There may not have been a single more impressive or successful decade for an actor than the 1990s were for Tom Hanks. He starred in films of various genres while running the gamut of success, from critical acclaim to financial gains.
This was the decade in which he won multiple Academy Awards while in tandem making his directorial debut and beginning his long-running partnership with the highest-grossing film director of all time in Steven Spielberg. These films pretty much rendered Hanks the cream of the Hollywood crop, and justifiably so. Most of them are of the absolute highest quality. All that said, this is every Tom Hanks movie of the 1990s, ranked.
14 The Bonfire of the Vanities
Based on Tom Wolfe’s 1987 novel of the same name, The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990) is without a doubt the worst film on the list. Which you might not have guessed on paper: a bestselling premise, Brian De Palma as the director, with guys like Hanks, Bruce Willis, and Morgan Freeman within the cast. What could go wrong?
Well, a lot, apparently, as the final product garnered $15.6 million off a budget of $47 million, going down as a box office bomb, and what’s more is that it holds an abysmal 15% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Those numbers are warranted and should convince you to steer clear of this poor attempt at an adaptation during your next movie night.
13 Radio Flyer
If you find yourself wondering how you could be unfamiliar with a Tom Hanks movie from this particular decade, don’t get too down on yourself. Few people have heard of this one — it accrued just under $5 million at the worldwide box office on a $35 million budget — and that’s not sans good reason. Radio Flyer (1992) by Richard Donner was widely panned by critics for its wildly unbalanced premise.
Which is to say that it’s essentially a featured filmed for families that goes down as inappropriate for children. Its plot revolves around a case of child abuse, and to call it hard to watch would be putting things lightly. The next entry on the list sees a step-up in quality, though.
12 Joe Versus the Volcano
Throughout the 1990s, Hanks worked very closely with American actress Meg Ryan, and Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) marked their very first collaboration. It follows Hanks as the titular Joe Banks as a dying man who doesn’t seem to care all that much about his fate. So, he heeds a stranger’s advice to throw himself into a volcano to experience a more exciting death. And when he heads to the South Pacific, he meets and falls in love with Ryan’s character.
The relatively absurd premise is mirrored in its unexpected execution that will undoubtedly entertain audiences every step along the way. It received decent reviews from critics but failed to make waves in theaters — although, it’s since been deemed a cult classic, and justifiably so.
11 You’ve Got Mail
Directed by Nora Ephron, this entry marks another project that costars Meg Ryan, and it stands out among their titles as featuring perhaps their most likeable characters to date. Hanks plays Joe Fox, while Ryan plays Kathleen Kenny — together, the two fall into an online romance while remaining in the dark to the fact that they’re actually rivals in their professional lives.
The placement here for You’ve Got Mail (1998) — the name being taken from the greeting to AOL users upon receiving an e-mail — can honestly swap places with the following film on any given fan’s list. But the one at hand ultimately comes in at number eleven.
10 Sleepless in Seattle
Also directed by Nora Ephron, this famous rom-com marked his second time appearing alongside Meg Ryan, his third appearance with her on this list — consecutively, no less — and the highest-quality of their collaborations. Again, these last two picks can go either way depending on who you ask, but for this list, Sleepless in Seattle (1993) is the best film from the aforementioned trio: Hanks, Ryan, and Ephron, that is.
It chronicles Ryan’s character, a journalist named Annie Reed, who falls for an architect named Sam Baldwin (played by Hanks) despite her being recently engaged. The result is an emotional and entertaining romp with an ensemble cast to boot. It undoubtedly holds up today.
9 Forrest Gump
For many film fans, this very well could have been the project that materialized in your mind upon seeing the title of this list, as it was the greatest performance from Hanks not just of the decade at hand, but perhaps of his career. He of course won the Academy Award for Best Actor thanks to his work as the titular character here in Forrest Gump (1994) — his second time winning in back-to-back years. More on the first award in a second, though.
With regard to this Robert Zemeckis film, its legacy has arguably outshone its quality. Which isn’t to say it’s a bad film, per se — just that the rest of the entries on this list are of a higher caliber, as Forrest Gump never really takes any chances in its plot and remains relatively mundane in entertainment value upon any subsequent viewings. Some fans may disagree, but it comes in at number nine.
8 A League of Their Own
A sports film, he plays the head coach of a woman’s baseball team. And while the prior pick could come in ahead of A League of Their Own (1992) on any given fan’s list, the film at hand features some truly entertaining tactics of editing, engaging dialogue, and hilarious character dynamics that all help see the quality into fruition.
The legacy of A League of Their Own has remained fairly intact thanks to some memorable one-liners — “There’s no crying in baseball!” — in tandem with solid efforts from each actor involved. Although it’s not a perfect film, this romp by director Penny Marshall undoubtedly deserves the number eight spot.
7 Philadelphia
Here in Philadelphia (1993), the actor at hand portrays Andy Beckett, a homosexual lawyer who recently discovered he’s suffering from AIDS. After being fired from his job due to his conditions, Andy recruits the help of fellow lawyer Joe Miller (portrayed by Denzel Washington) to help him sue his former employers.
Tom Hanks once stated that he learned a lot about the craft from his experience working with Denzel, which of course makes sense. Denzel is an Academy Award-winning legend, and helped Hanks reach that very status here with Philadelphia — he won Best Actor, while the film was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay, Best Makeup, and Best Original Song. All those things render this legal drama a must-watch for fans of Tom Hanks.
6 That Thing You Do!
This marked the feature writing and directing debut of the man of the hour, Tom Hanks himself. And while That Thing You Do! (1996) failed to make commercial waves in theaters, it was revered across the board of consensuses, be it thoughts from fans or reviews from critics.
It follows a fictitious pop band as they rise to fame with their song “That Thing You Do” but are then deemed a one hit wonder as they quickly fall from grace. The film’s titular tune even picked up nominations for Best Original Song at both the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes, which were credited to Adam Schlesinger.
5 Apollo 13
Directed by Ron Howard, this film chronicles the intense tale of NASA astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert. And its actors perform brilliantly herein, as the characters are portrayed by Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Paxton respectively. Though, Ed Harris perhaps stole the show with his portrayal of Gene Krantz, the Flight Director of the titular aircraft in Apollo 13 (1995).
Kathleen Quinn also performed to a notable degree, with Harris and her picking up nominations for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress (respectively) at the Academy Awards. But the film as a whole was a perfect representation of the real-life event, garnering seven other nominations at the aforementioned ceremony.
4 The Green Mile
Directed by Frank Darabont, this fantasy drama features Tom Hanks in the lead role as Paul Edgecomb, a prison guard on death row. But it also features outstanding supporting efforts from David Morse, Bonnie Hunt, and Michael Clarke Duncan. That last actor hit home on a different level from the rest, even picking up an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Justifiably so.
If you can get through its emotionally daunting plot, The Green Mile (1999) will surely leave a hard-hitting impact, as Duncan’s character John Coffey is sentenced to death despite his innocence. The resonance of its plot in tandem with its impressive performances land this Stephen King adaptation here at number four.
3 Toy Story 2
Some fans might argue that this sequel’s quality actually trumps that of the original entry from a few years prior. But more on that later. As for Toy Story 2 (1999), there’s probably not a better sequel among Pixar’s roster of franchises, from Cars and Monsters, Inc. to Finding Nemo and The Incredibles. Of course, much of the quality herein can be attributed to the tremendous performances of its ensemble voice cast.
The actor at hand reprises his role as Sheriff Woody, the favorite toy of a boy named Andy. And of course, other actors working with their voices in Toy Story 2 include Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, and Jim Varney. They all help land this animated feature here at number three.
2 Saving Private Ryan
Directed by Steven Spielberg, this war film marked the first of many collaborations between Hanks and the famous American director. And it’s worth noting off the bat that these top three picks are likely interchangeable for a lot of fans — masterpieces in their respective ways. With Saving Private Ryan (1998), there are frankly endless superlatives regarding its quality.
It’s well-acted by Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, and the rest, well-written by Robert Rodat, and well-directed by Spielberg. It even garnered the American filmmaker his second ever Best Director achievement at the Academy Awards, which was earned entirely through merit. There’s an easy argument to make that Saving Private Ryan was snubbed for Best Picture at the same ceremony. But the win from Shakespeare in Love (1998) is a different discussion entirely.
1 Toy Story
To an extent, you had to have seen this coming. But truthfully, any of these top three picks could have ended up in the number one spot. Toy Story 2, Saving Private Ryan, and Toy Story (1995) are undoubtedly the best Tom Hanks films of the 1990s — it just comes down to deciding the best of the three. And for this list, the original Pixar animated feature goes down as the best of the bunch.
It follows Andy’s favorite toy Woody as he grows accustomed to the new toy on the block: Buzz Lightyear. Of course, the former toy was voiced by Hanks and the latter by Tim Allen. You already know that, though. This is one of the most famous films of its ilk ever made, and with good reason. Its animation is groundbreaking, its script is rock-solid from start to finish, and all of the voice actors perform brilliantly. Its many iconic moments just add to the reasons it tops the list.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
