As amazing as Disney animations were in the 1990s, there were also several live-action films released by Disney that still remain in the hearts of true 90s fanatics. I’m going to list below some of my personal favorites that I think many other kids from the time will also remember:
1991: White Fang
Still of Ethan Hawke in the film White Fang. image taken from disney.wikia.com
-I remember watching this movie so many times when I would visit my grandma’s house. It was a film based off of Jack London’s classic novel. It tells a story about a young man trying to find riches in Gold Rush Alaska but ultimately the greatest treasure he finds comes in the form of a formerly abused half-dog/half-wolf. The film centers on their initial mistrust for each other and ends with the two of them loyally depending on each other for the support and companionship that they both need. Aside from the emotionally touching plot, I still remember how much this film made me want to travel to Alaska (in the warmer months!)
1994: Angels in the Outfield
-This is definitely one of my favorite sports films of all time. When Joseph Gordon Levitt started becoming very famous after 500 Days of Summer and Inception, I couldn’t believe that this was the same guy who starred in this movie! I’ll start off by saying that for a
image taken from wikipedia.com
children’s movie, it has a phenomenal score, which I think is a huge reason why I love it so much. I’ve always been a huge fan of an underdog story, especially when the underdog is an entire team rather than just one person. I was really young when I first saw this movie, and I used to wonder after watching it where my angels were when I needed so desperately to score that goal in my soccer game! But at least in this movie, the angels are there, and as Christopher Lloyd says in the closing line of the move, “We’re always watching.”
1995: The Big Green 
-I grew up playing soccer throughout my entire childhood, and so needless to say I watched this movie constantly. It’s definitely another underdog story, except this time instead of the professional baseball team that’s depicted in Angels in the Outfield, this movie centers around a bunch of young teenagers who have literally never touched a soccer ball in their lives. This movie is just fun all around, and always reminded me of why I loved playing soccer and being on a team so much. Similar to Angels, this movie also has a great soundtrack and score; I can still remember the tune of it to this day.
1995: Man of the House
-Back when I was little and first watched this movie, I wasn’t old enough to realize the all-star cast that was featured in this film. Farrah Fawcett and Chevy Chase were both cinematic legends
image taken from wikipedia.com
well before the release of this movie. And even in a kids movie that some would label as cheesy, I thought their performances were phenomenal. This was also the first film where I would become familiar with Jonathan Taylor Thomas, who unfortunately seemed to disappear from the acting scene by the end of the 1990s. But still, this movie got me every time. It was a roller coaster of emotions for me when I was younger. One second I’d be feeling teary when Thomas’ father leaves him and his mom on their own and the next I’d be laughing hysterically at the way Thomas is able to manipulate Chase and take advantage of him in his vulnerable position of “Mom’s boyfriend.”
1998: I’ll Be Home for Christmas
image taken from wikipedia.com
-Every year around the holidays, my siblings and I would watch the same movies to try and get ourselves going into the Christmas spirit. This was always one movie which made the top of our list. Jonathan Taylor Thomas was great in this film, and really had you rooting for him the entire time even when he was making really idiotic decisions. I was also a huge fan of 7th Heaven growing up, so Jessica Biel playing Thomas’ love interest made the cast even better for me. For anyone who remembers or is familiar with this movie, one of my favorite parts is the Santa Claus marathon race. I don’t think to this day I’ve ever seen so many fake beards and red suits in one place!
1998: Mighty Joe Young
-Lion King was the first movie I ever saw in a movie theater. Mighty Joe Young was the first non-animation film that I ever saw in theaters. I still remember the
image taken from wikipedia.com
day my dad took myself and my brothers and sisters to see this. And to this day, it’s one of my favorites. I still watch it whenever I come across it on TV. Again, the score for me is what really brings this movie to another level. It’s similar to White Fang in the sense that it revolves around the loving relationship between a human and another animal that everyone else considers to be a beast. It’s definitely a tearjerker, as the audience is lead towards the end of the film to believe that Joe the ape has died trying to save a young boy from a collapsing Ferris wheel. But thankfully, the film ends on a very happy note as Joe is able to finally escape the threats of poachers and return to his homeland where he belongs.
Blast From the 90s Past 