The 1993 Mega Movie Draft

The 1993 Movie Draft drafting 1993 movies

Sean Fennessey

Blockbuster

Jurassic Park 1993

The first overall pick, taken without hesitation, called "the most universally beloved movie among the five of us."

Comedy

So I Married an Axe Murderer 1993

Mike Myers doing multiple characters for the first time Sean had seen it done: the old Scottish grandfather "lives in my heart."

Oscar Nominee

In the Line of Fire 1993

Clint Eastwood's Secret Service agent versus John Malkovich, a shout-out to the late Wolfgang Petersen and a below-the-line "hitters team" (John Bailey, Anne V. Coates).

Action/Horror

Cliffhanger 1993

Renny Harlin's mountain thriller, "Sly in his bag" against Michael Rooker and John Lithgow's overacting.

Drama

True Romance 1993

Sean's second-favorite film of the year: Tony Scott directing a young Tarantino script, plus the Walken/Hopper scene.

Wildcard

A Bronx Tale 1993

Robert De Niro's directorial debut, written by and starring Chaz Palminteri, hitting its 30th anniversary.

Chris Ryan

Comedy

Dazed and Confused 1993

"The greatest American high school movie ever made," quotable front to back. Launched Richard Linklater after Slacker.

Drama

Carlito's Way 1993

De Palma's New York crime epic with Al Pacino and Sean Penn, singled out for the subway tracking sequence.

Oscar Nominee

The Firm 1993

Sydney Pollack's Tom Cruise legal thriller with a stacked ensemble (Holly Hunter, Gene Hackman, Hal Holbrook, Wilford Brimley) that barely sets foot in a courtroom.

Action/Horror

El Mariachi 1993

Robert Rodriguez's self-financed 16mm debut, the movie that led to Desperado.

Blockbuster

The Pelican Brief 1993

Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts; Chris argues it's more emotionally felt than The Firm even if "The Firm is way more fun."

Wildcard

Searching for Bobby Fischer 1993

Laurence Fishburne, Ben Kingsley, and Joan Allen star in a movie Chris says he has near-total recall of.

Van Lathan

Drama

Menace II Society 1993

The Hughes brothers refusing to let Caine get out clean the way Boyz n the Hood let Tre. "I've never recovered from the experience of watching it."

Comedy

Groundhog Day 1993

One of Van's top ten movies ever. He wrote a ninth-grade Groundhog Day prequel screenplay called Punxsutawney.

Oscar Nominee

What's Love Got to Do with It 1993

Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne's Tina Turner biopic, which Van calls the first biopic that ever moved him.

Action/Horror

Blood In, Blood Out 1993

Shout-out to Shea Serrano, grouped alongside American Me and Mi Vida Loca as the year's LA gang-life movies.

Blockbuster

Mrs. Doubtfire 1993

The No. 2 domestic grosser of 1993 releases at $220 million. Van calls it "my generation's Kramer vs. Kramer," too sad to really file as comedy.

Wildcard

Tombstone 1993

"It fucking kicks ass": Val Kilmer's Doc Holliday, and the open secret that Kurt Russell actually directed it.

Rob Mahoney

Blockbuster

Sleepless in Seattle 1993

Taken right out from under Amanda, who says she was "banking on" it. Tom Hanks sells an absurd premise without sharing a scene with Meg Ryan until the end.

Oscar Nominee

Schindler's List 1993

Shown to Rob twice in school, once in European history and once in American history: "incredible, difficult, beautiful."

Drama

Short Cuts 1993

Altman's ensemble of eight overlapping stories, adapted from Raymond Carver. Robert Downey Jr. waking himself up with a fart sealed it for Rob.

Action/Horror

Demolition Man 1993

Rob's pick that Van never saw coming: Stallone vs. Wesley Snipes, and the movie that inspired Dennis Rodman's platinum hair.

Comedy

Addams Family Values 1993

Christina Ricci burning down Camp Chippewa, Barry Sonnenfeld's last movie before Get Shorty.

Wildcard

The Nightmare Before Christmas 1993

An animated movie and an all-time musical, per Rob. He missed Danny Elfman and Phoebe Bridgers performing the score live in London.

Amanda Dobbins

Action/Horror

The Fugitive 1993

The pick Amanda was sure everyone else would take first: Tommy Lee Jones's Oscar-winning Gerard chasing Harrison Ford's Richard Kimble.

Comedy

Dave 1993

A defining movie of her childhood, owned on VHS, with Kevin Kline's presidential double and Charles Grodin balancing the budget with sauerkraut money.

Oscar Nominee

The Age of Innocence 1993

Scorsese's Edith Wharton adaptation with Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Winona Ryder. Amanda calls it his most underrated movie.

Blockbuster

Indecent Proposal 1993

Robert Redford and Demi Moore, directed by Adrian Lyne: "caused so much ruckus in my house."

Drama

Rudy 1993

One of Amanda's favorite sports movies. She asked her Tennessee-fan dad if they could root for Notre Dame after seeing it.

Wildcard

Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit 1993

Watched at least ten times the year it came out, especially the closing Lauryn Hill solo.

Also mentioned raised along the way

1993 films mentioned but not drafted Robin Hood: Men in TightsBatman: Mask of the PhantasmThe Joy Luck ClubThe Remains of the DayThis Boy's LifeMi Vida LocaAmerican Me

In passing VibesPigNational TreasureGhostGrand CanyonMagnoliaThe PlayerSlackerReservoir DogsPulp FictionSneakersGet ShortyDesperadoWyatt EarpCutthroat IslandA Man Called OttoBabylonRed Notice65Ant-Man and the Wasp: QuantumaniaAvengers: EndgameCocaine Bear

Not films filtered out: TV, games, ads

TV Mighty Morphin Power RangersLaw & Order: Organized Crime

Ads BandsplainFanDuelNetflix (FIFA World Cup Launch Edition)Boar's HeadCarvanaMeta Ray-Ban glasses

Not 1993 releases Aladdin (1992)A Few Good Men (1992)