we think you should watch these movies
or don't we don't care
welcome to watchmojo.com though on that
would be great and I'll go ahead and
make sure you get another copy that memo
okay for this list we're looking at
films that were important for the
generation born between 1961 and 1981
otherwise known as Generation X although
this generation is often stereotyped as
apathetic these films speak to what many
were thinking and feeling at the time in
other words they're more than just
popular they helped capture the spirit
of a generation y'all take a deal you
need to cool that [ __ ] out and that's
the double true rule please note we
won't be including Spike Lee's do the
right thing or Quentin Tarantino's Pulp
Fiction however as their appeal is
something that's transcended generations
if you like what you're hearing be sure
to check out the full song at the link
below
yeah
[Music]
number ten kids filmmakers Larry Clarke
and harmony Corrine are no strangers to
controversy and it was this 1995 film
that first brought their unique and
challenging ideas and visuals to the big
screen
kids tells a very simple story about
inner-city kids and their experiences
with sex drugs and boredom this ties
into the overarching apathy that many
Gen Xers were feeling around this time
while also serving as a dramatic shift
from the feel-good kids films of the
1980s he stole her virginity Corrine
screenplay is harsh and unforgiving
while Clarke directs the film with a
lurid eye that raised critical eyebrows
then and continues to do so today
[Music]
number nine boys in the hood realistic
depictions of inner city life weren't
exactly commonplace on the big screen in
1991
man you a scary cat my mama say a bullet
don't have no name and perhaps that's
why Generation X responded so intensely
to writer director John Singleton's
feature directorial debut boys in the
hood it's a coming-of-age tale but told
from a fresh and honest perspective
while covering thematic ground that was
long overdue oh we got a problem here
boys in the hood doesn't sugarcoat or
apologize for the life choices of its
characters and it makes us care about
the story being told even if there is a
whole lot of gray area in between right
and wrong
moreover Singleton's film introduced
actors like Angela Bassett Cuba Gooding
jr. and Ice Cube to audiences that were
ready to embrace them as the future
stars they would become Krista
Punk my start tripping today we've got
my game number eight office space Mike
judge had already endeared himself big
time to Gen Xers with his hit animated
series beavis and butt-head before
jumping to the big screen so it makes
sense that his first live-action feature
film also resonated with them office
space came at the right place in the
right time capturing the desire of
Generation X to break away from the
dreary nine-to-five doldrums we have
sort of a problem here
yeah you apparently didn't put one of
the new cover sheets on your TPS reports
oh yeah I'm sorry about that I I forgot
sure the film achieves this end with a
whole bunch of great satire and quotable
humor but office space like many Mike
judge projects it's a lot smarter than
it might seem at first glance tell me
about it man wake my ass up 6:00 a.m.
every day this week and drag up to Las
Colinas yeah I'm doing the drywall up
there at the new McDonald's many
comedies seemed dated right after they
hit theaters but office space continues
to strike nerves and funny bones years
later looks like you've been missing a
lot of work lately I wouldn't say I've
been missing it Bob number 7 singles
singles was another hit for former
Rolling Stone writer and Fast Times at
Ridgemont High screenwriter Cameron
Crowe and an example of just how adept
the director was at connecting with
young people across generations I'm 23
remember how old 23 seemed when you were
little I mean I thought people were
gonna be traveling in airlocks and I
would have five kids generation X was
the intended target this time and with
grunge rock at an all-time high
singles hit a bull's-eye by setting it's
romantic comedy story in Seattle Steve
you just follow your instincts I mean
don't treat this like casual sex casual
sex doesn't even exist anymore
it's lethal it's over
there are few movies more
quintessentially 90s than this one right
down to members of Soundgarden and Pearl
Jam appearing as supporting characters
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
okay so the haircuts and fashion choices
and singles probably haven't aged all
that well but for viewers of a certain
age Cameron Crowe story just hits all
the right wistful buttons number six
Empire Records
so is working in a record store really
like living out Empire Records well no
no it's not but that didn't stop an
entire generation of people from
daydreaming about the kinds of
adventures and lives drama and all that
these very cool and very pretty people
enjoyed on a daily basis I've decided
I'm gonna start a band
really yeah first thing you need is a
name Empire Records stood out from the
often cynical portrayal of Gen X youth
in film by presenting a group of friends
who seemed to genuinely enjoy each
other's company the fact that the film
boasted a killer soundtrack certainly
didn't hurt matters any for viewers
today Empire Records is just pure
nostalgia a look back at a time when we
can all pretend that slinging CDs and
tapes could actually pay the bills
number five before sunrise before
sunrise is a unique film on this list
and that it seems to have more in common
with the slow burn cinema of the 1970s
director and co-writer Richard Linklater
capitalized on the success of his 1993
hit dazed and confused to create this
sweet smart and touching love story a
single night affair between an American
and French tourists that asks more
questions than it answers how do you
speak such good English me I'm American
you're American yeah are you sure yeah
I knew you were American before sunrises
dialog heavy and character-driven the
kind of film that gen-x audiences were
perhaps more open to as the decade
rolled on today the film is considered a
cult classic proving that Linklaters
output continues to win over audiences
across generations I don't think I'm
gonna be able to make it for lunch today
I'm sorry I I made a guy in the train
and I gotta for them in Vienna we still
there are you crazy
probably number four The Breakfast Club
consider this next entry on our list the
sort of Gen X movie that just fits into
our criteria sure the sweet spot for
many Gen X movie Watchers was arguably
the 90s but those born in the 70s
probably have a fond memory of watching
The Breakfast Club as a kid writer
director John Hughes managed to capture
the zeitgeist of how compartmentalised
many young Gen Xers felt and how they
wish to break out from the expectations
of both their parents and the previous
generation why is that door closed why
is that door closed how are we supposed
to know we're not supposed to move right
jock prep geek outcasts and weirdo all
spend a few hours of detention together
but wind up learning a whole lot more
about themselves and each other by the
time the day is done but what we found
out is that each one of us is a brain
and an athlete and a basket case a
princess and a criminal does that answer
your question
[Music]
Sincerely Yours The Breakfast Club
number three clerks clerks a true cult
classic from writer director Kevin Smith
was one of the little underground flicks
that really resonated with audiences in
the indie obsessed 90s sir what aren't
either one of these any good movies well
have you heard anything about either one
of them I find it's best to stay out of
other people's affairs
just as the 1970s new Hollywood movement
put the power in the hands of writers
and directors so too did the floodgates
open for Generation X filmmakers to tell
their own stories clerks was shot in
black and white for a meager initial
budget of 27 grand but earned a cult
following thanks to the wit and charm of
the script I love women G walkers Lee
Adams
moreover clerks represents the
generations desire for more relatable
storytelling as opposed to the bloated
Hollywood epics of old you know there's
a million fine-looking women in the
world dude they don't all bring in
lasagna at work most of them just
cheated on it it also proved that the
average Joe could make his own movie get
it distributed and actually succeed
number two Fight Club
if office space was a comedic satire of
the white-collar misery machine then
considered David Fincher's Fight Club to
be its bad-boy alter-ego the first rule
of Fight Club is you do not talk about
Fight Club second rule of Fight Club is
you do not talk about Fight Club the
film possesses similar themes of
Generation X versus the status quo but
insert sequences of sweaty macho
violence and throbbing electronics to
drive its point home David Fincher and
screenwriter Jim Rules adapt Chuck
Palahniuk STOVL with a hefty helping of
dark comedy while at the same time
adopting a visual style that's dirty and
grimy
sometimes Tyler spoke for me
add to that inventive jump cuts and
intentional fourth wall breaks and you
get a film that really stands out Fight
Club is a movie that probably couldn't
have been made in any other decade but
that timestamp is also part of its charm
okay you are now firing a gun at your
imaginary friend when I think of
Generation X stereotypes I think of
cynicism plaid and the movie we have at
number one on this list so let's look
through the time capsule that is our
honorable mentions and then we'll see
our top Gen X movie when Dorothy meets
the Scarecrow and they do that little
dance at that crossroads and they think
about going all those directions then
they end up going in that one direction
I mean all those other directions just
because they thought about it became
separate realities I mean they just went
off from there and lived the rest of
their life you know greetings and
salutations you a Heather no I'm a
Veronica Sawyer I don't know why Jon's
going out the high school boy they're
like dogs you have to clean them and
feed them they're just like these
nervous creatures that jump over all
over you okay that's all the time we
have for this week until then good night
party on Wayne party on Garth
and we're clear
Express to the class I'm an important
historical figure from each of your time
periods would view the world of San
Dimas 1988 we are in danger of flunking
most heinous ly tomorrow Ted before we
continue be sure to subscribe to our
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notifications number one Reality Bites
Reality Bites ticks all the right boxes
to be a perfect flick for the Generation
X crowd a beautiful touching story of
the triumph of the human spirit for
starters it employs a cast of classic
Gen X favorites including Winona Ryder
Ethan Hawke and Janeane Garofalo I'm
gonna turn on the TV there Bryant Gumbel
will be it you'll see today we have with
us the Pulitzer prize-winning
documentarian LaLanne appears second
it's a meta sort of movie that's about
filmmaking as writers character works on
a documentary detailing life and love in
the 90s
finally themes of gay rights AIDS
awareness and listless apathy all fall
perfectly in line with what many in
Generation X were feeling at the time
yeah well I forgot I'm not qualified to
talk to you I'm sorry it can't be mr.
hey look at me I'm Buddha on the
mountaintop reality bites is a perfect
storm of sorts a pleasantly dated kind
of film that's of its time in the best
possible way do you agree with our picks
let us know in the comments and hey if
you're a fan of the song playing right
now be sure to check out the music video
for it right here
[Music]
some moment ago the night-night
[Music]