Forrest Gump (1994)

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

Starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, Sally Field, and Haley Joel Osment

Tom Hanks turns in the best performance of his career in Forrest Gump. The movie is a touching portrait of a mentally-challenged man, but does not hold up on repeat viewings as well as some other classics of the 90s. The story is rather unbelievable, with one man being a witness to so many important events of the 20th Century. However, if you're able to suspend your disbelief, it's quite an enjoyable film. Many aspects of the script were found fourteen years later in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, written by the same writer, but finding less success during awards season. The best movie of the year was probably The Shawshank Redemption or Pulp Fiction, but those movies took a few years to be appreciated, and Forrest Gump is a worthy inclusion on the Best Picture roll call.

Other nominees: Four Weddings and a Funeral (Mike Newell), Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino), Quiz Show (Robert Redford), and The Shawshank Redemption (Frank Darabont)