1993 biography movies

1993 Biography Movies

September 1993, november 1993.

Movie Reviews

Tv/streaming, collections, great movies, chaz's journal, contributors, the best 10 movies of 1993.

Ebert's Best Film Lists 1967 - present

It was an "annus mirabilius," a year of marvels. For no particular reason, 1993 was the best year since the 1970s for new motion pictures. One after another they arrived, especially in the autumn, great and good movies of all sorts, from the epic to the intimate, from thrillers to biopics, all with that special grace that leaves you thankful for the movies. I found myself granting "four stars" almost with abandon -- more than twice as many as in 1992. Readers wrote in asking if I hadn't gone soft. Look at the movies, I advised them. I'm only reporting the news. At the head of the list were new films by the most popular director in the world, Steven Spielberg , and the best director, Martin Scorsese . And, "mirabilia dictu!" Spielberg edged out Scorsese for the top place on my list of the year's best films with his awesome achievement " Schindler's List ." In it he considered the overwhelming fact of the Holocaust with a power so quiet, so understated, that the director's hand was nowhere evident, although his heart was always on view. Scorsese w as scarcely less surprising, with a literary adaptation of Edith Wharton's " The Age of Innocence ," a study of behavior in New York society of a century ago, which was scarcely what we expected from the director of " Taxi Driver " and " Raging Bull ." And then there were all the other best movies, from the chamber drama " The Piano " to the thriller " The Fugitive " to the biography of " The Joy Luck Club " to the violent road picture " Kalifornia ." The movies seemed alive, in 1993, to their possibilities. The best ones weren't just marking time by doing a good job o f the same old things; they were experimenting, taking chances in a way that reminded me of the golden age of the early 1970s.The year's best films:

Steven Spielberg's epic film, more than three hours long and shot in black and white that brings the stark feel of actuality to the screen, tells the story of an enigmatic man named Oskar Schindler, who began the Second World War hoping to become a millionaire, and ended it by spending his fortune and risking his life to try to save some 1,100 Jews who worked in his factory.What Schindler did was heroic, but the man himself was not a conventional hero, and the film is subtle and patient in showing how, as Schindler's motives slowly changed, his grandiose personality remained constant. Spielberg says he waited 10 years to tell this story because he wasn't sure he was ready. During that time he seems to have internalized it, so that the story isn't told by depending on his usual skill with narrative and melodrama; it's told simply by being seen, in powerful and unforgettable images.

Martin Scorsese 's film takes place in 1870, when in upper-class New York a rigid social code governs how people talk, walk, meet, part, dine, earn their livings, fall in love and marry. Marriages for them are like treaties between nations, their purpose not merely to cement romance or produce children, but to provide for the orderly transmission of wealth between the generations. Anything that threatens this sedate process is hated. It is not thought proper for men and women to place their own selfish desires above the needs of their class. People do indeed "marry for l ove," but the practice is frowned upon as vulgar and dangerous. And so when Newland Archer ( Daniel Day-Lewis ), engaged to marry a proper heiress ( Winona Ryder ), falls in love with a divorced woman ( Michelle Pfeiffer ), the society conspires to force him into his traditional role without his full awareness. The film is filled with passion, all of it internalized, so that a look, a word, a gesture can destroy romance or save it.

Jane Campion's film takes place at about the same time as Scorsese's, but in a vastly different world. Its heroine ( Holly Hunter ), a woman from Scotland who has not spoken since she was a child, is landed with her young daughter on a savage New Zealand coast where a marriage has been arranged with a crude local farmer ( Sam Neill ). The woman speaks only through sign language and her piano -- which the farmer declines to have in the house. But a neighbor ( Harvey Keitel ), a rough-hewn former whaler, falls in love with the music of the piano, and its player.The way the movie develops their relationship, in eroticism and fierce combativeness, is wonderful to watch: The woma n is strong as steel and determined to have her way, but the unschooled man surprises her by his tenderness. And Campion's feel for the location, an overgrown wilderness of rain and privation, makes love and all the other aspects of life seem more desperate.

The year's best thriller is a tense allegory about an innocent man in a world prepared to crush him. Inspired by the cult television series, it is larger and more encompassing; the director, Andrew Davis , paints with bold visual and story strokes so that the movie takes on a kind of w intry grandeur. Photographed in a Chicago where February seems to be the only month, it stars Harrison Ford as an angry everyman determined to find his wife's killer before he himself is jailed for the crime. Tommy Lee Jones is crucial to the film's success, as the lawman who pursues Ford with grim and yet wryly human determination.The movie further establishes Davis as the best of current action directors. After last year's " Under Siege ," it shows him able to deliver thrills and suspense on a mass audience level, while making the absurdities of the plot somehow feel convincing. An early sequence, involving the hero's escape from a bus-train crash, is one of the most sensational action scenes in recent film history.

The characters in this movie all seem to have been saving their stories for years, waiting for a sympathetic ear -- for someone who can imagine what it was like for them. They are older women now, Chinese- Americans who have settled in America and whose children and families can hardly imagine what they went through in early life. But when one of their number dies, there is a reunion in which memory comes rushing back with all of its power, and we see in flashbacks what they have endured. The movie, based on Amy Tan's best-selling novel and directed by Wayne Wang , is so cleverly constructed that we're not aware of its complexity, as we see some of these characters at two or three different times in their lives, trying to survive not only hard times in wartime China, but also the subservient role of women in their traditional society. The movie was described as a "four-hankie weeper," but every tear is earned.

This is the one that got away, the one movie this year that deserves comparison with "Taxi Driver" or " Badlands " or " Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer ." Maybe because of the kooky title, maybe because of an erratic release, maybe because of blindness by many critics, Dominic Sena's work didn't find the audience it deserved. But it is powerful: A film that cuts through the surface of movie violence and says something important about the murderous energies at loose in society.The story brings together four people on a cross- country road odyss ey: a yuppie couple, preparing a book on famous murders, and a couple of dropouts who come along for the ride. Only gradually do we realize that the male hitchhiker ( Brad Pitt ) is fully capable of violence. Pitt and Juliette Lewis , who played his spaced-out girlfriend, gave two of the year's most electrifying performances.

The year's most surprising sleeper is a Mexican film that has recipes instead of stars. The story, set around 1910, centers on a young couple named Tita and Pedro, whose marriage is forbidden by Tita's stern mama. So Pedro marries Tita's older sister simply so he can stay in the family and close to his love. And Tita moves into the kitchen, where for decades she changes the lives of her family by the tears and passion she puts into her cooking.The filmmakers kept it all in the family: The movie was produced and directed by Alfonso Arua, from a screenplay by his wife, Laura Esquivel, whose novel remains on the best- seller lists. Using the Latin American tradition of magic realism, they found humor and poignancy in the story of their long-suffering lovers. A nd also quail, garlic, honey, chilies, mole, cilantro, rose petals and a lot of corn meal.

At a time when the headlines are filled with stories of guns, drugs and mindless urban violence, here is a rare film that tells the story of one of the lost young men of the inner city. He did not get to where he is, we learn, in an hour or a day. It took a lifetime of neglect -- by his parents and his society -- to leave him valuing murder and despair. He is not, as the cliche goes, a "bad kid." But he knows no way to be good, and he is a dang er to himself and others.The movie was written and directed by Allen and Albert Hughes , two brothers in their early 20s. Their hero, Caine ( Tyrin Turner ), cannot quite envision a world for himself outside of the limited existence of guns, cars, drugs and swagger. This movie, like many others, reminds us that murder is the leading cause of death among young black men. But it doesn't blame the easy target of white racism for that; it looks unblinkingly at a street culture that offers its members few choices that are not self-destructive.

This is the year's best biopic, telling the story of a young woman named Anna Mae Bullock from Nutbush, Tenn., who grew up in poverty but got a strong musical start in the church choir, and then was discovered by a bandleader named Ike Turner, who married her, changed her name to "Tina," helped make her a star, and made her life a living hell.The movie stars Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne in two of the best performances of the year, as a couple whose careers and personalities locked them together for years, until Tina Turner finally walked out one day with only small change in her pocket and rebuilt her career, becoming one of the world's top rock concert draws. The movie has a lot of terrific music in it, but is a forceful and unforgettable drama about the sick dynamics of marital abuse.

This warm, insightful gem stars Ashley Judd in a luminous performance, as another small-town girl who escapes -- in this case, driving by herself to a Florida resort area, where she gets a job in a beachwear store and begins to discover who she is. Written and direct ed by Victor Nunez , the film has an unusual sensitivity for its central character, who knows that she wants to earn a living and support herself, who does not want to define herself through a man, but who discovers her clear goal in life only during the film.Often in the movies, "realizing your dream" means engaging in some sort of movie fantasy. " Ruby in Paradise " is firmly rooted in reality -- even to the men in her life, one of whom is bad but not evil, and another who is good but not the answer. Her answer, Ruby finds, is to discover what she loves t o do, and do it. For now, that's selling beachwear. The movie leaves us curious, and confident, about what will happen next.

At film festivals, the juries sometimes award a "Special Jury Prize," which goes to films that are not quite in first place, but too good for second place. This year, five extraordinary films got squeezed out of my list of the year's 10 best. In a lesser year, all of them would have been high on the list. Listed alphabetically, they are: " Farewell My Concubine ," the remarkable overview of more than four decades of recent Chinese history, seen through the eyes of two stars of the Peking Opera. From the Dickensian ordeal of their harsh early training, through the sexual and theatrical politics of their stardom, into the decay of the social system they knew, Chen Kaige's film provides a surprisingly unblinking portrayal of a China long forbidden to its filmmakers. Nancy Savoca's " Household Saints " tells its story through three generations of an Italian-American family in New York. The grandmother is steeped in ancient superstitions, the parents ( Vincent D'Onofrio and Tracey Ullman ) gradually become conventionally middle class, and then their daughter ( Lili Taylor ) disturbs them by, essentially, wanting to become a saint. What the grandmother would have found sensible, the modern parents treat as madness; the film uses sardonic humor and unabashed idealism in questioning modern values." Searching for Bobby Fischer " is based on the true story of a young chess prodigy named Josh Waitzkin, who learned chess in two ways -- from the chess hustlers in Washington Square Park, and from an ascetic, intellectual teacher. The boy uses the best of both worlds, but his parents must decide how much they want to encourage his gift -- whether the world of professional chess is a place where he will find happiness in life. The movie asks an interesting question: Do we have a responsibility to our genius, even if it will lead to the kind of purgatory inhabited by the boy's hero, the troubled chessmaster Bobby Fischer? " Shadowlands " features two of the finest performances of the year, by Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger . Based on real life, it tells of a romance between the British writer and theologian C.S. Lewis, a shy and reserved bachelor, and a brash American divorcee who enters his life and brightens it, not without cost. Few romances can have been more restrained, more tentative and finally more complete.And Anthony Hopkins starred again in "Remains of the Day" as an even shyer and more reserved bachelor. This sad, civilized, elegantly restrained Merchant-Ivory film tells the story of an elderly butler who undertakes a motor journey across Britain, and a simultaneous journey back into his memories. Emma Thompson plays the housekeeper who might once have won his heart, had he let her.

If those five films are all tied somewhere between 10th and 11th place, here is my list of the next 10, alphabetically: " A Bronx Tale ," Robert De Niro's directorial debut, was written by Chazz Palminteri , and the two men star as the father and the local Mafia boss who both try to teach a young boy what they know about life. Oliver Stone's " Heaven and Earth ," the last film in his Vietnam trilogy, tells the epic story of a Vietnamese girl whose life is torn apart by the war, and mended only with great difficulty after she marries an American and moves to the United States."Il Ladro di Bambini," by the director Gianni Amelio , tells the story of a young Italian policeman who in the course of transporting two abused children down the length of the country, comes to care for them and learn lessons about himself. Clint Eastwood's " A Perfect World " stars Kevin Costner , in perhaps his best performance, as an escaped convict who kidnaps a child and then finds himself involved in the issues of his own violent childhood. "King of the Hill," based on the autobiography of writer A.E. Hotchner, stars Jesse Bradford as a young boy left by his desperate parents in a Depression-era St. Louis hotel; using a gift of gab and spontaneous invention, he fends for himself and a younger brother. Vincent Ward's " Map of the Human Heart " tells the extraordinary story of a young Eskimo who through a series of coincidences is brought to Montreal, falls in love with a half-Indian girl, and later finds her again in the chaos of wartime London. Agnieszka Holland's " The Secret Garden " is far and away the best family film of the year , the enchanting story of a young girl brought to live in a gloomy old house, where she finds a sad young invalid and the hidden garden planted by his mother. Robert Altman's " Short Cuts " starts with a group of Raymond Carver short stories, and creates a mosaic of a modern Los Angeles in which feeling and human care are in short supply; the combination of dry realism and unfettered satire is exhilarating. Zhang Yimou's "The Story of Qui Ju" is another glimpse of modern China, this time seen through the eyes of a peasant woman who demands justice when the village leader kicks her husband. Her odyssey takes her to the top of the political system and back down again. And " Un Coeur En Hiver " ("A Heart in Winter"), by Claude Sautet , stars Emmanuelle Beart and Daniel Auteuil in the chill story of a man who cannot love. He repairs violins, but when a beautiful violinist offers her love, he cannot return it, much as he might regret what he has surrendered.So. Twenty-five great films. And to give you an idea what a remarkable year it was at the movies, here are 24 more, any one of which would have been a contender in a lesser year: " The Accompanist ," " Betty ," " Bopha! ," " Carlito's Way ," " Dave ," " Free Willy ," " Geronimo ," " In The Line Of Fire ," " In the Name of the Father ," " Into The West ," " Jacquot ," " The Last Days Of Chez Nous ," " Mac ," " Mad Dog and Glory ," " Matinee ," " Naked ," "Nightmare Before Christmas," " Orlando ," " Philadelphia ," " Rudy ," " This Boy's Life ," "Visions of Light," " What's Eating Gilbert Grape " and " Wrestling Ernest Hemingway ."Altogether during the year, I reviewed 178 movies. If 49 of them were good enough for this list, that means I had a wonderful time at the movies -- hmm, let's see here -- 27.5 percent of the time. And also some merely good times, and some fair times. "Anno mirabilia."

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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50 best movies of 1993

1993 was a year to remember. Bill Clinton was sworn in as the 42nd president of the United States, "The X-Files" premiered on Fox, and Snoop Dogg released "Doggystyle."

It was also a great year for Hollywood, with monster blockbusters, rom coms, housekeeper disguises, and orca whale tales topping the charts. It was the year Leonardo DiCaprio became a star of the silver screen, and when Tom Hanks proved he could carry a drama. It brought us a feature by the esteemed creators of "South Park" and tag lines like "I'm your huckleberry." There were witches, talking dogs, and grumpy old men.

Stacker has compiled a list ranking the 50 best films from 1993, based on their IMDb rankings. To be considered, films must have originated in the U.S., and have at least 10,000 votes.

Read on to see if your favorite film of the year made the list.

RELATED: 100 best movies of all time 

#50. Hocus Pocus

IMDb rating: 6.8

Director: Kenny Ortega

Runtime: 96 min.

This Halloween cult classic was neither a hit with critics nor moviegoers when it first hit theaters in 1993. But the Disney film, which tells the story of teenager Max, who moves to Salem and awakens a trio of witches killed in the Salem Witch Trials. The film is very much a '90s kids movie, but the cast stands out: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy play the witches, and Thora Birch plays Max's sister.  

#49. The Firm

Director: Sydney Pollack

Runtime: 154 min.

This movie, based on the bestseller by John Grisham, follows a young lawyer (Tom Cruise) who takes a lucrative gig at a firm with a dirty secret. Direction from Sydney Pollack gave this movie a true '90s thriller sheen. This stacked cast also features Ed Harris, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Holly Hunter, Gary Busey, and Wilford Brimley. In 2012, NBC attempted  to retell the story as a one-hour drama , without much success.

#48. Sleepless in Seattle

Director: Nora Ephron

Runtime: 105 min.

A true rom com classic, directed by Nora Ephron, the film follows the story of a widower (Tom Hanks) who is spurred back into romance when his son calls a radio show. On the other side of the country, a news reporter (Meg Ryan) hears the broadcast, and falls in love. The rest of the film is a master class in near-misses, fate, and the complications of later-in-life modern love. 

#47. Heart and Souls

IMDb rating: 6.9

Director: Ron Underwood

Runtime: 104 min.

This fantasy comedy tells the story of a businessman (Robert Downey Jr.) who works on behalf of four guardian angels to help tie up loose ends they've left on earth. Downey Jr.'s character is born near a fatal trolley crash, and the four passengers (Tom Sizemore, Kyra Sedgwick, Alfre Woodard, and Charles Godin) look after the throughout his childhood—for better or worse. 

#46. Six Degrees of Separation

Director: Fred Schepisi

Runtime: 112 min.

Based on a true story (and Pulitzer Prize-nominated play ), "Six Degrees of Separation" tells the story of a conman (Will Smith) who convinces affluent New Yorkers that he is the son of actor Sidney Poitier. Stockard Channing and Donald Sutherland play a rich couple who become his marks. The film earned Channing a nomination for Best Actress at the 1994 Academy Awards.  

#45. The House of the Spirits

Director: Bille August

Runtime: 140 min.

Based on the novel by Isabel Allende, "The House of the Spirits" follows a young woman (Meryl Streep) with the ability to predict the future. Her husband (Jeremy Irons), gains power in Chile during its revolution. The story is told by the woman's daughter (Winona Ryder), who falls in love with a revolutionary (Antonio Banderas). The book, "La Casa de los Espíritus," is one of the great debut novels of the 20th century. The film, on the other hand, was panned by critics disappointed that the cast and director could make a "hugely, grandiosely, pompously bad" film .     

#44. Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey

Director: Duwayne Dunham

Runtime: 84 min.

Based on a novel by Sheila Burnford (and a 1963 film), "Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey" helped a generation of kids fall (even deeper) in love with their cats and dogs. In the 1993 Disney version, Michael J. Fox, Don Ameche, and Sally Field voice three lost pets—an immature pit bull, a wise Golden Retriever, and a cat with an attitude, respectively—who set out to find their owners in San Francisco. The film is a classic story of an unlikely group thrust together for a common cause.

#43. Cool Runnings

Director: Jon Turteltaub

Runtime: 98 min.

Due to an accident, a Jamaican sprinter doesn't qualify for the 1988 Olympics. Instead, he recruits a coach (John Candy) to start the first-ever Jamaican bobsled team, bent on qualifying for the games even though they've never seen snow. The movies benefited from a score by Hans Zimmer, and a breakout hit on its soundtrack by Jimmy Cliff.  His cover of "I Can See Clearly Now" hit #18 on the charts. 

#42. Mrs. Doubtfire

Director: Chris Columbus

Runtime: 125 min.

Roger Ebert was not a fan of this film , and many critics made sure to note that this film would never reach the heights of Dustin Hoffman's cross-dressing classic "Tootsie." Nevertheless, everyone else loved this heartwarming comedy about a divorced dad who disguises himself as a British housekeeper to spend more time with his kids. Sally Field plays Williams' ex-wife, and Pierce Brosnan plays the man seemingly poised to replace him.  

#41. Red Rock West

IMDb rating: 7.0

Director: John Dahl

This small "neo-noir" movie was not widely seen, but was loved by critics. Nicholas Cage stars as a drifter mistaken for a hitman hired by Wayne (J.T. Walsh) to kill his wife Suzanne (Lara Flynn Boyle). Cage's character plays along, takes the money, and tries to save the wife. Things spiral when the real hitman (Dennis Hopper) finally arrives. 

#40. Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story

Director: Rob Cohen

Runtime: 120 min.

This Bruce Lee biopic, based on the biography by his widow, Linda Lee Cadwell, tells the story of Lee's rise from a dishwasher in San Francisco to a world-famous actor and martial artist. Tragically, Bruce Lee's son, actor Brandon Lee,  died on the set of "The Crow" the year this film hit theaters.

#39. Grumpy Old Men

Director: Donald Petrie

Runtime: 103 min.

Two neighbors' rivalry is renewed when an attractive professor (Ann-Margret) moves onto the block. The film came out on Christmas Day and was a surprise hit, earning $70 million at the box office . The nostalgic fun of seeing "The Odd Couple" reunite proved irresistible. 

#38. Fearless

IMDb rating: 7.1

Director: Peter Weir

Runtime: 122 min.

Based on a novel by Rafael Yglesias, "Fearless" tells the story of a plane crash survivor (Jeff Bridges) whose subsequent change in character sees him estranged from his wife (Isabella Rossellini). John Turturro plays a psychiatrist studying Bridges' new personality. Rosie Perez was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role as a fellow survivor who bonds with Bridges over their shared trauma.  

Director: Frank Marshall

"Alive" is based on the true story of the 1972 plane crash that stranded the Uruguayan rugby team in the snow-covered Andes mountains. As it becomes clear that no one is coming to save them, a new level of desperation hits. Ethan Hawke stars as Nando Parrado, one of the survivors, and John Malkovich narrates.  

#36. Cannibal! The Musical

IMDb rating: 7.2

Director: Trey Parker

Runtime: 95 min.

Four years before "South Park" premiered, Trey Parker wrote and directed this musical about a pioneer who trades an insatiable appetite for gold for an appetite for human flesh. The film has become a cult classic, especially once Parker and writing partner Matt Stone became worldwide sensations. The two would return the musical genre again: first with "South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut" and again with their  Tony Award-winning Broadway hit, "The Book of Mormon."

#35. The Age of Innocence

Director: Martin Scorsese

Runtime: 139 min.

Based on the classic novel by Edith Wharton, "The Age of Innocence" tells the story of a lawyer (Daniel Day-Lewis) set to marry a high-society woman (Winona Ryder), until he meets her soon-to-be-divorced cousin (Michelle Pfeiffer). Renowned director Martin Scorsese took the helm of this well-received period piece. 

#34. Benny & Joon

Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik

Johnny Depp plays Sam, an illiterate man who fancies himself a modern-day Buster Keaton, who falls in love with a mentally ill woman named Joon (Mary Stuart Masterson). Julianne Moore, Oliver Platt, and William H. Macy all appear in the film as well. The soundtrack helped bring The Proclaimers' "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" from Scotland to an American audience. The song was released in 1988, but didn't hit #3 on the Billboard Charts until August of 1993.

#33. In the Line of Fire

Director: Wolfgang Petersen

Runtime: 128 min.

"In the Line of Fire" is an essential 1990s thriller. Clint Eastwood stars as a Secret Service agent wracked with guilt after John F. Kennedy's assassination. He is called back to action to stop a modern-day presidential assassination. John Malkovich plays a former CIA agent now stalking the sitting president.  

#32. What's Love Got to Do with It

IMDb rating: 7.3

Director: Brian Gibson

Runtime: 118 min.

"What's Love Got to Do with It," based on the book "I, Tina" by Turner and Kurt Loder, tells the true story of Tina Turner's rise and struggle to free herself from her abusive relationship. In the film, Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne play Tina and Ike Turner, and both were nominated for Oscars.

#31. The Secret Garden

Director: Agnieszka Holland

Runtime: 101 min.

Based on the classic novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the 1993 adaptation of this popular story tells the tale of a young British girl living in India, sent to live at her uncle's English manor upon the untimely death of both parents. Her grief lifts upon discovering a walled-in garden on the estate (as well as a surprise in the house). Maggie Smith was nominated for a BAFTA for her portrayal of haughty and uptight housekeeper Mrs. Medlock.  

#30. This Boy's Life

Director: Michael Caton-Jones

Runtime: 115 min.

Based on Tobias Wolff's memoir, this film stars a Leonardo DiCaprio as Toby, a teenager who escapes an abusive father, only to arrive in Seattle where his mother marries another abusive man (Robert De Niro). Eliza Dushku and Tobey Maguire also appear in the film.  

#29. Manhattan Murder Mystery

IMDb rating: 7.4

Director: Woody Allen

In this Woody Allen comedy, a middle-aged couple (Allen and Diane Keaton) dive into an amateur investigation into the mysterious death of their neighbor's wife. The couple is aided by their friends, played by Alan Alda and Anjelica Huston.   

#28. Arizona Dream

Director: Emir Kusturica

Runtime: 142 min.

"Arizona Dream" tells the surreal story of a young man (Johnny Depp) who travels from New York City to Arizona for his uncle's wedding (Jerry Lewis). Depp's character decides to stay in Arizona and meets two women: Elaine Stalker (Faye Dunaway) and her stepdaughter Grace (Lili Taylor).  Tom Petty's "Into the Great Wide Open" was shot on set, and starred Depp and Dunaway.

#27. Much Ado About Nothing

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Runtime: 111 min.

This film, based on the Shakespearean play, has an impressive cast: Emma Thompson, Denzel Washington, Keanu Reeves, Michael Keaton, and Kate Beckinsale all appear in this story of engagements and infidelities. The film was well-received and critically acclaimed, but Reeves was mocked for his portrayal of Don John—in fact,  he got a Razzie for worst performance in a supporting role. Sir Kenneth Branagh starred in and directed the film.  

#26. Searching for Bobby Fischer

IMDb rating: 7.5

Director: Steven Zaillian

Runtime: 109 min.

Based on the book by the father of chess prodigy Josh Waitzkin, "Searching for Bobby Fischer" tells the story of a young chess champion and the pressure to become the "next Bobby Fischer." Ben Kingsley plays the young prodigy's coach, who tries to push him to become brutally aggressive like Fischer. The boy is also mentored by Vinnie (Laurence Fishburne), a speed chess hustler who plays in Washington Square Park. The film was nominated for Best Cinematography at the 1994 Academy Awards, losing out to "Schindler's List."  

#25. Menace II Society

Director: Albert and Allen Hughes

Runtime: 97 min.

This powerful directorial debut by the Hughes brothers tells the story of a young Caine Lawson and his friends getting pulled into a life of crime. Samuel L. Jackson and Jada Pinkett Smith star, and Tupac Shakur was originally supposed to be in the film, but was fired by Allen Hughes .  

Director: David Anspaugh

Runtime: 114 min.

A sports movie classic, "Rudy" tells the true story of an undersized walk-on who works tirelessly to play on the Notre Dame football team. Sean Astin stars as the titular Rudy, and Jon Favreau as his friend and tutor. The film was written by Angelo Pizzo and directed by David Anspaugh—the same duo that wrote and directed "Hoosiers."

#23. A Perfect World

Director: Clint Eastwood

Runtime: 138 min.

Clint Eastwood directed this road thriller, starring Kevin Costner as an escaped convict who kidnaps a young boy. Eastwood plays a Texas Ranger on his trail, aided by a criminologist (Laura Dern) and an FBI agent (Bradley Whitford). The film is rarely mentioned as one of Eastwood's best, but it was both critically and commercially successful.

#22. The Joy Luck Club

IMDb rating: 7.6

Director: Wayne Wang

Based on the best-selling novel by Amy Tan (who also wrote the screenplay), "The Joy Luck Club" follows four Chinese women and their Chinese-American adult daughters. The film investigates the women's difficult relationships through flashbacks to their respective childhoods. Despite its success, both critically and at the box office, the film did not spur a wave of Asian-American films in Hollywood. 25 years later, "Crazy Rich Asians" was the next major film telling an Asian-American story.  

#21. Falling Down

Director: Joel Schumacher

Runtime: 113 min.

This strange film follows a recently divorced and laid-off man (Michael Douglas) who walks across Los Angeles to his daughter's birthday party, leaving a path of destruction. Robert Duvall plays an LAPD sergeant who attempts to track down Douglas.

#20. The Wedding Banquet

IMDb rating: 7.7

Director: Ang Lee

Runtime: 106 min.

This 1993 romantic comedy by Ang Lee tells the story of a gay Taiwanese man (Winston Chao) who agrees to marry a Chinese woman (May Chin) to help her get a green card and placate his traditional parents. When his parents arrive and insist on a grand wedding banquet, complications ensue. This film was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the 1994 Oscars. 12 years later, Lee would win his first of two Best Director Oscars for "Brokeback Mountain."  

#19. Gettysburg

Director: Ron Maxwell

Runtime: 271 min.

Based on the historical novel "The Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara, "Gettysburg" tells the story of the gruesome three-day Civil War battle, during which more than 7,000 American soldiers were killed . The film is perhaps the most "epic" of war epics, clocking in at more than four hours. Martin Sheen plays Robert E. Lee, and Jeff Daniels is a standout among the stacked cast, portraying Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain.  

#18. Short Cuts

Director: Robert Altman

Runtime: 188 min.

Based on nine short stories and a poem by Raymond Carver, this ensemble film by Robert Altman weaves together the stories of 22 Angelenos dealing with different variations of emptiness and infidelity. The cast features Julianne Moore, Matthew Modine, Tim Robbins, Robert Downey Jr., Jennifer Jason Leigh, Lily Tomlin, Jack Lemmon, and Frances McDormand.   

#17. Dazed and Confused

Director: Richard Linklater

Runtime: 102 min.

Richard Linklater's "Dazed and Confused" follows a interwoven friend groups—the stoners, the cool kids, and the incoming eighth-graders—finally uniting everyone at a keg party. Ben Affleck as a bully and Matthew McConaughey as a somewhat unsavory twenty-something who befriends high school students are standouts. Parker Posey said this was the best time she ever had on a set.

#16. Philadelphia

Director: Jonathan Demme

In "Philadelphia," Tom Hanks plays lawyer Andrew Beckett, who is fired from his firm when his AIDS diagnosis is made public. After a difficult search, Beckett finally finds a lawyer (Denzel Washington) willing to represent him in a discrimination lawsuit. Hanks had been a much-loved movie star before this film, but his portrayal of Beckett brought his career to a new level. He won the Academy Award in 1994 (then again in 1995).

#15. The Sandlot

IMDb rating: 7.8

Director: David Mickey Evans

1993 was a big year for nostalgic sports movies. Transporting the viewer to the summer of 1962, this classic tells the story of an awkward new kid in town, who finds a group of goofy, baseball-loving friends. Dennis Leary plays the boy's unpleasant stepfather, and James Earl Jones plays Mr. Mertle, the frightening owner of Beast, an English Mastiff who's ruining their good time. Bleacher Report named "The Sandlot" the greatest sports movie of all time .

#14. Tombstone

Director: George P. Cosmatos

Runtime: 130 min.

Famous lawman Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) attempts to settle into a quiet retirement in Tombstone, Arizona, hoping to spend his days with his brothers (Sam Elliott and Bill Paxton) and his old friend Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer). Unfortunately, a band of bandits start making trouble in the era, so Earp and his crew head back into the fray.   

#13. A Bronx Tale

Director: Robert De Niro

Runtime: 121 min.

This mob movie classic, starring and directed by Robert De Niro, tells the story of a father who tries desperately to keep his young son away from mafia life. Chazz Palminteri plays the local mob boss in this film adapted from his autobiographical one-man show. De Niro bought the rights to the story after seeing the show in Los Angeles. It was his directorial debut, and helped launch Palminteri's film acting career.    

#12. What's Eating Gilbert Grape

Director: Lasse Hallström

Though "This Boy's Life" proved that Leonardo DiCaprio was a young actor to watch, "What's Eating Gilbert Grape," which premiered just a couple weeks later, showed his true talents. DiCaprio plays Arnie Grape, the mentally challenged younger brother of Gilbert Grape (Johnny Depp), a grocery store clerk. Juliette Lewis co-stars as Becky, the out-of-towner who falls for Gilbert Grape. DiCaprio was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 1995 Academy Awards. 

#11. The Fugitive

Director: Andrew Davis

Based on the 1960s TV series, "The Fugitive" tells the story of Dr. Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford), who escapes from custody and goes on the run after having been wrongfully convicted of his wife's murder and becoming the subject of a nation-wide manhunt led by Deputy Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones). This action thriller was critically acclaimed and a hit at the box office; it also was nominated for seven Oscars. Jones won Best Supporting Actor. The film is regularly cited as an example of a fan-favorite that was also an Oscar favorite .

#10. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

IMDb rating: 7.9

Director: Eric Radomski

Runtime: 76 min.

This animated Batman movie is ambitious, but was a bit grim for some critics who were put off by the amount of violence in a PG-rated cartoon. The story focuses on a vigilante murderer the police mistake for Batman. Mark Hamill put down his lightsaber to voice "The Joker" in this film.   

#9. The Remains of the Day

Director: James Ivory

Runtime: 134 min.

Adapted from the award-winning book by Kazuo Ishiguro, "The Remains of the Day" tells the story of Stevens (Anthony Hopkins), the butler at an English manor in the years before World War II. The film focuses on the day-to-day life and unrealized love for one of the housekeepers (Emma Thompson), as lord of the manor creeps toward fascist ideology. James Ivory, who wrote the screenplay for "Call Me By Your Name," was nominated for Best Director at the 1995 Academy Awards. Both Hopkins and Thompson were also nominated.  

#8. Carlito's Way

Director: Brian De Palma

Runtime: 144 min.

After his release from prison, Carlito (Al Pacino) does his best to steer clear of the world of drugs, crime, and violence that surrounds him. When he takes a job at a nightclub, it becomes harder and harder to stay on the straight and narrow. Pacino and director Brian De Palma reunited for this film 10 years after their cult classic mob movie "Scarface." Sean Penn plays Carlito's friend and scummy lawyer, and John Leguizamo plays on-the-rise gangster Benny Blanco.

#7. True Romance

Director: Tony Scott

Runtime: 119 min.

This film, directed by Tony Scott and written by Quentin Tarantino, stars Christian Slater as a pop culture nerd who marries a call girl (Patricia Arquette), kills her pimp (Gary Oldman), then runs off to Los Angeles. The cast is impressive: Dennis Hopper plays the main character's father, Christopher Walken plays a terrifying mob boss, James Gandolfini is the mob muscle, and Brad Pitt is a stoner roommate. Even Samuel L. Jackson shows up for a bit part. Tarantino's breakthrough came the year before with "Reservoir Dogs." The year after, he would write and direct "Pulp Fiction."  

#6. Blood In, Blood Out

IMDb rating: 8.0

Director: Taylor Hackford

Runtime: 180 min.

Written by poet Jimmy Santiago Baca, "Blood In, Blood Out" tells the story of three members from a Mexican family who take divergent paths from a life of crime in East Los Angeles. Critics are lukewarm on this film , but it's loved by fans.

#5. The Nightmare Before Christmas

Director: Henry Selick

Produced by Tim Burton, "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is the stop-motion dark epic musical we didn't know we needed until it arrived. The film tells the story of Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King, who grows tired of running Halloween and decides to try to do Santa's job this year. The film was a box office hit and critically lauded, with Roger Ebert putting it in a class of revolutionary world-building alongside "Metropolis" and "Star Wars."  

#4. Groundhog Day

Director: Harold Ramis

Harold Ramis ("Caddyshack" and "Ghostbusters") wrote and directed the classic comedy that asks the question: "What if you had to live the same day over and over again?" Bill Murray stars as Phil, a crotchety weatherman sent to report on a small town's Groundhog Day festivities. Each morning, he wakes up to "I Got You Babe" on his radio alarm before reliving the same day. Andie Macdowell plays Rita, who lives each day with Phil before the loop restarts. Ramis was arguably the most important comedy writer of the second half of the 20th century , authoring and directing all-time great comedies and influencing the next generation of comedy writers .  

#3. In the Name of the Father

IMDb rating: 8.1

Director: Jim Sheridan

Runtime: 133 min.

Based on the autobiography of Gerry Conlon, "In the Name of the Father" tells the true story of Conlon (Daniel Day-Lewis) and the rest of the Guildford Four, who were wrongfully accused of being members of the Irish Republican Army. The film traces Conlon's life of petty crime before the bombing, the trial and injustice after the conviction, and the fight to clear their names. Day-Lewis was nominated for Best Actor, with co-stars Emma Thompson, Pete Postlewaite, and director Jim Sheridan receiving nominations as well.    

#2. Jurassic Park

Director: Steven Spielberg

Runtime: 127 min.

Based on the bestseller by Michael Crichton, "Jurassic Park" takes place at a dinosaur-themed park where visitors can view dinosaurs brought back to life by genetic engineering, until things go horribly wrong. Spielberg used animatronics and practical effects to create the dinosaurs, which has enabled "Jurassic Park" to age very well. Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum star in this enduring classic action film.   

#1. Schindler's List

IMDb rating: 8.9

Runtime: 195 min.

In the same year that Steven Spielberg released the dinosaur movie that earned $357 million, he  directed one of the greatest films of all time . "Schindler's List" tells the true story of Polish businessman Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), who is slowly spurred to action to save his Jewish workforce from the Nazi occupiers. Ben Kingsley plays Schindler's Jewish accountant, and Ralph Fiennes plays an SS officer. The film was nominated for 12 Oscars, going on to win seven, including Best Picture and Best Director. Schindler's story remains an inspiring tale of unlikely heroism to this day. 

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15 Best Movies of 1993

On the face of it, 1993 doesn’t seem to be strikingly great year for cinema, especially when you compare it with the following year, 1994 . But look a little deeper and you find great little gems. And there’s always the big gem called ‘Schindler’s List’. Here is a list of top movies of 1993:

15. This Boy’s Life

Based on a memoir by Tobias Wolff, about his own childhood, the film’s small but effective package is DiCaprio’s innocence and sharpness, who is well helped by the presence of artists like Robert De Niro and then Golden Globe nominee Ellen Barkin. A harrowing drama, the film takes you into Tobias’s mind and make you feel his pain and impatience.

Notably, the film also starred Tobey Maguire in a supporting role, who has been a long time friend of DiCaprio. Both actors made a pact in their childhood to find work for each other in their days of struggle.

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14. A Perfect World

An escaped convict and his partner kidnaps a young boy and flee on a road trip to Texas. Things take an interesting turn when the boy embarks a slight of friendship with his captor.

Loosely exploring the theme of Stockholm Syndrome, the film is a highly recommended and applauded underrated movie, starring legends Kevin Costner and Clint Eastwood in one of their finest roles of all time. While Costner plays the unstable murderer, Eastwood returns in his ‘Dirty Harry’ shoes as a sympathetic but law-abiding officer. Then 7-yr old, T.J. Lowther leaves a nice and canny impression with his innocent delivery.

Eastwood’s direction is something you’ll stand up for. His way of driving the story through the character’s heart is something watchable. I guarantee your mind will be swayed away till the end, which is definitely going to leave you teary-eyed.

Surprisingly, the film failed to grab any nomination in major award ceremonies, though was able to make $135 million at the box-office.

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13. In The Name of the Father

What if the very law established to defend the people coerces one into a wrongful conviction and destroys several lives in the process? ‘In The Name of the Father’ is a similar heart-breaking tale of injustice.

Based on real-life convictions of Gerry Conlon and his father along with three others in the case of Guildford Pub Bombings in 1974, this film is the factual on-screen incarnation of the shocking court procedure spanned over 15 years in the aftermath of the bombings. The film is led by Daniel Day-Lewis as Conlon, showcasing every bit of his talent (which he has groomed), through his expressions, voice, walking style, and his physique. While moving forward with the film, it gets more intense and painful accepting the fact it all happened for real.

Pete Postlethwaite’s performance is another brilliance of the film which is yet again a devastating character, that’ll make you cry. Directed by Jim Sheridan, the film received 7 Academy Award nominations including the “Big Five”, and remains one of the best-underrated movies of all time.

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12. Mrs. Doubtfire

Robin Williams takes his skills to a whole another level in this family tale of a father’s efforts to be with his kids after his wife divorces him. The story follows Daniel, a voice actor, who sneak in his own house as an old nanny to be with his kids, after the divorce.

The only thing that makes this film, which seems like a simple short story, a theatrical comedy venture, is Robin William’s bright and shine performance and Gregg Canom’s Oscar-winning makeup, both of them bringing Mrs. Doubtfire to life. The film explores how a divorce is not just between the couple and its adverse effects on the entire family, but with a taste of comic relief; something Williams is expert at. Sally Field stars in a prominent role as Miranda, Daniel’s wife, a character that admirably explores the efforts of a single mother to keep her family happy.

Apart from the Academy Award for Best Make-up, the film also won Best Picture and Best Actor- Musical or Comedy at the 51st Golden Globe Awards, and was the second-highest grossing film of 1993, behind ‘Jurassic Park’.

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11. Age of Innocence

A young lawyer, while defending a Countess, against her abusive husband, falls in love with her client. Things turn sour when he realizes that the woman he’s been engaged is Countess’s cousin.

Based on 1920 novel of the same name, director Martin Scorcese brings a period love-drama starring Daniel-Day Lewis in the lead; which makes the film worth a try already. Scorcese’s first stint at a complete romantic film, ‘The Age of Innocence’ deals with the barriers of a high-class society keeping their members in chains and showcases the efforts of the protagonist couple finding their escape to life. Shot in Scorcese-style, the film’s narrative and cinematography are just impeccable.

Also, Scorcese follows his usual routine to cast major ensemble even for minor roles. Opposite Lewis stars Michelle Pfeiffer along with Winona Ryder, while Richard E . Grant, Robert Sean Leonard and Geraldine Chaplin star in supporting roles.

‘The Age of Innocence’ was a major commercial failure and was struck by a box-office loss. Despite that, the film was an equally successful venture among critics and was nominated for 5 Academy Awards and won for Costume Design. Winona Ryder won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress.

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10. True Romance

Murder, gun-fights, mafia, drugs, chase, blood and sex. Hence the title ‘True Romance’. The story of a hooker and a pop-obsessed loner on a run from deadly mafia is all you need when you’re in the mood for something out of the world.

Now why there’s all that in the film; cause it’s written by none other than Quentin Tarantino, his fourth screenplay at that time. So there’s not a single moment where you can relax and all you get is a complete thunderous package of thrill and blood with a pinch of sex and a dozen of awesome acting performances which are worth remembering for.

Apart from a badass writer, the film blends in ‘Top Gun’ director Tony Scott, music composer Hans Zimmer, and a huge ensemble in lead and supporting role. Patricia Arquette plays the hooker wife while the Elvis Perselyish husband is played by Christian Slater. Both the actors are nothing but pure brilliance and have coordinated amazingly with the fellow actors, thus, not letting the film go off the plot.

The film also stars Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, Christopher Walken, Brad Pitt and Samuel Jackson (to name a few), all in distinctive punk roles. A no-show at the awards ceremonies, this loud and wild dark romance is worth every second.

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9. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm

In 1992, DC began a revolution in superhero genre with its animated series focusing on their popular caped crusader. Voiced by Kevin Conroy along with his nemesis Joker (voiced by Mark Hamill), the dark knight won hearts across the globe and resulted in DC’s Animated Universe.

With a vision to put Batman back on big-screen in a darker version, the studio released their first animated Batman film ‘Mask of the Phantasm’, in cinematic continuation to the series. The film focuses on Batman taking on Joker and dealing with a new masked vigilante who has implicated him in a series of mass murders.

The film serves as a fair means to revive the early memories of the real dark and lonely Batman and hear the voices that brought the characters of Batman and Joker to life. Though it’s just cartoon, I must say this not something made to attract just kids and is the best Batman story in an animated version. The theme of the film gives a noir-style experience when you watch it while the murder mystery maintains your interest throughout.

Considered best animated Batman film ever, ‘Mask of the Phantasm’ is a movie you can watch again and again on your mobile while you follow your daily routine. (P.S.: I am doing the same for some time now)

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8. The Fugitive

In this chilling police-convict run and chase story, Harrison Ford stars as the man seeking revenge for his wife’s murder while Tommy Lee Jones is the man of law, who is bent on getting the culprit behind bars. Directed by Andrew Davis, ‘The Fugitive’ is a story of a wrongfully convicted husband who escapes custody to prove his innocence while a team of U.S. Marshalls set a task to find him.

It’s not a regular cat and mouse run but is a fantastic blend of mystery, thrill, and action and is considered one of the finest films of its type, made after Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘North By Northwest’. The film’s plotline never gets slow and boring and the events happening keep making it more and more interesting. From Indiana Jones and Han Solo, Ford makes another heroic character to be included on the list, while Tommy Lee Jones comes as a special surprise for the viewers in a role quite distinctive ha had played in his career.

Nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, the film won Best Supporting Actor for Jones, and also a Golden Globe in the same category.

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7. Cliffhanger

Mountain climber Gabriel Walker goes on a rescue mission to help stranded plane crash survivors in the Rocky Mountains. But he learns that he is actually trapped in a heist by violent robbers, looking for their stash lost in the mountains.

‘Cliffhanger’ is a movie filled with thrill, action, and adventure, all of it at 4000 ft. above the earth. That’s the part where you get excited. Action superstar Sylvester Stallone plays Gabriel, a climber stuck in a villainous plan and trying to overcome haunts from his past. In his years of stardom, ‘Cliffhanger’ is an additional trophy in his career of ‘Rocky’ and ‘Rambo’. Directed by Renny Harlin, who gave us ‘Die Hard 2.0’ a year before this, the film has similar overblown stunts, but are acceptable just because its Stallone doing them. But at last, the film satisfies the viewer by perfectly creating the mountainous world which comes really handy to grab your attention. I would not call it better than ‘Rambo’ and ‘Rocky’, but yeah, a notable spot in Stallone’s movie-list.

The film was nominated for three Academy Awards but lost to Jurassic Park in all the categories. It was also a commercial success grossing $255 million.

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6. Groundhog Day

Weatherman Phil Connors, an arrogant and frustrated man finds himself stuck in a time loop in a place he hates to his guts. With all the time in the world, he sets off on a journey to change the way he wants to embrace his life and gets to know the people around him.

One of the first films made on the time-loop concept, ‘Groundhog Day’ remains a basis of comparison for the other films of the genre, even in the modern cinema. The film follows a bewitching tale of time and explores aspects of a man’s life which he himself isn’t aware of. Bill Murray’s one of the most laudable performance and the light-hearted storytelling makes this a close to the heart adventure.

Also starring Frances McDormand, the film has gained a huge popularity, however big-budget films of the year completely over-shadowed it. The film was preserved by National Film Registry in 2006. Notably, the film also marked the debut appearance of actor Michael Shannon.

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5. Philadelphia

‘A Song of Love’ (1950), ‘Maurice’ (1987), ‘The Servant’ (1963), and ‘Paris Is Burning’ (1990). Hollywood has been active in portraying the life of people from LGBT community for a long time and has promoted the heated topic through some interesting screenplays.

‘Philadelphia’ is such a story of a man who is thrown out of his job when he is tested HIV positive, and his subsequent fight for his rights in the court of law. One of the most applauded and factually correct films based on LGBT issues and in 1993, when AIDS was still a taboo, I’d say it’s quite a risky effort director Jonathan Demme took and delivered something like ‘Philadelphia’.

With a complete A-listers in the crew, which includes director Demme, Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Antonio Banderas and cinematographer Tak Fujimoto; it leaves no doubt, that there is nothing less than “greatness” you’ll be seeing on-screen. The film won 2 Academy Awards including Best Actor for Hanks.

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4. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape

YES, it’s not the best film at all. It hasn’t got any thrilling plot, mind-blowing action, melodious music or big-budget sets. The one thing there’s to watch in ‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape’ is Leonardo DiCaprio and his team-up with Johnny Depp.

In a story focusing on an Iowa family of 5, Depp stars as Gilbert, a young man caring for his brother and family while he wishes to do better in life, whereas DiCaprio stars as brother Arnie, a kid with a developmental disability, who look upon his brother as his idol. DiCaprio gives a performance that actually marked a turning point in his career. He’s at his best to make his character come alive and it’s the first sign of his ways to research in a character, which is seen in his modern day films.

Depp, being the lead does a terrific job as well. His ability to be in command of a script and to execute it so well makes you wonder that he has come a long way in his career. Juliette Lewis stars in a significant role, a character who shapes the better part of the plot.

All praise to DiCaprio for the film’s critical response. Despite the film’s box-office blunder, he was nominated for his first Academy Award and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and received a National Board of Review Award for the same. He was nominated for 9 different Award ceremonies.

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3. The Piano

An emotional tale of a mute woman and her daughter and their love for music, ‘The Piano’ is a film that actually makes the saying “Music is a universal language for mankind” come true. A beautiful and compelling film, with a dark node attached to it, ‘The Piano’ is a great film in all aspects.

Performances from Holly Hunter and Harvey Keitel are one of their remarkable ones in which they allow us to simultaneously enter the lives of both characters, which is really admiring to explore. The heart and soul of the film are Flora, played by then 11-yr old Anna Paquin. One of the best cinematic debuts, Anna’s portrayal of Flora is the viewer’s treat and a passage to escape into the film.

Jane Campion’s direction, assisted by the best-selling soundtrack from Michael Nyman makes this musical interlude a treasure of cinematic industry.

The New Zealand production won 11 AACTA Awards and 3 Academy Awards including Best Picture. Anna Paquin became the second-youngest Oscar winner at the age of 11, grabbing for Best Supporting Actress.

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2. Jurassic Park

Genetically cloned Dinosaurs go rogue in a theme park dropping havoc of death and destruction upon the visitors and residents of the park. Wait, What?

Yep! Dinosaurs in the modern world. Two dominating species co-existing in the same timeline. That’s what Steven Spielberg’s milestone film in the field of sound and visual effects is about. The film is a groundbreaking cinematic piece which broke barriers of CGI and science-fiction elements in a story and has been a source of inspiration for the films of the genre till date.

Based on a 1990 novel of the same name, ‘Jurassic Park’ is a film that will take you to a horrific sci-fi world which will not only pump up your adrenaline but will leave a lifetime impact on your mind, making you wonder about what you just watched. Filled with names like Sam Neil, Jeff Goldblum, and Richard Attenborough, the film is a conspicuous gift for movie buffs.

Grossing $914 million, the film was the highest-grossing film of all time till 1997 and was highly praised for its technical achievements. Over the years it has spawned three equally commercial successful sequels, while a fourth one is slated to release this year. Probably, visual and sound effects have been highly modified in present times, but it was ‘Jurassic Park’ who set the things in motion.

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1. Schindler’s List

Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film was first pitched to him in 1983. At that moment, Spielberg wasn’t sure of his capabilities to direct a Holocaust film and delayed its production until next 10 years and tried to pass on the project to various directors in the meantime. He finally hired Steven Zaillian to adapt the screenplay in 1991 and decided to direct it himself.

The film is shot in black & white, “in order to showcase the dark times of WWII”, as quoted by Spielberg. Spielberg cast Liam Neeson, then an unknown face as the lead and made him an overnight star. Neeson gave a splendid performance with an improvised German accent and resurrected Oskar Schindler on-screen. An equally praisable performance was given by Ralph Fiennes as Amon Goeth, the evil, hungry for power Nazi-officer. A must watch, ‘Schindler’s List’ makes you a lifetime lover of itself and leaves an everlasting impression on your mind.

Also starring Ben Kingsley, the film won seven Academy Awards, seven BAFTA Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards, winning Best Picture and Best Director for Spielberg in all three ceremonies. It remains the best Holocaust films ever made and I strongly recommend this film to those who haven’t watched it yet.

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Top 50 best movies in 1993

Based on moviemeter ratings, these are the 50 best movies released in the year 1993.

This is a list of the best 50 movies from 1993 and highly rated on MovieMeter. Click on a title of a movie to find more information about movie.

• Top 25 best action movies from 1993
• Top 25 best thriller movies from 1993
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• Top 25 best drama movies from 1993
• Top 25 best comedy movies from 1993
• Top 10 best 'violence'-movies from 1993

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Jerry Seinfeld’s Unfrosted Started with a Joke, But Pop-Tarts Were Serious Business for Their Creator

The new Netflix film is a humorous parody of the snack’s origin, but William Post was largely responsible for its smashing success in real life.

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Unfrosted hits streaming service Netflix on Friday, May 3, and provides a fictional look at the creation of Pop-Tarts in the 1960s. TV legend Seinfeld, 70, directed the farcical film and stars as Bob Cabana, a Kellogg’s executive determined to win over consumers with the new fruit-filled pastries.

But while Cabana may be the hero of Unfrosted , he was no Pop-Tart prodigy in real life. In fact, he didn’t exist at all. According to one of the movie’s writers and producers, Seinfeld’s character is a stand-in for William “Bill” Post , the real bakery plant manager who helped perfect the tasty treat.

Here’s what you need to know about Post, his legacy, and why he is absent from the new movie.

Post worked his way up the corporate ladder

Born on June 27, 1927, to Dutch immigrants in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Post showed off his persistent work ethic from an early age.

According to the New York Times , Post worked part-time washing trucks for the Hekman Biscuit Company while attending high school. After graduating in 1945, he was drafted into the Army Air Corps and served overseas in Japan.

Post returned to Michigan and his Hekman gig soon after. He enrolled at Calvin College but dropped out in 1950 when he was promoted to full-time personnel manager at the baking company. By 1964, he was in charge of the Grand Rapids plant for Hekman—eventually part of the Keebler Company.

That year, four executives from the Kellogg Company met with Post about a new product that could alter the course of breakfast.

Post and his team made thousands of samples

The Kellogg’s prototype was simple—two pieces of dough that formed a rectangle with filling inside. The company wanted the product to be toaster-friendly, serving as a direct foil to the Country Squares created by rival Post (no relation to Bill).

“There were so many naysayers,” Bill Post told WWMT News Channel 3 in 2021. “Some of my good friends would say, ‘I don’t know, Bill.’ They would tell us it’s not such a good idea.” Despite this, he agreed to help, forming a team to perfect the new food item in only two weeks.

“To get that done, I had to break every rule in the book,” Post said . He estimated he and his team made about 10,000 samples by hand.

In the meantime, Post enlisted his son Dan, 13, and daughter Rachel, 9, as unofficial taste-testers. Progress came quickly: “And the first ones—I have to tell you—were not great. So we would kind of pull up our nose,” Dan Post told NPR . “And we’d say, well, more filling, or the crust is, like, too hard. And so, within two weeks, it was a really good product. I mean, we really liked it.”

The squares debuted in 1964 with four flavors: strawberry, blueberry, brown sugar cinnamon, and apple-currant. The frosting came a few years later, also Post’s idea.

They were initially called fruit scones, but the Kellogg marketing department knew it could come up with a much punchier name. Chairman William LaMothe found inspiration from famed painter Andy Warhol and the widespread “pop art” movement, settling on similar-sounding Pop-Tarts.

Post wasn't officially credited as a creator

Post and Kellogg’s had a bonafide hit, as the first test shipment of 45,000 cases for each flavor wholly sold out in Cleveland, Ohio. Almost six decades later, consumers purchased around 3 billion Pop-Tarts in 2022.

According to his NYT obituary , Post eventually became the senior vice president at Keebler before retiring at age 56. He went on to serve as a consultant for the Kellogg Company for another 20 years.

His passion for Pop-Tarts didn’t waver. Post frequently spoke to students about his story, hoping to inspire them to work hard and pursue their dreams. After arriving in style, his car sporting a “POPTART” license plate, he passed out samples of the snack from his continuous supply.

Post died of heart failure at age 96 on February 10 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His passing drew attention to a surprising fact: He was not officially cited by Kellogg’s as a creator of Pop-Tarts.

The official corporate history of Pop-Tarts credits LaMothe for his “vision of transforming a delicious breakfast into a toaster-ready rectangle that could go anywhere” in 1963. Similarly, “Doc” Joe Thompson and his kitchen crew are cited with creating “an ingenious hack on toast and jam.” However, Post’s role in perfecting the Pop-Tart recipe is not mentioned.

After news of Post’s death, the Kellogg snacks branch—now known as Kellanova after a 2023 division within the company—did release a statement saying he had “played an important role in co-creating the iconic Pop-Tarts brand.”

In any case, Post was a crucial part of the pastry’s history and the blueprint for the new film.

Post was initially part of Unfrosted

Because the Pop-Tarts brand was not involved in the making of Unfrosted —though it did give permission for the film—Seinfeld and his team of writers had plenty of creative freedom with the plot and characters—including Bob Cabana, essentially a substitute for Post.

Writer and producer Spike Feresten recently explained to Eater that Post was a character early in the creative process, but writers found his last name—the same as the rival company to Kellogg—problematic. “We did have the character named Bill Post in a couple of drafts, and we liked the idea that [character] Edsel Kellogg would be suspicious of someone named Post,” Feresten said. “But when we realized the movie was only going to be about 90 minutes, we thought that might be too much of a wrinkle, and it might confuse the audience.”

Watch Unfrosted on Netflix starting May 3

The film’s plot includes fictional depictions of real-life figures like President John F. Kennedy , former Russian premier Nikita Khrushchev , broadcaster Walter Cronkite , and comedian Johnny Carson . However, none had a true role in the creation of Pop-Tarts. “That was the guiding principle: There were not rules as far as it had to be the person [involved] or not be the person; it’s just whatever’s funniest,” Feresten said.

Jerry Seinfeld directs and plays Cabana in Unfrosted , which begins streaming Friday, May 3. Melissa McCarthy , Hugh Grant , Amy Schumer , and Peter Dinklage co-star in the snack-based comedy.

Tyler Piccotti first joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor in February 2023, and before that worked almost eight years as a newspaper reporter and copy editor. He is a graduate of Syracuse University. When he's not writing and researching his next story, you can find him at the nearest amusement park, catching the latest movie, or cheering on his favorite sports teams.

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