The 1988 Movie Draft

The Big Picture podcast hosts Sean Fennessey, Amanda Dobbins, and CR, joined by guest Bill Simmons, draft movies from 1988 across seven categories: drama, comedy, action/horror/thriller, Oscar nominee, sequel, blockbuster (over $75 million domestic), and wildcard. They reflect on the year's eclectic output amid modest box office returns, emphasizing star-driven variety over franchise dominance.

1988's Cinematic Snapshot

Participants describe 1988 as a transitional year of high-volume Hollywood production, packed with A-list stars (Tom Cruise in two films, Harrison Ford in two, Michelle Pfeiffer shining) and heavyweight directors (Scorsese, Coppola, Burton, Polanski, Nichols). No film cracked $200 million domestically—Rain Man topped charts at around $172 million with its long awards tail—unlike 1989's sequel-heavy top ten. Steady earners like Big and Coming to America reflected a model of frequent theater visits, sneaking between screens, and VHS rentals, without one phenomenon. Genres blurred; teen comedies waned post-1987 peaks like Can't Buy Me Love. Independent stirrings (Keenen Ivory Wayans' I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, Spike Lee's School Daze) hinted at the slacker era ahead, but mainstream ruled with assured 50-something directors like Lumet and Reitman. Tradeoff: abundance fostered stars like Hanks (Big breakout) and Willis (Die Hard launch), but few best-ever efforts