90 Greatest '90s Movie Moments

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Celebrating the pre-millennial icons

Independence Day (1996)

If It Was Made Today: The same, but with added socio-political soul-searching.

Goodfellas (1990)

The Moment: Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) bypasses the schmucks in the queue for the Copacabana night club, escorting wife-to-be Karen (Lorraine Bracco) down the back steps, through the kitchens and straight to a stage-side table.

Only In The '90s: The swooning glide of the single-take Steadicam shot, as (like Karen) we're seduced into Henry's lifestyle.

If It Was Made Today: It would be done with computers.

Trainspotting (1996)

The Moment: Renton (Ewan McGregor) hits the ground running, pursued by security guards but with his Lust For Life undimmed. "Choose life": choose the decade's best opening sequence.

Only In The '90s: A Britfilm revolution to rival the Britpop revolution.

If It Was Made Today: It'd probably be made by Warp Films - less of a hit, but arguably even darker and edgier.

The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)

The Moment: Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) visits Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) in lock-up for a chat, and he gives her too much information about a census taker he once met. "I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti."

Only In The '90s: Hopkins could win Best Actor for less than half an hour of screen time and a silly slurping noise.

If It Was Made Today: It'd be a TV series about Hannibal's pre-incarceration heyday.

Thelma And Louise (1991)

The Moment: "Let's keep going." Thelma (Geena Davis) decides it's the end of the road for her and Louise (Susan Sarandon). Cue the 90s' most bittersweet freeze-frame.

Only In The '90s: Two women in a movie could take a road trip and have the whole of American culture come to a standstill debating feminism.

If It Was Made Today: Driving off the cliff would somehow give Thelma and Louise superpowers.

Toy Story (1995)

The Moment: Andy's toys come to life, introducing mainstream audiences to Pixar and CG animation and changing the future of animated movies for ever.

Only In The '90s: With references to Picasso and a gag about toys holding a "plastic corrosion awareness meeting," there were more (and better) jokes for the parents than their kids.

If It Was Made Today: The bar has been raised so high that greatness is no longer a novelty, but practically expected.

Schindler's List (1993)

The Moment: Nazi officer Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes) orders the liquidation of the Krakow ghetto, as Spielberg switches his technical flair from blockbuster entertainment to a terrifying depiction of human evil.

Only In The '90s: The big, obvious Oscar magnet actually deserves to win.

If It Was Made Today: Spielberg's still at it, judging from early word on Lincoln , but arguably he's no longer the favourite this year.

L.A. Confidential (1997)

The Moment: Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) confides in the wrong man and is fatally shot... but he just has time to pass on a message from the grave - "Rolo Tomassi" - to incriminate villainous Dudley Smith (James Cromwell).

Only In The '90s: A director could completely change the plot of a novel so that even its fans are reeling from the shock.

If It Was Made Today: Every 'i' of James Ellroy's words would be dotted, every 't' would be crossed - and it'd be as boringly reverential as the film of The Black Dahlia .

Scream (1996)

The Moment: "Do you like scary movies?" Wes Craven reminds us what we've been missing, as Casey Becker (Drew Barrymore) is sliced and diced before we've seen the credits.

Only In The '90s: Kevin Williamson applies Tarantino logic to create a horror movies about horror movies.

If It Was Made Today: As Scream 4 already figured out, it'd have to tackle the glut of horror movie remakes and reboots.

There's Something About Mary (1998)

The Moment: Ted Stroehmann (Ben Stiller) knocks one out before his date with Mary (Cameron Diaz), but where's the spunk? Uh-oh, Mary's mistaken it for hair gel.

Only In The '90s: The Farrelly brothers realise that what audiences really want is to be grossed-out, and the more outrageous the set-piece, the better.

If It Was Made Today: The genre's bar-raising would require that Mary mistook it for mint sauce and ate it.