80s-90s Character Driven Movies
Whether comic or dramatic, these films pay particular attention to the humanity of the stories; unusual but simple narratives much like life itself, strong acting, specific settings, and characters that are profoundly relatable in their specificity but realism. Music and cinematography is usually gorgeous as it tends to be understated, serving to emphasize the emotionality of the characters and their journeys which are the center of the film. Sometimes based on a book or play. A lot of detail given to the characters, their world and their heritage; may seem oddly specific but it adds to the realism. You don’t get quiet character studies like this anymore and it’s a shame
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- DirectorSidney LumetStarsRiver PhoenixChristine LahtiJudd HirschThe eldest son of a fugitive family comes of age and wants to live his own life.
- DirectorJeremiah S. ChechikStarsJohnny DeppMary Stuart MastersonAidan QuinnA mentally ill young woman finds her love in an eccentric man who models himself after Buster Keaton.
- DirectorMartin BrestStarsAl PacinoChris O'DonnellJames RebhornA prep school student needing money agrees to "babysit" a blind man, but the job is not at all what he anticipated.
- DirectorNorman JewisonStarsCherNicolas CageOlympia DukakisLoretta Castorini, a bookkeeper from Brooklyn, New York, finds herself in a difficult situation when she falls for the brother of the man she has agreed to marry.
- DirectorGus Van SantStarsRobin WilliamsMatt DamonBen AffleckWill Hunting, a janitor at M.I.T., has a gift for mathematics, but needs help from a psychologist to find direction in his life.
- DirectorRobert MandelStarsBrendan FraserMatt DamonChris O'DonnellIn 1959, a star quarterback from a working-class family is given an opportunity to attend an elite New England preparatory school, but he is conflicted about whether or not to tell his Evangelical classmates that he is Jewish.
- DirectorGarry MarshallStarsAl PacinoMichelle PfeifferHector ElizondoJohnny has just been released from prison, and gets a job in a café beside waitress Frankie. Frankie is a bit of a loner, but Johnny is determined their romance will blossom.
- DirectorMichael CorrenteStarsDustin HoffmanDennis FranzSean NelsonLong-repressed feelings of bitterness and betrayal explode when three inner-city losers plot the robbery of a valuable coin in a seedy second-hand junk shop.
- DirectorDonald PetrieStarsAnnabeth GishJulia RobertsLili TaylorThree teenage girls come of age while working at a pizza parlor in the Connecticut town of Mystic.
- DirectorJames FoleyStarsAl PacinoJack LemmonAlec BaldwinAn examination of the machinations behind the scenes at a real estate office.
- DirectorCampbell ScottStanley TucciStarsTony ShalhoubStanley TucciMarc AnthonyNew Jersey, 1950s. Two brothers run an Italian restaurant. Business is not going well as a rival Italian restaurant is out-competing them. In a final effort to save the restaurant, the brothers plan to put on an evening of incredible food.
- DirectorJoan Micklin SilverStarsAmy IrvingPeter RiegertReizl BozykA Manhattan single meets a man through her Jewish grandmother's matchmaker.
- DirectorRob ReinerStarsWil WheatonRiver PhoenixCorey FeldmanA writer recounts a childhood journey with his friends to find the body of a missing boy.
- DirectorJoel ZwickStarsNia VardalosJohn CorbettMichael ConstantineA young Greek woman falls in love with a non-Greek and struggles to get her family to accept him while she comes to terms with her heritage and cultural identity.
- DirectorHerbert RossStarsShirley MacLaineOlympia DukakisSally FieldA young beautician, newly arrived in a small Louisiana town, finds work at the local salon, where a small group of women share a close bond of friendship, and welcome her into the fold.
- DirectorJon TurteltaubStarsSandra BullockBill PullmanPeter GallagherA hopelessly romantic Chicago Transit Authority ticket booth operator is mistaken for the fiancée of a comatose patient.
- DirectorStephen HerekStarsRichard DreyfussGlenne HeadlyJay ThomasA frustrated composer finds fulfillment as a high school music teacher.
- DirectorJoel OlianskyStarsRichard DreyfussAmy IrvingLee RemickPaul Dietrich, at almost 30 years old, is a fading piano prodigy. Heidi Schoonover is a talented young pianist with a promising future. When Paul hears of an upcoming competition that could make his career, he dedicates himself to winning.
- DirectorLasse HallströmStarsRichard DreyfussHolly HunterDanny AielloRenata Bella feels like a failure at life and career. But when Renata attends a seminar on selling real estate, she finally finds True Love. Sam Sharpe, while a top-notch, successful salesman, is much older than Renata. She is swept away by his excessively flamboyant style and irrepressible nature. The very traits she finds romantic, however, lead to repeated conflict with her family, especially her beloved father Joe, leaving Renata trapped in the middle.
- DirectorGarry MarshallStarsJulia RobertsRichard GereJoan CusackA reporter is assigned to write a story about a woman who has left a string of fiancés at the altar.
- DirectorJeremy LevenStarsJohnny DeppMarlon BrandoFaye DunawayA psychiatrist must cure a young patient who presents himself as Don Juan, the world's greatest lover.
- DirectorPeter BogdanovichStarsRiver PhoenixSamantha MathisDermot MulroneyNewcomers to the country-music business seek love and stardom.