Drew Barrymore is one of the many icons we witnessed in the '90s. The actress has been loved by many since the start of her career and she appeared in many works since then. Not only does Barrymore have the talent, but she was also born into a family that is filled with many talents. The Barrymore family found their way into the acting world through the stage first before they made it to Hollywood; the rest is history.
One of the roles that played a huge role in starting Barrymore’s career was her appearance in Steven Spielberg's E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. Someone with her talent will always be remembered when we look back to the '90s films. However, people’s feelings toward Barrymore became mixed after she announced that her show The Drew Barrymore Show would return despite the SAG-AFTRA strikes, though that decision was later reversed. This made her fans question her behavior. We still have to remember her talent and the many great works she appeared in. Here are Barrymore’s best '90s films, ranked.
10 Mad Love
Mad Love is a rom-com drama that aired in 1995. It follows Matt (Chris O'Donnell) who is a kind and nice teenager as he helps his father with taking care of his siblings. On the other hand, there is Casey (Barrymore) who is more of a rebel who keeps trying to avoid emotions as she had many problems and also trauma. Despite the clear difference between the two, opposites attract as Matt becomes interested in Casey and falls in love with her. We see how Matt tries to help Casey overcome her problems.
He soon realizes that he isn't the person that Casey needs to get help from, especially with how he has been neglecting many things he used to do in his own life; his family isn't a fan of their friendship. With the many problems that Barrymore faced in her teenage years, it would seem like she took inspiration from her life and what she went through.
Mad Love deals with mental health as we see Casey going to a psychiatric hospital because of bipolar disorder after a suicide attempt. The film may not have been that successful with the audience, but it still discussed an important topic.
9 Home Fries
Home Fries, which was released in 1998, is one of Barrymore’s underrated films. The dark comedy film follows Sally (Barrymore) after her lover dies unexpectedly which complicates everything in her life. Pregnant and on her own, Sally is going through a lot. What she doesn't know about her lover’s death is that his wife was behind it. When Beatrice (Catherine O'Hara) found out that he was cheating, she sent two of her sons from a previous marriage to threaten him which led to him dying of a heart attack.
Now her sons, Angus (Jake Busey) and Dorian (Luke Wilson), are after Sally. To be close to her, Dorian starts working at Sally’s workplace. He ends up falling in love with her and she falls for him too. The only problem is that she doesn't realize he is the stepson of her ex-partner. Plus, Angus still wants to please his mother even if it means that he would have to harm Sally. Home Fries had an interesting idea and it deserved more recognition. There are twists that keep it interesting plus, you would enjoy the chemistry between Barrymore and Wilson.
8 Poison Ivy
Poison Ivy was released in 1992 and it was directed by Katt Shea. It’s another underrated film of Barrymore and one where she plays the role of a rebel once more. The film follows Ivy (Barrymore), who is a rebellious teenager. She gets close to a girl at her school named Sylvie (Sara Gilbert) but for ulterior motives. Ivy convinces Sylvie to allow her to move in with her and her family. She ends up trying to seduce Sylvie’s father, Darryl (Tom Skerritt) much to the horror of the entire family; she becomes obsessed with him.
While Poison Ivy may not be Barrymore’s most known film, it is one that helped her with her career. Just at the age of 17-year-old, the actress needed to reinvent herself with a new role and Ivy was the one she needed. It was a daring role, one where she had to seduce an older man and take the place of his sickly wife, but it was one where Barrymore did a good job. The film found success years after its release, and it gained its fan base as rebellious Barrymore was some people’s favorite.
7 Guncrazy
Guncrazy was released in 1992, and it was the directorial debut of Tamra Davis. The film is like Mad Love when it comes to the idea of the rebellious teenager who faces many problems.
Guncrazy follows Anita Minteer (Barrymore) whose mother is absent, and she is left to deal with her mother’s boyfriend, Rooney (Joe Dallesandro). She is sexually abused and raped by him, but things don't stay like this for longer. A school project changes Anita’s life as they are required to write to a convict, and she writes to Howard (James LeGros).
She then helps him get parole, and she later buys a gun and kills Rooney. Rather than stop, Anita is now out on a crime spree with Howard. Guncrazy remains one of the many films that show Barrymore’s talents. Once again, she was nominated for the Golden Globes but this time it was for Best Performance by an Actress.
6 Never Been Kissed
Never Been Kissed is another one of Barrymore’s rom-com films. The film follows Josie Geller (Barrymore) who works as a copy editor at the Chicago Sun-Times. Josie dreams of becoming a reporter therefore, she doesn't hesitate to accept her latest assignment. Her editor-in-chief wants her to go to a high school undercover and discover whatever she finds there. She is terrified of this assignment because she didn't have the best experience at high school, but maybe this time things won't repeat themselves.
The film was successful with the audience and some view it as a classic romantic comedy film. However, it does have a problematic premise. While she is undercover, a teacher named Sam Coulson (Michael Vartan) falls in love with her and kisses her while he is aware that she is still a student in high school.
With such a story, Never Been Kissed would have found difficulty to succeed if it was released today. However, it still has its fans even today and this will probably be thanks to Barrymore and the cast.
5 Boys on the Side
Boys on the Side was released in 1995, and it follows three women who are completely different, yet they become close. We get to see Jane (Whoopi Goldberg), a nightclub singer, answering a personal ad posted by Robin (Mary-Louise Parker), a real estate agent, who was seeking a cross-country travel partner from New York to Los Angeles. Already on their way, Robin's friend Holly (Barrymore) joins them. Barrymore’s character is pregnant and trying to escape her abusive relationship.
Back in 1995, there was a lot of stigma surrounding HIV as people believed it only affects gay men. This made Boys on the Side controversial to many due to how it bravely portrayed Robin, a woman, as HIV-positive. The film is emotional and has the ability to move you to tears. It was also one where we got to see Matthew McConaughey early in his career.
Boys on the Side is without a doubt the kind of film that made Barrymore’s talent more recognizable to the industry and the audience as well. With the topics discussed including friendship, death, and abuse, Boys on the Side deserves to be called one of the actress’ best films.
4 Everyone Says I Love You
Everyone Says I Love You was directed and written by Woody Allen, and it was released in 1996. This film was kind of experimental on Allen’s part as it was a musical and yet Allen insisted that the actors be the ones to actually sing; this was despite the fact that they weren't professional singers. The only one who Allen didn't use her singing voice was Barrymore as she managed to convince him that her voice wasn't good.
The film follows the lives of the Dandridge family as we get to see their love lives. We get to see Skylar Dandridge (Barrymore) who was engaged to Holden (Edward Norton). However, their engagement doesn't last as Skylar’s mother, Steffi Dandridge (Goldie Hawn), causes their break up when she introduces Skylar to Charles Ferry (Tim Roth). The musical talked about love and life while giving us a look into Skylar’s extended family who live in different countries.
While Everyone Says I Love You didn't find a lot of success on the commercial level, it did so with the critics and more people started to appreciate it today.
3 The Wedding Singer
The Wedding Singer was released in 1998, and it marked the first collaboration of many to come between Barrymore and Adam Sandler. It was the perfect mix between comedy and romance and the duo had great chemistry between them.
The film follows Robbie Hart (Sandler) who works as a wedding singer and is about to marry his fiancé, Linda. Things start to change when he meets Julia Sullivan (Barrymore), a waitress, and what started as a promise to sing at Julia’s wedding ends with each of them rethinking their current relationships.
Their friendship develops into a relationship after they admit their love for each other. The Wedding Singer is one of Barrymore’s most successful and loved films. It is also one of Sandler’s best films. The film was successful at the box office which was a bonus. What made it even more successful is how the love in the film didn't feel forced at all. The Wedding Singer is worth the watch, especially for rom-com lovers.
2 Scream
Scream is simply one of Barrymore’s best roles. The 1996 film directed by Wes Craven was the beginning of the iconic horror franchise. While Barrymore’s role is considered a small one since she was murdered at the beginning of the film, it is perhaps the most memorable of the entire film. Her death scene will forever be mentioned whenever Scream is mentioned. We see how her teenage character Casey Becker is home alone when she receives a phone call from Ghostface.
Barrymore’s acting skills shined in Scream as she went from a teenager interested in the mystery behind the caller to the victim of a brutal murder. While she only appeared for the first 15 minutes of the film, she left her mark on the horror genre as she took the audience through a journey of life and death.
1 Ever After
Ever After was released in 1998, and it is a successful retelling of Cinderella’s story. Barrymore plays the role of Danielle who is our Cinderella in the film. Danielle’s life wasn't the best as she lived with her evil stepmother, Rodmilla (Anjelica Huston), and her equally evil stepsister, Marguerite (Megan Dodds). While her other stepsister, Jacqueline (Melanie Lynskey), was more sympathetic. Like the original Cinderella story we all know and love, Danielle’s life starts changing when she meets a prince named Henry (Dougray Scott).
Their meeting and relationship have a positive effect on Danielle as she stands up to her stepmother and finally takes control of her own life. Ever After was directed by Andy Tennant, and it gained a lot of praise from critics and audiences alike. There were some changes from the original Cinderella story like how there were no talking animals. All these elements make Ever After one of the best retellings of Cinderella.
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