Top 100 Movies Of The 1990's: #17 Swingers
Box Office: $4.6 Million
Oscar Nominations: None
Oscar Wins: None
MovieRankings.Net: 91/100
Available To Stream: Amazon Prime ($$), MGM+, Paramount+
For a movie that was pretty cool when it came out, Swingers has stayed pretty timeless. It may be because the idea of everything these guys are doing longs for a different era. From the dancing, the clubs, the music and even how Vince Vaughn's character Trent approaches dating, these guys want to be in 1962. Because of that, the movie isn't stuck in a specific era. It's almost like a time travel movie in that way.
The other reason is because Jon Favreau's great script deals with pretty eternal things like dating, being young and not confident, trying to figure out what you want to do and dealing with breakups. This was relatable in 1996 and still relatable in 2024.
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What Swingers is probably most known for now is how it put Favreau, Vaughn, Heather Graham and Ron Livingston on the map. Even the director Doug Liman, went on to do some pretty giants hits with Edge Of Tomorrow, Mr and Mrs. Smith and The Bourne Identity. Much like watching Freaks & Geeks, it's fun seeing so many talented people just starting out that is also very good.
Vince Vaughn as Trent leaps off the screen. He's immediately a movie star. You can see why Steven Spielberg then immediately cast him in the (lousy) Jurassic Park sequel The Lost World. Everyone in 1997 wanted to be in the Vince Vaughn business. He was also in one of the most needless movies every made: the Psycho shot-for-shot remake. Even though he burst on the scene as a funny guy in a comedy, it took four years for him to be in a comedy again. Then, unsurprisingly, his career finally really took off.
But this is Jon Favreau's movie. He wrote the script and is the only person on screen for 3 minutes of the most uncomfortable moment in comedy history:
I'm biased because I'm such a big Favreau fan. How many other guys can direct one of the most important superhero movies in Iron Man, a Christmas movie with Elf and also a tiny movie about a food trucks with Chef? Not only that, but all three are fantastic movies. He can act, write and direct. He did a small show on IFC at the beginning of the century called Dinner For Five where he would have four other guests on to (very) casually talk about movies and life. If you have a chance to catch some old episodes on YouTube, they are must watch.
This isn't a movie I love because the people involved became huge. I loved this movie the second I stepped out of the movie theater in 1996. I laugh and enjoy the movie just as much 28 years later. I'm just glad the people involved had great careers. When they make something this good, they deserve it.
17. Swingers
18. Reservoir Dogs
19. There's Something About Mary
20. Sleepers
21. Schindler's List
22. Rushmore
23. Fight Club
24. Saving Private Ryan
25. True Romance
26. Dumb & Dumber
27. Kingpin
28. Donnie Brasco
29. Heat
30. Terminator 2: Judgement Day
31. Rounders
32. Unforgiven
33. Trainspotting
34. The Game
35. Out Of Sight
36. Carlito's Way
37. Seven
38. L.A. Confidential
39. Speed
40. Gattaca
41. Misery
42. Tombstone
43. Ransom
44. Wayne's World
45. The Insider
46. Back To The Future Part III
47. A Bronx Tale
48. The People Vs. Larry Flynt
49. Eyes Wide Shut
50. The Sandlot
51. Happy Gilmore
52. Contact
53. The Green Mile
54. Man On The Moon
55. Boyz N The Hood
56. Grosse Pointe Blank
57. Independence Day
58. The Rainmaker
59. Go
60. The Firm
61. Magnolia
62. The Talented Mr. Ripley
63. Tommy Boy
64. The Usual Suspects
65. In The Line Of Fire
66. My Cousin Vinny
67. Awakenings
68. JFK
69. Toy Story
70. Home Alone
71. Jerry Maguire
72. Titanic
73. Billy Madison
74. Apollo 13
75. Braveheart
76. Edward Scissorhands
77. Cape Fear
78. The River Wild
79. What's Eating Gilbert Grape?
80. 12 Monkeys
81. Stir Of Echoes
82. Mission: Impossible
83. Total Recall
84. Quiz Show
85. For Love Of The Game
86. Being John Malkovich
87. Men In Black
88. Scream
89. Alive
90. Three Kings
91. Glengarry Glen Ross
92. Die Hard With A Vengeance
93. The Blair Witch Project
94. Twister
95. Dirty Work
96. Election
97. Tremors
98. Any Given Sunday
99. The Wedding Singer
100. Clerks