Drama: 385

Trainspotting (1996), directed by Danny Boyle, is a British dark comedy-drama from 1996. At the age of 26, Mark Renton is an unemployed heroin addict living with his parents in Leith, Edinburgh. He frequently indulges in drugs with his group of ‘friends’, which includes the unreliable and womanizing Simon “Sick Boy” Williamson, the clumsy Daniel ‘Spud’ Murphy, and their dealer known as ‘Mother Superior’. Renton’s other acquaintances are the aggressive alcoholic Francis ‘Franco’ Begbie and honest footballer Tommy Mackenzie, both of whom warn him about the ...

Safe (1995) is an American psychological horror film written and directed by Todd Haynes and starring Julianne Moore. Carol White is a housewife in an affluent Los Angeles suburb. She fills her days with activities such as gardening, aerobics, and socializing with friends. Despite appearances of stability, her marriage and family life lack passion and her friends keep their distance. After the renovation of her home, Carol begins to experience physical ailments in ordinary situations: uncontrollable coughing from nearby exhaust fumes while driving, difficulty breathing at ...

Directed by Taylor Hackford, Dolores Claiborne (1995) is an American psychological thriller drama film based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. The story follows Dolores Claiborne, who works as a domestic servant for her elderly employer, Vera Donovan, on Little Tall Island in Maine. One day, Dolores and Vera have a struggle which results in Vera falling down the stairs. After this incident, Dolores is caught by the mailman who sees her standing over Vera with a rolling pin. Unfortunately, Vera passes away and a murder investigation begins. In light of these ...

The Basketball Diaries (1995) is an American biographical crime drama that delves into the detrimental effects of drug addiction on everyday individuals. It marks the feature directorial debut of Scott Kalvert and is based on Jim Carroll’s autobiographical novel of the same name. The film follows high school basketball player Jim Carroll, who struggles with substance abuse and often causes trouble alongside his friends Pedro, Mickey, and Neutron in the bustling city of New York. Along with basketball, Jim also possesses a passion for writing and uses his journal to ...

The American drama film, My Brother’s Keeper (1995), was helmed by director Glenn Jordan. It follows the story of twin brothers, Bo and Tom Bradley, who are both beloved teachers in the Long Island school district. When Tom is diagnosed with HIV, they are presented with an opportunity for a life-saving bone marrow transplant. However, just before the surgery, their insurance company denies coverage, prompting them to take legal action in hopes of saving Tom’s life.

Blue River (1995), an American made-for-television action film directed by Larry Elikann, depicts the tumultuous bond between two brothers. The story follows a young teenage boy, Edward, as he navigates his relationship with his troubled older brother. This emotional journey is told through an extended flashback, with the present-day reunion of the two siblings fifteen years later serving as bookends. Edward is growing up in a broken family, abandoned by their father and controlled by their mother’s newfound Christian beliefs. Adding to the chaos is the self-righteous school principal who has taken an interest in ...

New World (1995) is a French drama film directed by Alain Corneau, portraying post-World War II France. Patrick Carrion, a young boy in the 1950s, is enamored with all things American and resides in a small village near a U.S. military base. Surrounded by his loving family and girlfriend, Marie-José Vire, Patrick’s life is idyllic until he meets American soldier Will Caberra. The soldier exposes Patrick to American culture, including music, fun, freedom, and relationships with women. With Will’s guidance, Patrick pursues his passion for drumming and falls for an American girl named Trudy Wadd. However, as ...

Oliver Stone’s American epic historical drama film, Nixon (1995), follows the events of the Watergate scandal. In 1972, members of the White House Plumbers break into The Watergate and are arrested. A year and a half later, Richard Nixon’s Chief of Staff, Alexander Haig, provides Nixon with audio tapes regarding the scandal. As they discuss the chaos that ensued from Watergate and the passing of J. Edgar Hoover, Nixon expresses his anger towards John Dean, James McCord, and others involved in the scandal. He even questions why he has not been given a pistol to end his own life like an honorable soldier. Most ...

Kicking and Screaming (1995) is an American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Noah Baumbach in his directorial debut. The movie follows four 22-year-old friends, Grover, Max, Otis, and Skippy, who have just graduated from college. While Otis is off to graduate school in Milwaukee, the other three are struggling to leave behind the comfort of their friendship within the artificial environment of school. They may end up like their older acquaintance Chet, who has been bartending at a local hangout for the past decade instead of pursuing his career after refusing to graduate. The film takes place over the ...

Backbeat (1994), an independent drama directed by Iain Softley, follows the early days of The Beatles in Hamburg, West Germany. John Lennon and his fellow rock-and-roll band members – Paul McCartney, Pete Best, George Harrison and Stuart Sutcliffe – venture to Hamburg in pursuit of success. As they gain popularity, particularly among the girls, Stuart grapples with balancing his passion for painting and being the group’s bass guitarist. On top of that, he falls deeply in love with a German girl. The group must now confront some important choices.

Forrest Gump (1994) is an American comedy-drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis and written by Eric Roth. Based on Winston Groom’s novel of the same title, the movie tells the story of a man named Forrest Gump who shares his life experiences with strangers at a bus stop in Savannah, Georgia. Growing up in Greenbow, Alabama in 1951, young Forrest has a curved spine and is given leg braces to help him walk. Living with his mother who runs a boarding house, the two are visited by many tenants including a young Elvis ...

The War (1994) is an American drama film directed by Jon Avnet. Stephen Simmons, a shell-shocked Vietnam veteran, returns home after voluntarily seeking treatment for his war-related nightmares. Due to his hospitalization, he lost three consecutive jobs. In need of income, Stephen accepts a new job as a custodial engineer at a grammar school. However, he is forced to leave this job within one week due to a law prohibiting individuals with mental health history from working near children. Despite the challenges, the Simmons family’s financial situation drives Stephen to continue searching for employment. He ...

The American comedy-drama film, The Paper (1994), directed by Ron Howard, follows Henry Hackett, a dedicated metro editor at The New York Sun. While he loves his job, Henry is tired of the long hours and low pay. He fears becoming like his work-obsessed boss, Bernie White, who neglects his family. When Bernie reveals his prostate cancer diagnosis, he tries to reconcile with his estranged daughter before it’s too late. Facing financial struggles, the paper’s owner enacts unpopular cutbacks under the supervision of Henry’s rival, managing editor Alicia Clark. At home, Henry clashes with his pregnant wife ...

Directed by Antonia Bird, the British drama film Priest (1994) tells the story of Father Greg Pilkington. Upon his arrival at St Mary’s parish in inner-city Liverpool, Father Pilkington is faced with two issues that challenge his faith. Firstly, he discovers that another priest, Father Matthew Thomas, is engaged in a sexual relationship with their housekeeper Maria Kerrigan. Furthermore, Father Thomas is known for his liberal views and support of Liberation Theology, causing frequent clashes with the Bishop who still values his abilities. While Father Pilkington is offended by ...

The American biographical comedy-drama, Ed Wood (1994), was directed and produced by Tim Burton. At the time, Ed was determined to make a name for himself in the film industry. He heard that producer George Weiss was looking to purchase Christine Jorgensen’s life story from an announcement in Variety magazine. Hoping to direct a film based on this story titled I Changed My Sex!, Ed met with Weiss, but was not selected. However, he did have the opportunity to meet his lifelong idol, horror film star Bela Lugosi, and their friendship began. Convinced that having a well-known actor in the film would attract ...

The Shawshank Redemption (1994), a prison drama film, was written and directed by Frank Darabont. The film is based on the 1982 novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King. Set in the late 1940s, it follows the story of Andy Dufresne, a former banker from Portland, Maine who is sentenced to two consecutive life terms for the murders of his wife and her lover. At Shawshank State Prison, Andy befriends Ellis ‘Red’ Redding, a fellow inmate serving a life sentence for smuggling contraband. With Red’s help, Andy acquires a rock ...

ER (1994–2009) is an American medical drama television series created by novelist and physician Michael Crichton. The show aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009, and had a total of 331 episodes spanning 15 seasons. Produced by Constant C Productions and Amblin Television in association with Warner Bros. Television, ER follows the inner life of the emergency room (ER) at Cook County General Hospital in Chicago. Throughout its run, the show tackled various critical issues faced by the department’s physicians and staff. It holds the title of being the second longest-running primetime medical ...

The American legal drama film, Philadelphia (1993), was written by Ron Nyswaner and directed by Jonathan Demme. Andrew Beckett, a senior associate at the largest corporate law firm in the city, keeps his homosexuality and status as an AIDS patient hidden from his colleagues. Despite attributing a lesion on his forehead to a racquetball injury, it is actually Kaposi’s sarcoma, a defining condition of AIDS. Beckett takes several days off work to try and conceal the lesions and manages to finish the paperwork for an assigned case. He then instructs his assistants to ...

Short Cuts (1993) is a comedy-drama directed by Robert Altman. The film follows the lives of several characters brought together by a neighborhood-wide medfly spray operation. Dr. Ralph Wyman and his wife, Marian, meet an unemployed salesman, Stuart Kane, and his wife Claire, who works as a party clown, at a concert featuring Zoe Trainer on cello. Spontaneously, they agree to have dinner together on Sunday. Meanwhile, Marian’s sister Sherri is married to Gene, a cheating cop who is having an affair with Betty Weathers. Coincidentally, Betty is in the process of divorcing one of the helicopter pilots involved in ...

The film Six Degrees of Separation (1993) was directed by Fred Schepisi for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It is an adaptation of John Guare’s Pulitzer Prize-nominated play from 1990 with the same title. Ouisa Kittredge and her husband Flan, well-known socialites on Fifth Avenue, have two children attending Harvard and one at Groton. Their exclusive circle and reputation as art enthusiasts make them easy targets for Paul, a clever scammer who shows up at their door one night claiming to be a good friend of their college-aged kids and the son of Sidney Poitier.