Who was the best movie of Summer’s End?

4. True Lies: August Gross Earnings: $47,299,990, Total Gross Earnings: $146,282,411 ($307,760,935 today)

Long before James Cameron went to Pandora, or the bottom of the ocean to make movies, came this “Top Tier Arnie Actioner.” In retrospect, True Lies feels out of place in Cameron’s filmography. It didn’t necessarily push boundaries or break new ground in filmmaking. It didn’t turn any new faces into superstars, and none of its protagonists died, which had become almost the norm before and after the writer/director (see The Abyss, The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Titanic, Avatar).

Still, everyone involved (Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, Tia Carrere, and the late great Bill Paxton and Charlton Heston) seem to have a lot of fun with this combination of James Bond parody/homage (a tuxedo under the swimsuit in the opening), domestic comedy, and ’90s action film, which apparently resulted in healthy box office returns.

3. The Mask: August Gross: $76,743,503, Total Gross: $119,938,730 ($252,336,939 today)

If Ace Ventura: Pet Detective Jim Carrey knocked politely on Hollywood’s door when The mask was he who smashed it to pieces and tornadoed through it. The second of his three outings in 1994, after the aforementioned Ace Venturaand reportedly paved the way for must-see status in the fall, Dumb and dumber, The mask not only made Carrey a superstar, but also introduced the world to Cameron Diaz.

What The mask What many CGI festivals neglect these days is that it made the main characters extremely sympathetic and empathetic. The supporting characters are either fun (including the scene-stealer, Milo the Dog) or pose a real threat, and the great special effects complement the story rather than replace it: Stanley remains central, not The mask. And the audience loved both!

2. Clear and Present Danger: August Gross: $87,850,526, Total Gross: $122,187,717 ($257,068,542 today)

The most mature entry in the Top 5 shows that Harrison Ford is still on a winning streak, which stretches back to 1977. He returns in his second and final outing as Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, before passing the baton to Ben Affleck. It’s a tightly constructed political thriller that condenses Clancy’s doorstopper into a tense, exceptionally well-acted, intelligent action film. With the triple threat of Ford-Ryan-Clancy, this was always going to be a hit. But with James Earl Jones, Willem Dafoe and Anne Archer supporting, thrilling action sequences and a mature approach to storytelling, Clear and present danger became a classic in its genre.

Before we reveal what was number one at the box office in August 1994, let’s first look at which titles rounded out the top 10:

10. Angels in the Outfield:

“When a boy prays for a chance to have a family when the California Angels win the pennant, angels are assigned to make that happen.” Anyone? Anyone? No.

9. Now in the military:

‘Two misguided youngsters join the reserves to earn some money to support their entrepreneurial dreams. Once they complete their basic training, they are called upon to do their part to save the free world. Anyone? Anyone? No.

8. It could happen to you too:

‘A police officer (Nicolas Cage) promises to share his lottery ticket with a waitress (Bridget Fonda) in lieu of a tip. That’s a better description!

7. The Little Rascals:

‘The update of the classics from the 20s and 30s sees Alfalfa tries to woo Darla and his “He-Man-Woman-Hating” friends and tries to sabotage the relationship.‘ Is described as a comedy.

6. The Customer:

‘A young boy witnesses the suicide of a mafia lawyer and hires a lawyer to protect him when the district attorney tries to use him to take down a mafia family. Ifsolid John Grisham adaptation with Tommy Lee Jones still in Sam Gerard mode and Susan Sarandon in Susan Sarandon mode.

And at the peak of the box office in August 1994:

1. Forrest Gump August gross: $90,040,957, Total gross: $329,694,499 ($693,638,332 today):

Check out our July 1994 retrospective to see why Forest Gump became the hit that it was. We concluded that Forest Gump has been riding the box office waves for three months. It’s hard to remember a film like this (with a similar story) having lasting legs in theaters, especially a summer release. We’re past the era of disposable summer blockbusters, the seasons of award-winning films, and in the midst of streaming wars and franchise fodder. There was and is nothing quite like Forest Gump.

Conclusion

In 1994 we had a comic book movie, an animated film, a political thriller, an action adventure and a whimsical piece of Americana. Our current domestic Top 5 consists of a comic book movie, a horror film, a domestic violence drama, a prosperity thriller and a biblical drama. Variety is still the spice of life.

If you liked this article, we recommend the following:

1994: A 30th Anniversary Film Review Series – January (click here)

1994: Part Two – February…Meet Jim Carrey (Click Here)

Hollywood Feuds – Part 1: Jim Carrey vs. Tommy Lee Jones (Click Here)

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