Point Break (1991)

Keanu is "Johnny Utah," former college football star, turned FBI agent. Swayze is Bodhi, surfer dude chasing the perfect wave. When Johnny's partner theorizes that a team of bankrobbers are surfers, Johnny hits the water in hopes of pinpointing the gang. Soon he's part of Bodhi's group and banging the one surfer chick we meet.

This movie has been around long enough that I pretty much knew what was going on from the beginning. Surprisingly, this knowledge didn't ruin the film for me. What did that was a terrible script and fairly poor acting all around.

C-

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Gary and I saw this in its original theatrical run... then again and again on VHS tape, not to mention the musical numbers in the "Sing Along Songs" tapes that our boys watched growing up. We were wowed by it -- we dreamed of Gary becoming an animator so that he could work on something this amazing.

So I was extremely surprised that, upon rewatch for the first time in probably 18 or so years, this just doesn't hold up. I'm not even talking about the problematic misogyny (though, yeah, that's not cool) -- it's the animation. It looks as janky as a Scooby-Doo episode most of the time. Immediately after this viewing, we cued up Cinderella to make sure it wasn't just an overly-critical eye expecting something that wasn't possible in the early '90s -- but, nope. Cinderella is more carefully executed than this was. Belle's features shift size from scene to scene and characters in the background often look as though the illustrators had 10 minutes to draw a dozen.

The live-action remake will probably be my go-to from here on out.

B-

Soapdish (1991)

Still very funny even though extremely dated -- both in politics and (especially) fashion.

B-

The Rapture (1991)

Sharon (Mimi Rogers) has a soul-destroying day job as a 411 operator and a soul-destroying night hobby as one-half of a couple constantly on the prowl for others to join them in the bedroom. As she dispassionately looks on while one of her female pick-ups enjoys the ride, Sharon becomes intrigued by her full-back tattoo and can't stop herself from interrupting repeatedly to ask about it. Turns out that noticing the religious-themed inking is the first step in a fast-moving conversion for Sharon. Unfortunately, both the "before" and "after" Sharons are equally disturbing - I didn't want to spend time with either one.

There are some big ideas and compellingly accurate insights about fanaticism here, but it was all told with an attitude of remove, as though the writer had no first-hand experience with true belief. He also didn't seem sure of exactly what happened here himself. Unlike the similarly-themed (and far superior) Frailty, I was left off-balance -- not knowing what had actually happened. I have a hard time being moved when I'm confused.

My overwhelming thought throughout the entire movie was "why does Mimi Rogers mouth keep smearing, stroke-like, to the right?" When the movie in question contains sex addiction, a workplace massacre, and a mystical jailbreak, that points to "less-than-compelling storytelling."

C

Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)

It's kind of a "coming of age" for the middle-aged. Not as full-bodied as I remembered it, but very enjoyable. A feel-gooder for sure.

B-

Hudson Hawk (1991)

When Gary and I saw this in the theater, we both thought it was tons of fun and gave it thumbs up. We have since been shocked time and time again by the passion with which people trash this film. I was wondering if it would hold up when we saw it on tape with our boys more than 10 years later -- it does. Our kids enjoyed it and I was, once again, giggling through so much. Sandra Bernhard just kills me and Bruce Willis does his Moonlighting schtick to great effect. Even Andie MacDowell kinda doesn't suck and that's really saying something! I mean, how can you NOT crack up at the crucifix intercoms in the Vatican? Genius!

B-

L.A. Story (1991)

Insufferable and pretentious. Filled with semi-clever ideas that fall completely flat because they take every humorous opportunity about three steps past funny. And it doesn't help much that the leading lady is about as bland as an unsalted pretzel.

D-

White Fang (1991)

Everything felt kind of surfacey…nothing got as deep as it should have, so it came off as very broad and TV-movieish. Good story though -- great choice for family viewing.

C+

La Femme Nikita (1991)

You have to read it, but it’s well worth the effort – as a matter of fact, this may be the perfect introduction to foreign films for those who have shunned them in the past. It is also one of the few movies that will cause neither you nor your date dissatisfaction. No kidding – it is tender, harsh, sad, violent, and sweet. Sounds like a mish-mash, but it all works and every viewer is fulfilled.

The first half -- training -- is great, but it's the second half that makes the film outstanding. It's in the second portion that we are allowed to see what could have been for this woman...if she had just caught a break earlier. The juxtaposition between domesticity and her agent duties -- at one point with just a thin hotel door between her two worlds -- is jarring. Parillaud wears her heart on her face and is believable in all the attitudes she has to affect: drugged-out, insane, thrashingly violent, sullen, carefree, in-love, adorable, hurt, terrified, and more. Fantastic performance.

A

Father of the Bride (1991)

Boy - I remembered this as much more gut-bustingly funny than it actually is. Martin Short's foreign Franc schtick cracked my kids up, and I found myself wishing he would just move on into the Banks' house, because they could've used him to keep the laughs coming.

B-

Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey (1991)

Nice follow-up to the original…not just a rehash of what was done before. Although the set-up takes a little while & I don't know what they were thinking with the future get-ups…

The Grim Reaper steals this show. He just cracked me up continually.

B-

The Object of Beauty (1991)

Never heard anything about this film - just showed up on my Netflix recommendation list, so I thought I'd check it out. What is it about Andie MacDowell? There's no denying that she's a horrible, horrible actress -- yet she seems to have a pretty decent record for picking original, interesting scripts. OK...so someone should get her a job as a script reader, but quit actually letting her be IN the films!

This is like two (Two, TWO) films in one. The couple is lazy and living large, though without the funds to pay for any of their large living. When their priceless mini sculpture is stolen - they suspect each other of the crime and fall apart. Their scenes are lightweight, lacking all gravitas. The real acting and power comes from the other side of the tracks...via a deaf hotel maid and her home life. That was genius.

B-

Truly, Madly, Deeply (1991)

Filled with hope. Made me cry. Got off to a bit of a rocky start…thought it was going to be "wacky" with all the strange men filling the lead's apartment at all hours of the night, but it evened out and I ended it up really loving it. Rickman is a marvel.

A-