What could have been a maudlin film about a bright young attorney (Tom Hanks) slowly dying of AIDS is transformed by fine acting and Jonathan Demme's deft direction into a subtle, moving—and at all times entertaining—human drama.
Director Robert Alt-man stitches a batch of Raymond Carver's tales into a sometimes cruel, sometimes hilarious, always unflinching epic of middle-class life.
Kevin Kline's performance as a stand-in President is a spin controller's dream: nimble, quick and exceedingly clever. Worth it just for the chance to see Oliver Stone—one of many surprising cameo players—poking fun at his own conspiracy shtick.
Holly Hunter plays a mute who speaks through her music in this intriguingly twisted tale of servitude and seduction set in 19th-century New Zealand. Director Jane Campion redefines the date movie.
Steven Spielberg's jaw-droppingly realistic dinos soared, right up to the thrilling climax when the tyrannosaurus wreaks havoc. Bonus points: It's the only movie this year that's sure to come back as a theme-park ride.
Spielberg again. This time he forgoes technical wizardry and works his greatest feat of magic yet: a Holocaust movie that is an austere celebration of one man's astounding heroism.
No one does world-weary like the now 63-year-old Clint Eastwood, here battling a brilliant John Malkovich as a superbly evil and arrogant would-be presidential assassin who becomes Clint's salvation.
Sean Penn's portrayal of a sleazy, coke-sniffing lawyer, combined with a sharp performance by Al Pacino and Brian DePalma's direction, makes Carlito this year's No. 1 with a bullet.
Director Martin Scorsese combines a passion for period detail with a genius for high-toned soap opera in this gorgeous adaptation of Edith Wharton's novel.
FURTHER WORTHIES
•THE JOY LUCK CLUB
•SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE
•THE REMAINS OF THE DAY
•LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE
•ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES
CELINE’S INFERTILITY STRUGGLE: MY PRIVATE HEARTBREAK
Daily injections, painful tests and four failed IVF attempts: The singer, 41, reveal her dreams for a second baby. ‘I’ll try until it works’
