anthony Hopkins seems to play stuffy Englishman when he isn’t eating people. However, this particular stuffy Englishman was a real person (C.S. Lewis). Debra Winger was terrific (and nominated for an Oscar).
4. Schindler’s List - An epic of a movie. Did not have the same emotional impact as Shoah but it is much less than 5 hours long also. Moved Liam Neeson into the start celebrity category.
3. Blue - A haunting movie with the best musical score of the year. Juliette Binoche gets to me somehow (also in Damage last year). Gives us an insight into a woman who is so much more complex than nearly all the others.
2. Scent of a Woman ('92) - Sorry it took me so long to see this movie. Quickly became my favorite Pacino film. Notice how people keep referring to the tango scene in this film.
1. Like Water for Chocolate - The title got my attention and the sensual storyline kept it. Almost embarrassed to have a foreign film top my list. Excellent photography. This might also be a ‘92 movie officially.

 

Guilty Pleasures - I really liked "Rudy" but I’m a Notre Dame football fan (for the last 35 years) so I’m just too biased to give an objective opinion.

 

Overlooked Movie - "Untamed Heart" with Marisa Tomei was a nicely understated romance and the views of Minneapolis should appeal to Minnesota types.

 

Comedies - Two movies that I liked were "The Snapper" and "Dave". You have to suspend your natural inclination to say that certain things could never happen this way.

 

Best Documentary - "The War Room", the story of the Clinton campaign of 1992.

 

Best unintentional telling it like it is - "Sleepless in Seattle", proof positive that a single father has to travel the length of the country to find an attractive interesting woman but a single woman can be engaged to one guy and just look out the window and see someone else she wants to be with.

 

Second best unintentional telling it like it is - "The Piano"; not in sports or business or politics but in love it is clear, nice guys finish last.

 

Overrated - "The Age of Innocence" and "The Remains of the Day". When I see two people who both know what would make them happy and then don’t do it because of politeness, I don’t think that’s tragic, that’s stupid.

 

Still Haven’t Seen - "What’s Eating Gilbert Grape", "Fearless", every single one of the foreign film Oscar nominations.

 

Not as I remembered - "Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs". Okay, society has changed and Snow White seems intellectually inferior to Dopey but I still don’t know why her voice didn’t make me cringe when I was 8 years old.