★ Best 90s Movies | Favorites of a Nineties Girl ★

The nineties were my childhood, and it still remains my favorite decade for films. There are just so many great stories, classic teen flicks, funny kid's movies - mainly including Robin Williams! - as well as quite a few of the all-time best Disney animations. I have listed my top 10 movie recommendations below, with a summary of each one and an explanation of why I think it's so fantastic.

Many of them are family films, some are more adult, and some are aimed directly at the teenager market. I've also listed quite a few others that are worth a look too, just because I couldn't bear to not mention them somewhere on here!

I hope the variety makes it more interesting, and I hope there is a film here you haven't seen so I can persuade you to take a look :-)

Image credit: Amazon (see below)

This family film is based on the book of the same name by Roald Dahl, and pretty much is the 90s for me. Mara Wilson, who played Matilda in this film (and also appeared in two of my other favorite films of the time too; Mrs Doubtfire and Miracle on 34th Street), is brilliant in the part. I actually recently saw that Mara has a Twitter account, is now a writer, and is the same age as me - and I've never felt more old! I'm such a fan of the story I actually went to see the new stage musical recently in London and it was the best I've ever seen...and that's from someone who really loves musicals!

'Runaway Bride' was a film that came out around the time of my (12th) birthday, and the birthdays of a few friends, so I ended up seeing this film at the cinema a few times - which may explain my connection to it. It's one of my all-time favorites (and not just because of my Richard Gere crush! What? I like gray hair!), due to it being a light-hearted, cute and fun story which has a cracking soundtrack and top-notch actors. It is aimed more at teen girls and women, but there is enough humor going on to make it a definite 'rom com' rather than just a 'rom' and it's not too cheesy or girly so I'm sure guys would like it too!

This teen movie has more of a daring and evocative edge than the other movies on my list, and is more of an intense story. A trio of famous young stars (Sarah Michelle Gellar, Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Philippe) adds the star quality, and they all have great on-screen chemistry, especially Ryan and Reese who in fact were dating during the filming and got married and had a baby shortly after. Awww!

It's a rather sex-charged plot, so not for kids or young teens, but there's also some comedy and lots of tense drama, and I just love it!

So it turns out 1999 was a pretty great year for teen movies, and this is definitely in my top 3 romantic comedies ever, with a low helping of cheese and an extra dollop of feistiness!

The leads are played by Heath Ledger (Patrick), a very young-looking Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Cameron), Julia Stiles (Kat) and Larisa Oleynik (Bianca), all of whom fill their roles brilliantly, especially Heath Ledger who is very charming and has a lovely smile (be still my beating heart), and Julia Stiles who plays the moody, rebellious teenager (with a soft side) wonderfully.

Hocus Pocus is the ideal movie to watch every Halloween (as is my tradition!) because the mix of comedy and drama is so well-balanced. The fact that it's so well-loved across the world shows just how great it is - whenever it's shown on TV, it always ends up as a trending topic on Twitter! In my opinion Hocus Pocus is the ultimate Halloween movie because the whole family can enjoy it and it doesn't rely on suspense, shocks or gruesome scenes. It's got a hint of the scare-factor, but it's mild and is paired with terrific humor.

I don't think the casting for this film could be made any better; with Bette Midler (Winifred) as the hilarious head of the Sanderson sisters trio, and Kathy Najimy (Mary) and Sarah Jessica Parker (Sarah) as comical sidekicks. They really embody their characters, and the whole thing is just a super Halloween treat.

Well if there's one movie that is guaranteed to make me cry, it's this one. And if you don't cry, you must have a heart made of cold, cold stone! It is certainly a well-loved movie that is considered a classic, and even won 6 Academy Awards.

Tom Hanks (my favorite actor and all-round swell guy) takes the lead as Forrest Gump, and many people say it is the best movie of his career. Forrest is a simple man who achieves many different and extraordinary things in his life, although tragedy is scattered throughout. He faces heartbreak and the death of his friends, and he faces it all with a calm demeanor and a pure heart. Get the tissues ready!

The Sixth Sense may seem like a tame horror film these days but it was the first scary film I ever watched and it gave me the heebie jeebies (and still does)! Full of mystery and drama - and with one of the best end twists in movie history - this film is a true classic. You will really feel the hairs stand up on the back of your neck all of the way through, and I suggest you don't watch it whilst you are alone :)

Bruce Willis stars in a type of role you don't often see him in now he is an action hero, and Haley Joel Osment plays opposite him. Bruce Willis plays Malcolm, a child psychologist, and Haley Joel Osment plays a kid named Cole who is picked on for being different, and his difference soon comes to light with his uttering of the famous line "I see dead people".

This movie is the most 'grown-up' on the list, and is one that I'm sure is on many people's favorites list. When it first was in the cinema it didn't get that warm of a reception, with mixd revviews, but it has grown over time to be a classic. It came out when I was a young child so I didn't see it for the first time until a few years ago, and I would definitely say that all adults should watch it at some point.

With Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman taking the leads (and with a great supporting cast), the script was in safe hands. I can't say it's the happiest film I've ever seen - in fact it's pretty brutal and depressing in parts - but it's such a brilliant story, so well acted, and the ending is uplifting, so even a die-hard fan of 'happy-clappy' films like myself will watch it over and over without getting bored.

Some more of my favorites include: Pocahontas, Toy Story, Lion King, Edward Scissorhands, Babe, Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Bodyguard, Antz, You've Got Mail, Mulan, Bean: The Movie, The Secret Garden, Groundhog Day, Sister Act, The Parent Trap, Armageddon, Liar Liar, Ace Ventura, Dr Dolittle, The Witches, Rush Hour, Ghost, Jumanji and Small Soldiers.

The two 'Father of the Bride' movies are much-loved in our home, and are both classic family films that I think would appeal to the majority of people. My family and I always watch them whenever they appear on the TV schedule - usually at Christmas - and I have always stated that if I somehow become mega-rich, I want to live in the beautiful house in this movie!

Steve Martin is perfectly suited to to this sweet comedy, as he stars as the exasperated and despairing 'Father of the Bride' as his daughter gets engaged and begins planning their huge luxury wedding in the family home. The sequel focusses on babies rather than weddings, and this ensures equal amounts of hilarity and sentimentality as in the first movie.

I am a huge fan of Disney movies so it was extremely difficult to choose just the one for my list; Beauty & The Beast, Hercules and Aladdin are my top 3 of all time, and they were all released in the 90s (a stellar decade for Disney). I went for Aladdin in the end because: Jafar is a comically sinister villain, the movie setting (Agrabah in the Middle East) is so unlike other Disney movies, and because I love the Genie (voiced by Robin Williams). I also still have an Abu monkey toy (at age 25!)

This DVD is actually a special edition so contains a few extras including a thrilling carpet ride journey, deleted scenes and songs, commentary, pop-up trivia, lyrics, a wishing game, a world tour by the Genie and an extended look behind-the-scenes of the animation.