Al's Top Rated Films: 1993

Outstanding crime drama/romance from Tony Scott and Quentin Tarantino that follows a lonely comic book lover, music expert, and film buff named Clarence Worley who is setup with a prostitute named Alabama Whitman as a birthday present from his boss. Against all odds, she comes clean about being a call girl after they sleep together, and they both instantly fall in love since they are a perfect match. The next morning they get married and go to get matching tattoos when Clarence learns what a violent creep her pimp Drexl was. Clarence decides he's going to pay Drexl a visit to pick up her clothes and end her relationship as a call girl with him, but the meeting ends in a deadly sea of blood and bullets. Clarence successfully gets away with what he thinks is Alabama's suitcase full of clothes, but it's actually a suitcase full of Drexl's cocaine. They go on the run and plan to sell the cocaine and leave the country with the help of a friend, but more ruthless criminals are after them, which will only end in more bloodshed. Even though Quentin Tarantino isn't the director, this film still has his signature style all over it, and one could easily be fooled in it being a 100% Tarantino production. I'd consider it to be one of the finest films in his catalog, and it's also my favorite film in Tony Scott's filmography (who's an incredible director himself). Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette have superb chemistry, and both deliver their all-time best lead performances. Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, James Gandolfini, Val Kilmer, Christopher Walken, Bronson Pinchot, Michael Rapaport, Saul Rubinek, James Gandolfini, Chris Penn, Tom Sizemore, Anna Thomson, Victor Argo, Paul Bates, and others also have great performances.

Fantastic coming-of-age comedy from Richard Linklater set in a small Texas town in 1976, and follows students on the last day of the year for high school and middle school. The upperclassmen are busy smoking weed, drinking beer, cutting class, and planning on how they are going to haze next year's incoming freshman. The freshman boys are tortured with wood paddles, while the girls are verbally abused and humiliated. The story mainly follows a freshman named Mitch Kramer who's taken under the wing of senior Randall 'Pink' Floyd, and is shown the joys of hanging with the older cool crowd (after he's initiated by the paddle). On the female side, freshman Sabrina Davis experiences a like-minded routine from the female seniors. The rest of the story focuses on Randall 'Pink' Floyd's story, and whether or not he will succumb to the pressure of his football coach in his senior year, and how he plans approach his life moving forward (along with a lot of partying). This is easily my favorite Richard Linklater film. All the characters are so much fun that it makes you want to jump into the screen and join in the excitement. Fantastic comedy, drama, soundtrack, and presents a perfect cast. Jason London, Wiley Wiggins, and Christin Hinojosa all delivered excellent lead performances. Matthew McConaughey, Shawn Andrews, Sasha Jenson, Rory Cochrane, Adam Goldberg, Michelle Burke, Anthony Rapp, Ben Affleck, Christin Hinojosa, Marissa Ribisi, Parker Posey, Joey Lauren Adams, Milla Jovovich, and many others also had great and very memorable supporting roles.

Superb crime drama/thriller from Andrew Davis that follows a doctor and loving husband named Richard Kimble who's wrongly convicted of murdering his wife. The evidence is stacked against him, and it appears he's the only one who would have a motive to kill her since she is very wealthy. He's sentenced to death and loaded onto a truck with other convicts awaiting their execution. One of the men inside the truck tricks the guard into opening the gates, which results in a fight and horrific crash that ends with an explosive train collision. Kimble then makes his daring escape and contacts trusted friends and colleagues as he investigates the murder and works to clear his name and catch the real killer, while Chicago Deputy Samuel Gerard heads up the manhunt to bring Kimble in, and simultaneously learns Kimble is likely innocent during the chase. Fantastic story, excellent dialogue, top-notch thrills, and a perfect cast all around. One of the best revenge flicks ever made. Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones both deliver their all-time best lead performances. Jeroen Krabbé, Andreas Katsulas, Daniel Roebuck, Joe Pantoliano, Julianne Moore, L. Scott Caldwell, Sela Ward, Tom Wood, Ron Dean, Richard Riehle, Eddie Bo Smith Jr., Nick Searcy, Johnny Lee Davenport, Mike Bacarella, Bill Cusack, Jane Lynch, and others also had great supporting roles.

Extremely underrated and hysterical sci-fi comedy, and my all-time favorite Saturday Night Live film. The story follows Beldar and his wife Prymatt, who are aliens from the planet Remulak. When the National Guard discovers their spaceship on their radar, they send fighter jets to take it down, and it crashes into the Atlantic ocean. They survive and learn it will take several years before Remulak will be able to send a rescue vessel to bring them home, and realize they must adapt to life on Earth. However, a determined agent from the immigration department named Gorman Seedling is hot on their heels for working in the country illegally, and exhausts his resources trying to track them down until they conceal their identities, have a daughter, and find a place to live a normal American life. But just as they feel life on Earth is perfect, they are summoned back to their home planet of Remulak while Seedling simultaneously locates where they've been hiding, which builds up to an explosive ending. I have no idea why this film is rated so low. It lived up to all the magic of the original SNL skits, and more. Excellent story with a perfect cast. Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin both deliver the best lead performances I've seen from either of them. They were both superb and had great chemistry. Michelle Burke, Chris Farley, and Michael McKean also had fantastic starring roles. David Spade, Sinbad, Michael Richards, Eddie Griffin, Phil Hartman, Adam Sandler, Jason Alexander, Lisa Jane Persky, Jan Hooks, Dave Thomas, and several others had excellent supporting roles.

Incredible biography and historic crime drama from Jim Sheridan set in 1974 London, and follows a Belfast man named Gerry Conlon who was wrongly accused and convicted of the horrific Guildford pub bombing, which killed four off-duty British soldiers and a civilian. Gerry is subsequently tortured, threatened, and forced to confess to the bombing he didn't commit, and is sent to prison for 30 years along with his father, several members of his family, and 3 others charged with the bombing. Meanwhile, Gerry works with a caring British lawyer named Gareth Peirce to prove their innocence and set them free. Gripping and powerful story with superb dialogue as evidenced by its 7 Oscar nominations. 3 of those nominations went to the cast for superb acting all around. Daniel Day-Lewis delivered a fantastic lead performance. It might be my favorite in his entire filmography. Pete Postlethwaite and Emma Thompson also delivered excellent starring roles. Don Baker, John Lynch, Jamie Harris, Saffron Burrows, Beatie Edney, Anthony Brophy, Joe McPartland, Corin Redgrave, Gerard McSorley, Phil Davis, Frank Harper, Tom Wilkinson, and others also had great supporting roles.

Fantastic historical biography from George P. Cosmatos that pays homage to a classic style western. The story is set in 1879 and follows a former lawman named Wyatt Earp that moves to Tombstone, Arizona, with his brothers Virgil and Morgan in search of a peaceful life. They're joined by heavy-drinking gunslinger, gambler, and old friend, Doc Holliday. Their peace is quickly interrupted when a group of ruthless killers and outlaws called "The Cowboys" wreak havoc in town, which soon comes to boil and leads to a shoot-out against Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday at the infamous O.K. Corral. I'd have to say this is an underrated film all around, and one of the finest westerns I've seen. The direction, cinematography, action, drama, and the star-studded cast makes this a winner. Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer both arguably deliver their best lead performances. Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Powers Boothe, Michael Biehn, Dana Delany, Joanna Pacula, Charlton Heston, Stephen Lang, Jason Priestley, Jon Tenney, Thomas Haden Church, Paula Malcomson, Michael Rooker, Harry Carey Jr., Billy Bob Thornton, Billy Zane, Robert Mitchum, and many others had excellent supporting roles.

Extraordinary action-packed sci-fi adventure from Steven Spielberg, which follows the magical scientific advancements of cloning hybrid dinosaurs. Idealistic billionaire entrepreneur John Hammond is the head of the operation, and builds a monstrous theme park called "Jurassic Park" on a remote island to contain the animals. He invites a lawyer and three scientists to inspect and give opinions on his operation in hopes of opening the park to the public. The scientists and the lawyer are astonished by what he's built, but aren't convinced it's safe, and questions whether scientifically creating dinosaurs is ethical. They soon find themselves in a fight for their lives when a power failure occurs, dinosaurs break loose, and the ferocious Tyrannosaurus Rex and Velociraptors start hunting down every human in sight. This movie blew me away when I saw it in the theater. It's a fantastic story, and the film easily earned its 3 Oscars for best visual and sound effects, which were awe-inspiring feats of production. The cast is also fantastic all around. Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Richard Attenborough all deliver excellent lead performances. Joseph Mazzello, Ariana Richards, BD Wong, Bob Peck, Martin Ferrero, Wayne Knight, Samuel L. Jackson, Miguel Sandoval, Cameron Thor, and many others had great supporting roles.

Incredibly epic historical biography from Steven Spielberg on the life of a determined German businessman and humanitarian named Oskar Schindler. He moves to German-occupied Poland (Krakow) in 1939 to make his fortune during World War II, and hires all Jewish people to work in his enamelware factory since they are the cheapest and best labor he can find. Upon making a fortune on his ventures, the Nazis end up killing more and more Jews in their quest to wipe them out of existence, and Oskar gradually becomes compelled to make his factory a refuge for Jews by spending his entire fortune to save 1,100 Jews from being killed at the Auschwitz concentration camp. Powerful and important story arguably done to perfection. The writing, production, cinematography, editing, casting, and music is top-notch as evidenced by its 7 Oscar wins and 5 other nominations. Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, and Ralph Fiennes all delivered superb lead performances. Caroline Goodall, Jonathan Sagall, Embeth Davidtz, Friedrich von Thun, Ezra Dagan, Norbert Weisser, Andrzej Seweryn, Anna Mucha, Uri Avrahami, Oliwia Dabrowska, Jochen Nickel, Grzegorz Damiecki, and several others had great supporting roles.

Fantastic biography/sports drama from Steven Zaillian set in New York City 1984, and follows a gifted 7-year-old boy named Josh Waitzkin who becomes engrossed with the game of chess after watching local speed-chess players in Washington Square Park. His parents enlist the help of veteran chess tutor Bruce Pandolfini to be his teacher, and Josh quickly starts winning every chess tournament he enters. However, when his dad starts taking the game more seriously than him, he greatly fears that he will disappoint his father and his teacher, which finds him pondering whether he even wants to continue playing chess. Meanwhile, he becomes fascinated with the life of one of the greatest historical chess champions of all time, Bobby Fischer (1943–2008). Arguably a perfectly told story in every way. This is easily the greatest film about chess I've ever seen. Max Pomeranc and Joe Mantegna both deliver excellent lead performances. Ben Kingsley, Laurence Fishburne, and especially Joan Allen also had great starring roles. David Paymer, William H. Macy, Hal Scardino, Michael Nirenberg, Dan Hedaya, Laura Linney, Robert Stephens, Tony Shalhoub, Austin Pendleton, and many others also had great supporting roles.

Excellent crime drama/thriller from Brian De Palma set in 1975 New York, and follows a Puerto Rican ex-con named Carlito Brigante that was just released from prison after serving a 5-year stretch. Carlito is determined to break free from his past life surrounded by drugs and violence while he rekindles a relationship with a former lover and running a nightclub while he works his way to retirement in the Caribbean. However, he inevitably gets sucked back into his former life of crime at the hand of some of his former associates who knows he can't escape his dark past. Fantastic story all around with a great cast and dialogue throughout. It also features a phenomenal soundtrack/score. Al Pacino delivers one of his absolute best lead performances. Sean Penn and Penelope Ann Miller also delivered excellent starring roles. John Leguizamo, Ingrid Rogers, Luis Guzmán, Viggo Mortensen, James Rebhorn, Joseph Siravo, Jorge Porcel, Adrian Pasdar, John Ortiz, Jaime Sánchez, and several others had great supporting roles.

Frighteningly powerful and superb crime drama/thriller from the Hughes Brothers that follows a troubled black teenager named Caine Lawson, who's drug-dealing father was killed when he was 10 years old, and his mother later died of a heroin overdose. He has subsequently been exposed to a life of crime being raised by his grandparents in the crime-ridden projects of Jordan Downs. His goal is to escape the severe violence in the grim California ghettos before it's too late. His best friend Kevin "O-Dog" Anderson is a fearless and hot-headed small-time drug dealer. He and his other friends are caught up in the life of crime, which clash with Caine's ambitions and results in some tragic events that complicates his future decisions. Excellent story, dialogue, soundtrack, and boasts superbly potent performances from Tyrin Turner (Caine) and Larenz Tate as the menacing O-Dog. Glenn Plummer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Arnold Johnson, Samuel L. Jackson, MC Eiht, and plenty of other rappers show up to give great supporting roles.

Underrated jazz-inspired war drama from Thomas Carter set in the late 1930s during World War II. The story follows a group of German teens who love swing music and dancing in clubs, and generally sympathize with Jews and other minorities that their society teaches them to hate. At this time in Nazi Germany, swing music and any music played by anyone other than a German was forbidden. The story mainly follows best friends Peter and Thomas, who are forced to join the pro-Nazi youth league after stealing a radio from a local business. Nazi brainwashing and special privileges exceptional Nazi youths receive put Peter and Thomas add serious odds that has them questioning what's right and wrong, and which path they will take moving forward. I've loved this story since I was a kid. Great story, the cast is fantastic, and the music is excellent throughout. Robert Sean Leonard delivers one of his all-time best lead performances, and Christian Bale also delivers a superb starring role. Frank Whaley, Barbara Hershey, Kenneth Branagh, Tushka Bergen, David Tom, Jayce Bartok, and plenty others have great supporting roles.

Excellent comedy drama/fantasy from Harold Ramis that follows a self-centered and irritable Pittsburgh weatherman named Phil Connors who reluctantly covers the annual Groundhog festivities in the small town of Punxsutawney, which he's completely fed up with. When he mysteriously starts reliving the same day over and over (Groundhog Day) with seemingly no end in sight, he makes the best of the situation as he becomes the most admired man in Punxsutawney, and also gets caught up trying to win the remembered affection of his TV producer, Rita. It seems like a silly concept, but this movie works so well and has great writing and acting throughout. Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell are fantastic together, and both deliver excellent lead performances. Chris Elliott, Stephen Tobolowsky, Marita Geraghty, Brian Doyle-Murray, Rick Ducommun, Rick Overton, Angela Paton, Robin Duke, Tom Milanovich, Peggy Roeder, Harold Ramis, Michael Shannon, and many others had very nice roles among the supporting cast.

Powerful drama from Jonathan Demme that follows a successful attorney named Andrew Beckett who regularly hides his homosexuality and HIV/AIDS diagnosis as he tries to climb the corporate ladder at a prestigious law firm. When an associate notices a lesion on Beckett's forehead, his secret is exposed, and he is unjustly fired. Beckett interviews with several lawyers to sue the law firm for wrongful dismissal, who all turn him down because of the nature of his case. He then tries to hire a homophobic African-American lawyer named Joe Miller. Miller initially turns down the case due to his prejudice and ignorance about HIV/AIDS, but later decides to take the case when he feels Beckett's struggles are similar to racial discrimination. Very timely and controversial film for 1993, and still hits hard nearly 30 years later. Tom Hanks (earning the Oscar) and Denzel Washington both deliver excellent and complex lead performances. Roberta Maxwell, Ron Vawter, Jason Robards, Robert Ridgely, Antonio Banderas, Mary Steenburgen, Bradley Whitford, and several others had great supporting roles.

Hilariously underrated action-packed comedy from Jim Abrahams, and even better than the first Hot Shots film from 1991. This time the story sets up a "Rambo" parody which follows retired Navy pilot Topper Harley jumping back into active duty, and leading a rescue mission into Iraq to rescue the last rescue team, who went in to rescue the rescue team before that, who who went in to rescue hostages left behind after Desert Storm. One of the hostages he must rescue is the husband of his past love, Ramada, who he's never gotten over. Excellent story, and fantastic satire and spoof comedy for similarly clichéd 80s action flicks. Superbly done from start to finish, and it is still a hysterical film today. This is my all-time favorite lead performance from Charlie Sheen. He was phenomenal throughout. Lloyd Bridges, Valeria Golino, Richard Crenna, Brenda Bakke, Miguel Ferrer, Jerry Haleva, Jerry Haleva, Rowan Atkinson, David Wohl, Ryan Stiles, Martin Sheen, and so many others has great roles among the supporting cast.

Excellent music drama/biography from Brian Gibson on the the life of the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", Tina Turner (1939–2023). The story follows her troubled childhood in a broken family, to her early-to-mid R&B success with her extremely abusive and manipulative husband and bandleader Ike Turner. 16 years of a brutally abusive and controlling marriage continues until Tina finds the courage to get out of the relationship. That reignites career as she makes a wildly successful comeback at the age of 41. Incredible story that's powerfully executed throughout. The scenes with Ike bullying and beating Tina are ruthless and terrifying at times. The dialogue, casting, and music (all performed by Tina Turner) was perfect all around. Angela Bassett arguably delivers her all-time best lead performance as Tina Turner. I can't think of another role she was more perfect for. Laurence Fishburne was also fantastic as Ike Turner, which is arguably his best lead performance to date. Vanessa Bell Calloway, Jenifer Lewis, and RaéVen Kelly, Khandi Alexander, Barry Shabaka Henley, John Fink, Rudolph Willrich, O'Neal Compton, and others had great supporting roles.

Excellent crime drama and also Robert De Niro's directorial film debut. The story is set in the 1960s Bronx, and follows a 9-year-old boy named Calogero who looks up to a brutal yet charismatic crime boss named Sonny, while his disapproving father Lorenzo does everything he can to keep him out of the mob business. Calogero is subsequently torn between the two men while growing up, and tensions rise when he falls in love with a black girl named Jane, which is forbidden in the working-class Italian-American neighborhood he lives in. The story is excellent all around, and feels even more personal since Palminteri and De Niro completely handled the story and direction, which made their lead performances even stronger. Lillo Brancato and Francis Capra also delivered excellent starring roles. Taral Hicks, Clem Caserta, Joe Pesci, Kathrine Narducci, Robert D'Andrea, Joseph D'Onofrio, and many others also had great supporting roles.

Excellent crime drama/thriller from Joel Schumacher set on a scorching hot day in Los Angeles, and follows a seemingly regular man named William "D-Fens" Foster, but he's actually on the verge of exploding. It follows his travels across the city in an attempt to visit his estranged ex-wife and daughter when he becomes extremely aggravated over simple obstacles that he's too emotional and distraught to handle. A simple convenience store visit becomes destructive. He has no fear or cares about gang members trying to rob or kill him and fights back. He causes mayhem at a fast food restaurant when he can't order breakfast because they have already switched over to lunch. Meanwhile, Sergeant Martin Prendergast and the rest of the LAPD get involved to take him down and end the madness. Very entertaining and powerful story all around. Michael Douglas arguably delivers his all-time best performance. He was excellent. Robert Duvall also had a great starring role. Barbara Hershey, Rachel Ticotin, Frederic Forrest, Tuesday Weld, Joey Singer, Ebbe Roe Smith, Raymond J. Barry, D.W. Moffett, Steve Park, Agustin Rodriguez, and many others also had great supporting roles.

Powerful drama from Lasse Hallström that follows a very troubled man named Gilbert Grape who works a dead-end low-paying job in the bleak and financially depressed midwestern town of Endora. He is completely overwhelmed with his struggles to care for his depressed, immobile, and morbidly obese mother and mentally disabled younger brother, Arnie. He has an ongoing affair with local woman named Betty to briefly forget about his troubles, but is finally inspired to find his own happiness and peace after meeting a free-thinking girl named Becky. Excellent story and drama throughout, with a fantastic cast of actors. Johnny Depp delivered one of his best and most complex lead performance. Leonardo DiCaprio, Juliette Lewis and Darlene Cates also have superb starring roles. Laura Harrington, Mary Kate Schellhardt, Mary Steenburgen, John C. Reilly, Crispin Glover, Kevin Tighe, and others also had great supporting roles.

Excellent sports drama/biography from David Anspaugh set in the late 1960s, and follows the life of Rudy Ruettiger—a regular guy and steel mill worker from a Catholic family who has had big dreams of attending school and playing football at the University of Notre Dame since he was a kid. With below average grades, very little money, and little to no support from his family and friends; his hard work, unrelenting determination, and a heart of gold helps him achieve more than anyone could have ever thought an amateur athlete and average student could have ever accomplished. Very inspirational story with great writing and acting all around. Sean Astin nailed his role as Rudy, making it one of the best lead performances of his career. Ned Beatty, Charles S. Dutton, Jon Favreau, Robert Prosky, Greta Lind, Jason Miller, John Beasley, Ron Dean, Scott Benjaminson, Luke Massery, Vince Vaughn, and others also had great supporting roles.

Underrated crime drama from Wolfgang Petersen that follows a veteran secret service agent named Frank Horrigan who served under President John F. Kennedy when he was assassinated in 1963. It's now present day, and he is just as dedicated to his work as he ever was. He's soon faced with a horrifying challenge when the current president's life is being threatened by a deranged former C.I.A. assassin named Mitch Leary who toys with Horrigan as he moves forward with his terroristic plans. Meanwhile, he strikes up a romance with fellow secret service agent Lilly Raines. Fantastic story all around, and easily one of my favorite later-day Clint Eastwood roles. He delivered an excellent lead performance. John Malkovich delivers one of my personal favorite starring roles, and plays a fantastic villain. Rene Russo was also great to round out the starring cast. Dylan McDermott, John Mahoney, Tobin Bell, Gary Cole, Fred Thompson, Gregory Alan Williams, Jim Curley, Patrika Darbo, and many others also had great supporting roles.

Excellent crime drama/thriller from Clint Eastwood set in 1963 Texas, and follows a convict named Butch Haynes who escapes from an Alabama prison with his partner Terry Pugh, who end up kidnapping am 8-year-old boy named Phillip Perry after entering a random house. Soon after, Terry becomes violent with Phillip, and Butch is forced to kill him. The two then continue to flee from the police across the Southwest, and end up forming an unlikely bond and respect for each other while a veteran Texas Ranger named Red Garnett tracks them down. Red has sympathy for Butch's plight, but still must complete his job and bring Butch to justice. Great story and direction all around, which is anchored on excellent performances from the main stars. Kevin Costner and the young T.J. Lowther both deliver fantastic lead performances, and had great chemistry together. While Clint Eastwood is billed as one of the film's stars, he actually delivers a smaller but solid supporting role. Laura Dern, Keith Szarabajka, Bradley Whitford, Jennifer Griffin, Leo Burmester, Paul Hewitt, and many others had great supporting roles.

Powerful biography/coming-of-age drama from Michael Caton-Jones that follows the early troubled life of American writer, Tobias Wolff. The story is set in 1957, and follows Toby and his mother Caroline fleeing from the East to Seattle to get away from an abusive boyfriend and make a better life for themselves. Once Toby gets a bit older and hits adolescence, his behavior becomes too much for Caroline to handle. She subsequently meets a seemingly great working-class man named Dwight. They are soon married, and begin living in Dwight's modest home with his three kids. However, after they are married, they find he's a verbally and physically abusive alcoholic with an extremely short fuse. Caroline feels trapped in the situation, and Toby follows suit as they attempt to focus on the good things about their situation. But heated tension and Toby's will for a better future presents hope for a better future. Great story with excellent and sometimes very disturbing and interaction. Leonardo DiCaprio, Ellen Barkin, and Robert De Niro all deliver fantastic lead performances and really had some boiling chemistry together. Jonah Blechman, Eliza Dushku, Carla Gugino, Zachary Ansley, Chris Cooper, Tracey Ellis, Michael Bacall, Tobey Maguire, and others had very nice supporting roles.

Excellent drama from Robert Altman that follows the lives of several different characters with correlating and overlapping narratives. The story mainly revolves around 6 married couples who are dealing with marital problems, loss, sexual infidelity, death, murder, alcohol abuse, and many other psychological issues. The drama is definitely lightened up by some very nice comedy and dark humor. The writing and acting is top-notch, and the list of players is excellent. Andie MacDowell, Bruce Davison, Julianne Moore, Matthew Modine, Anne Archer, Fred Ward, Madeleine Stowe, Tim Robbins, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Chris Penn, Jack Lemmon, Robert Downey Jr., Lili Taylor, Lily Tomlin, Tom Waits, Frances McDormand, Peter Gallagher, Annie Ross, and Lori Singer all gave fantastic performances, and all could be considered lead characters with how pivotal their roles are. Sherri Shepard, Lyle Lovett, Huey Lewis, Michael Beach, and others also had nice supporting roles.

Epic war drama from Ron Maxwell set in Pennsylvania, July 1–3, 1863, and follows the infamous Battle of Gettysburg over a horrific 3-day period of mayhem and death. It was a major turning point in the Civil War (1861–1865), and resulted in the largest number of casualties of the entire war. The story covers both the Union and Confederate sides of the action, strategies, and personal views on their choices to fight. Great story and extremely thorough and detailed in every way. The re-enactments of the original battle was superb all around. While I did enjoy this film, it is extremely long at 4.5 hours in length, which may bring my rating down a touch since it got a bit long in parts. It's still an essential story to America's history, and is very nicely done. Tom Berenger, Jeff Daniels, and Martin Sheen all delivered excellent lead performances. Sam Elliott, Kevin Conway, C. Thomas Howell, Stephen Lang, Richard Jordan, Andrew Prine, Cooper Huckabee, Patrick Gorman, Bo Brinkman, James Lancaster, William Morgan Sheppard, Kieran Mulroney, James Patrick Stuart, Royce D. Applegate, Brian Mallon, and several others has excellent supporting roles.

Excellent and inspirational sports comedy adventure that follows three Jamaican olympic sprinters and a star push-cart driver who enlist the help of a legendary bobsled sportsman named Irv Blitzer who was disqualified from olympic bobsledding due to cheating back in 1972. Irv reluctantly agrees to be their coach after their non-stop persistence, and the world's first Jamaican bobsled team is born. After training as much as they can in Jamaica, they head to Alberta, Canada, to compete in the 1988 winter olympics. They are faced with challenges by prejudice folks who don't feel they belong, and other issues arise from Irv's spotty past. Leon, Doug E. Doug, Rawle D. Lewis, and Malik Yoba all delivered excellent lead performances. John Candy is the real star of the film, and delivers one of his all-time best roles. Raymond J. Barry, Peter Outerbridge, Paul Coeur, Charles Hyatt, Winston Stona, Bertina Macaulay, Pauline Stone Myrie, and others also had great supporting roles.

Excellent adaptation of Sheila Burnford's classic 1961 novel, and an even better remake of the 1963 film, "The Incredible Journey". I watched both films growing up, but this one got way more views with all the great comedy and dialogue involved. The story follows a rambunctious bulldog pup named Chance, a snobby Himalayan cat named Sassy, and a wise old enlightened Golden Retriever named Shadow who feel compelled to set out on a rigorous 300-mile trek through the Sierra Nevada mountains to reunite with their loving owners, who temporarily boarded them on a farm while the family's father attends to business in San Francisco. The trio of animals assumed they were in trouble and take off on a dangerous and drama-filled adventure to get home. The interactions between all three animals/actors is hilarious and heartwarming throughout, and drives the film beautifully. Don Ameche, Michael J. Fox, and Sally Field all voice the animals perfectly, and have excellent lead performances. Robert Hays, Kim Greist, Benj Thall, Kevin Chevalia, Veronica Lauren, Jean Smart, Mark L. Taylor, and others also have great supporting roles.

Underrated family adventure from Stephen Sommers, and an excellent adaptation of Mark Twain's classic 1884 novel. The story is set in 1840s Missouri, and follows an independent and mischievous boy named Huck Finn who escapes from his violently drunk ex-con father that kidnapped him and toyed with the idea of killing him and collecting the insurance money. After Huck fakes his own death to ensure nobody will come after him, he embarks on a great journey down the Mississippi river when he comes across his friend Jim, who is a slave that his guardians own. After finding out that he ran away to keep from being sold to different owners, they team up to find their way to freedom where Jim can buy his family back. A great adventure of drama, mishaps, racial discrimination, and near-death experiences awaits their journey to freedom. Elijah Wood delivered a fantastic lead performance as Huck Finn. He was perfect for the role. Courtney B. Vance also delivered one of his best and most memorable starring roles as Jim. Robbie Coltrane, Jason Robards, Ron Perlman, Anne Heche, Paxton Whitehead, Dana Ivey, James Gammon, Paxton Whitehead, Tom Aldredge, Mary Louise Wilson, and several others had great supporting roles.

Hilarious comedy from Donald Petrie set in the snowy and cold town of Wabasha, Minnesota. The story follows two irritable old men and neighbors named John and Max, who have been arguing, insulting, and antagonizing each other over the course of the last 50 years. When a beautiful older woman named Ariel Truax moves into the neighborhood, both John and Max take a liking to her, which comically adds more grumpiness to their lives. They begin to earn respect for each other after many debacles; especially when John has a big health scare. Being a Minnesota native, I've grown up with and always enjoyed this film. This is Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau's 6th pairing out of 10 films they've appeared in together. They both deliver phenomenal lead performances. Ann-Margret and Burgess Meredith also had great starring roles. Daryl Hannah, Kevin Pollak, Ossie Davis, Buck Henry, and Christopher McDonald also had great supporting roles.

Excellent coming-of-age sports comedy from David Mickey Evans set during a magical summer of 1962 in California's San Fernando Valley; and follows a shy, timid, and mathematically inclined fifth-grader named Scotty Smalls. Scotty is new in town and has a social phobia that he hasn't quite gotten over yet. He finally breaks out of his shell after meeting the best baseball player in town, Benny Rodriguez. Benny pushes Scott to come out and play ball at the local baseball diamond known as "The Sandlot". The other guys aren't so sure about Scotty at first, but after a little help from Benny, he fits right in and makes friends with everybody on the team. And that kicks off a magical and memorable summer none of them will ever forget. I was this movie in the theater when I was 12 years old, so this one has really stuck with me over the years. Great story, casting, and nostalgia all around. It also has a great soundtrack. Tom Guiry, Mike Vitar, Patrick Renna, Chauncey Leopardi, Marty York, Brandon Quintin Adams, Grant Gelt, Victor DiMattia, Denis Leary, Karen Allen, James Earl Jones, Marley Shelton, and many others had excellent performances.

Excellent drama/romance from Bille August set in the mid-20th-century South America, and follows the life of a hardworking man named Esteban who marries a woman named Clara with mysterious spiritual powers and a gift to predict the future. Esteban is obsessed with becoming rich as he works to build the most profitable hacienda in the country. They soon have a beautiful daughter named Blanca, and turmoil comes into play when Esteban's overt jealously of the time his loving sister Ferula spends with his Clara and Blanca, causes him to take malicious action against Ferula. Once Blanca grows up to be a teenager, things become even more turbulent when Blanca falls in love with one of the ranch's workers, Pedro, who happens to be a revolutionary figure in pivotal time for civil rights, and goes against Esteban wishes and ideals. Epic story and very well done throughout. Meryl Streep, Jeremy Irons, Glenn Close, Winona Ryder, and Antonio Banderas all had great lead performances. Grace Gummer, Vincent Gallo, Maria Conchita Alonso, Sarita Choudhury, Joaquín Martínez, Teri Polo, and Vanessa Redgrave also had great supporting roles.

Excellent action-packed adventure/thriller set in Colorado's massive Rocky Mountains, and follows a mid-air heist gone wrong by a group of ruthless criminals. Their plane crashes in a remote area of the mountains after they dropped 3 suitcases containing a combined $100 Million in cash. When the criminals radio for help, they realize they're in need of expert mountain rangers to locate their lost money with the help of their beacon locators. Veteran rescuers Hal Tucker and Gabe Walker are tasked to help them, and things immediately turn deadly when they discover their location. They are then forced to help them locate the packages while the two of them struggle with personal issues that make their job harder. Not the great action film ever made, but it is a lot of fun. Sylvester Stallone, Michael Rooker, Janine Turner, and John Lithgow all deliver excellent lead performances. Rex Linn, Caroline Goodall, Leon, Craig Fairbrass, Michelle Joyner, Gregory Scott Cummins, Denis Forest, Michelle Joyner, Ralph Waite, and several others had great supporting roles.