Touchstone Pictures (USA): 60

The film Enemy of the State (1998), directed by Tony Scott, follows Senior NSA Assistant Director Thomas Reynolds as he meets with Congressman Phil Hammersley in a public park. The two discuss a controversial counterterrorism bill that would greatly increase surveillance powers of American intelligence agencies over individuals and groups. However, Hammersley remains steadfast in his opposition to the bill, arguing that the potential benefits are not worth sacrificing the privacy rights of ordinary citizens. On the other hand, Reynolds is determined to see the bill passed in order to secure a long-awaited promotion. He ...

Playing God (1997) is an American dramatic crime thriller directed by Andy Wilson and written by Mark Haskell Smith. The protagonist, Eugene Sands, loses his medical license due to operating while under the influence of amphetamines and opiates. He gets entangled with a crime boss named Raymond Blossom after saving a stranger’s life in a bar with an emergency procedure to inflate their collapsed lung. Blossom hires Sands as his private doctor, tending to his associates when they cannot seek medical attention elsewhere, as well as providing care for the crime lord ...

Kundun (1997) is an American epic biographical film written by Melissa Mathison and directed by Martin Scorsese. Covering the years 1937 to 1959, the majority of the film takes place in Tibet, with some brief scenes occurring in China and India. The story follows the search for the next Dalai Lama, beginning with Reting Rinpoche’s vision. A group of disguised lamas finds a promising candidate in a child from a farming family near the Chinese border in Amdo province. To confirm his identity, they give him a test involving objects that belonged to the previous Dalai ...

The American Christmas comedy-drama film, The Preacher’s Wife (1996), directed by Penny Marshall, tells the story of Reverend Henry Biggs and his struggles as the pastor of a small African American Baptist church in a poverty-stricken area of New York City. With declining membership, financial issues, and constant demands from his parishioners, Henry is feeling overwhelmed. To make matters worse, real estate developer Joe Hamilton is pressuring him to sell the church’s property for luxury condos. As a result, Henry has become neglectful towards his wife Julia and their son Jeremiah. Julia fears that their ...

Ransom (1996) is an American action thriller film directed by Ron Howard from a screenplay by Richard Price and Alexander Ignon. While billionaire Tom Mullen and his wife Kate attend a science fair, their son Sean disappears from their sight. He is taken to an apartment by Maris Conner, the Mullens’ caterer, along with brothers Clark and Cubby Barnes, and tech expert Miles Roberts. As it turns out, NYPD Detective Jimmy Shaker, who is dating Maris, is the man behind Sean’s kidnapping. The kidnappers send an email ...

Mad Love (1995), directed by Antonia Bird, is an American teen romantic drama set in Seattle. Matt Leland is a responsible high school senior living with his hardworking father and 9-year-old twins, assuming the parental role for his absent mother. His interest is piqued by the girl across the lake who he observes through his telescope jet skiing at night. After discovering her name is Casey Roberts and she’s new to their high school from Chicago, Matt asks her out to a concert. At first, Casey is angered by Matt’s use of the telescope, but after he apologizes, the two opposites begin a passionate ...

The American romantic action comedy film, I Love Trouble (1994), features Julia Roberts and Nick Nolte as the main stars. It was written and produced by the husband-and-wife duo of Nancy Meyers and Charles Shyer, while also being directed by Shyer himself. The movie follows veteran reporter Peter Brackett, who gains newfound fame after publishing his book ‘White Lies’. As he is tasked with covering a train crash for his newspaper, ‘The Chicago Chronicle’, he meets newcomer Sabrina Peterson. However, their ...

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 American stop-motion animated musical dark fantasy film, The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), directed by Henry Selick and produced and conceived by Tim Burton, takes place in Halloween Town. This world is home to a variety of monsters and creatures related to the holiday (‘This is Halloween’). Jack Skellington, known as the ‘Pumpkin King’, leads the town’s annual Halloween festivities. However, Jack has grown tired of the same routine and longs for something different (‘Jack’s Lament’). While exploring in the woods ...

Alive (1993) is a biographical survival drama based on Piers Paul Read’s book, Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors. As Carlitos Páez surveys a series of photographs featuring the Old Christians Rugby Team from Stella Maris College, he recalls the events of the fateful day in a brief monologue. On October 13, 1972, Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 flies over the Andes as the raucous rugby players and their loved ones eagerly anticipate an upcoming match in Chile. However, their excitement is abruptly cut short as the plane hits turbulence and collides with a mountain, causing its wings and tail to detach ...

Oscar (1991) is an American comedy film directed by John Landis. It is a remake of the 1967 French film of the same name, but with a setting in Depression-era New York City. In the prologue, gangster Angelo ‘Snaps’ Provolone promises his dying father to leave his life of crime behind and turn over a new leaf. A month later, Snaps begins his day at his mansion, where he has an important meeting scheduled with prominent bankers. He plans to donate a large sum of cash and secure a spot on the bank’s board of trustees, fulfilling his promise to lead an honest life. As he prepares for this meeting, ...

Scenes from a Mall (1991), an American comedy directed by Paul Mazursky and co-written with Roger L. Simon, follows the story of successful couple Nick and Deborah. Married with children and thriving in their respective careers, they celebrate their 16th wedding anniversary by having their kids go out with friends while they themselves head to a Beverly Hills mall to pick up Japanese food for a home dinner with some friends, followed by gift exchanges. It is during this outing that Nick purchases Deborah’s book and reads a chapter urging couples to periodically ...

What About Bob? (1991) is an American comedy film directed by Frank Oz and starring Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss. Bob Wiley, who suffers from multiple phobias, finds it challenging to leave his New York City apartment. Despite regular therapy, he makes minimal progress and constantly seeks assurance from his counselors. Frustrated by Bob’s constant demands and disregard for personal boundaries, one therapist refers him to Dr. Leo Marvin, a self-centered psychiatrist seeking fame through his recently published book ...

Pretty Woman (1990), an American romantic comedy film directed by Garry Marshall from a screenplay by J.F. Lawton, tells the story of Edward and Vivian. One night, after leaving a business party in the Hollywood Hills, Edward takes his lawyer Philip’s Lotus Esprit and ends up in the red-light district on Hollywood Boulevard. It is there that he meets Vivian Ward, a struggling prostitute. As he struggles with the car’s stick-shift, Vivian offers to drive him to the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Despite some initial awkwardness, they connect and end up having ...

Turner & Hooch (1989), an American comedy starring Tom Hanks and Beasley the Dog respectively, follows the story of Scott Turner, an attentive police investigator in serene Cypress Beach, California, who is preparing to move to a more thrilling job in Sacramento. As he introduces his replacement David Sutton to the town’s sights, Scott bids farewell to his close friend Amos Reed. However, their plans are interrupted when they are called to investigate the discovery of $8,000 at the beach. Meanwhile, local seafood mogul Walter Boyett has one of his employees ...

New York Stories (1989) is an American anthology film featuring three segments with a central focus on the bustling metropolis of New York City. The first segment, Life Lessons, is directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Richard Price. It stars Nick Nolte. The second segment, Life Without Zoë, is helmed by Francis Ford Coppola and co-written by Coppola and his daughter,

Adapted by Mary Agnes Donoghue, the American comedy-drama film Beaches (1988) is based on Iris Rainer Dart’s 1985 novel of the same name and directed by Garry Marshall. During a concert rehearsal in Los Angeles, New York actress and singer Cecilia Carol ‘C.C.’ Bloom receives a note and hastily departs to be with her friend Hillary Whitney, a San Francisco heiress and lawyer. As she drives through the night, C.C. reflects on their lifelong friendship that ...

Cocktail (1988), a romantic comedy-drama directed by Roger Donaldson from a screenplay by Heywood Gould and based on his book of the same name, follows Brian Flanagan. After completing his army service, he returns to New York City with hopes of securing a prominent job in the business world. However, when that doesn’t pan out, he turns to bartending while attending business school during the day. There, he meets Doug Coughlin, an experienced bartender who takes him under his wing and teaches him flairing techniques. The two become close friends, and Doug suggests ...

The film The Color of Money (1986) was directed by Martin Scorsese. It serves as a sequel to the 1961 classic, The Hustler, and is also based on Walter Tevis’ novel with the same title. In the movie, ‘Fast Eddie’ has left his pool-playing days behind and has become a successful liquor salesman in Chicago. However, he teams up with other pool players, including Julian, a hustler who is no match for the young and magnetic Vincent at nine-ball. Recognizing Vincent’s talent, Eddie sees potential in him and his inexperienced girlfriend Carmen ...

Splash (1983) is an American romantic fantasy comedy film directed by Ron Howard. In 1964, eight-year-old Allen Bauer and his family are enjoying a boat tour at Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Fascinated by something below the surface, Allen jumps overboard despite not knowing how to swim. He then comes across a young girl who shares an inexplicable connection with him when they hold hands underwater. However, Allen is eventually rescued and separated from the girl. As no one else saw her, he starts to believe it was all just a near-death hallucination. It’s revealed that the girl actually is a mermaid as the boat pulls ...