The Year in Review- 1992
It was the year that Clint Eastwood got back on the horse and rode all the way to Oscar glory. Quentin Tarantino came in the back door, Penny Marshall hit a home run, and Michelle Pfeiffer helped me through puberty. Joe Pesci took us to court, Tom Cruise wanted the truth, and Sharon Stone showed us her...acting talent. Here are the ten best films in order for 1992.
1.
"Unforgiven"(1992)
This dark, deglamorised Western was a career-saver for Clint Eastwood(he was coming off a string of flops in the late '80s and early '90s) and a glorious return to the genre that made his name nearly three decades earlier. It also came to represent a fond farewell of sorts- Clint never made another Western despite many requests because he just knew he couldn't do it any better. With the ever-reliable Morgan Freeman in tow, Eastwood's introspective gunslinger William Munny heads to the town of Big Whiskey to collect a bounty and their arrival isn't taken too kindly by sadistic, tough-as-nails sheriff Little Bill Daggett, played by Gene Hackman in a masterful turn that earned him the Best Supporting Actor Oscar. The Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director(Eastwood) were equally well deserved, but rather than representing his peak behind the camera, this rejuvenated legend was just getting started.
2.
"Reservoir Dogs"
Former video store clerk Quentin Tarantino's meteoric rise as cinema's undisputed king of cool started the moment his charismatic black-suited crooks strolled out of a diner in slow motion to the sounds of George Baker Selection's 'Little Green Bag'. A watershed moment in retrospect that signaled a seismic shift was about to take place. I don't think it's hyperbole to call QT's assault on stale Hollywood conventions the most significant change in movies since that first attack on the Death Star. "Dogs" is raw, realistic, low budget, and uncomfortably violent- a more confidant directorial debut you will not find. The indie film movement was officially underway.
3.
"A League of Their Own"(1992)
Director Penny Marshall's funny and affectionate tribute to the women's professional baseball league during World War II quickly earned it's place among the pantheon of best loved sports movies. Geena Davis is the MVP of this female ensemble, but Tom Hanks threatens to steal the show at every turn as the drunken ex-player turned very reluctant coach. 'The nicest guy in Hollywood' had to get uncharacteristically riled up to get the ball rolling on his eventual takeover of Tinsel-town and it should also be noted that Madonna, Rosie O'Donnell and Lori Petty were never better in a film(a backhanded compliment, I know).
4.
"Batman Returns"(1992)
Tim Burton let his twisted imagination run wild in this arguably superior sequel to his 1989 game-changer that set the template for all modern superhero movies. I know this is a controversial statement in a post-Nolan world, but you won't find more depth or psychological complexity in any other film in this genre. Michael Keaton is back in black, but there was no way he wasn't getting upstaged by the villainous double act- Danny Devito is terrific as the Penguin, a deranged freak responsible for more than a few nightmares, and Michelle Pfeiffer's conflicted Catwoman is a sensual eruption. Every shiny appearance she makes in that skintight vinyl is a moment to treasure. With Christopher Walken adding to the overall weirdness and Danny Elfman's epic omnipresent score driving the action, "Returns" was the year's best and most original blockbuster.
5.
"Aladdin"(1992)
The year's biggest box office hit continued Disney's stunning resurgence as an animated powerhouse. Robin Williams' boisterous, blue Genie is the reason A-list stars gravitated toward cartoon characters, bringing pop culture references to the previously impenetrable fairy tale world of the Mouse House, ultimately paving the way for the hipness found in everything from "Toy Story" to "Shrek". Williams' manic vocals coupled with Alan Menken's Oscar-winning music propelled this magic carpet ride, that delighted children and adults alike throughout the '92 holiday season and way beyond.
6.
"A Few Good Men"(1992)
Director Rob Reiner's slick military courtroom drama boasts a sharp script from Aaron Sorkin and one of the most scintillating closing scenes of the entire decade. Just try changing the channel during the epic exchange between Tom Cruise's eager Navy lawyer Daniel Kafee and Jack Nicholson's steely, no-nonsense Col. Nathan Jessup. Here's the truth, I hope you can handle it- "Men" is one of the top-ten most most rewatched '90s movies during it's ubiquitous TNT/TBS loop. I ordered the "Code Red" on more than a few lazy Sundays with the all-star supporting cast that includes Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, Kevin Pollack, Kiefer Sutherland, and J.T. Walsh. I have no regrets.
7.
"My Cousin Vinny"(1992)
Every year has a sleeper hit, a movie that steals your heart seemingly out of nowhere. Director Jonathan Lynn's fish-out-of-water comedy is truly beloved, thanks to a home video/cable run that belied it's modest box office performance. "Vinny" may even be your favorite film from 1992. A red-hot Joe Pesci is hilarious as a crude, incompetent Brooklyn lawyer summoned to Alabama to defend a cousin(Ralph Macchio) falsely accused of murder. His dominating, energetic presence makes Marisa Tomei even more impressive- the beautiful 26 year old nearly steals the movie as his brassy fiance/automotive expert, and was rightly rewarded with the Best Supporting Actress Oscar.
8.
"Malcolm X"(1992)
Denzel Washington is dynamite as the courageous spokesman for black pride, and would have surely won the Best Actor Oscar if Al Pacino hadn't been robbed about five times previously(he took home the statue for "Scent of a Woman", more on that later). That's the problem with make-up Oscars, because Denzel's later win for "Training Day" was less deserving. It's a viscous cycle, but that's a discussion for another blog. Director Spike Lee found an appropriate outlet for his racial fixation in this epic three-hour biopic that charts Malcolm Little's early life as a street hustler and convict, before a conversion to Islam sparked his turbulent rise as a religious and political leader.
9.
"Basic Instinct"(1992)
The erotic thriller, a sub-genre not typically known for quality, nevertheless received it's benchmark thanks to a bold, go-for-broke performance from a 34 year old Sharon Stone who knew she had nothing to lose when she entered that interrogation room. It's hard to shock people nowadays, but put yourself in the shoes of an audience member in March 1992 the next time you re-visit this lurid tale of graphic sex, light S&M, bisexuality and murder-by-ice pick. Michael Douglas' damaged cop, Joe Esterzhas' anti-conservative screenplay, and a Dutch director(Paul Verhoeven) unafraid to push the envelope helped turn this risky affair into the one 'guilty pleasure' that it was okay to like.
10(tie).
"Lethal Weapon 3"(1992)
As we entered the Tarantino era, that old school '80s-style action that we were all in the firm grip of five years earlier would soon seem rather archaic, but not before the superduo of Gibson and Glover delivered another highly entertaining and profitable dose of chaos and mayhem. With all due respect to Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, they never tried to diffuse a bomb in an underground parking garage or got into a wild shootout in a burning housing development. You can say that Mel, Danny and Dick Donner just served up more of the same, but go ask "Alien 3" what happens when you mess with perfection. Besides, Rene Russo wasn't in the first two, and she kicks ass in her breakout as the future Mrs. Riggs, Lorna Cole.
10(tie).
"Scent of a Woman"(1992)
Al Pacino's long overdue date with the Best Actor Oscar finally came for his blind, abrasive Army colonel Frank Slade in director Martin Brest's memorable drama. It may not be his greatest role, but when you're talking about the back catalog of a towering talent like Pacino, that's not a criticism. This is an example of one of those performances that hijacks the screen so completely that the film couldn't even exist without him. Chris O'Donnell walked away with some residual clout as his young dance partner on a wild weekend in NYC. Philip Seymour Hoffman came to our attention here as his college rival.
Honorable Mentions-
"Juice"(1992) Tupac Shakur can act.
"The Hand That Rocks the Cradle"(1992) Rebecca De Mornay as the worst nanny of all time.
"Shining Through"(1992) Michael Douglas and Melanie Griffith have a WWII-set romance.
"Wayne's World"(1992) Mike Myers and Dana Carvey party on.
"The Power of One"(1992) John Avildsen takes on apartheid.
"Medicine Man"(1992) Sean Connery cures cancer.
"White Men Can't Jump"(1992) Woody and Wesley score on and off the court.
"The Cutting Edge"(1992) D.B. Sweeney scores with Moira Kelly.
"The Babe"(1992) Give John Goodman a go as the immortal Yankees slugger.
"Beethoven"(1992) Charles Grodin gets a 185-pound St. Bernard.
"City of Joy"(1992) Patrick Swayze is an American doctor in Calcutta.
"Thunderheart"(1992) Val Kilmer is a part-Indian FBI agent.
"The Waterdance"(1992) Eric Stoltz and Wesley Snipes in wheelchairs.
"Ferngully: The Last Rainforest"(1992) Robin Williams and Samantha Mathis voice this animated indie.
"Far and Away"(1992) Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman are Irish immigrants in 1892.
"The Player"(1992) Tim Robbins in the resurrection of Robert Altman.
"One False Move"(1992) The late Gene Siskel loved it.
"Alien 3"(1992) Sigourney Weaver shaves her head on a prison planet.
"Housesitter"(1992) Goldie Hawn steals Steve Martin's house.
"Sister Act"(1992) Whoopi Goldberg goes to church.
"Memoirs of an Invisible Man"(1992) John Carpenter makes Chevy Chase disappear.
"Unlawful Entry"(1992) Ray Liotta as a deranged cop.
"Patriot Games"(1992) Harrison Ford was the sturdiest Jack Ryan.
"Prelude to a Kiss"(1992) A mystical romcom with Alec Baldwin and Meg Ryan.
"Boomerang"(1992) Eddie Murphy's slick womanizer meets his match.
"Death Becomes Her"(1992) Meryl Streep vs. Goldie Hawn.
"Honey, I Blew Up the Kid"(1992) Rick Moranis' mad scientist is back in this summer sequel.
"3 Ninjas"(1992) One of the most profitable kids' movies of the early '90s.
"Husbands and Wives"(1992) Woody Allen's bleak look at modern marriage.
"Mr. Saturday Night"(1992) Billy Crystal's underrated ode to stand-up comedy.
"Sneakers"(1992) Robert Redford as a former '60s radical on the run.
"Wind"(1992) Set sail with Matthew Modine and Jennifer Grey.
"Single White Female"(1992) Jennifer Jason Leigh is fuckin' nuts.
"School Ties" (1992) Brendan Fraser encounters anti-Semitism.
"The Last of the Mohicans"(1992) Michael Mann and Daniel-Day Lewis depict the French and Indian War.
"Singles"(1992) Cameron Crowe's ensemble romcom is a love letter to Seattle.
"Under Siege"(1992) Steven Seagal's good movie.
"Captain Ron"(1992) Kurt Russell as a flaky skipper.
"The Mighty Ducks"(1992) This Disney hit spawned two sequels and an NHL expansion team.
"The Bodyguard"(1992) We will always love Whitney Huston.
"Consenting Adults"(1992) Kevin Spacey vs. Kevin Kline.
"Glengarry Glenn Ross"(1992) Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, and Alec Baldwin in the celebrated film version of David Mamet's play.
"Army of Darkness"(1992) Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell conclude their cult saga.
"Bram Stoker's Dracula"(1992) Frances Ford Coppola cast Gary Oldman was the legendary blooksucker.
"Home Alone 2: Lost in New York"(1992) It's as much fun as the first one.
"Forever Young"(1992) Mel Gibson was the man.
"Hoffa"(1992) Danny DeVito directs Jack Nicholson as the controversial Teamsters boss.
"Love Field"(1992) Michelle Pfeiffer elevates this low-key indie drama.
"Howard's End"(1992) Emma Thompson takes Best Actress for the Merchant-Ivory Oscar bait.
"Lorenzo's Oil"(1992) Susan Sarandon and Nick Nolte are terrific as parents of a terminally-ill child.
"Bad Lieutenant"(1992) Harvey Keitel gets an NC-17 rating.
"Of Mice and Men"(1992) Gary Sinise(who also directed) and John Malkovich in a John Steinback adaptation.
"A River Runs Through It"(1992) Robert Redford directs his doppelganger Brad Pitt.
"The Crying Game"(1992) Neil Jordan's IRA drama got nominations.
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