While you and I may view the 90s as something that happened 10-20 years ago, they actually began almost 25 years ago. Yet it feels like these iconic comedies from the 1990s just came out. We still have fond memories of seeing them in theaters or renting them from our local Blockbuster store.
The nineties were a significant era of film, producing several classic comedies. Additionally, the nineties gave us key comedic players, including Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, and Pauly Shore.
1. Encino Man (1992)
Encino Man is a cult classic comedy that follows two high school outcasts on their quest to become cool.
Dave Morgan (Sean Astin) and his best friend Stoney (Pauly Shore) find and dethaw a caveman (Brendan Fraser) in their backyard. They quickly slap him with the name Link, and hilarity ensues. “No wheezing the juice!”
2. Grumpy Old Men (1993)
Grumpy Old Men and the sequel, Grumpier Old Men (1995), are hilarious films about two retired neighbors who have battled it out their entire lives.
John Gustafson (Jack Lemmon) and Max Goldman (Walter Matthau) enjoy ice fishing and playing practical jokes on each other.
They end up captivated by their new neighbor, Ariel Truax ( Ann-Margret), and hilarity ensues. “There are many fish In the sea, but you’re the only one I’d want to stuff and mount over my fireplace.”
3. Happy Gilmore (1996)
Happy Gilmore follows the story of Happy (Adam Sandler), a short-tempered unsuccessful hockey player who discovers a unique golf talent.
He has a long drive that Chubbs Peterson (Carl Weathers) notices and quickly positions himself to train. Happy’s grandmother must pay back taxes to the IRS, or she will lose her house.
So Happy agrees, enters a pro-tour, and meets nemesis Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald). The movie is a 90s favorite. “You’re gonna die, clown!”
4. Groundhog Day (1993)
Groundhog Day follows a self-centered, egotistical, and narcissistic weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray). He winds up in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, covering the annual Groundhog Day event.
Connors finds himself trapped in a time loop, forcing him to repeat February 2nd until he gets it right. “Well, what if there is no tomorrow? There wasn’t one today.”
5. My Cousin Vinny (1992)
My Cousin Vinny follows two young New Yorkers, Bill Gambini (Ralph Macchio) and Stan Rothenstein (Mitchell Whitfield), on trial for a murder they didn’t commit while passing through Alabama.
Bill employs his uncle Vinny Gambini (Joe Pesci), a lawyer. However, it took him five attempts to pass the bar, and he relies on his fiancée, Mona Lisa Vito (Marisa Tomei), to help win the case. “My biological clock is ticking like this!”
6. Wayne’s World (1992)
Wayne’s World and its sequel, Wayne’s World 2 (1993), are a cultural phenomenon that helped define the nineties. Wayne Campbell (Mike Myers) and Garth Algar (Dana Carvey) host a late-night cable-access show broadcast from Wayne’s parents’ basement.
A sleazy television producer Benjamin Kane (Rob Lowe), promises to make them famous. However, he’s shady about his business and tries to seduce Wayne’s girlfriend, Cassandra Wong (Tia Carrere).
Supporting roles include Lara Flynn Boyle, Brian Doyle-Murray, Ed O’Neill, Chris Farley, Alice Cooper, and Meat Loaf. “Exsqueeze me? Baking powder?”
7. Clueless (1995)
Clueless is a cult classic coming-of-age teen comedy. Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) and Dionne Davenport (Stacey Dash) befriend new student Tai Frasier (Brittany Murphy).
Cher gives Tai a makeover, and she becomes a competition to the boys. They are insanely wealthy Beverly Hills teens who navigate ordinary high school milestones and drama.
For example, Cher fails her driving test and contemplates losing her virginity. Supporting roles include Paul Rudd and Donald Faison. “Ugh, as if!”
8. The Truman Show (1998)
The Truman Show is one of Jim Carrey’s most noteworthy performances. Carrey plays Truman Burbank.
Truman doesn’t realize that the entire world around him is a studio and that he is a reality show star. The show’s creator, Christof (Ed Harris), adopted Truman as a baby and captured his entire life on film.
Christof populated the set with actors, including his wife, Meryl (Laura Linney), and his best friend, Marlon (Noah Emmerich). Eventually, his infatuation with Lauren / Sylvia (Natascha McElhone) leads him to the truth.
9. Forrest Gump (1994)
Forrest Gump was a monumental comedy-drama movie from the nineties. It follows Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks), a dim-witted but kindhearted man from Alabama.
In childhood, he befriends Jenny Curran (Robin Wright) and harbors a love for her. Despite not being reciprocated romantically, Jenny loves Forrest and finds her way back home.
Forrest sits at a bus stop and shares his story with people as they sit beside him. He recalls unwittingly influencing several defining historical events in the 20th century.
Supporting roles include Lieutenant Dan Taylor (Gary Sinise) and Mrs. Gump (Sally Field). “My mama always said, ‘Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.'”
10. City Slickers (1991)
City Slickers is an American Western comedy following middle-aged friends Mitch Robbins (Billy Crystal), Ed Furrilo (Bruno Kirby), and Phil Berquist (Daniel Stern) through various adventures.
First, they participate in the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. Then, they venture on a two-week cattle drive from New Mexico to Colorado.
An old, grumpy cattle herder Curly Washburn (Jack Palance), leads the way while they overcome obstacles and enjoy some male bonding. “Excuse me, el doctor! Hello…? Don’t sew anything up that’s supposed to remain open, okay?
11. Dumb and Dumber (1994)
While today we look at Dumb and Dumber as one of the most successful and popular comedies of the 1990s, that wasn’t necessarily always the case. The Farrelly Brothers, who directed the movie, ran into several issues while trying to get the movie made.
“When we first sent the script out, everybody passed,” Peter Farrelly told The Hollywood Reporter in 2014. “Over the years, I’ve met a lot of actors who passed on Dumb and Dumber, and I realized none of them ever got the script. They were all being passed on by their agents because of the title. An agent told me, ‘I can’t give my client a script called Dumb and Dumber – he’ll fire me.’ So we changed the title to A Power Tool Is Not a Toy to sound more hip. All of a sudden, people read it.”
12. Clerks (1994)
The directorial debut for Kevin Smith, Clerks is the definition of breakout success. Shot with a modest budget of $27,575, the film would make over $4 million at the box office and help make Smith an acclaimed director.
What makes Clerks special is its relatable story and memorable characters. It avoids the pitfalls of a traditional Hollywood comedy and instead features exactly what you’d expect from everyday people: debates about seemingly mundane topics, people messing up their personal lives, and delivering a truly authentic portrayal of the everyday people that are featured in the movie.
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