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Directing a feature film that goes on to premiere in cinemas and becomes successful is no easy task since so many new movies premiere each year. And not all of them get the amount of attention from the audience they would have deserved. The 1990s saw the release of many movies that are now already considered iconic.
While some of them have been directed by well-established, experienced directors, in other cases, several of the best movies can be attributed to filmmakers who have never made a feature film before. Despite that, they managed to create excellent movies that continue to attract viewers to this day.
5 Dances With Wolves (1990)
Starring in a movie and directing it at the same time isn't an easy task, let alone for a first-time director. Kevin Costner managed it, though, and in a spectacular way that won Dances with Wolves an Oscar for the Best Picture, the Best Director as well as five more out of twelve nominations in total. Kevin Costner stars as Lieutenant Dunbar, a man who befriends Native Americans and starts living among them, which makes him a traitor in the eyes of his former comrades.
The strong story has the power to make the audience think, the movie is visually beautiful and all the actors involved give strong performances. An interesting fact about the movie is that it's only the second western ever that got an Academy Award for the best movie, with the first one being Cimarron (1931). And if Kevin Costner wasn't playing Lieutenant Dunbar, Viggo Mortensen would have most likely taken on the role instead.
4 The Addams Family (1991)
The Addams Family is one of the long-existing cultural phenomena. The first time it was adapted into a TV series was in the 1960s. However, many fans of the unique family consider the 1991 movie the best. In the movie, the Addams family has to deal with a man who shows up all of a sudden and claims to be Gomez's long-lost brother Fester. The movie is full of intelligent, dark humor, and the actors give memorable performances as the members of the family.
The Addams Family catapulted Christina Ricci to stardom thanks to her role as the young Wednesday Adams. The look of the characters earned the movie a nomination for Best Costumes, and even though it didn't win, it became a hit and got a sequel two years later. Its director Barry Sonnenfeld then went on to direct many known movies, such as the iconic science-fiction comedy Men in Black (1997).
3 Reservoir Dogs (1992)
These days, Quentin Tarantino is one of the most iconic and successful movie directors. But like all directors, Tarantino also had to start somewhere. And he chose the story about a group of gangsters who are forced to hide in a warehouse after a robbery has gone wrong. Of course, when somebody puts multiple criminals in a small space, things are bound to go ugly.
The movie doesn't shy away from violence, so the audience is captivated because they don't know who will live and who will die. Despite being Tarantino's first feature film, Reservoir Dogs stars multiple known names, such as Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, and Michael Madsen. Tarantino himself portrayed a part in the sometimes darkly humorous movie, joining the ranks of directors who both successfully directed a movie and acted in it.
2 The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
To this day, The Shawshank Redemption belongs among the best-rated movies on movie databases. That's why some people might not realize that it was the first time Frank Darabont directed a feature film! Despite being overlooked by the Oscars with seven nominations and no wins, the prison drama based on Stephen King's story became a huge hit and is considered one of the greatest classics.
Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman give unforgettable performances in the main roles as two imprisoned men who become friends despite their difficult circumstances and manage to make the world around them better, especially Robbins' hero Andy. Despite being mostly set in a prison, The Shawshank Redemption ultimately comes across as a feel-good movie thanks to its optimistic ending and sympathetic main characters.
1 American Beauty (1999)
American Beauty is one of the relatively few movies that did well with the Academy, the critics as well as the audience. The story is well-known. Lester Burnham decides to change his life and start doing what he wants. Unfortunately, the newfound freedom and happiness don't last forever. The movie portrays many issues of life in an intelligent and darkly humorous way.
While not all the characters are inherently sympathetic, it's fascinating to see what they will do next. American Beauty serves as a critical look into American society, that's, nevertheless, also amusing. It opened the door to Hollywood for British director Sam Mendes, and he went on to direct many other well-rated movies, such as Skyfall (2012) or most recently the war movie 1917 (2019). American Beauty did well at the Oscars, winning five of them out of eight nominations, including an Oscar for Best Picture.