1989 Ranked Films
The ranked list of 1989 films that I have seen so far.
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- 42 titles
- DirectorPeter WeirStarsRobin WilliamsRobert Sean LeonardEthan HawkeMaverick teacher John Keating returns in 1959 to the prestigious New England boys' boarding school where he was once a star student, using poetry to embolden his pupils to new heights of self-expression.10/10
Equally inspiring as it is heart-wrenching, Dead Poets Society features a moving performance from Robin Williams and a young supporting cast while weaving a classic coming-of-age drama. - DirectorJim SheridanStarsDaniel Day-LewisBrenda FrickerAlison WhelanChristy Brown, born with cerebral palsy, learns to paint and write with his only controllable limb - his left foot.10/10
Headlined by a fabulous Daniel Day-Lewis who disappears into the central role, My Left Foot is never anything less than an enriching and profound character study through and through. - DirectorHayao MiyazakiStarsKirsten DunstMinami TakayamaRei SakumaAlong with her black cat Jiji, Kiki settles in a seaside town and starts a high-flying delivery service. Here begins her magical encounter with independence and responsibility, making lifelong friends and finding her place in the world.9/10
One of Studio Ghibli’s most whimsical and awe-inspiring efforts to date, Kiki’s Delivery Service oozes vivacious charm and effortless spirit. - DirectorRob ReinerStarsBilly CrystalMeg RyanCarrie FisherHarry and Sally have known each other for years, and are very good friends, but they fear sex would ruin the friendship.9/10
Matching a perfectly paired Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan, When Harry Met Sally... jumps through time with ease as it fleshes out an endearing and thoroughly heartfelt romance. - DirectorsRon ClementsJohn MuskerStarsJodi BensonSamuel E. WrightRene AuberjonoisA mermaid princess makes a Faustian bargain in an attempt to become human and win a prince's love.9/10
Ushering Disney into bold new era of animation, The Little Mermaid boasts moving songwork and has some of the most personable characterizations in recent memory. - DirectorPhil Alden RobinsonStarsKevin CostnerJames Earl JonesRay LiottaIowa farmer Ray Kinsella is inspired by a voice he can't ignore to pursue a dream he can hardly believe. Supported by his wife, Ray begins the quest by turning his ordinary cornfield into a place where dreams can come true.9/10
Deftly finding the pure mysticism in baseball, Field of Dreams is an alternate form of sports film that will reach out and enchant the viewer personally. - DirectorKenneth BranaghStarsKenneth BranaghDerek JacobiSimon ShepherdIn the midst of the Hundred Years War, the young King Henry V of England embarks on the conquest of France in 1415.8/10
A palpable and searing historical drama, Henry V proves that Kenneth Branagh has as firm a grasp on Shakespeare as any. - DirectorOliver StoneStarsTom CruiseBryan LarkinRaymond J. BarryThe biography of Ron Kovic. Paralyzed in the Vietnam war, he becomes an anti-war and pro-human rights political activist after feeling betrayed by the country for which he fought.8/10
Oliver Stone's histrionics occasionally get to be a bit much, but otherwise Born on the Fourth of July is a compelling postwar character study headlined by a never-better Tom Cruise. - DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsHarrison FordSean ConneryAlison DoodyIn 1938, after his father goes missing while pursuing the Holy Grail, Indiana Jones finds himself up against the Nazis again to stop them from obtaining its powers.8/10
Wrapping up the spiritual trilogy in mystifying fashion, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade injects an easygoing form of comedy to temper the rousing adventure sequences. - DirectorDavid S. WardStarsTom BerengerCharlie SheenCorbin BernsenThe new owner of the Cleveland Indians puts together a purposely horrible team so they'll lose and she can move the team. But when the plot is uncovered, they start winning just to spite her.8/10
Racking up a series of laughs as it chugs along, Major League may not be the most realistic sports film but it is one of the most enjoyable. - DirectorPhillip NoyceStarsNicole KidmanSam NeillBilly ZaneAfter a tragedy, John Ingram and his wife Rae are spending some time isolated at sea, when they come across a stranger who has abandoned a sinking ship.8/10
Though it sinks into genre conventions toward the end, Dead Calm does largely manage to whip up a solidly crafted maritime thriller. - DirectorBruce BeresfordStarsMorgan FreemanJessica TandyDan AykroydAn old Jewish woman and her African-American chauffeur in the American South have a relationship that grows and improves over the years.7/10
While only skirting around its underlying racial themes, Driving Miss Daisy charms all the same thanks to the easy chemistry between Morgan Freeman and Jessica Tandy. - DirectorRon HowardStarsSteve MartinMary SteenburgenDianne WiestFour Buckman siblings attempt to raise their children - each in their own different style - and deal with the joys and sorrows that the process brings.7/10
Though a bit risqué to qualify as a family film, Parenthood has its heart in the right place throughout, and that's half the battle. - DirectorRobert BiermanStarsNicolas CageMaria Conchita AlonsoJennifer BealsAfter an encounter with a neck-biter, a publishing executive thinks that he's turning into a vampire.7/10
Thriving off a bizarrely animated performance from Nicolas Cage, Vampire's Kiss is one black comedy descent into madness that's too delectable to resist. - DirectorRichard DonnerStarsMel GibsonDanny GloverJoe PesciRiggs and Murtaugh are on the trail of South African diplomats who are using their immunity to engage in criminal activities.7/10
Though a rung down from the first film in most facets, Lethal Weapon 2 retains the core creative team, and is thus another relative bullseye for the franchise. - DirectorJoe JohnstonStarsRick MoranisMatt FrewerMarcia StrassmanThe scientist father of a teenage girl and boy accidentally shrinks his and two other neighborhood teens to the size of insects. Now the teens must fight diminutive dangers as the father searches for them.7/10
Light family adventure, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids gets the most out of its animated cast and diminutive setting. - DirectorStephen HerekStarsKeanu ReevesAlex WinterGeorge CarlinTwo rock-'n-rolling teens, on the verge of failing their class, set out on a quest to make the ultimate school history report after being presented with a time machine.7/10
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure is hardly smart sci-fi comedy, but the endearing performances from Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter keep it fun when it needs to be. - DirectorMichael LehmannStarsWinona RyderChristian SlaterShannen DohertyAt Westerburg High where cliques rule, jocks dominate and all the popular girls are named Heather, it's going to take a Veronica and mysterious new kid to give teen angst a body count.7/10
Plenty of wit and chemistry between Winona Ryder and Christian Slater keep Heathers a head above the rest, even if its flippant attitude toward morbid themes make it a bit less than palatable. - DirectorJeremiah S. ChechikStarsChevy ChaseBeverly D'AngeloJuliette LewisThe Griswold family's plans for a big family Christmas predictably turn into a big disaster.7/10
There’s not a whole lot of vacationing going on this time around, but the misnomered National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation still has some hysterical familial interplay on its way to being a Yuletide classic. - DirectorTim BurtonStarsMichael KeatonJack NicholsonKim BasingerThe Dark Knight of Gotham City begins his war on crime with his first major enemy being Jack Napier, a criminal who becomes the clownishly homicidal Joker.6/10
Batman’s first serious cinematic outing wants for more cohesion, but Tim Burton is largely able to inject a striking and dingy visual palette that gives it life. - DirectorHerbert RossStarsShirley MacLaineOlympia DukakisSally FieldA young beautician, newly arrived in a small Louisiana town, finds work at the local salon, where a small group of women share a close bond of friendship, and welcome her into the fold.6/10
Saccharine but sincere, what Steel Magnolias lacks in plot or conflict it makes up for in a slew of fine performances from its central cast. - DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsMichael J. FoxChristopher LloydLea ThompsonAfter visiting 2015, Marty McFly must repeat his visit to 1955 to prevent disastrous changes to 1985...without interfering with his first trip.6/10
Though it perhaps overcomplicates itself in unwieldy time travel mechanics, Back to the Future Part II is largely able to retain the same creative spirit inherent to the first’s success. - DirectorGary David GoldbergStarsJack LemmonTed DansonOlympia DukakisWhile his mom recovers in hospital from a heart attack, John puts his busy life on hold to fly home and help his elderly dad around the house. John's son later joins them and they all truly bond for the first and, tragically, final time.6/10
Dad is overly sentimental and doesn't tell a particularly imaginative narrative, but its game actors hitting the emotional beats are enough to make it somewhat worthwhile. - DirectorRoger SpottiswoodeStarsTom HanksMare WinninghamCraig T. NelsonA detective must adopt a rambunctious dog in order to help him find a killer.6/10
While it's true that Turner & Hooch dedicates more time to the first half of the buddy cop dynamic, there's simply no resisting the endearing pairing of Tom Hanks and a cute canine. - DirectorHarold BeckerStarsAl PacinoEllen BarkinJohn GoodmanA detective investigating a series of murders becomes involved with a woman who may be the culprit.5/10
Despite establishing a tantalizing neo-noir tone bound to intrigue, Sea of Love isn't as tightly written as it needs to be.
