Matilda 1996
Amanda, at 12, front row center. Out the same day as Emma.
The Big Picture · Discussion · Draft
The 1996 Movie Draft
October 8, 2024/ 93 min/ Sean Fennessey · Amanda Dobbins · Chris Ryan
Sean, Chris, and Amanda snake-draft the movies of 1996, filling six category slots each (drama, comedy, Oscar nominee, action/horror/thriller, blockbuster, and wild card) before a long run through the year's honorable mentions.
68 films across 3 segments.
AI-generated This episode was transcribed and analyzed with AI models. The matches aren't perfect — expect the occasional misheard title or a link to the wrong film.
Setting the table: 1996why the year matters
Emma 1996
the grown-up counterpart to Matilda; the two Amandas.
The Birdcage 1996
a studio farce that showed Sean what the tone could do.
Secrets & Lies 1996
the Mike Leigh Oscar film Sean skipped at 14 and came around to.
Shine 1996
the Oscar travesty Sean stayed mad about, piano and all.
Evita 1996
Amanda saw it in theaters for her girl; nobody drafted it.
Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy 1996
small movie, huge indie-rock soundtrack.
The teams drafting the movies of 1996
Sean Fennessey
Drama
Jerry Maguire 1996
taken as drama over rom-com or sports movie, a story of a man broken down and rebuilt.
Oscar Nominee
That Thing You Do! 1996
Tom Hanks' directorial debut; the title song was the Oscar nod. Sean claims 50-plus viewings.
Action / Horror / Thriller
The Rock 1996
the best action movie of Michael Bay's career; Cage post-Oscar, Connery in prime form.
Blockbuster
Independence Day 1996
the biggest blockbuster of the year, $306M and the White House blown up.
Wild Card
Swingers 1996
Favreau's spec-script breakout; a time capsule whose 'cool' guys read as losers with age.
Chris Ryan
Comedy
Tin Cup 1996
Ron Shelton's fallen golfer; a favorite Costner with a tournament-length last hour.
Wild Card
Lone Star 1996
John Sayles' Texas mystery, the one film Chris rewatched: a season of The Wire in one movie.
Amanda Dobbins
Drama
Romeo + Juliet 1996
Baz Luhrmann's stylized version, the Leo-and-Radiohead moment, a defining '90s film.
Comedy
The First Wives Club 1996
Hawn, Midler, Keaton; $181M and 'You Don't Own Me.' Directed by Police Academy's Hugh Wilson.
Oscar Nominee
The English Patient 1996
the Best Picture winner Elaine Benes hated. Amanda loves it, Kristin Scott Thomas doing Herodotus.
Action / Horror / Thriller
Scream 1996
watched scared in Aunt Betty's basement; the movie that restarted horror.
Wild Card
Bottle Rocket 1996
Wes Anderson's debut and the Wilson brothers; prettier than true millennial pink.
Honorable mentionsthe undrafted rundown
The Birdcage 1996
top-ten grosser and Chris's first Mike Nichols; $124M domestic.
A Time to Kill 1996
another Matthew McConaughey breakout.
Ransom 1996
Ron Howard and peak Mel Gibson; $136M, outgrossed The Rock.
101 Dalmatians 1996
the Glenn Close live-action version; huge, and Sean doesn't like it.
Eraser 1996
Schwarzenegger; not very good, but Oscar-nominated.
Phenomenon 1996
one of two Travolta films that year; a hard pass.
Michael 1996
the other Travolta; okay at best.
From Dusk Till Dawn 1996
Chris's runner-up wild card: Rodriguez, Tarantino and Clooney, vampires at the halfway point.
Kingpin 1996
maybe everyone's favorite Farrelly brothers movie.
Bound 1996
the Wachowskis' thriller debut.
City Hall 1996
Harold Becker; the Pacino stairwell speech that gets better every rewatch.
Sleepers 1996
a big deal that year; Chris read the book first.
The Cable Guy 1996
trashed on release, but the kids who kept rewatching it came around.
Citizen Ruth 1996
Alexander Payne's underseen first film.
Waiting for Guffman 1996
the Christopher Guest movie; absolutely hilarious.
Flirting with Disaster 1996
David O. Russell's very funny ensemble comedy.
Walking and Talking 1996
Nicole Holofcener's second feature.
Broken Arrow 1996
John Woo; Travolta as a mind-broken stealth-bomber pilot.
Breaking the Waves 1996
the strafing arthouse film Sean wasn't ready for at 14.
Black Sheep 1996
the Chris Farley vehicle.
Sling Blade 1996
the Billy Bob Thornton one they forgot to mention until the end.
Bordello of Blood 1996
Tales from the Crypt Presents, with Dennis Miller pre-heel-turn.
Barb Wire 1996
Pamela Anderson; imagine being 14.
The Craft 1996
Amanda was more Harriet the Spy than goth at the time.
Harriet the Spy 1996
the age-appropriate alternative to The Craft.
Big Night 1996
the Stanley Tucci / Campbell Scott two-hander.
She's the One 1996
Ed Burns; good Tom Petty soundtrack.
Courage Under Fire 1996
big Matt Damon, awesome Denzel.
Welcome to the Dollhouse 1996
Todd Solondz's right turn in narrative storytelling.
Dead Man 1996
Jim Jarmusch's black-and-white Western.
Marvin's Room 1996
Oscar-nominated, and more of the Leo of it all.
The Trigger Effect 1996
David Koepp's Lord-of-the-Flies-in-the-suburbs blackout thriller.
The Funeral 1996
Abel Ferrara, starring Christopher Walken.
When We Were Kings 1996
the Ali documentary Chris eyed for the Oscar slot.
The Long Kiss Goodnight 1996
Renny Harlin; a Shane Black spec, then the priciest ever bought.
Up Close & Personal 1996
Redford and Pfeiffer; the source of John Gregory Dunne's book Monster.
Girl 6 1996
Spike Lee, and a stated sexual awakening.
Heaven's Prisoners 1996
Alec Baldwin, cited fondly.
Fear 1996
Wahlberg and Reese Witherspoon; the roller-coaster scene lives on.
Set It Off 1996
F. Gary Gray; another one Sean really likes.
Stealing Beauty 1996
Bertolucci; the peak of Liv Tyler's year, with Rachel Weisz.
The Mirror Has Two Faces 1996
the Streisand film; 'I Finally Found Someone' in the song race.
One Fine Day 1996
one of the era's most bitter romantic comedies.
Also mentioned raised along the way
Other years, in passing CluelessSense and SensibilityPulp FictionReservoir DogsHeatApollo 13Batman ForeverJurassic ParkUrban LegendI Know What You Did Last SummerMixed NutsSea of LoveLand and FreedomWhisper of the HeartGuarding TessBlast from the PastDazed and ConfusedThe Wild BunchRichard JewellVenom: The Last DanceJoker: Folie à DeuxA Complete UnknownSaturday NightThe Grand Budapest Hotel
Not films filtered out: TV, games, ads
TV movies The Late ShiftDon't Look Back
TV SeinfeldThe AmericansFargo (series)The WireSupermarket SweepMayor of Kingstown
Podcasts The WatchThe Rewatchables
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