10. MENACE II SOCIETY

Although it took far too long, films by black filmmakers are finally get their due with the recent successes of Do the Right Thing, Boyz N the Hood, Malcolm X and now Menace II Society.  Menace II Society, perhaps the bleakest of these films also manages to humanize its characters more than the others.  Menace II Society may ride piggyback to Do the Right Thing and Boyz N the Hood, but those films provide a strong blueprint to follow.

9. JURASSIC PARK

Although some critics simply brushed it off as “just another monster movie,” filmgoers clearly disagreed.  And I do, too.  Jurassic Park isn’t just another monster movie – it’s “another monster movie from Steven Spielberg,” which places it in a rare and very honorable class alongside Jaws.  Although it might be a step down from Jaws, and it can’t even be considered Spielberg’s best film of 1993, few films were as entertaining or as fun as the story of a group of scientists who get chased down – and sometimes even eaten – by their creators.  I can’t help to think that Jurassic Park must have been therapy from the intense filming of Schindler’s List, and in a way, it’s therapy for moviegoers to be able to escape as well.

8. SEARCHING FOR BOBY FISCHER

Let’s just state the obvious: chess is not an entertaining game to watch.  So, it’s no surprise that audience members didn’t exactly flock to see the story of a young boy who may have the skills to become the next Bobby Fischer. However, those who skipped Searching for Bobby Fischer completely missed out on one of the best films of the year – a film that examines a culture that often puts more pressure on its youth than it does on adults.

7. THE FUGITIVE

Has there ever been a better film adaption of a television series than The Fugitive?  The short answer to that is simply “no.”  The long answer is that most TV adaptations are based on shows that aren’t very strong in the first place, and studios simply adapt TV shows for financial reasons.  And, although that may have been the end goal, fortunately The Fugitive is much more than that.

6. THE AGE OF INNOCENCE

With Schindler’s List, Steven Spielberg may have regained the throne as the best director working today, but Martin Scorsese is a very close second.  In 1993, Scorsese showed his range by adapting Edith Wharton’s 1920 romantic period piece to the big screen with flawless execution.  You read that right, the director who gave us Goodfellas just three years ago, and other masterpieces including Taxi Driver and Raging Bull can add mastering a 19^th century, romantic period piece to his very long list of achievements.

5. GROUNDHOG DAY

In a year with some seriously great but bleak films – led by Schindler’s List and The Piano – there was also a need for some laughs, and no film provided bigger or more frequent laughs than Groundhog Day.  Directed by Harold Ramis, whose writing credits include Animal House, Caddyshack and Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day tells the story of a miserable weather man (Bill Murray, who is perfectly cast) who is stuck repeating his least favorite day of the year.  As expected, his rut does eventually come to an end, but while you’re watching it, you certainly will not beg the film to come to an end.

4. SHORT CUTS

When it comes to intertwining stories, nobody does it better than Robert Altman – the masterful director who brought us M*A*S*H, McCabe & Mrs. Miller and Nashville in the‘70s, and revived his career last year with The Player.  With Short Cuts, he cuts between 22 Los Angeles residents whose lives are connected, giving us somewhere around four stories for the price of one.  And only with twice the running time!  You won’t hear any complains from me though, because Short Cuts is so good that I didn’t want it to end.

3. DAZED AND CONFUSED

Not since American Graffiti have we been treated to a film that captures a prior generation of teenagers with such a perfect balance of heart and humor than Richard Linklater’s hugely entertaining masterpiece, Dazed and Confused.  The film takes us back to the final day of school in 1976, where upperclassmen throw year-end bashes and soon-to-be freshman suffer through initiation rituals.  Despite being disguised and advertised as a teen comedy, Dazed and Confused is one of the smartest films of 1993, as well as one of the most entertaining.  Oh, and the soundtrack is pretty great, too.

2. THE PIANO

In what has to be considered the performance of the year, Holly Hunter plays a mute Scotswoman who is sold into marriage to a New Zealand man.  She arrives with only two things she cares about: her young daughter and her piano, which she considers the closest thing to having a voice of her own.  Unfortunately, her new husband doesn’t share her appreciation for the piano and sells it to a neighbor, who allows her to play it in exchange for sexual favors.  Although it takes place many years ago, The Piano studies abuse of power, which is still very much relevant today.  And the fact that it’s told by the premier female film director working today makes it even more powerful.  The Piano is one of the most beautiful films of 1993, and also one that is unforgettably haunting.

1. SCHINDLER’S LIST

Not in my lifetime has a movie been made that is more of a historical artistic achievement that Steven Spielberg’s masterfully profound holocaust drama, Schindler’s List.  Filmed in gorgeous black-and-white cinematography and packed with countless unforgettable scenes, Spielberg’s heartbreaking tribute of a German business owner who used his wealth to save the lives of thousands of Jews is just about as perfect as a movie can be.  There is no doubt that it’s the best film of 1993 – the only thing that is in question is whether or not it has dethroned Citizen Kane as the greatest film of all time.  At its very least, it has certainly earned the right to be in that conversation.