When we think back to all of our favorite things from fashion to music to movies, many of us probably transport ourselves back to the ‘90s. The biased among us, including me, will say that it was the best decade and within reason! While we’ve focused on fashion and even music, let’s take a look at the movies that made an impact 20 long years ago, in 1997!
Booty Call
photo via IMDb
Booty Call is the 1997 comedy film starring Jamie Foxx, Tommy Davidson, and Vivica A. Fox. The film is about two friends who go on a mission to look for protection before they can properly go through with their “booty calls.” The soundtrack for the film was star studded with tracks from Joe, R. Kelly, Silk, Lil’ Kim, SWV and Missy Elliott.
Love Jones
photo via Wikipedia
Love Jones is the classic 1997 film starring Larenz Tate and Nia Long. It explores the love and romance between a poet (Tate) and a photographer (Long). Loves Jones features a lot of poetry recited by the leading stars that many can recite from memory today. The film has definitely garnered a cult classic following after its release.
Selena
photo via Roger Ebert
Starring Jennifer Lopez, Selena was released following the death of the singer in 1995. The story of the Mexican singer is a popular one that gained even more attention following the release of the movie. The film begins when Selena starts singing at a young age and ends after she was murdered by Yolanda Saldivar. Many have stated that this film set Jennifer Lopez’s career on the map.
B*A*P*S
photo via Wikipedia
In 1997, Halle Berry and Natalie Desselle starred in the comedy film B*A*P*S* alongside Martin Landau. The film follows two friends who want to open up a hair salon/soul food restaurant. These two B*A*P*S (Black American Princesses) soon find themselves living in the lap of luxury after taking care of an elderly millionaire, Mr. Blakemore.
Anaconda
photo via Roger Ebert
Somewhere between Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back” and Nicki Minaj’s 2014 single “Anaconda,” we were given the horror film in 1997 starring Ice Cube and Jennifer Lopez. The film Anaconda is about a film crew who while intending to find a group of Native Americans near the Amazon River get roped into hunting down an anaconda snake. The team tries to survive while the anaconda plucks their team apart one by one. The film went on to have three sequels, which were released in in 2004, 2008, and 2009.
Men in Black
photo via Wikipedia
The third highest-crossing film of 1997, was Men in Black, starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. The film is about a Men in Black agent (Jones) and an NYPD turned M.I.B. agent (Smith) who team up together to hunt down an alien who attempts to steal a galaxy which is in the form of a jewel. Grossing over $580 million, the film was excessively successful, becoming the third highest-grossing film after Titanic and Jurassic Park. The film went on to have two sequels, Men in Black II and Men in Black 3, which were released in 2002 and 2012, respectively.
Good Burger
photo via Roger Ebert
“Welcome to Good Burger, home of the Good Burger. Can I take your order?” Good Burger is definitely a classic film starring the duo Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell. The duo got their start together on the Nickelodeon TV show “All That” before branching off into their own show “Kenan & Kel.” The Good Burger skit came from “All That” and they expanded it into a movie. The movie follows Dexter and Ed, two teenagers who work at a burger joint and try to stop their competition, Mondo Burger, from putting them out of business.
Soul Food
photo via IMDb
One of the most popular black culture films of the ‘90s and ever is probably the 1997 classic, Soul Food. This film was star-studded with performances by Vanessa Williams, Vivica A. Fox, Nia Long, Michael Beach, and Mekhi Phifer. The story follows a family of sisters and how their family starts to deteriorate when the matriarch and glue to their family, Big Mama, passes away. The film is aptly named for the soul food meal the family would enjoy each Sunday. The film would bring about “Soul Food: The Series” which lasted for four years. It’s soundtrack topped the Billboard charts at #3 with tracks from Boyz II Men, BLACKstreet, Jay-Z, Usher, and Monica.
1997 was definitely a great year in film! From big names like Jamie Foxx, Halle Berry, and Will Smith, it’s no wonder these films have been and will continue to be remembered!
In the comments, let us know which of these is your favorite 1997 film!
