49 'old' movies every young person needs to watch
Don't worry these aren't *too* old
'The Breakfast Club' (1985)
Five high-schoolers (a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal) spend a Saturday in detention together — and realize they're not that different from each other after all.
PHOTO: Universal Pictures
'Working Girl' (1988)
Melanie Griffith, whom you might now know as Dakota Johnson's mom, plays Tess McGill, a Staten Island secretary at a Wall Street investment bank whose hack boss (Sigourney Weaver) steals her merger idea. When said boss breaks her leg and is out of the office, Tess takes back what's hers.
PHOTO: 20th Century Fox
'Moonstruck' (1987)
Cher won the Best Actress Oscar for her role as Loretta, an "unlucky" woman who falls for her fiancé's brother (Nicolas Cage).
PHOTO: MGM
'Reality Bites' (1994)
The movie that defines 90s angst: Lelaina (Winona Ryder) is an idealistic college graduate and aspiring documentarian; her best friend, Troy (Ethan Hawke), is a cynical dropout who can't keep a job. There's also Sammy (Steve Zahn), who just came out to his family, and Vickie (Janeane Garofalo), who worries she's HIV-positive. (Fun fact: This was Ben Stiller's directorial debut!)
PHOTO: Universal Pictures
'Pretty Woman' (1990)
You'd be hard-pressed to find a performance more charming than Julia Roberts's as Vivian, a sex worker who agrees to spend a whole week with a wealthy businessman (Richard Gere) — then winds up falling for him (and he for her). There's a shopping montage set to Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman" that is easily the best shopping montage in movie history.
PHOTO: Touchstone Pictures
'When Harry Met Sally' (1989)
This Nora Ephron classic sets out to answer the age old question, can a man and a woman ever just be friends?
PHOTO: Columbia Pictures
'Before Sunrise' (1995)
Céline and Jesse (Julie Delphy and Ethan Hawke) meet on a train in Europe and spend a magical evening together in Vienna, walking and talking. Watch the equally wonderful sequels, "Before Sunset" and "Before Midnight," if you want more of their thoughts on the meaning of life and love.
PHOTO: Columbia Pictures
'Man in the Moon' (1991)
This was Reese Witherspoon's first role at 15, and it's a gut-wrenching one at that. She plays Dani, a rural Louisiana teenager who falls for the new farm-boy next door (Jason London) — only he has eyes for Dani's older sister. And that's not even the sad part.
PHOTO: MGM
'Ghost' (1990)
With the help of medium Oda Mae Brown (played by Whoopi Goldberg, who took home an Oscar for her performance), Sam (Patrick Swayze) communicates with the love he left behind after his death (Demi Moore), who's in danger herself.
PHOTO: Paramount Pictures
'Parenthood' (1989)
Before the TV show of the same name, there was the Ron Howard-directed movie with its all-star cast (Steve Martin, Mary Steenburgen, Dianne Wiest, Keanu Reeves and more). The story is simple — it follows the ups and downs of the Buckman family — but the results are spectacular.
PHOTO: Universal Pictures
'Heathers' (1989)
The ultimate mean-girl movie, in which Winona Ryder's character gets roped into staging the suicides of popular kids by her brooding sociopathic boyfriend J.D. (Christian Slater).
PHOTO: New World Pictures
'Ferris Bueller's Day Off ' (1986)
Oh, you played hooky once in high school? There's no way you had as much fun as Ferris, who rode around in a Ferrari convertible, crashed a parade float and ate at a fancy restaurant by pretending to be a very rich man.
PHOTO: Paramount Pictures
'Flashdance' (1983)
Alex Owen (Jennifer Beals) is a working-class Pittsburgh woman, making her living as a welder and an exotic dancer, but her dream is to get into ballet school.
PHOTO: Paramount Pictures
'Top Gun' (1986)
Tom Cruise in aviators. Playing a super cool Navy pilot in training. What else is there to say?
PHOTO: Paramount Pictures
'The Bodyguard' (1992)
Whitney Houston plays a pop star who hires a bodyguard (Kevin Costner) to protect her from a stalker. There's a great twist — and one of the best soundtracks of all time.
PHOTO: Warner Bros.
'My Girl' (1991)
Vada Sultenfuss and Thomas J. (played by the remarkable Anna Chlumsky and Macaulay Culkin) are best friends. They ride bikes, climb willow trees and do all the sorts of things kids do. But don't let that story line fool you: This movie will require a box of tissues nearby for the inevitable tears.
PHOTO: Columbia Pictures
'Single White Female' (1992)
Maybe you've used the expression "single white female" to describe that woman who tries a little too hard to be like you — but did you know it comes from this thriller starring Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh?
PHOTO: Columbia Pictures
'Thelma and Louise' (1991)
This movie is one to watch with your best friend. It follows two women (played by Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis) on the lam, blazing past all men who stand in their way. The film also features Brad Pitt in one of his first movie roles.
PHOTO: MGM
'Sleepless in Seattle' (1993)
A man called in to a radio show to find his widower dad love. The rest is history. This is another great classic romantic comedy from Nora Ephron.
PHOTO: SONY
'Say Anything' (1989)
After graduation, hopeless romantic Lloyd Dobler finds the nerve to tell valedictorian Diane Kourt he has a crush. They start up a wonderful romance, but it gets derailed by her dad.
PHOTO: 20th Century Fox
'Overboard' (1987)
Working-class single dad of four boys (Kurt Russell) seeks revenge after being denied payment for work he did for a rich woman (Goldie Hawn). After she falls off a ship and gets amnesia, he claims she's his wife and convinces her to do chores around his house.
PHOTO: MGM
'E.T.' (1982)
One of the most heartwarming tales of friendship (between a kid and an alien); directed by Steven Spielberg and featuring Drew Barrymore when she was just a little kid.
PHOTO: Universal Pictures
'Adventures in Babysitting' (1987)
The title says it all. We hope your babysitting experience went smoother than Chris' (Elisabeth Shue) did!
PHOTO: Touchstone Pictures
'A Nightmare on Elm Street' (1984)
"One, two, Freddy's coming for you ..." Freddy, with his burned face and knives for fingers, kills teenagers in their dreams. This film spawned a whole new crop of horror films.
PHOTO: New Line Cinemas
'Now and Then' (1995)
Four best friends unite in adulthood and remember their childhood years.
PHOTO: New Line Cinema
'Big' (1988)
The giant FAO Schwartz piano has made a lot of pop culture appearances, but this was its first and best. The story follows Tom Hanks as a "kid" who makes a carnival wish to be "big" and becomes an adult.
PHOTO: 20th Century Fox
'Fatal Attraction' (1987)
This is the movie starring Michael Douglass, Glenn Close and a boiled bunny. Glenn plays a mistress who gets a little too crazy.
PHOTO: Paramount Pictures
'Dirty Dancing' (1987)
Step aside, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone: The lift was done right and only once in the movies, and it was by Patrick Swazye and Jennifer Grey in this timeless wrong-side-of-the-tracks love story.
PHOTO: Vestron Pictures
'Pretty in Pink' (1986)
Another wrong-side-of-the-tracks love story with a spectacular dance scene by a guy named Duckie (John Cryer). It also stars Molly Ringwald, so you know it's an instant classic.
PHOTO: Paramount Pictures
'Sixteen Candles' (1984)
Another Molly Ringwald film! This time she's in a movie where her whole family forgets her sixteenth birthday, and of course, she's obsessed with the most popular guy in school.
PHOTO: Universal Pictures
'Three Men and a Baby' (1987)
Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg and Ted Danson play three bachelors who are forced to take care of a baby that was left on their doorstep.
PHOTO: Touchstone Pictures
'Basic Instinct' (1992)
Sharon Stone is the prime suspect in the murder of a rock star, and the lead detective in the case is played by Michael Douglas.
PHOTO: Tristar Pictures
'Dead Poets Society' (1989)
"O captain, my captain!" Robin Williams plays an English teacher at an elite boarding school who teaches his students to love poetry — and take ownership of their lives.
PHOTO: Touchstone Pictures
'Who Framed Roger Rabbit?' (1988)
The live-action-animated hybrid that introduced the world to Toontown and Jessica Rabbit. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis.
PHOTO: Touchstone Pictures
'Back to the Future' (1985)
Another Robert Zemeckis fantasy, this one starring Michael J. Fox as a teen who travels back in time to 1955, where he meets his parents. Christopher Lloyd plays the kooky scientist who gets him there. Watch the whole trilogy.
PHOTO: Universal Pictures
'Look Who's Talking' (1989)
Kirstie Alley plays a single mother who falls for her cab driver (John Travolta) as she tries to get her life in order. This film is prime Amy Heckerling, who would later make "Clueless." There is a special appearance by Bruce Willis as the voice of Mikey, the baby who talks to the viewer. The second and third film are highly recommended as well.
PHOTO: Tristar Pictures
'The Shawshank Redemption' (1994)
Even though he's innocent, a banker is sentenced to life for the murder of his wife and her lover. While in prison, he develops one of the most important friendships in cinematic history. "Shawshank" is based on a Stephen King novella and was nominated for seven Oscars in 1994.
PHOTO: Columbia Pictures
'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids' (1989)
As the title suggests, an inventor (Rick Moranis) accidentally turns his kids and his neighbor's kids into teeny-tiny versions of themselves.
PHOTO: Walt Disney Pictures
'The Goonies' (1985)
After finding an old map to a hidden treasure, a group of kids set out to find the loot and save their beloved neighborhood from being destroyed. Along the way, they run into some very bad guys and come across some incredible adventures.
PHOTO: Warner Bros.
'Uncle Buck' (1989)
Uncle Buck agrees to care for his nieces and nephew — who are all sad/angry that their parents moved them to a new town — when his brother and sister-in-law have to rush to be with her sick father. He's rough around the edges (drinks, smokes, doesn't have a job), but it turns out he's the exact sort of down-to-earth sweetheart the children need in their lives.
PHOTO: Universal Pictures
'Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead' (1991)
The babysitter is literally dead! To help support her four younger siblings while her mom is away for the summer, Sue Ellen (Christina Applegate) gets a grown-up job by lying about her age. In the process, she learns some adult lessons.
PHOTO: Warner Bros.
'Newsies' (1992)
This musical masterpiece is about a group of newsboys who go on strike in the early 20th century.
PHOTO: Walt Disney Pictures
'Misery' (1990)
This is based on a novel by Stephen King. It stars Kathy Bates as a profoundly disturbed super-fan who rescues her favorite author from a car crash, begins to nurse him back to health — but won't let him go.
PHOTO: MGM
'Death Becomes Her' (1992)
Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn play rivals who try to out-hot and out-young each other in competition for the same man. When a potion that promises to keep them young forever enters the mix, things get complicated.
PHOTO: Universal Pictures
'My Cousin Vinny' (1992)
After he and a friend accidentally confess to murder, Bill Gambini calls in his very Italian cousin Vinny (Joe Pesci), a lawyer of sorts, to get them off. Vinny and his girlfriend Mona Lisa (Marisa Tomei) nail their roles, not to mention their Brooklyn accents.
PHOTO: 20th Century Fox
'The Sandlot' (1993)
"You're killing me, Smalls!" This is a classic coming-of-age movie set in 1962.
PHOTO: 20th Century Fox
'Mystic Pizza' (1988)
Three sisters who couldn't be more different. Kat's Yale-bound, Daisy just wants to find love and Jojo is, well, Jojo. The thing that binds them is that they work at a pizza joint.
PHOTO: MGM
'Wayne's World' (1992)
This was a recurring sketch on "Saturday Night Live" before becoming a movie. To use the dynamic duo's most famous line, "Party on."
PHOTO: Paramount Pictures
'Girls Just Want To Have Fun' (1985)
Baby Sarah Jessica Parker! A dance competition! It's the ultimate 80s flick!
PHOTO: New World Pictures
'The Breakfast Club' (1985)
Five high-schoolers (a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal) spend a Saturday in detention together — and realize they're not that different from each other after all.
PHOTO: Universal Pictures
'Working Girl' (1988)
Melanie Griffith, whom you might now know as Dakota Johnson's mom, plays Tess McGill, a Staten Island secretary at a Wall Street investment bank whose hack boss (Sigourney Weaver) steals her merger idea. When said boss breaks her leg and is out of the office, Tess takes back what's hers.
PHOTO: 20th Century Fox
'Moonstruck' (1987)
Cher won the Best Actress Oscar for her role as Loretta, an "unlucky" woman who falls for her fiancé's brother (Nicolas Cage).
PHOTO: MGM
'Reality Bites' (1994)
The movie that defines 90s angst: Lelaina (Winona Ryder) is an idealistic college graduate and aspiring documentarian; her best friend, Troy (Ethan Hawke), is a cynical dropout who can't keep a job. There's also Sammy (Steve Zahn), who just came out to his family, and Vickie (Janeane Garofalo), who worries she's HIV-positive. (Fun fact: This was Ben Stiller's directorial debut!)
PHOTO: Universal Pictures
'Pretty Woman' (1990)
You'd be hard-pressed to find a performance more charming than Julia Roberts's as Vivian, a sex worker who agrees to spend a whole week with a wealthy businessman (Richard Gere) — then winds up falling for him (and he for her). There's a shopping montage set to Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman" that is easily the best shopping montage in movie history.
PHOTO: Touchstone Pictures
'When Harry Met Sally' (1989)
This Nora Ephron classic sets out to answer the age old question, can a man and a woman ever just be friends?
PHOTO: Columbia Pictures
'Before Sunrise' (1995)
Céline and Jesse (Julie Delphy and Ethan Hawke) meet on a train in Europe and spend a magical evening together in Vienna, walking and talking. Watch the equally wonderful sequels, "Before Sunset" and "Before Midnight," if you want more of their thoughts on the meaning of life and love.
PHOTO: Columbia Pictures
'Man in the Moon' (1991)
This was Reese Witherspoon's first role at 15, and it's a gut-wrenching one at that. She plays Dani, a rural Louisiana teenager who falls for the new farm-boy next door (Jason London) — only he has eyes for Dani's older sister. And that's not even the sad part.
PHOTO: MGM
'Ghost' (1990)
With the help of medium Oda Mae Brown (played by Whoopi Goldberg, who took home an Oscar for her performance), Sam (Patrick Swayze) communicates with the love he left behind after his death (Demi Moore), who's in danger herself.
PHOTO: Paramount Pictures
'Parenthood' (1989)
Before the TV show of the same name, there was the Ron Howard-directed movie with its all-star cast (Steve Martin, Mary Steenburgen, Dianne Wiest, Keanu Reeves and more). The story is simple — it follows the ups and downs of the Buckman family — but the results are spectacular.
PHOTO: Universal Pictures
'Heathers' (1989)
The ultimate mean-girl movie, in which Winona Ryder's character gets roped into staging the suicides of popular kids by her brooding sociopathic boyfriend J.D. (Christian Slater).
PHOTO: New World Pictures
'Ferris Bueller's Day Off ' (1986)
Oh, you played hooky once in high school? There's no way you had as much fun as Ferris, who rode around in a Ferrari convertible, crashed a parade float and ate at a fancy restaurant by pretending to be a very rich man.
PHOTO: Paramount Pictures
'Flashdance' (1983)
Alex Owen (Jennifer Beals) is a working-class Pittsburgh woman, making her living as a welder and an exotic dancer, but her dream is to get into ballet school.
PHOTO: Paramount Pictures
'Top Gun' (1986)
Tom Cruise in aviators. Playing a super cool Navy pilot in training. What else is there to say?
PHOTO: Paramount Pictures
'The Bodyguard' (1992)
Whitney Houston plays a pop star who hires a bodyguard (Kevin Costner) to protect her from a stalker. There's a great twist — and one of the best soundtracks of all time.
PHOTO: Warner Bros.
'My Girl' (1991)
Vada Sultenfuss and Thomas J. (played by the remarkable Anna Chlumsky and Macaulay Culkin) are best friends. They ride bikes, climb willow trees and do all the sorts of things kids do. But don't let that story line fool you: This movie will require a box of tissues nearby for the inevitable tears.
PHOTO: Columbia Pictures
'Single White Female' (1992)
Maybe you've used the expression "single white female" to describe that woman who tries a little too hard to be like you — but did you know it comes from this thriller starring Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh?
PHOTO: Columbia Pictures
'Thelma and Louise' (1991)
This movie is one to watch with your best friend. It follows two women (played by Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis) on the lam, blazing past all men who stand in their way. The film also features Brad Pitt in one of his first movie roles.
PHOTO: MGM
'Sleepless in Seattle' (1993)
A man called in to a radio show to find his widower dad love. The rest is history. This is another great classic romantic comedy from Nora Ephron.
PHOTO: SONY
'Say Anything' (1989)
After graduation, hopeless romantic Lloyd Dobler finds the nerve to tell valedictorian Diane Kourt he has a crush. They start up a wonderful romance, but it gets derailed by her dad.
PHOTO: 20th Century Fox
'Overboard' (1987)
Working-class single dad of four boys (Kurt Russell) seeks revenge after being denied payment for work he did for a rich woman (Goldie Hawn). After she falls off a ship and gets amnesia, he claims she's his wife and convinces her to do chores around his house.
PHOTO: MGM
'E.T.' (1982)
One of the most heartwarming tales of friendship (between a kid and an alien); directed by Steven Spielberg and featuring Drew Barrymore when she was just a little kid.
PHOTO: Universal Pictures
'Adventures in Babysitting' (1987)
The title says it all. We hope your babysitting experience went smoother than Chris' (Elisabeth Shue) did!
PHOTO: Touchstone Pictures
'A Nightmare on Elm Street' (1984)
"One, two, Freddy's coming for you ..." Freddy, with his burned face and knives for fingers, kills teenagers in their dreams. This film spawned a whole new crop of horror films.
PHOTO: New Line Cinemas
'Now and Then' (1995)
Four best friends unite in adulthood and remember their childhood years.
PHOTO: New Line Cinema
'Big' (1988)
The giant FAO Schwartz piano has made a lot of pop culture appearances, but this was its first and best. The story follows Tom Hanks as a "kid" who makes a carnival wish to be "big" and becomes an adult.
PHOTO: 20th Century Fox
'Fatal Attraction' (1987)
This is the movie starring Michael Douglass, Glenn Close and a boiled bunny. Glenn plays a mistress who gets a little too crazy.
PHOTO: Paramount Pictures
'Dirty Dancing' (1987)
Step aside, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone: The lift was done right and only once in the movies, and it was by Patrick Swazye and Jennifer Grey in this timeless wrong-side-of-the-tracks love story.
PHOTO: Vestron Pictures
'Pretty in Pink' (1986)
Another wrong-side-of-the-tracks love story with a spectacular dance scene by a guy named Duckie (John Cryer). It also stars Molly Ringwald, so you know it's an instant classic.
PHOTO: Paramount Pictures
'Sixteen Candles' (1984)
Another Molly Ringwald film! This time she's in a movie where her whole family forgets her sixteenth birthday, and of course, she's obsessed with the most popular guy in school.
PHOTO: Universal Pictures
'Three Men and a Baby' (1987)
Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg and Ted Danson play three bachelors who are forced to take care of a baby that was left on their doorstep.
PHOTO: Touchstone Pictures
'Basic Instinct' (1992)
Sharon Stone is the prime suspect in the murder of a rock star, and the lead detective in the case is played by Michael Douglas.
PHOTO: Tristar Pictures
'Dead Poets Society' (1989)
"O captain, my captain!" Robin Williams plays an English teacher at an elite boarding school who teaches his students to love poetry — and take ownership of their lives.
PHOTO: Touchstone Pictures
'Who Framed Roger Rabbit?' (1988)
The live-action-animated hybrid that introduced the world to Toontown and Jessica Rabbit. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis.
PHOTO: Touchstone Pictures
'Back to the Future' (1985)
Another Robert Zemeckis fantasy, this one starring Michael J. Fox as a teen who travels back in time to 1955, where he meets his parents. Christopher Lloyd plays the kooky scientist who gets him there. Watch the whole trilogy.
PHOTO: Universal Pictures
'Look Who's Talking' (1989)
Kirstie Alley plays a single mother who falls for her cab driver (John Travolta) as she tries to get her life in order. This film is prime Amy Heckerling, who would later make "Clueless." There is a special appearance by Bruce Willis as the voice of Mikey, the baby who talks to the viewer. The second and third film are highly recommended as well.
PHOTO: Tristar Pictures
'The Shawshank Redemption' (1994)
Even though he's innocent, a banker is sentenced to life for the murder of his wife and her lover. While in prison, he develops one of the most important friendships in cinematic history. "Shawshank" is based on a Stephen King novella and was nominated for seven Oscars in 1994.
PHOTO: Columbia Pictures
'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids' (1989)
As the title suggests, an inventor (Rick Moranis) accidentally turns his kids and his neighbor's kids into teeny-tiny versions of themselves.
PHOTO: Walt Disney Pictures
'The Goonies' (1985)
After finding an old map to a hidden treasure, a group of kids set out to find the loot and save their beloved neighborhood from being destroyed. Along the way, they run into some very bad guys and come across some incredible adventures.
PHOTO: Warner Bros.
'Uncle Buck' (1989)
Uncle Buck agrees to care for his nieces and nephew — who are all sad/angry that their parents moved them to a new town — when his brother and sister-in-law have to rush to be with her sick father. He's rough around the edges (drinks, smokes, doesn't have a job), but it turns out he's the exact sort of down-to-earth sweetheart the children need in their lives.
PHOTO: Universal Pictures
'Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead' (1991)
The babysitter is literally dead! To help support her four younger siblings while her mom is away for the summer, Sue Ellen (Christina Applegate) gets a grown-up job by lying about her age. In the process, she learns some adult lessons.
PHOTO: Warner Bros.
'Newsies' (1992)
This musical masterpiece is about a group of newsboys who go on strike in the early 20th century.
PHOTO: Walt Disney Pictures
'Misery' (1990)
This is based on a novel by Stephen King. It stars Kathy Bates as a profoundly disturbed super-fan who rescues her favorite author from a car crash, begins to nurse him back to health — but won't let him go.
PHOTO: MGM
'Death Becomes Her' (1992)
Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn play rivals who try to out-hot and out-young each other in competition for the same man. When a potion that promises to keep them young forever enters the mix, things get complicated.
PHOTO: Universal Pictures
'My Cousin Vinny' (1992)
After he and a friend accidentally confess to murder, Bill Gambini calls in his very Italian cousin Vinny (Joe Pesci), a lawyer of sorts, to get them off. Vinny and his girlfriend Mona Lisa (Marisa Tomei) nail their roles, not to mention their Brooklyn accents.
PHOTO: 20th Century Fox
'The Sandlot' (1993)
"You're killing me, Smalls!" This is a classic coming-of-age movie set in 1962.
PHOTO: 20th Century Fox
'Mystic Pizza' (1988)
Three sisters who couldn't be more different. Kat's Yale-bound, Daisy just wants to find love and Jojo is, well, Jojo. The thing that binds them is that they work at a pizza joint.
PHOTO: MGM
'Wayne's World' (1992)
This was a recurring sketch on "Saturday Night Live" before becoming a movie. To use the dynamic duo's most famous line, "Party on."
PHOTO: Paramount Pictures
'Girls Just Want To Have Fun' (1985)
Baby Sarah Jessica Parker! A dance competition! It's the ultimate 80s flick!
PHOTO: New World Pictures
'The Breakfast Club' (1985)
Five high-schoolers (a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess and a criminal) spend a Saturday in detention together — and realize they're not that different from each other after all.
PHOTO: Universal Pictures
'Working Girl' (1988)
Melanie Griffith, whom you might now know as Dakota Johnson's mom, plays Tess McGill, a Staten Island secretary at a Wall Street investment bank whose hack boss (Sigourney Weaver) steals her merger idea. When said boss breaks her leg and is out of the office, Tess takes back what's hers.
PHOTO: 20th Century Fox
'Moonstruck' (1987)
Cher won the Best Actress Oscar for her role as Loretta, an "unlucky" woman who falls for her fiancé's brother (Nicolas Cage).
PHOTO: MGM
'Reality Bites' (1994)
The movie that defines 90s angst: Lelaina (Winona Ryder) is an idealistic college graduate and aspiring documentarian; her best friend, Troy (Ethan Hawke), is a cynical dropout who can't keep a job. There's also Sammy (Steve Zahn), who just came out to his family, and Vickie (Janeane Garofalo), who worries she's HIV-positive. (Fun fact: This was Ben Stiller's directorial debut!)
PHOTO: Universal Pictures
'Pretty Woman' (1990)
You'd be hard-pressed to find a performance more charming than Julia Roberts's as Vivian, a sex worker who agrees to spend a whole week with a wealthy businessman (Richard Gere) — then winds up falling for him (and he for her). There's a shopping montage set to Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman" that is easily the best shopping montage in movie history.
PHOTO: Touchstone Pictures
'When Harry Met Sally' (1989)
This Nora Ephron classic sets out to answer the age old question, can a man and a woman ever just be friends?
PHOTO: Columbia Pictures
'Before Sunrise' (1995)
Céline and Jesse (Julie Delphy and Ethan Hawke) meet on a train in Europe and spend a magical evening together in Vienna, walking and talking. Watch the equally wonderful sequels, "Before Sunset" and "Before Midnight," if you want more of their thoughts on the meaning of life and love.
PHOTO: Columbia Pictures
'Man in the Moon' (1991)
This was Reese Witherspoon's first role at 15, and it's a gut-wrenching one at that. She plays Dani, a rural Louisiana teenager who falls for the new farm-boy next door (Jason London) — only he has eyes for Dani's older sister. And that's not even the sad part.
PHOTO: MGM
'Ghost' (1990)
With the help of medium Oda Mae Brown (played by Whoopi Goldberg, who took home an Oscar for her performance), Sam (Patrick Swayze) communicates with the love he left behind after his death (Demi Moore), who's in danger herself.
PHOTO: Paramount Pictures
'Parenthood' (1989)
Before the TV show of the same name, there was the Ron Howard-directed movie with its all-star cast (Steve Martin, Mary Steenburgen, Dianne Wiest, Keanu Reeves and more). The story is simple — it follows the ups and downs of the Buckman family — but the results are spectacular.
PHOTO: Universal Pictures
'Heathers' (1989)
The ultimate mean-girl movie, in which Winona Ryder's character gets roped into staging the suicides of popular kids by her brooding sociopathic boyfriend J.D. (Christian Slater).
PHOTO: New World Pictures
'Ferris Bueller's Day Off ' (1986)
Oh, you played hooky once in high school? There's no way you had as much fun as Ferris, who rode around in a Ferrari convertible, crashed a parade float and ate at a fancy restaurant by pretending to be a very rich man.
PHOTO: Paramount Pictures
'Flashdance' (1983)
Alex Owen (Jennifer Beals) is a working-class Pittsburgh woman, making her living as a welder and an exotic dancer, but her dream is to get into ballet school.
PHOTO: Paramount Pictures
'Top Gun' (1986)
Tom Cruise in aviators. Playing a super cool Navy pilot in training. What else is there to say?
PHOTO: Paramount Pictures
'The Bodyguard' (1992)
Whitney Houston plays a pop star who hires a bodyguard (Kevin Costner) to protect her from a stalker. There's a great twist — and one of the best soundtracks of all time.
PHOTO: Warner Bros.
'My Girl' (1991)
Vada Sultenfuss and Thomas J. (played by the remarkable Anna Chlumsky and Macaulay Culkin) are best friends. They ride bikes, climb willow trees and do all the sorts of things kids do. But don't let that story line fool you: This movie will require a box of tissues nearby for the inevitable tears.
PHOTO: Columbia Pictures
'Single White Female' (1992)
Maybe you've used the expression "single white female" to describe that woman who tries a little too hard to be like you — but did you know it comes from this thriller starring Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh?
PHOTO: Columbia Pictures
'Thelma and Louise' (1991)
This movie is one to watch with your best friend. It follows two women (played by Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis) on the lam, blazing past all men who stand in their way. The film also features Brad Pitt in one of his first movie roles.
PHOTO: MGM
'Sleepless in Seattle' (1993)
A man called in to a radio show to find his widower dad love. The rest is history. This is another great classic romantic comedy from Nora Ephron.
PHOTO: SONY
'Say Anything' (1989)
After graduation, hopeless romantic Lloyd Dobler finds the nerve to tell valedictorian Diane Kourt he has a crush. They start up a wonderful romance, but it gets derailed by her dad.
PHOTO: 20th Century Fox
'Overboard' (1987)
Working-class single dad of four boys (Kurt Russell) seeks revenge after being denied payment for work he did for a rich woman (Goldie Hawn). After she falls off a ship and gets amnesia, he claims she's his wife and convinces her to do chores around his house.
PHOTO: MGM
'E.T.' (1982)
One of the most heartwarming tales of friendship (between a kid and an alien); directed by Steven Spielberg and featuring Drew Barrymore when she was just a little kid.
PHOTO: Universal Pictures
'Adventures in Babysitting' (1987)
The title says it all. We hope your babysitting experience went smoother than Chris' (Elisabeth Shue) did!
PHOTO: Touchstone Pictures
'A Nightmare on Elm Street' (1984)
"One, two, Freddy's coming for you ..." Freddy, with his burned face and knives for fingers, kills teenagers in their dreams. This film spawned a whole new crop of horror films.
PHOTO: New Line Cinemas
'Now and Then' (1995)
Four best friends unite in adulthood and remember their childhood years.
PHOTO: New Line Cinema
'Big' (1988)
The giant FAO Schwartz piano has made a lot of pop culture appearances, but this was its first and best. The story follows Tom Hanks as a "kid" who makes a carnival wish to be "big" and becomes an adult.
PHOTO: 20th Century Fox
'Fatal Attraction' (1987)
This is the movie starring Michael Douglass, Glenn Close and a boiled bunny. Glenn plays a mistress who gets a little too crazy.
PHOTO: Paramount Pictures
'Dirty Dancing' (1987)
Step aside, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone: The lift was done right and only once in the movies, and it was by Patrick Swazye and Jennifer Grey in this timeless wrong-side-of-the-tracks love story.
PHOTO: Vestron Pictures
'Pretty in Pink' (1986)
Another wrong-side-of-the-tracks love story with a spectacular dance scene by a guy named Duckie (John Cryer). It also stars Molly Ringwald, so you know it's an instant classic.
PHOTO: Paramount Pictures
'Sixteen Candles' (1984)
Another Molly Ringwald film! This time she's in a movie where her whole family forgets her sixteenth birthday, and of course, she's obsessed with the most popular guy in school.
PHOTO: Universal Pictures
'Three Men and a Baby' (1987)
Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg and Ted Danson play three bachelors who are forced to take care of a baby that was left on their doorstep.
PHOTO: Touchstone Pictures
'Basic Instinct' (1992)
Sharon Stone is the prime suspect in the murder of a rock star, and the lead detective in the case is played by Michael Douglas.
PHOTO: Tristar Pictures
'Dead Poets Society' (1989)
"O captain, my captain!" Robin Williams plays an English teacher at an elite boarding school who teaches his students to love poetry — and take ownership of their lives.
PHOTO: Touchstone Pictures
'Who Framed Roger Rabbit?' (1988)
The live-action-animated hybrid that introduced the world to Toontown and Jessica Rabbit. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis.
PHOTO: Touchstone Pictures
'Back to the Future' (1985)
Another Robert Zemeckis fantasy, this one starring Michael J. Fox as a teen who travels back in time to 1955, where he meets his parents. Christopher Lloyd plays the kooky scientist who gets him there. Watch the whole trilogy.
PHOTO: Universal Pictures
'Look Who's Talking' (1989)
Kirstie Alley plays a single mother who falls for her cab driver (John Travolta) as she tries to get her life in order. This film is prime Amy Heckerling, who would later make "Clueless." There is a special appearance by Bruce Willis as the voice of Mikey, the baby who talks to the viewer. The second and third film are highly recommended as well.
PHOTO: Tristar Pictures
'The Shawshank Redemption' (1994)
Even though he's innocent, a banker is sentenced to life for the murder of his wife and her lover. While in prison, he develops one of the most important friendships in cinematic history. "Shawshank" is based on a Stephen King novella and was nominated for seven Oscars in 1994.
PHOTO: Columbia Pictures
'Honey, I Shrunk the Kids' (1989)
As the title suggests, an inventor (Rick Moranis) accidentally turns his kids and his neighbor's kids into teeny-tiny versions of themselves.
PHOTO: Walt Disney Pictures
'The Goonies' (1985)
After finding an old map to a hidden treasure, a group of kids set out to find the loot and save their beloved neighborhood from being destroyed. Along the way, they run into some very bad guys and come across some incredible adventures.
PHOTO: Warner Bros.
'Uncle Buck' (1989)
Uncle Buck agrees to care for his nieces and nephew — who are all sad/angry that their parents moved them to a new town — when his brother and sister-in-law have to rush to be with her sick father. He's rough around the edges (drinks, smokes, doesn't have a job), but it turns out he's the exact sort of down-to-earth sweetheart the children need in their lives.
PHOTO: Universal Pictures
'Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead' (1991)
The babysitter is literally dead! To help support her four younger siblings while her mom is away for the summer, Sue Ellen (Christina Applegate) gets a grown-up job by lying about her age. In the process, she learns some adult lessons.
PHOTO: Warner Bros.
'Newsies' (1992)
This musical masterpiece is about a group of newsboys who go on strike in the early 20th century.
PHOTO: Walt Disney Pictures
'Misery' (1990)
This is based on a novel by Stephen King. It stars Kathy Bates as a profoundly disturbed super-fan who rescues her favorite author from a car crash, begins to nurse him back to health — but won't let him go.
PHOTO: MGM
'Death Becomes Her' (1992)
Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn play rivals who try to out-hot and out-young each other in competition for the same man. When a potion that promises to keep them young forever enters the mix, things get complicated.
PHOTO: Universal Pictures
'My Cousin Vinny' (1992)
After he and a friend accidentally confess to murder, Bill Gambini calls in his very Italian cousin Vinny (Joe Pesci), a lawyer of sorts, to get them off. Vinny and his girlfriend Mona Lisa (Marisa Tomei) nail their roles, not to mention their Brooklyn accents.
PHOTO: 20th Century Fox
'The Sandlot' (1993)
"You're killing me, Smalls!" This is a classic coming-of-age movie set in 1962.
PHOTO: 20th Century Fox
'Mystic Pizza' (1988)
Three sisters who couldn't be more different. Kat's Yale-bound, Daisy just wants to find love and Jojo is, well, Jojo. The thing that binds them is that they work at a pizza joint.
PHOTO: MGM
'Wayne's World' (1992)
This was a recurring sketch on "Saturday Night Live" before becoming a movie. To use the dynamic duo's most famous line, "Party on."
PHOTO: Paramount Pictures
'Girls Just Want To Have Fun' (1985)
Baby Sarah Jessica Parker! A dance competition! It's the ultimate 80s flick!
PHOTO: New World Pictures
Don't worry these aren't *too* old
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There's a reason you hear your older cousin, mom, maybe even your boss talking about them all the time. Check out 49 very important movies from the 80s and 90s.
