The 25 Greatest Films of the 1990s -- Part 3
© Jason O'Brien
#19. THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY
Directed by Clint Eastwood
Starring Clint Eastwood, Meryl Streep
Clint Eastwood chose Robert James Waller's popular novel for this 1995 film, a film he directed in and starred in. In the process, Eastwood showed a whole new range as a dramatic actor, and alongside the superb performance by Meryl Streep, he created what is in my opinion one of the most tragic and poignant love stories ever brought to the screen. This was a film which tackled the difficult issues of marriage, romance, and passion. The film shows four days shared by these two, one a National Geographic photographer just passing by, and an Iowa housewife, mother of two, who rediscovers the passion in life. It tackled so many difficult questions, and the true brilliance of the film is that the film is so subtle, and takes its time, making you believe that these two have sincerely fallen in love with each other, and it makes their eventual separation all the more painful to endure, as they make a decision which will affect the course of their lives forever.
#18. FORREST GUMP
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Starring Tom Hanks, Sally Field, Gary Sinise, Robin Wright
In 1994, Robert Zemeckis created a universal film classic, bound to be cherished and loved by millions for years to come. Every so often, we get these classic film entertainments, films which become so popular and yet are so well made that they become classics, cherished generation after generation, and "Forrest Gump" was a deserving new entry in that esteemed group of films. The film is one big nostalgia piece for anyone who grew up from the 50's onward, as it becomes a tapestry of the last four decades, all the while telling the simple story of an innocent man named Forrest Gump, whose sole purpose in life is to take care of his Jenny, the girl he's loved since he was a child. Over the years, they find themselves going down different paths, and Forrest ends up in one major historical event after another (it was an incredible visual effects achievement, editing Tom Hanks seamlessly into footage with U.S. Presidents and other historical figures), and by the end the film has managed to be an epic tapestry of the human experience over the course of the 50's through the 80's, but at the same time, it's told a simple human story of one man's search for happiness and goodness in this life.
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