10. BEFORE SUNRISE

“We’ll always have Paris.”  So says Humphrey Bogart in one of the most famous lines in movie history.  And although Before Sunrise probably doesn’t deserve comparisons to a film of that statue, it does give us a glimpse in what Bogart and Bergman’s characters probably felt during that very special meeting. 

Except, this time it’s the 1990s instead of the 1930s, and the location is Vienna instead of Paris.  Yet, one thing that hasn’t changed is the magic that these couples felt, and Richard Linklater’s wonderful follow-up to Dazed and Confused captures that as well as any other film from 1995.  The only thing missing is an over-quoted line like “we’ll always have Vienna.”

9. HEAT

Michael Mann’s new thriller is the definition of a slow burn, as it takes its sweet time telling the story of a cat-and-mouse chase between a Los Angeles detective (Al Pacino) and a gang of big-time bank robber (most notably Robert De Niro and Val Kilmer).  Yet despite its three-hour running time, Heat never has a dull moment, as it is driven along by its strong dual performances from two of the finest actors in history.

8. CLUELESS

Don’t think Clueless deserves a spot in the top 10?  Whattttevvvver!  Most critics preferred Ang Lee’s perfectly acted Sense & Sensibility or the BBC adaptation of Persuasion, but neither were as creative, entertaining or simply as quotable as Amy Heckerling’s very funny adaption of Jane Austin’s Emma.  This, alongside Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused, are two of the best high school comedies ever made.

7. BRAVEHEART

Along with Apollo 13, Mel Gibson’s epic Braveheart made 1995 a fantastic year at the movie for history buffs – even if its running time is a bit long, an Aussie plays the lead role of a Scottish leader and its historical accuracies are questionable at best.  Braveheart is a film that takes the strengths from films like Dances With Wolves and The Last of the Mohicans, and injects a full dose of adrenaline to it.

6. SAFE

Even though Carol White’s illness is a completely different monster, it’s arguable that no film has ever studied the AIDS pandemic as well as Todd Haynes’ heartbreaking drama.  Julianne Moore plays Carol perfectly, as a wealthy housewife who begins to suffer from a rare and apparently untreatable environmental illness. 

Even more so than 1993’s Philadelphia, Safe captures the despair and heartbreak of an uncontrollable illness, and the frustration and desperation that builds when proper care isn’t provided.  And apart from all that, Safe is an absolutely beautifully shot film, too.

5. SE7EN

For the first time in years, movie goers were actually flocking to the theaters to see good movies.  Toy Story, the most innovative film of the year, led all films by grossing nearly $200 million.  Apollo 13 – Ron Howard’s suspenseful retelling of the unsuccessful trip to the moon – wasn’t far behind and finished third.  And coming in seventh for the year was the top-grossing R-rated movie, Se7en.  And deservingly so.

That’s because David Fincher’s thrilling story of two detectives determined to track down a serial killer who turns the seven deadly sins into a game is the best thriller since The Silence of the Lambs.  Fincher’s fresh style and energy along with some brilliant cinematography makes Se7en one of the most refreshing and perfectly constructed motion pictures in recent memory.  And that’s certainly no sin.

4. APOLLO 13

Just when you begin to think that the days of kids dreaming to grow up to be astronauts has passed, Opie from The Andy Griffith Show (Ron Howard) comes along and makes space cool again.  In fact, space has possibly never been more heroic, honorary and heartbreaking than it is in Howard’s thrilling film, Apollo 13.

Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton and Kevin Bacon star as the three astronauts onboard the disastrous Apollo 13 mission to the moon and Ed Harris plays the flight director who makes it his duty to save bring the men back to Earth unharmed.  What follows is the year’s most thrilling picture – and one that captures the dreams and determination of some of America’s brightest men and the heartbreak of a failed mission.

3. LEAVING LAS VEGAS

Just how good is Leaving Las Vegas?  Well, it’s so good that it even manages to make Nicolas Cage look like a good actor.  Or perhaps he’s just finally been given a role that matches his eccentric behavior.  He plays a recently fired Hollywood screenwriter who ventures out to Las Vegas with plans of drinking himself to death.  While there, he meets a prostitute with a heart of gold, played wonderfully by Elisabeth Shue and he begins to find a reason to live. 

It may sound like a melodramatic downer – and it is – but Leaving Las Vegas is done so well, and with so much honesty that it is impossible not to get entangled in the unique love story.  It’s a film that captures the evils of alcoholism and understands that the fight can’t always be won.

2. DEAD MAN WALKING

There’s no doubt that Dead Man Walking – Tim Robbin’s wonderful directorial debut – is the year’s most compassionate film.  There’s also no doubt that it’s one of the year’s best. 

Sister Helen – played wonderfully by Susan Sarandon – begins to visit a prisoner who has been sentenced to death row.  Although he’s arrogant, racist, sexist and completely unlikable, he claims he’s innocent, and Sister Helen’s compassionate heart refuses to let herself abandon him, even if she has doubts.  What follows is a thought-provoking drama that somehow questions our views on the death penalty without being judgmental or overdramatic.

1. TOY STORY

1995 had plenty of good films, but none were as innovative or as groundbreaking as Toy Story.  Years from now, we’ll look back at Toy Story as the film that forever changed what animation could be, and it will rank alongside Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as the most important films of the medium.

But Toy Story doesn’t just top the list because of its groundbreaking feats – it was also the most fun I had at the movies in 1995.  It’s the rate film that shoots for infinity and beyond, and actually achieves it.