The 100 Greatest movies of the 1990s #48. Thelma and Louise (69 Viewers)

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

63 for one of the greatest comedys?

 

[Nick Vermeil]

A Time to Kill and the Rainmaker are ranked and the Firm is not.


Oh my.


This is a list alright.

Have you watched The Firm lately?

The Firm is hot garbage.

 

[General Malaise]

Just so many quotable lines from Office Space - they knocked this one out of the park. Plus, Jennifer Aniston in a cute little TGIF outfit.

Sometimes, I feel like you are my evil twin. So many similarities yet so different.

I generally just like to needle you because you have quality rants in return. I like getting Shuke all riled up too. I'm a flawed man.

 

[KarmaPolice]

A Time to Kill and the Rainmaker are ranked and the Firm is not.


Oh my.


This is a list alright.

Have you watched The Firm lately?

The Firm is hot garbage.

I watched it last year and didn't like it much, despite remember liking it when it came out.

I asked because something I have been surprised at when people talk movies in these threads is how many people don't rewatch them.

 

[El Floppo]

A Time to Kill and the Rainmaker are ranked and the Firm is not.


Oh my.


This is a list alright.

Have you watched The Firm lately?

The Firm is hot garbage.

And garbage leads to...

Google Image Result for https://www.theoriginalunderground.com/cdn/shop/files/diabeetus-wilford-brimley-sticker-161724.jpg?v=1729242385

 

[General Malaise]

A Time to Kill and the Rainmaker are ranked and the Firm is not.


Oh my.


This is a list alright.

Have you watched The Firm lately?

The Firm is hot garbage.

Precisely! I made the same comment last week or so when discussing "A Time to Kill". His 90s books-to-film were a major miss for me. Pelican Brief was so bad I stopped watching it.

 

[General Malaise]

A Time to Kill and the Rainmaker are ranked and the Firm is not.


Oh my.


This is a list alright.

Have you watched The Firm lately?

The Firm is hot garbage.

And garbage leads to...

Google Image Result for https://www.theoriginalunderground.com/cdn/shop/files/diabeetus-wilford-brimley-sticker-161724.jpg?v=1729242385

Did y'all know that Wilford Bremley was only 28 when he made The Firm? Actually true.

 

[El Floppo]

A Time to Kill and the Rainmaker are ranked and the Firm is not.


Oh my.


This is a list alright.

Have you watched The Firm lately?

The Firm is hot garbage.

And garbage leads to...

Google Image Result for https://www.theoriginalunderground.com/cdn/shop/files/diabeetus-wilford-brimley-sticker-161724.jpg?v=1729242385

Did y'all know that Wilford Bremley was only 28 when he made The Firm? Actually true.

Still younger than Abe Vigoda is now

 

[General Malaise]

A Time to Kill and the Rainmaker are ranked and the Firm is not.


Oh my.


This is a list alright.

Have you watched The Firm lately?

The Firm is hot garbage.

I watched it last year and didn't like it much, despite remember liking it when it came out.

I asked because something I have been surprised at when people talk movies in these threads is how many people don't rewatch them.

Some of us lack a mechanism to rewatch them. I don't own DVDs, there's no Blockbuster and streaming services are very limited (IMO). I know there's Plex and stuff, but if I wanted to rewatch The Firm tonight, how would I do that? Ptetend I'm your grandmother and you're explaining it to her.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

A Time to Kill and the Rainmaker are ranked and the Firm is not.


Oh my.


This is a list alright.

Have you watched The Firm lately?

The Firm is hot garbage.

I watched it last year and didn't like it much, despite remember liking it when it came out.

I asked because something I have been surprised at when people talk movies in these threads is how many people don't rewatch them.

Some of us lack a mechanism to rewatch them. I don't own DVDs, there's no Blockbuster and streaming services are very limited (IMO). I know there's Plex and stuff, but if I wanted to rewatch The Firm tonight, how would I do that? Ptetend I'm your grandmother and you're explaining it to her.

Do have a smart TV? If it's getting its info from wifi, you can download the app for Tubi. The thing you want to watch might be there. For sure, a butt ton of stuff is there to watch and rot your brain.

 

[El Floppo]

A Time to Kill and the Rainmaker are ranked and the Firm is not.


Oh my.


This is a list alright.

Have you watched The Firm lately?

The Firm is hot garbage.

I watched it last year and didn't like it much, despite remember liking it when it came out.

I asked because something I have been surprised at when people talk movies in these threads is how many people don't rewatch them.

Some of us lack a mechanism to rewatch them. I don't own DVDs, there's no Blockbuster and streaming services are very limited (IMO). I know there's Plex and stuff, but if I wanted to rewatch The Firm tonight, how would I do that? Ptetend I'm your grandmother and you're explaining it to her.

Step 1... **** in the box
Step 2... Google.
Step 3... It's streaming lots of places.

 

[KarmaPolice]

A Time to Kill and the Rainmaker are ranked and the Firm is not.


Oh my.


This is a list alright.

Have you watched The Firm lately?

The Firm is hot garbage.

I watched it last year and didn't like it much, despite remember liking it when it came out.

I asked because something I have been surprised at when people talk movies in these threads is how many people don't rewatch them.

Some of us lack a mechanism to rewatch them. I don't own DVDs, there's no Blockbuster and streaming services are very limited (IMO). I know there's Plex and stuff, but if I wanted to rewatch The Firm tonight, how would I do that? Ptetend I'm your grandmother and you're explaining it to her.

1. Check justwatch.com to see if it is streaming somewhere you have access to or available to rent. (It is on Paramount + and Kanopy currently)

2. Try your library system. (This is what i use for most of my supplemental movie needs). This includes asking if they use Kanopy.

3.


Most of us probably have this limitation now. I get that roadblock. What i am talking about is seeing a lot of comments about not rewatching movies in general, as in what is the point. Personally, i wouldn't trust anybody's list who has that stance, and it is something in the back of my mind when i read comments about movies.

 

[General Malaise]

Thanks KP.

As for not rewatching movies, there's some listed I have and some I never want to see again.

Office Space? I'll watch it anytime I see it on {fill in the blank option here}. Delightful movie, funny!

Any Given Sunday? I hated that movie so much I wanted my money back. I wouldn't watch this again if it was the only option on an airplane. I'd rawdog that flight David Putty style before watching that tripe again. My opinion is based (is that the right way to use this term?).

I have no desire to watch The Firm again either. It took a giant dump all over the book - a great book. I have no desire to read the book again either.

I'm fact, I think I've only ever read 2 books a second time. Do you guys often re-read books?

 

[Nick Vermeil]

I'm fact, I think I've only ever read 2 books a second time. Do you guys often re-read books?

I’m guessing “Are you there God? It’s me Margaret” and “The DaVinci Code.”

 

[KarmaPolice]

Thanks KP.

As for not rewatching movies, there's some listed I have and some I never want to see again.

Office Space? I'll watch it anytime I see it on {fill in the blank option here}. Delightful movie, funny!

Any Given Sunday? I hated that movie so much I wanted my money back. I wouldn't watch this again if it was the only option on an airplane. I'd rawdog that flight David Putty style before watching that tripe again. My opinion is based (is that the right way to use this term?).

I have no desire to watch The Firm again either. It took a giant dump all over the book - a great book. I have desire to read the book again either.

I'm fact, I think I've only ever read 2 books a second time. Do you guys often re-read books?

Sure, but you wouldn't also have The Firm or AGS on your best movies list then, either. Maybe a better question would be: what % of movies listed on a countdown like tim's would you have seen multiple times? How about in the last decade or so?

Books are a different thing for me because of the time involved. Maybe there are 10-20 books I've reread, and only a couple 3+ times. There are movies ive seen 100+ times.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

We don't have a lot of time on this earth! We weren't meant to spend it this way. Human beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles staring at computer screens all day, filling out useless forms and listening to eight different bosses drone on about about mission statements!

 

[El Floppo]

We don't have a lot of time on this earth! We weren't meant to spend it this way. Human beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles staring at computer screens all day, filling out useless forms and listening to eight different bosses drone on about about mission statements!

Oooo...yeahhhh, ummm...I'm gonna have to go ahead and sort of disagree with you there.

 

[Zow]

62. Office Space (1999)

Directed by: Mike Judge

Starring: Ron Livingston, Jennifer Anniston, Gary Cole, David Herman

Synopsis: Workers in a software company feel trapped in their jobs.

No way, why should I change MY name? He’s the one who sucks! - David Herman as Michael Bolton

A very funny film and at the same time, for anyone who’s worked in a large office, all too real and depressing. Ron Livingston seems to have been born for this role; he’s played basically the same character several times. I’ve always been fascinated by the stealing pennies subplot; would that really work?

Amazing movie from my college days and should have been ranked higher. I probably watched this at least 30 times with friends. So good.

 

[FarFromHome]

The scene in Office Space where he is explaining to them how he does just enough to not get fired is just a great piece of television. Also the intro with dude singing along with hard core rap in traffic still just cracks me up.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

We don't have a lot of time on this earth! We weren't meant to spend it this way. Human beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles staring at computer screens all day, filling out useless forms and listening to eight different bosses drone on about about mission statements!

Oooo...yeahhhh, ummm...I'm gonna have to go ahead and sort of disagree with you there.

...no talent *** clown.

 

[nirad3]

Office Space, what a classic. #62? Ouch.

Opening scene was filmed on Braker Lane, a few miles from where we lived in Austin. Apartment complex they shot several scenes at was up the road too... delivered chicken wings there a few times. Most of the movie was filmed in Dallas, though.

 

[Tin Cup]

A Time to Kill and the Rainmaker are ranked and the Firm is not.


Oh my.


This is a list alright.

Have you watched The Firm lately?

Cruise randomly gymnastically tumbling down a sidewalk is one I never saw coming. That guy sure does have range.

 

[TripItUp]

The Firm is a personal favorite, so not surprised I'm in the minority with that hot take.

 

[rockaction]

. I’ve always been fascinated by the stealing pennies subplot; would that really work?

I think it was a subplot in Superman III with Richard Pryor. Same thing. Or am I dreaming?

Yep. Here you go.

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

 

[rockaction]

I used to be really into computers when I was a kid. Back when you were a total dork if you were. Heh.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

1. Check justwatch.com to see if it is streaming somewhere you have access to or available to rent. (It is on Paramount + and Kanopy currently)

Or you can rent on Amazon for $3.99

 

[Dr. Octopus]

. I’ve always been fascinated by the stealing pennies subplot; would that really work?

I think it was a subplot in Superman III with Richard Pryor. Same thing. Or am I dreaming?

Yep. Here you go.

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

It was. I think they referenced it in Office Space even.

 

[rockaction]

. I’ve always been fascinated by the stealing pennies subplot; would that really work?

I think it was a subplot in Superman III with Richard Pryor. Same thing. Or am I dreaming?

Yep. Here you go.

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

It was. I think they referenced it in Office Space even.

That would make sense. I just remember Pryor pulling up in the sports car right after hacking the company.

 

[massraider]

for all the interesting aspects of Se7en, The Rainmaker (along with all the other films I ranked above Se7en) are simply more entertaining to watch. In my judgment this factor overrides all others

Rainmaker is a well done version of a million other lawyer dramas. Adapted from a guy who is Mount Rushmore of airport bookstores.
Se7en was better directed, better acted, better shot, had an engrossing villain, a twist at the end. It's memorable.
Just saying more entertaining.... by that standard every Lego movie is better than The Revenant.

 

[KarmaPolice]

for all the interesting aspects of Se7en, The Rainmaker (along with all the other films I ranked above Se7en) are simply more entertaining to watch. In my judgment this factor overrides all others

Rainmaker is a well done version of a million other lawyer dramas. Adapted from a guy who is Mount Rushmore of airport bookstores.
Se7en was better directed, better acted, better shot, had an engrossing villain, a twist at the end. It's memorable.
Just saying more entertaining.... by that standard every Lego movie is better than The Revenant.

Exactly. Also, you are watching a genre movie with Se7en. I thought the entertainment value for suspense/thrillers was the tension, freakiness, twists, and villains - which IMO it does as well as any movie in that genre. Plus R. Lee Ermey!

 

[Mr. Mojo]

Being stuck in traffic still reminds me of the scene where the old guy in the walker passes him while he's sitting his car during the morning commute.
My wife was practically crying she was laughing so hard.

 

[BlackCrowes]

63. The Rainmaker (1997)

Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola

Starring: Matt Damon, Danny DeVito, Claire Danes, Jon Voight

Synopsis: An unemployed rookie lawyer takes on a large insurance corporation.

What’s the difference between a lawyer and a hooker? A hooker will stop screwing you after you’re dead. - Matt Damon as Rudy Baylor

This is the second of the two John Grisham movies on the list, and it’s his best film (I think it might be his best novel as well.) Superb acting all around by an all star cast and a terrific courtroom drama.

Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot.

Horrible writing. Worse acting.

The St Elmo’s Fire of the the 90s

 

[shuke]

I think we've done enough of these to determine that "greatest" and "favorite" are basically synonymous in this context.

I thought so too but then Tim said something conflicting just upthread.

 

[KarmaPolice]

I think we've done enough of these to determine that "greatest" and "favorite" are basically synonymous in this context.

I thought so too but then Tim said something conflicting just upthread.

He said something conflicting with that, but then also said that "entertainment" is the major criteria. They are favorites.

 

[CGRdrJoe]

Just so many quotable lines from Office Space - they knocked this one out of the park. Plus, Jennifer Aniston in a cute little TGIF outfit.

Sometimes, I feel like you are my evil twin. So many similarities yet so different.

I generally just like to needle you because you have quality rants in return. I like getting Shuke all riled up too. I'm a flawed man.

plus GM was in the movie https://officespace.fandom.com/wiki/Drew

 

[Andy Dufresne]

PC load letter!?

 

[Gr00vus]

I said no salt, nooooo salt....

 

[Jayrod]

PC load letter!?

What the **** does that mean?
Oh yeah, let's do that. Let's do that!!

 

[Jayrod]

I said no salt, nooooo salt....

But there were huge grains of salt on my glass.

I could write a letter.

 

[Dr_Zaius]

I uh, I don't like my job, and, uh, I don't think I'm gonna go.

Absolutely love Office Space. I watched it again with my kids a few months ago after not seeing it for years and it still holds up just as well. Mike Judge made some memorable stuff - Idiocracy cracks me up as well.

 

[Ghost Rider]

How does Stephen Root not even get a mention in the write-up of Office Space? His performance as Milton totally makes the movie. I still LOL for real at every scene with Milton.

 

[Dan Lambskin]

IMO Denzel Washington should have won Best Actor for his portrayal of Hurricane Rubin Carter…..instead Kevin Spacey got it for American Beauty and to me Denzel was absolutely robbed.

They did a make up call giving it to him for the less than stellar role in Training Day…..meh.

Washington was great in Hurricane, but he deserved that Oscar for Training Day.

Training day is way overrated and so was his performance

 

[Dan Lambskin]

This exchange pretty much sums up how I feel about my career in corporate America

• Peter Gibbons: The thing is, Bob, it's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care.
• Bob Porter: Don't... don't care?
• Peter Gibbons: It's a problem of motivation, all right? Now if I work my *** off and Initech ships a few extra units, I don't see another dime, so where's the motivation? And here's something else, Bob: I have eight different bosses right now.
• Bob Slydell: I beg your pardon?
• Peter Gibbons: Eight bosses.
• Bob Slydell: Eight?
• Peter Gibbons: Eight, Bob. So that means that when I make a mistake, I have eight different people coming by to tell me about it. That's my only real motivation is not to be hassled, that and the fear of losing my job. But you know, Bob, that will only make someone work just hard enough not to get fired.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

I think we've done enough of these to determine that "greatest" and "favorite" are basically synonymous in this context.

I thought so too but then Tim said something conflicting just upthread.

He said something conflicting with that, but then also said that "entertainment" is the major criteria. They are favorites.

He said his favorites list would be “different” though.
Guess we can’t get a straight answer from him.

 

[KarmaPolice]

I think we've done enough of these to determine that "greatest" and "favorite" are basically synonymous in this context.

I thought so too but then Tim said something conflicting just upthread.

He said something conflicting with that, but then also said that "entertainment" is the major criteria. They are favorites.

He said his favorites list would be “different” though.
Guess we can’t get a straight answer from him.

If I remember right, he posted they would be in different order - not that the movies on the list would be that much different.

 

[KarmaPolice]

IMO Denzel Washington should have won Best Actor for his portrayal of Hurricane Rubin Carter…..instead Kevin Spacey got it for American Beauty and to me Denzel was absolutely robbed.

They did a make up call giving it to him for the less than stellar role in Training Day…..meh.

Washington was great in Hurricane, but he deserved that Oscar for Training Day.

Training day is way overrated and so was his performance

This is a take I can get behind. I never got the love for the "King Kong" speech/scene, and thought it was a bit silly.

 

[zamboni]

. I never got the love for the "King Kong" speech/scene, and thought it was a bit silly.

To be fair, it was tough to hear him from the top of the Empire State Building.

 

[KarmaPolice]

. I never got the love for the "King Kong" speech/scene, and thought it was a bit silly.

To be fair, it was tough to hear from the top of the Empire State Building.

Gotta speak from the diaphragm and project that voice more.

 

[Ghost Rider]

This exchange pretty much sums up how I feel about my career in corporate America

• Peter Gibbons: The thing is, Bob, it's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care.
• Bob Porter: Don't... don't care?
• Peter Gibbons: It's a problem of motivation, all right? Now if I work my *** off and Initech ships a few extra units, I don't see another dime, so where's the motivation? And here's something else, Bob: I have eight different bosses right now.
• Bob Slydell: I beg your pardon?
• Peter Gibbons: Eight bosses.
• Bob Slydell: Eight?
• Peter Gibbons: Eight, Bob. So that means that when I make a mistake, I have eight different people coming by to tell me about it. That's my only real motivation is not to be hassled, that and the fear of losing my job. But you know, Bob, that will only make someone work just hard enough not to get fired.

"Hello, Bob.

Bob."

 

[Alex P Keaton]

63. The Rainmaker (1997)

Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola

Starring: Matt Damon, Danny DeVito, Claire Danes, Jon Voight

Synopsis: An unemployed rookie lawyer takes on a large insurance corporation.

What’s the difference between a lawyer and a hooker? A hooker will stop screwing you after you’re dead. - Matt Damon as Rudy Baylor

This is the second of the two John Grisham movies on the list, and it’s his best film (I think it might be his best novel as well.) Superb acting all around by an all star cast and a terrific courtroom drama.

I liked the Rainmaker and enjoyed all of the Grisham book-to-movie catalogue.

But it is in no universe a better movie than Se7en. Like none.

This is like bizarro world stuff. I feel like I'm being trolled or on Punk'd or something.

Tim's ratings and opinions are one thing, but this repeated after every subsequent movie listed gets really tiring.

I agree with Pip's that Tim does himself a disservice by titling the thread "greatest" movies. I think it's clear he is doing a personal list of his favorite movies and in that context I could 100% understand people not liking or wanting to rewatch Se7en, no matter my thoughts on it.

It’s not a disservice. And I very much disagree that Se7en is a better film than The Rainmaker for several reasons. I could offer them all but it’s easier for me to make the point that, for all the interesting aspects of Se7en, The Rainmaker (along with all the other films I ranked above Se7en) are simply more entertaining to watch. In my judgment this factor overrides all others.

Now “greatest” is certainly a subjective term but the reason that I use it is exactly to achieve the sort of debate and discussion that threads like this create. If I simply made a list of my favorite films of the 90s (which honestly might be a very different list) it wouldn’t receive the same response. And @Jayrod is wrong; this isn’t any form of trolling. Yes I think The Rainmaker is a better film than Se7en. He is free to disagree.

I usually just pretend that the whole ranking thread is like a David Brooks column. Or a dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. Lots of people probably love every Grisham movie, so much that they think The Rainmaker was good. Just like lots of people really enjoy their Friday night trip to the CF for dinner.

Regardless, I love these rankings and appreciate you doing them, even though the idea of ranking The Rainmaker over Se7en is almost as distasteful to me as being forced to eat a bang bang shrimp appetizer at CF this weekend.

If you had said that spelling the name of the movie as “Se7en” instead of “Seven” caused you to move the ranking down 15-20 slots out of annoyance, that would resonate more with me.