Pop the VHS tape into your VCR, get cozy in your windbreaker, make sure your Tamagotchi is fed, and settle in for a good movie—what are you watching?
Lucky for you, the ’90s gave us a ton of great film offerings! So many beautiful period films, swoon-worthy romances, hysterical comedies, twisted thrillers, and moody dramas. Every decade has these same offerings, but I feel like the ’90s really did all of that and more. It became a decade that’s forever loved and admired!
Last week we ranked the Oscar winners, but this week I want your top 10 favorite performances and films that did not win Oscars—nominees or not nominated, only. They don’t have to be prestige films or cinephile picks, just movies you enjoy from the ’90s that didn’t win an Oscar. So, which ones are you popping into that VCR? We’re diving straight into the fun this week!
Jerm’s Favorite Films of the ’90s (Nominees or Not Nominated)
- Fight Club
- The Truman Show
- Sense and Sensibility
- The Shawshank Redemption
- Jackie Brown
- Edward Scissorhands
- The Bridges of Madison County
- The Prince of Egypt
- The River Wild
- Fried Green Tomatoes
Everyone—well, mostly everyone—loves Fight Club, so it’s no surprise to see it on my list. The Truman Show is pure brilliance. Honestly, there are times I feel like America is The Truman Show, and everyone else in the world is just watching and laughing. I’m sure if America were a TV show, it would be MUST SEE TV.
Sense and Sensibility is just so good—I love everything about it, even if some of the age casting choices were… questionable. I love a good period romance! The Shawshank Redemption is one of the most rewatchable films out there—it never gets old, always uplifts, and always inspires. “Get busy living, or get busy dying.”
Jackie Brown feels like an underrated Tarantino film that deserves far more love and appreciation. Edward Scissorhands—top-tier Burton: fun, quirky, and iconic. The Bridges of Madison County—top-tier Queen Meryl. That moment where she almost opens the car door near the end? Perfect tension—you feel it deeply.
The Prince of Egypt—phenomenal music! But no major studio would make this today; the only one that might is Angel Studios, which is a shame. I love a good Biblical epic, even if they aren’t always accurate. The River Wild—a fun thriller with Kevin Bacon and Meryl Streep—feels like a secret gem. Fried Green Tomatoes is funny, moving, inspiring—a true comfort movie!
Jerm’s Favorite Performances of the ’90s (Nominees or Not Nominated)
- Leonardo DiCaprio – What’s Eating Gilbert Grape
- Jim Carrey – The Truman Show
- Pam Grier – Jackie Brown
- Annette Bening – American Beauty
- Tim Robbins – The Shawshank Redemption
- Meryl Streep – The Bridges of Madison County
- Kevin Bacon and Meryl Streep – The River Wild
- Kathy Bates – Fried Green Tomatoes
- Joseph Fiennes – Shakespeare in Love
- Jamie Lee Curtis – True Lies
Leo should have long been an Oscar winner—he absolutely deserved it for What’s Eating Gilbert Grape. He’s undeniably brilliant, and to me, the only time he’s been better was in The Wolf of Wall Street.
Jim Carrey getting snubbed for The Truman Show is a crime. PERIOD. Pam Grier should’ve been a slam-dunk nomination. Annette Bening—near perfect, over the top, and magnificently unhinged—gave one of my favorite performances ever.
Tim Robbins was every bit as good, if not better, than Morgan Freeman in The Shawshank Redemption. If that movie came out now, one of them would’ve been campaigned in supporting so they could both get nominated. Supporting categories have become the place to rig the system—but I’ll get off my soapbox and move on.
Meryl, in both The Bridges of Madison County and The River Wild, shows her range—even if we already knew she had it. She’s brilliant in both! Kevin Bacon should’ve received Oscar attention too; it would’ve been a great supporting actor nomination. Kathy Bates rarely lets me down—she just charms the heck out of you in Fried Green Tomatoes. You feel for her, and somehow you get swept up in that wild story.
Joseph Fiennes—HOW WAS HE NOT NOMINATED?! Jamie Lee Curtis in True Lies easily should’ve had her first nomination for that performance.
There are so many other films and performances I love that didn’t make this list. If I wrote it again tomorrow, it would probably look different. But these films and performances have all stuck with me in some way, even decades later—and that’s the mark of great art. It leaves its mark.
So, what are your favorite films or performances that weren’t nominated—or just nominated—at the Oscars? No shame here! Share with us!
Remember: be kind, be respectful, and as always—Let’s Talk Cinema!
