40 Years of Movies: 1994

 


2021 is the year I turn 40. As part of my celebration, I'm looking back at 40 years of movies, picking my favorite film from each year I've been around! To learn more about the criteria for this process, check this introduction. Each post will feature my pick, plus three runner's up. So check back over the next 40 weeks of this journey!

1994:

The Paper
About: When I was younger, seeing this movie helped me want to be a journalist. That's something I eventually went to college for and something I did full-time for the first few years out of college. I still write about sports and entertainment, and I've always loved the idea of working for a newspaper. This Ron Howard film has a fantastic cast, led by Michael Keaton, one of my favorite actors. It's about a day in the life of the Metro Editor, his family, and the rest of the newspaper staff at the fictional New York Sun. This one has comedy, drama and some iconic scenes. The face off between Keaton and Glenn Close in the press room is one of my favorites. I love this film, which remains one of my all time favorites, so it tops the list for 1994.

Other Considerations:

The Shawshank Redemption
About: Based on the novella from Stephen King, this film from Frank Darabont is an incredible drama and an absolute classic. It frequently ranks as one of the highest rated films among viewers on Internet Movie Database. The friendship between Andy (Tim Robbins) and Red (Morgan Freeman) is great. The story is powerful and emotional. I love the film and how it's crafted.

Radioland Murders
About: This film is based on a story from George Lucas. It's set on opening night for the Fourth Major Radio Network. As the broadcast is going out live, people at the station begin to die. It's up to a down-on-his-luck writer (Brian Benben) and his estranged wife (Mary Stuart Masterson) to stop it. I love the humor and cast here, as director Mel Smith delivers a film that I love that should be a classic, and would be if more people made a point to see it.

The Hudsucker Proxy
About: By now it should be clear to those reading these weekly posts that I love the Coen Brothers, particularly their stretch of films in the early 1990s. That includes The Hudsucker Proxy, a comedy that features Robbins and Paul Newman. It's a weird, wild, and wonderful tale, one of the pair's comedy offerings. I like Robbins in the lead role and Newman is quite good, too. But it's the story that makes this one hum, and the reason I come back to it time and again.

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