Join The Community
The Truman Show (1998)
The Moment: Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) makes his escape from his 24/7 reality show, only to crash into the painted sky at the edge of his self-contained world.
Only In The '90s: Reality TV became enough of a threat for Hollywood to make it the source of satire. See also: EDTV .
If It Was Made Today: Why bother? We have the Kardashians now.
The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
The Moment: Norville Barnes (Tim Robbins) has launched his great invention, the Hula Hoop - "y'know, for kids" - but it's a disaster. Until one early adopter picks it up, figures out what it does and starts a fad.
Only In The '90s: The throwaway, Simpsons -style gag of Hudsucker creatives taking so long to name the dingus that a secretary has time to read War And Peace and Anna Karenina .
If It Was Made Today: Norville Barnes would have invented the Wii.
Clerks (1994)
The Moment: Randal (Jeff Anderson) ponders whether any independent building contractors were killed during the attack on the Death Star in Return Of The Jedi , only for a passing roofer to tell him: "Any contractor working on that Death Star knew the risk involved. If they got killed, it's their own fault."
Only In The '90s: A film could stop dead while the characters chat about a movie.
If It Was Made Today: Actually, this one hasn't massively changed in the interim.
Good Will Hunting (1997)
The Moment: Dr Sean Maguire (Robin Williams) finally achieves a breakthrough in his sessions with troubled genius Will Hunting (Matt Damon) by repeatedly telling him, "It's not your fault."
Only In The '90s: Two twentysomething kids can write one of the decade's smartest scripts and walk home with Oscars.
If It Was Made Today: Ben Affleck would direct.
Point Break (1991)
The Moment: Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) legs it in pursuit of the Reagan-mask wearing bank robber Bodhi (Patrick Swayze) in a kinetic, Steadicam'd foot chase.
Only In The '90s: Utah can't bring himself to kill his homo-erotic surf-dude sparring partner and unleashes several rounds into the air instead.
If It Was Made Today: It'd be a Hot Fuzz -style celebration/deconstruction of the excesses of 90s action movies.
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
The Moment: Josh (Joshua Leonard) goes missing, and Heather (Heather Donahue) breaks down in grainy-cam snot-o-vision.
Only In The '90s: Advances in digital technology make it possible to make a film on the fly, with the cast doubling as their own crew.
If It Was Made Today: Enough with the 'found footage,' already.
Miller's Crossing (1990)
The Moment: Gangland goons attempt to take down Leo O'Bannon (Albert Finney) at his home, but he shows them who's boss by going on the warpath with a Tommy gun, all in time it takes Danny Boy to play on a gramophone.
Only In The '90s: Plots so complicated that it takes a couple of goes to figure out who's doing what to who and why.
If It Was Made Today: The Coens would relegate the scene to an off-screen mention.
Swingers (1996)
The Moment: Mike (Jon Favreau) tries to leave a voicemail message for potential date Nicky, which gradually unravels into a multi-message monologue of despair and neediness.
Only In The '90s: Pre-iPhone, pre-Skype, the voicemail was the height of technology-based embarrassment comedy.
If It Was Made Today: Mike would send a text and book the date. Sorted.
JFK (1991)
The Moment: Jim Garrison (Kevin Costner) outlines the case for there being a second gunman on Dealey Plaza, endlessly replaying the Zapruder footage to show the killer bullet's trajectory: "back, and to the left."
Only In The '90s: An A-list director could commit three hours to a big, political biopic.
If It Was Made Today: The baton for this kind of film has moved to the documentarians, while Oliver Stone flounders about looking for his mojo.
Audition (1999)
The Moment: Asami (Eihi Shiina) finally lets hubbie Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) know what she was auditioning for when she saws off his foot and sticks needles into his eyes. "Kiri kiri kiri!"
Only In The '90s: Genre-bending was so ambitious that what started as a rom-com could end as the godfather of torture porn.
If It Was Made Today: It would absolutely have to be an X Factor spoof.
