Secrets from Nostalgic 90s Comedies
If you weren’t able to experience the wonder that was movies in the nineties then we’re so sorry. Y’all missed a ridiculous amount of fun. Mullets, motorcycles, Disney out the wazoo, there was just so much going on. We got Jim Carrey. Oh, and Tim Allen also made some epic stuff. We’re just so thankful that some of the best movies ever came from the same decade. Pogs were pretty sweet, too. The level of insanity these movies went to get things done is sometimes bigger than the film. Sometimes whole stadiums were built just for them to practice sports in.
Nothing was off-limits to get some of the most iconic movie memories made.
Clueless
Clueless is a quintessential guide to teenage life in the 90s. If you were a tiny blonde upper-class Californian then this was all about you. This flick showed how cool and stressful it was being popular. Keeping up with social appearances takes work. There’s like totally no time to study for school. How could Alicia Silverstone know how to pronounce the word “Haitians”?
Not everyone can tough it through four years of things like reading or homework. Some just go into acting. We’re just kidding, that’s mean. Acting requires a lot of work. You have to be able to repeat yourself all the time. You should also be able to read and understand your script.
The Mask
One of the best scenes in Jim Carrey’s career takes place in The Mask. The mere fact that this adult comic became a famous (somewhat) family film is mind-boggling. What made it so palatable to people is that Carrey was able to fully embrace the cartoony nature of his masked alter-ego. The massive Cuban Pete dance number in the film is one of the most memorable of the entire movie.
It was so out-of-place that it almost made sense. The producers originally weren’t on board with it. Thankfully, the early fans vouched for it so that the rest of us could enjoy it for years to come. The film would be unwatchable without it. Why? No clue, but thankfully we don’t have to find out.
Sister Act
Carrie Fisher was and still is, a queen of more than just a galaxy far, far away. The legendary actress and mental health advocate touched millions of lives. Both her presence on the screen and her work off of it were only small glimpses into her many talents and passions. Not many people know that she was also a highly sought-out writer. Her script work can be found all around Hollywood!
Even the mega-successful Sister Act, starring Whoopi Goldberg, had a touch of Fisher’s magic. A lot of Whoopi’s dialogue was redone by Fisher. That just makes the movie better. However, Disney wasn’t exactly having it. The House of Mouse doesn’t like to share.
Space Jam
Anyone who isn’t a fan of Michael Jordan’s family classic Space Jam please excuse yourselves. Watching Bugs Bunny shoot hoops with Michael Jordan helped shape us into the generation we are today. It’s a weird concept that just happened to work. Throw one of the greatest athletes of all time with a bunch of cartoon legends and see what happens. It started a phenomenon.
Nobody saw it coming. Warner Brothers probably didn’t see some of the star’s more interesting requests either. To do the project Michael said he needed a full-size basketball court and weight room built for him to practice in. They didn’t even bat an eye. He got his facility and the world got cinematic perfection.
She’s All That
Few things are considered original anymore. Everything on the air is a copy of a copy of a copy. Some of your favorite things are just clones in different clothing or something much more famous. Would you have gone to see a movie called “Pygmalion”? Maybe? Depends on the genre. Those with a penchant for the theater may have pre-ordered tickets.
This well-loved romcom is a classic twist on the 1912 play with a dash of “My Fair Lady” thrown in to spice things up. While it can stand on its own, there’s a benefit to the film’s roots. It’s a great way to sneak some theatrical culture into the mainstream.
Billy Madison
Everyone take a minute and pay respects to comedic legend Norm Macdonald. From 1992 to 2021, Macdonald made the world laugh as a comedian, writer, and even television producer. While his time was cut short he’s leaving behind a legacy of work. One of Mcdonald’s most endearing traits was his ability to stay in character. Sure, SNL tested that, but for the most part, he was pretty spot-on.
He took it to the extreme with Adam Sandler’s incredible non-family-favorite Billy Madison. Even though he’s in less than six minutes, he made the most of the role. Every single time he was on-air Macdonald was a bit sauced. Maybe that helped him deliver some of those famous saucy lines.
Hook
Divas will be whatever they want to be. When you put in the work you sometimes get a bit of an ego. We get it. Remember when Reese Witherspoon tried to play the celebrity card? Look it up. It’s wild. However, stay with us for a bit. Everyone’s favorite movie, Hook, is movie magic. The cast is a knockout. The story is fun. Even the characters were somehow one-of-a-kind (RUFIO!).
The people that brought them to life weren’t so fun and childish. America’s beloved Pretty Woman got the honor of playing Tinkerbell. Sounds great, right? On paper, it sounded perfect. When we saw the final result it was great. Between those two times, things were a bit less magical.
Kicking and Screaming
Not all cult classics make bank. Part of their appeal is that they weren’t financial successes but still managed to stick around in our hearts. Kicking and Screaming is kind of like that. This college flick about what happens when you don’t move on was a hit and still is (among some fans). While it didn’t do financially well, it had all the potential for it.
With the proper advertising and budget, it could have gone far. It’s a shame the director turned down all that sweet sweet cash and exposure. Sometimes even artists get in the way of their own success. It’s a good thing it was well-received, or else maybe it wouldn’t even be remembered to this day.
The Big Lebowski
Regardless of your stance on bowling, we can all agree on something: The Big Lebowski is an excellent film. Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore, and John Goodman are at their best. The Dude’s iconic one-liners and the overall aesthetic made this an immediate cult classic. Even Jeff Bridges’ chillaxed go-with-the-flow style resonated with audiences. A lot of people saw themselves as The Dude. The others probably wished they could be him.
He had the coolest rug ever y’know. Of course, most of what happened in the film is fictional. What wasn’t was some of the clothing in the movie. Remember when Jellies were big? They were like the Crocs of the 80s. Bridges’ loved his so much he brought his own to wear in the movie.
Dumb & Dumber
Jim Carrey is probably going to appear in this article a lot. Just get ready and prepare yourselves. It makes sense when you look back at classic 90s cinema. Any movie labeled “comedy” had a huge chance of featuring this comedic sensation. He’s practically a walking cartoon with the quickest wit you’ve ever seen. A lot of his shining moments weren’t even scripted.
Dumb & Dumber is the perfect example of Jim stealing the scene and thinking on his feet. The scream heard round the world during the lead’s road trip to Aspen wasn’t part of the script. What better way to make sure people are paying attention than by making up the most annoying sound in the world?
Forrest Gump
Tom Hanks is a stupendous, and world-renowned actor. It’s hard to describe what makes him so great. He completely embodies every role he comes across. No matter the character, he’s able to completely transform into a different person. However, he still retains whatever “Tom Hanks Magic” that only Tom Hanks can produce. He can practically do anything. In Forrest Gump he almost did.
What Forrest is best at may not be Hanks’ cup of tea. His brother was actually filmed for a lot of the running shots! Maybe Hanks just didn’t want to wear that huge scratchy beard. We guess he got used to it by the time he washed up on Cast Away. It was also probably really hot outside.
Home Alone
Home Alone is an excellent PSA for why you should always double-check everything before leaving on vacation. Unplug electronics, those bills don’t take a break. Water the plants. Don’t misplace your children. These are important things to check off on the to-do list before boarding a plane (or even leaving the car). None of that happened in this movie and we’re kind of thankful for it.
Home Alone’s slapstick comedy and ridiculous traps were executed perfectly. The villains were great, too. It’s a bit weird that one of them had a taste for human flesh. When the bumbling robbers confront Macauly Culkin at the climax, Joe Pesci takes a bite on the kid’s finger! Why is cannibalism even part of the film?
Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day is a good movie. Groundhog Day is a good movie. Groundhog Day is a good movie. Sorry for repeating ourselves, but that’s kind of the point. While time travel isn’t real (yet) the holidays still are. Groundhog Day is an important one, too! Every year some people wake up a sleeping animal and ask it to predict the weather.
If that doesn’t sound like the plot of a movie then what does? To make it as authentic as possible Bill Murray made sure to work with real animals. Nobody seemed to tell him that they may not want to be actors. Not everyone wants to be world-famous, Bill. Just let them nap next time.
Rush Hour
Jackie Chan is a treasure. He’s trained in opera, is (probably) a Kung Fu master, and makes awesome movies. Plus, his animated show was dope. A lot of what we’ve seen from Jackie is cinema gold. He could practically fight his way out of a paper bag without even trying. Unfortunately, he came a little too close to danger.
Jackie Chan does his stunts a lot of the time (just like Tom Cruise, fun fact). Remember the scene where he’s nearly crushed by metal boxes? Yeah, he cleared his head with less than a second to spare. That didn’t stop him from coming back for two sequels!
Being John Malkovich
Artists around the world carry important messages to the masses in unique ways. They also come in many different forms: painters, singers, even puppeteers are important threads in the quilt of a community. Yes, that’s right, even puppeteers. We mean the old-school marionette ones. Sock puppets are for the minor leagues. Marionettes though, with the strings? That’s where things take years of practice to master to make sure the art translates well.
You could also just take a few lessons to prepare for a movie role. That’s cool, too. To make Being John Malkovich as believable as possible it was paramount that John Cusack gets his puppeteering in line. Is that a permanent skill on his resume now?
American Pie
Betty Crocker is not a huge fan of American Pie. This off-the-wall comedy shook up an entire generation. The ridiculous ringleader of a lot of the chaos in the movie is a guy named Stifler. For all the crap he does, some of the weirder things are never really explained. There’s a special little scene involving a cup of beer in a bedroom. If you remember it then you remember what happens next.
This particular drink has a little something extra in it. While Stifler realizes too late, we have to watch an episode of Fear Factor play out before our eyes. In reality, the concoction wasn’t as bad as we thought. It was still beer and eggs mixed. That alone is enough to make us gag.
Austin Powers
Mike Meyers is comedy gold. His performances are hilarious and the Austin Powers trilogy is a cornerstone for any 90s comedy marathon. The man of a million faces plays four completely different characters throughout the series. While he’s the star, some others stole the show. Dr. Evil’s bestie (no, not Mini-Me) even has an alias.
The fluffy white cat, Dr. Bigglesworth, decided to don a new character when the cameras were on. He even decided to change his name. Ted Nude-gent is pretty terrific already. Dr. Ted Nude-gent would have fit with the movie, too. Either way, this cat has achieved more than most of us. He played a doctor for goodness sake!
There’s Something About Mary
In There’s Something About Mary the Miami vibe is alive and well. When Ted stays in the hotel he’s staying in a piece of history. Singer, songwriter, and powerhouse performer Gloria Estefan should be credited in this movie. She didn’t offer any backing tracks. She’s the owner of the entire hotel! That’s how you made it big y’all.
First, you gotta become an international pop sensation. Then slide into the real estate game. After that, become so successful your real estate is used in movies. Diversify your talents, get famous friends, then profit. She probably plays her music over the loudspeakers all day. Maybe it’s not as sweet a deal as we think it is.
Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion
It’s hard to escape the legacy that is Friends. This sitcom not only defined a generation of comedy fans, but it also changed the cultural landscape for 90s situational comedies and their impact on society. The cast members went on to equally groundbreaking projects. Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion isn’t one of them. It doesn’t matter since Phoebe (remember, from Friends), is a comedy genius. She also loves to borrow her friend’s (did it again, see?) clothes.
Michele tries her best to get her life back together. As she gets ready for a job interview, she happens to don one of Monica’s tops! They do carry on the characters outside of the show, don’t they? Maybe Michele should invite Romy to join the group.
Clerks
Clerks showed us that working in customer convenience can sometimes be a bit of a bore. It also showed us that loving your job is only part of what makes working outside of corporate America in the 90s so much fun. A lot of neat things make this movie, show, and comedy gold mine, so memorable. First one thing, it was shot in black and white.
This gave it a classic noir feel. It also featured the masterful Kevin Smith in his element. To make things even better, he was able to get his family involved! Smith’s mother, Grace Smith, had a role in making this cult film a favorite for the whole family (kind of).
The Truman Show
The Truman Show is a weird one-hundred-three-minute Black Mirror episode. It has all the makings of something we should be terrified about. Constantly having the world watch us sounds horrifying. It also kind of sounds like Twitter. Thankfully, all of that sounded like an impossibility back in 1998. Nobody had any idea that it was just a semi-extreme example of the future.
According to Jim Carrey, he leaned into the heyday of the chaos that was the paparazzi lifestyle. Being surrounded by strangers taking your picture every day helped him get into the right mindset. He turned an invasion of privacy into a multi-million dollar project. That sounds like a nice payoff for everyone watching and judging your every move for entertainment.
Men in Black
Part of what made Men In Black so much fun was the relationship between the two leads. Tommy Lee Jones presented a cool and experienced interstellar secret agent. Will Smith is the “act first and think later” upstart. Together they form a duo tasked with defending the world from complete annihilation. It leads to intrigue, action, and tons of funny (and gross) moments. Did you know that the nineties were a great time for slime?
Whenever possible, actors were getting slimed left, right, and center. In the Men In Black universe, Tommy Lee Jones’s character was used to it and took it well. Smith’s character was the exact opposite. You’d think it was just an act, but it was pretty honest. Smith was just as amused as his character was in ruining those nice suits.
Ace Ventura
Any of Jim Carrey’s numerous films could be a great defining moment for his career. He can practically take on any role and make it instantly iconic. Not all of his costars and directors share the same sentiment. The director of Ace Ventura’s first installment had some concerns about Carrey’s reputation. The massive megastar might’ve signed onto the project, but that didn’t mean the film was up to Carrey’s own talents!
Could you imagine directing something and not thinking the star would benefit? Someone needs to embrace their inner pet detective and just go for it. It all ended up working out for the best. Don’t believe us? Check out the box office take for this zany tale. Carrey’s career is FINE.
Kindergarten Cop
Wasn’t that movie featuring the Terminator teaching at a public school awesome? We’re dead serious, that’s essentially what Kindergarten Cop is. It’s one of the most nineties films to exist in this or any other universe. Arnold is undercover to catch a bad guy. The best disguise is an insanely built kindergarten teacher. To add to the absurdity, actual schoolchildren were included in this action-packed movie.
Their dialogue is like Kids Say The Darndest Things but ramped up to a billion. Walk around quoting it in the street in an adult voice and you’re bound to get some stares. Unfortunately, only thirty made the cut out of two thousand kiddos who tried for a role. That’s a lot of parents who wanted a ticket to stardom.
Robin Hood: Men In Tights
They’re men. They’re men in tights! Mel Brooks’ cinematic masterpiece Robin Hood: Men In Tights is timeless. This parody of great literature and adventure films has all that makings of an instant hit. There are big dance numbers, action, and tons of men in tights. Anything Brooks touches turns into a laugh riot. For something this big, he wanted to go over the moon.
To ensure the actors understood the characters they had to fight. Faking it wasn’t going to be enough. They went to a swordplay boot camp. That’s a thing people can do? Since when and are they having sign-ups? Will they also teach us how to hold a note and be hilarious?
The Edge of Seventeen
The Edge of Seventeen is a fantastic coming-of-age film from way back in 1998. This classic teen coming-of-age tale resonated with an entire generation. It also showed that love knows no boundaries. Time doesn’t matter when it comes to love either. When we’re chilling at the theme park a few things are revealed to the audience.
One of them is much bigger than everything else. Remember the roller coaster? Well, it wasn’t even built until the 90s. Oh, not shocked? Don’t forget that this film takes place in the ‘80s! Maybe production didn’t want to age everyone up to match the scenery. The Edge of Twenty-Seven doesn’t have much of a ring to it.
Office Space
If you’ve ever worked in a cubicle then you’ve probably seen Office Space. It summed up a lot of the mundanity that occurs when working in a lot of offices around America. TPS reports, water cooler talk, the whole shebang. It was equal parts great and boring. In other words, it was fantastic. Even Rachel from Friends makes an appearance!
She does it disguised as Jennifer Aniston. For the most part, she played a similar character. Due to her strict schedule, she didn’t have a ton of time to waste. To make sure she fit in as much work as possible, she had to keep moving. All of her scenes were done in just two weeks!
She Gets Her Own Spotlight
The Addams family has been around since 1964, experiencing several different interpretations on screen. We think we can all agree that Addams Family Values is one of the best films surrounding this unusual bunch. For one, they really managed to nail the appearance of all the characters, even if that meant giving them their own personal lighting.
It’s not enough to wear a black dress and red lipstick, Morticia Addams for having her eyes illuminated. We admire the production staff’s dedication to getting her look just right. In addition to incredible costuming and acting, the movie has a hilarious premise and is chock full of laughs.
How She Pulled It Off
In our humble opinion, Lindsey Lohan’s Parent Trap is far superior to its predecessor. This might’ve been Lohan’s film debut, but she knocked it out of the park with two incredibly memorable performances. We all know she’s not an actual twin, though as children she definitely had us convinced. Having a budding young actress work with a split screen isn’t the easiest, but there’s a trick that helped pull it off.
Instead of pretending to hear her “twin’s” lines, they were simply read through to her via a hidden microphone. We have no idea where they put that thing because we never spotted it! This calls for a second viewing.
The Starving Artist
Jerry McGuire might be your classic rom-com, but it has something that makes it unique from all the rest. The addition of sports is definitely an unexpected factor, but it also has some of the most quotable lines of all time. “Show me the money”, “You complete me”, and “You had me at hello” are classic quotes that we’ll never be able to forget.
The last on that list is uttered by none other than Renee Zelwegger, though at the time she was far from a wealthy actress. It’d been a while since this performer had been on screen and she was pretty strapped for cash. Good thing this movie was such a hit!
Not The Friendliest Film Set
This 90s comedy starred two best buds who were already familiar with each other’s comedy style. Having both starred on SNL, you’d think this pair would get along swimmingly on set. Thing is, sometimes being super close isn’t a good thing. Jealousy might arise and resentment can grow. That’s exactly what happened when Spade and Farley filmed Tommy Boy.
Farley was jealous of the time Spade was spending with fellow co-star Rob Lowe, what followed was an intense altercation. Diet Coke was thrown and physical fights ensued. There were days of filming where the two refused to talk to one another. Sounds like a pretty awkward work setting for the rest of the crew!
An Incorrect Prediction
This movie is without a doubt one of the greatest British comedies of all time. Several years after its release it held the spot of the highest-grossing British movie in history. It’s hard to watch this movie and not imagine it being a major success, but members of the cast weren’t as optimistic while filming.
Not only was Hugh Grant totally wrong, but his prediction also caused him to net a much lower salary than his costar. Andie MacDowell wanted percentage points instead of a fee and wound up landing two million dollars. Grant on the other hand made a small fraction of this, accepting a salary of $100,000. Yikes.
It Looked THAT Real
Mrs. Doubtfire definitely has one of the most interesting movie premises. After a divorce, Daniel Hillard, portrayed by Robin Williams, wants to stay in his children’s lives. He concludes that the best method to do so is to disguise himself as an elderly woman and work as their nanny. It’s been a while but the plot made sense when we first watched it.
Williams wasn’t going to rely on the audience’s suspension of disbelief, he had to make sure his character makeup was effective. When you’re a big celebrity it’s not difficult to test something like that. As it turns out, the public didn’t recognize him at all! That’s one talented makeup artist.
Different From Reality
We bet you didn’t know Cool Runnings is based on a true story. There was actually a Jamaican bobsled team that competed in the 1988 Winter Olympics. The team was interesting enough for Disney to make a movie out of it, after all, Jamaica is known for having an extremely warm climate. Not a lot of bobsledding going on there.
In the film the team is mocked and ridiculed for trying something so absurd, but that was far from what happened in reality. The real Jamaican bobsled team was warmly welcomed by their competitors. The part they kept in was the bobsled flipping over and crashing, ultimately preventing the team from winning. Though they didn’t take home the gold, the film is still a pretty funny watch!
Two Different Movies Filming Closeby
Mallrats is the story of two newly single friends who head to the mall for a little respite. We know that doesn’t sound incredibly interesting, but it’s a Kevin Smith film, you never really know what’s going to happen. Smith movie regulars like Jay, Silent Bob, and Ben Affleck appear in this quirky comedy. Just like Clerks, this tale takes place in New Jersey. But that’s far from where it was actually filmed.
This flick was filmed pretty close to the set of a very different movie! While T.S. and Brodie were getting up to wacky young adult shenanigans, Steve Buschemi was getting shoved in a woodchipper. We wonder if actors from either film popped on the other set to see what was going on.
He’s Basically A Walking Cartoon
The being that takes over Jim Carey’s character in The Mask is beyond cartoonish. He has oversized teeth and a perpetual wacky expression on his face. Production thought they’d have to invest in a ton of CGI to get things just right. Thankfully Jim Carrey was expressive enough to not need much extra help looking like a cartoon.
He learned how to talk with the oversized teeth, plus he was flexible enough to move his body in all sorts of wacky ways. Director Chuck Russell felt no need to alter every scene with CGI. He had Jim Carrey’s naturally rubbery visage to thank for that.
Too Nice
At the beginning of Groundhog Day, weatherman Phil Connors strikes us as a self-centered, obnoxious narcissist. We definitely didn’t root for this guy at first. But by the end of the film his hard exterior cracks and, day after repetitive day, we learn to love and support this soft-hearted man. But director Harold Ramis had a different Phil in mind before filming the movie.
He made a smart move there. Phil needs to start out as smart-mouthed and unlikeable, we’re just not sure if people could buy that from Tom Hanks. But Bill Murray? He does a great job at making us dislike him. He’s like the less wholesome version of Tom Hanks.
A Comedic And Musical Genius
Saturday Night Live is a great trial-by-fire for any comedian. Dana Carvey, arguably one of the show’s best performers, always landed a punch. His bizarre brand of humor shook up the world and made him a fan favorite. To this day his comedy is still ranked up there with the greats. When Wayne’s World was announced people had high hopes.
To make sure he kept the audience on their feet, Carvey pulled a few surprises. Garth’s mad drumming skills weren’t done by a stunt double. That’s all Carvey rocking his unfortunate haircut to the music. It doesn’t matter how well-received the movie was. That scene alone makes it an instant classic. It’s also SNL’s highest-grossing skit-based movie!
The Nutty Professor
The Nutty Professor is one of Eddie Murphy’s crowning achievements. If there was any table we wanted to eat at from afar it was the Klump’s. The entire family tree was so incredible we ended up getting a sequel to feature them more. The cast reportedly all love each other a ton. That’s mostly because Eddie Murphy is the entire cast.
The makeup that went into transforming him is jaw-dropping. Three hours a day in the makeup chair to shoot the same scene for goodness knows how long? Did he or the makeup crew win an Oscar for this? If not then a strongly worded email is on its way.
Dazed and Confused
Alright, alright, alright, listen up. If you have yet to see Matthew McConaughey in Dazed and Confused then please add it to your must-watch list. This ’93 classic takes place on the last day of high school for a bunch of friends back in 1976. Mila Jovovich and McConaughey, along with a stellar cast, just embrace their burned-out high school roles. It’s full of quotable lines and references that span generations.
It even helped McConaughey to embrace his catch-phrase and future company’s name. JKL (just keep livin’) Productions has its roots in this movie! Let this be a lesson, kids. Sometimes the smallest things can become great if you embrace what ya got. That, or, just hire a great writer to do your dialogue.