Clint Eastwoodis one of the biggest names in the Western movie genre, but the films he’s acted in and directed belong to additional niches of cinema outside the Western. Each decade of Eastwood’s career has brought new challenges and opportunities, andthe 1990s saw some of his best work, as well as some movies that audiences and critics would rather forget.However, each project is memorable thanks to Eastwood’s longevity as a performer and filmmaker. Though not every Eastwood movie from the ’90s is of the highest quality, they all have something fun to draw viewers in.
ThoughClint Eastwood’s movies from the 1960sare some of his most famous, catapulting him into stardom, the 1990s saw a dramatic turn in the kinds of projects Eastwood took on.It was in this era that Eastwood started to experiment and reflect on his legacy,especially within Westerns as a whole. The choices he would make in his work in the 21st century can be traced back to the style and narrative decisions of the ’90s. Eastwood steps in front of the camera in all of these films, grappling with his role as a Western star and emerging director.
The Rookie
Cast
The Rookie is a 1990 action film featuring Clint Eastwood as veteran cop Nick Pulovski, who is paired with a young partner played by Charlie Sheen. Together, they tackle a dangerous carjacking ring, but when Nick is kidnapped, his inexperienced partner must rise to the challenge.
Charlie Sheen costars with Eastwood inThe Rookie, a police drama that sees Eastwood’s seasoned character, Nick, train and test the titular rookie, Sheen’s David. It’s a campy addition to Eastwood’s filmography, as both Eastwood and Sheen are giving over-the-top performances and playing up the trope of the tortured cop. Though it’s a contemporary action film,The Rookiedrew comparisons to the formulas and characters of Eastwood’s Westerns, especially sinceNick’s archetype is so similar to the lone gunslingers Eastwood typically portrays.
While the late ’80s and early ’90s saw some interesting additions to the cop genre,The Rookiedidn’t tread new territory or look critically at its content.
Considered one ofClint Eastwood’s worst movies,The Rookiemakes up for its predictable story with some fun stuntsand action sequences. However, they pale in comparison to the iconic shootouts that Eastwood is remembered for. While the late ’80s and early ’90s saw some interesting additions to the cop genre,The Rookiedidn’t tread new territory or look critically at its content. This is surprising since many of the movies that Eastwood directed and starred in were interrogative and pushed the boundaries of form in cinema.
33%
36%
Clint Eastwood’s 10 Best Non-Western Action Movies
Clint Eastwood is still best known for his legendary run of Western movies, but it is his action movies that defined his persona for years to come.
Absolute Power
Absolute Power is a political thriller directed by Clint Eastwood, who also stars as master thief Luther Whitney. After witnessing a murder involving high-level government officials, Whitney must unravel the complex web of deception and corruption to avoid being caught. The film also features Gene Hackman as the President and Ed Harris as the investigating detective.
In the latter half of the decade, Eastwood directed and starred inAbsolute Power,another movie with a mixed-to-negative reputation. Though the cast is incredible, with Gene Hackman, Laura Linney, and Ed Harris all starring alongside Eastwood, the convoluted and unbelievable plot drew questions from critics and audiences. Eastwood’s character, the master thief Luther Whitney, gets caught up in a murder cover-up that implicates the President of the United States, played by Hackman.
The individual elements ofAbsolute Powerhave promise,as interrogating what it means when a figure like the president abuses their personal and political power was a timely topic in the late ’90s. However, there are too many additional plot points thrown in, with Whitney’s life as a thief, relationship with his daughter, and complicated morality all clouding the central themes and issues ofAbsolute Power. Additionally, the discussions of an aging hero/outlaw that are touched upon here had already been brilliantly brought to life by Eastwood earlier in the decade.
56%
52%
True Crime
True Crime is a gripping thriller that follows journalist Steve Everett as he races against time to uncover the truth and save a man on death row. Set against the backdrop of the criminal justice system, the film delves into themes of justice, redemption, and investigative journalism, providing a thought-provoking narrative driven by a sense of urgency and moral inquiry.
Questions of innocence and the issues of the American judicial system are raised inTrue Crime,Eastwood’s movie based on the 1995 novel of the same name. Once again, Eastwood takes center stage as Steve, a journalist who takes it upon himself to prove the innocence of a man on death row when he realizes that he’s been wrongfully convicted. Isaiah Washington, best known forGrey’s Anatomy, plays opposite Eastwood as Frank, the man in prison. Throughout the film, Eastwood successfully builds tension and makes the viewer deeply concerned about Frank and his fate.
Having a journalist be the central investigator in a crime drama can work, butTrue Crimedoesn’t quite pull it off.
Whilethe emotional impact ofTrue Crimeis undeniable,the story takes many dramatic turns and leans into melodrama rather than focusing on the deeper social issues at play inside the narrative. Unfortunately, Eastwood is not at his best as Steve, as Eastwood’s take on the character pushes him into action star territory instead of staying true to his roots as a journalist. Having a journalist be the central investigator in a crime drama can work, butTrue Crimedoesn’t quite pull it off.
49%
White Hunter, Black Heart
White Hunter, Black Heart: Directed by Clint Eastwood, this film follows renowned filmmaker John Wilson, portrayed by Eastwood, who travels to Africa to shoot a movie. Wilson becomes increasingly distracted by an obsession with elephant hunting, creating tension with his cast and crew. Released in 1990, it explores themes of artistic passion and moral conflict.
The meta-textual movieWhite Hunter Black Heartisa loose adaptation of reports about what happened behind the scenes during the filming ofThe African Queen.Eastwood’s character is an interpretation of John Huston, the famed director, and many of the other characters are fictionalizations of the Hollywood icons who took part inThe African Queen. One of Humphrey Bogart’s best films and amovie that defined Katharine Hepburn’s career,The African Queen, was shot on location in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (viaAFI).
There are few things Hollywood enjoys more than a movie about making movies, butWhite Hunter Black Heartdoesn’t simply flatter the film industry and play into the nostalgia of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Instead,White Hunter Black Heartmakes some decent commentary about American colonialism and how this influences the work of white directors entering countries and spaces that aren’t their own. ThoughEastwood’s direction outpaces his performance,he still dedicates himself fully to his starring role inWhite Hunter Black Heart.
83%
62%
A Perfect World
A Perfect World stars Kevin Costner as an escaped convict who kidnaps a young boy. As the two form an unlikely bond during their run from the law.
Though Eastwood’s performance is featured inA Perfect World,Kevin Costner takes center stage as Butch, an escaped convict on the runwho forms a bond with a young boy he meets along the way. The complex Butch is a bit of an antihero, but as the story progresses, the audience comes to empathize with him and understand the cycles of abuse and systemic failure that led him down his criminal path. As Butch and Philip, the boy he kidnaps, go on the run, they help each other break free of the expectations that the world has set upon them.
Butch isn’t so different from the rugged yet tender protagonists that Eastwood has brought to life.
It’s a nuanced film and very ambitious when compared to some of Eastwood’s other work from this era.Contemporary evaluations have citedA Perfect Worldas one of Eastwood’s most underrated directorial achievements,as well as a wrongfully overlooked performance from Costner. Though it’s a crime drama, it’s easy to see how Eastwood’s experience in Westerns influenced how he relates to troubled male figures in cinema. Butch isn’t so different from the rugged yet tender protagonists that Eastwood has brought to life.
78%
84%
The Bridges of Madison County
The Bridges of Madison County is a romantic drama directed by Clint Eastwood, who also stars alongside Meryl Streep. The film tells the story of Francesca Johnson, a lonely Iowa housewife, who has a life-changing, four-day romance with Robert Kincaid, a traveling photographer visiting to photograph the county’s historic bridges. Set in 1965, the film explores themes of love, loss, and the roads not taken, as Francesca must choose between her family commitments and her heart’s desire.
The movie,The Bridges of Madison County, is based on the novel of the same name and never pretends to be any less sentimental and unabashedly romantic than it is. This is what allows it to hold up well today.The Bridges of Madison Countydoesn’t make fun of its own nature, leaning into the heartfelt performances and narrative.Meryl Streep, as always, gives a stellar performance as Francescaopposite Eastwood’s Robert. Their passionate love story is quite a tear-jerker, but there’s some genuine depth at work inThe Bridges of Madison County as well.
Though Eastwood’s characters have love interests in many of his films, few of them genuinely fall in love the way Robert does inThe Bridges of Madison County. More than anything,the story is about how much a brief encounter can alter the direction of a person’s lifeand how even short connections can be meaningful ones. Though it would be easy to discountThe Bridges of Madison Countyin comparison to Eastwood’s more epic works, it’s a sweet film that demonstrates his depth of range.
90%
87%
In the Line of Fire
In the Line of Fire is a thriller film where a veteran Secret Service agent, Frank Horrigan, played by Clint Eastwood, is haunted by his failure to protect President John F. Kennedy in 1963. Decades later, he is assigned to investigate a mysterious threat on the life of the current US President, while a psychopathic assassin, Mitch Leary, played by John Malkovich, begins to stalk and taunt him.
In the Line of Fireis one of the few movies that Eastwood didn’t direct as well as star in during the 1990s, but Wolfgang Petersen skillfully helms the project.John Malkovich has great chemistry with Eastwoodand is considered a highlight of the project. A political thriller,In the Line of Fire, is in conversation with the history of the JFK assassination and hits every mark that a tense mystery should. While there’s plenty of action and heart-pounding tension,In the Line of Firedoesn’t rely only on its big moments to carry the story.
All 5 Of Clint Eastwood’s Oscar-Nominated Movies, Ranked
As an actor and director, Clint Eastwood boasts one of the most impressive resumes Hollywood has ever seen, earning him several Oscar nominations.
Performing well at the box office and earning a few nominations at the Academy Awards,In the Line of Firewas one of the most commercially viable projects that Eastwood was part of in the ’90s.It’s deliberately crafted and appeals to a wide audience base,touching upon the anxieties and distrust of the government that was plaguing the U.S. in the latter half of the 20th century. Layered and intricate, every character inIn the Line of Firegives an intriguing performance, drawing the viewer into the mysteries at the heart of the narrative.
In the Line of Fire (1993)
96%
79%
Unforgiven
Unforgiven follows retired gunslinger Will Munny as he is drawn back into his former life for a final mission, seeking justice with his old partner and a young outlaw called The Schofield Kid.
Unforgivenmight have come out in the early 1990s, but this film is largely considered one of the best Westerns of his career. Years after Eastwood became a household name thanks to his iconic Spaghetti Western and established himself as one of the foremost stars of the genre, he returned to the Western with a new outlook.In the years since his older work, the U.S. had changed, as did the country’s relationship with the mythical idea of the Westand the outlaws who populated this rugged piece of history.
Skillfully paying tribute to the best parts of the genre while unpacking what it means to grow old in Hollywood and in the West,Unforgivensees Eastwood take on an iteration of himself as the aging gunslinger, Will Munny. It’s not just Eastwood who makesUnforgivenmemorable, as Gene Hackman’s turn as Little Bill Daggett cements him as thebest movie villain in a Clint Eastwood Western. From its incredible action to its thought-provoking questions about the Western’s evolving role in cinema,UnforgivencementedClint Eastwoodas a one-of-a-kind star.
93%
