1995 in film explained

This is a list of films released in 1995. The highly anticipated sequel Die Hard with a Vengeance was the year's biggest box-office hit, and Braveheart won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Highest-grossing films

The top 10 films released in 1995 by worldwide gross are as follows:^[1]

Highest-grossing films of 1995
Rank	Title	Distributor	Worldwide gross
1	Die Hard with a Vengeance	20th Century Fox	$366,101,666
2	Toy Story	Buena Vista	$363,007,140
3	Apollo 13	Universal	$355,237,933
4	GoldenEye	MGM	$352,194,034
5	Pocahontas	Buena Vista	$346,079,773
6	Batman Forever	Warner Bros.	$336,529,144
7	Seven	New Line	$327,311,859
8	Casper		$287,928,194
9	Waterworld		$264,218,220
10	Jumanji	Sony Pictures	$262,797,249

Box office records

The Batman franchise became the fifth film franchise to gross $1 billion with the release of Batman Forever.^[2]
- Batman Forever is released in theaters and scores the highest-opening weekend of all time, generating a total of $52.8 million.^[3]

Context

The theatrical box office of 1994 achieved record grosses, with nine films earning more than $100million and the highest attendance (1.29billion) since 1960 (1.3billion). By 1995, however, the average cost of making and marketing a film had doubled since 1990, reaching $50.4million, making turning a profit more difficult.^[4] ^[5] The rising salary cost of actors was a contributing factor; studios vied to secure popular actors such as Harrison Ford, Jim Carrey, Tom Cruise, and Arnold Schwarzenegger who could generally guarantee a minimum level of box-office success and held broad appeal outside of the United States and Canada.^[5] If notable stars were unavailable, studios were forced to pay exorbitant salaries for less-well-known stars and pay other cast lower salaries to offset costs.^[5] In 1995, theatrical box-office revenue was falling; the first quarter was about $90million lower than the same period in 1994. Markets outside of the U.S. and Canada were growing, accounting for 41% of a film's total revenue—including theatrical and home media profits—and outperformed the U.S. and Canadian box offices for the first time in 1994. Anticipated films such as Batman Forever, Crimson Tide, and Pocahontas were scheduled for release alongside Waterworld, the most-expensive film of its time.^[6] ^[4]

Events

March 13 – The Dogme 95 movement is officially announced in Paris by Danish directors Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg.
April 10 – Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. sells 80% of MCA Inc., owner of Universal Pictures, to Seagram Company for $7 billion.^[7] ^[8]
May 12 – Crimson Tide is released, kicking off the Summer box office season with critical and commercial success.
May 19 – Die Hard with a Vengeance is released in theaters and becomes the year's highest-grossing film (Toy Story overtook it in re-releases in 2014).
May 24 – Braveheart is released to critical and commercial success. Directed by and starring Mel Gibson, it will go on to win 5 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
May 27 – Actor Christopher Reeve injures his spinal cord after falling off his horse in an equestrian competition. The injury paralyzed him from the shoulders down, and he depended on a ventilator to breathe.
June 10 – Pocahontas has the largest premiere ever for a film, premiering in Central Park, New York City, with an audience of 100,000 and free admission. The film received mixed reviews but was a commercial success at the worldwide box office.
June 16 – Batman Forever is released in theaters and scores the highest-opening weekend of all time, generating a total of $52.8 million.^[3]
November – Carolco Pictures files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
November 17 – After a six-year hiatus, the James Bond film series resumes with the successful GoldenEye with Pierce Brosnan as James Bond.
November 22 – Toy Story is released, marking the first feature-length film created completely using computer-generated imagery. Toy Story was both a commercial and critical success, and is considered by film historians as a significant turning point in film history.
unknown date – Trash Video, a Finnish independent film production company is established.^[9]

Awards

Category/Organization	53rd Golden Globe Awards January 21, 1996		1st Critics' Choice Awards January 22, 1996		68th Academy Awards March 26, 1996	49th BAFTA Awards April 23, 1996
Category/Organization	width=200	Drama !	1st Critics' Choice Awards January 22, 1996		68th Academy Awards March 26, 1996	49th BAFTA Awards April 23, 1996	Musical or Comedy
Best Film	Sense and Sensibility	Babe	Sense and Sensibility	Apollo 13	Braveheart	Sense and Sensibility
Best Director	Mel Gibson Braveheart			Ron Howard Apollo 13	Mel Gibson Braveheart	Michael Radford The Postman
Best Actor	Nicolas Cage Leaving Las Vegas	John Travolta Get Shorty	Kevin Bacon Murder in the First	Nicolas Cage Leaving Las Vegas		Nigel Hawthorne The Madness of King George
Best Actress	Sharon Stone Casino	Nicole Kidman To Die For		Susan Sarandon Dead Man Walking		Emma Thompson Sense and Sensibility
Best Supporting Actor	Brad Pitt 12 Monkeys		Kevin Spacey The Usual Suspects Ed Harris Apollo 13	Ed Harris Apollo 13	Kevin Spacey The Usual Suspects	Tim Roth Rob Roy
Best Supporting Actress	Mira Sorvino Mighty Aphrodite			Kate Winslet Sense and Sensibility	Mira Sorvino Mighty Aphrodite	Kate Winslet Sense and Sensibility
Best Screenplay, Adapted	Emma Thompson Sense and Sensibility			Emma Thompson Sense and Sensibility		John Hodge Trainspotting
Best Screenplay, Original	Emma Thompson Sense and Sensibility			Randall Wallace Braveheart	Christopher McQuarrie The Usual Suspects
Best Original Score			N/A	N/A	The Postman Luis Bacalov
Best Original Song	"Colors of the Wind" Pocahontas		N/A	N/A	"Colors of the Wind" Pocahontas	N/A
Best Foreign Language Film	Les Misérables		The Postman	N/A	Antonia	The Postman

1995 films

By country/region

By genre/medium

List of action films of 1995
List of animated feature films of 1995
List of avant-garde films of 1995
List of crime films of 1995
List of comedy films of 1995
List of drama films of 1995
List of horror films of 1995
List of science fiction films of 1995
List of thriller films of 1995
List of western films of 1995

Births

January 5 – Whindersson Nunes, Brazilian YouTuber and actor
January 7
- Jessica Darrow, American actress and singer
- Leslie Grace, American singer, songwriter and actress
January 9 – Nicola Peltz, American actress
January 13
- Natalia Dyer, American actress
- Eros Vlahos, English-Greek actor and comedian
January 17 – Indya Moore, American actor
January 24
- Dylan Everett, Canadian actor
- Callan McAuliffe, Australian actor
January 30 – Danielle Campbell, American actress
February 2 – Tom Blyth, English actor
February 7 – Tom Glynn-Carney, English actor and singer
February 10 – Archie Madekwe, English actor
February 28 – Madisen Beaty, American actress
March 4 – Bill Milner, English actor
March 7 – Haley Lu Richardson, American actress
March 20 – Samantha Weinstein, Canadian actress (died 2023)
March 21 – RJ Cyler, American actor
March 22 – Nick Robinson, American actor
March 23 – Victoria Pedretti, American actress
March 30 – Simone Ashley, English actress
April 1 – Logan Paul, American pro wrestler, actor, and YouTuber
April 17 – Phoebe Dynevor, English actress
April 18 – Virginia Gardner, American actress
April 19 – Patrick Gibson, Irish actor
April 24 – Ludmilla, Brazilian singer-songwriter and actress
May 3
- Katie Chang, American actress
- Emma Seligman, Canadian film director and screenwriter
May 4
- Alex Lawther, English actor
- Shameik Moore, American actor, singer and rapper
May 12 – Sawyer Sweeten, American child actor (died 2015)
May 13 – Taylor John Smith, American actor
May 28 – Jacob Kogan, American actor
June 5 – Troye Sivan, South African-born Australian singer-songwriter, actor and YouTuber
June 6 – Jack Kilmer, American actor
June 8 – Harumi Sato, Japanese actress and dancer
June 19 – Blake Woodruff, American actor
June 20 – Geraldine Viswanathan, Australian actress
June 22 – Micheál Richardson, Irish-American actor
July 4 – Post Malone, American rapper
July 9 – Georgie Henley, English actress
July 11 – Blu Hunt, American actress
July 12 – Mason Alexander Park, American actor
August 4 – Bruna Marquezine, Brazilian actress
August 6 – Amy Forsyth, Canadian actress
August 7 – Sasha Calle, American actress
August 9 – Justice Smith, American actor
August 20 – Liana Liberato, American actress
August 22 – Dua Lipa, English singer and actress
August 26 – Gracie Dzienny, American actress
September 12 – Ryan Potter, American actor
September 19 – Rachel Sennott, American actress
September 22 – Juliette Goglia, American actress
September 29 – Sasha Lane, American actress
October 3 – Ayo Edebiri, American comedian, writer, producer and actress
October 24 – Ashton Sanders, American actor and model
November 2 – Brandon Soo Hoo, American actor and martial artist
November 3 – Alice Wegmann, Brazilian actress
November 6 – John Owen Lowe, American writer, producer and actor
November 7 – Sophia Ali, American actress
November 9 – Finn Cole, English actor
November 17 – Zach Barack, American actor, singer and comedian
November 22 – Katherine McNamara, American actress
November 23 – Austin Majors, American actor (died 2023)
November 27
- Ricardo Hoyos, Canadian actor
- Jamila Velazquez, American singer and actress
November 29
- Liv Hewson, Australian actor
- Laura Marano, American actress, singer
December 5 - Hadley Robinson, American actress
December 13 – Emma Corrin, English actress
December 25 - Charlee Fraser, Australian actress
December 27
- Laurence Belcher, English actor
- Timothée Chalamet, American and French actor
December 29 – Ross Lynch, American actor, singer, dancer

Deaths

Month	Date	Name	Age	Country	Profession	Notable films
January	2		73	US	Actress
2		89	US	Actress
4		82	US	Actress
7		91	US	Cinematographer
9		57	UK	Actor
10		85	Australia	Makeup Artist
11		58	Turkey	Producer, Screenwriter
12		77	US	Actress
24		89	US	Cinematographer
25		63	US	Actor
25		72	US	Actor
26		84	US	Actor
26		79	US	Actress
27		57	US	Director
31		107	US	Director
February	2		41	Australia	Director
2		75	UK	Actor
2		80	US	Actor
4		79	Argentina	Screenwriter
5		59	US	Actor
8		89	UK	Actress
9		81	US	Actor
14		71	US	Actor
16		87	US	Actress
19		81	US	Actor
21		79	UK	Screenwriter, Director
21		72	US	Screenwriter
22		60	US	Actor
22		56	UK	Actor
23		73	UK	Actor
24	John J. Carney	54	UK	Actor
26		73	UK	Director
27		76	US	Singer, Actress
March	1		83	US	Screenwriter
3		76	US	Actor
3		75	US	Film Editor
5		83	Australia	Actress
10		87	US	Actress
12		45	US	Actress
15		95	US	Screenwriter
17		42	US	Actor
20		47	US	Actor
21		73	UK	Actor
27		77	US	Actor
April	4		79	US	Actress, Singer
12		82	US	Cinematographer
14		85	US	Actor, Singer
16		80	US	Director, Screenwriter
16		75	UK	Actor
16		79	US	Actor
21		82	UK	Actress
25		70	US	Actor
25		88	Canada	Actor, Screenwriter, Director
25		83	US	Actress, Dancer
27		83	Canada	Actress
30		47	US	Actor
30		57	UK	Actor
May	2		65	US	Actor
2		83	UK	Actor
11		80	UK	Actor
12		96	US	Director
13		64	UK	Visual Effects Artist, Matte Painter
18		91	US	Actor
18		45	Russia	Actor, Dancer
18		62	US	Actress
22		83	UK	Actor
25		89	US	Actress
25		68	France	Actress
26		46	US	Actor
26		89	US	Animator, Director, Producer
27		65	US	Actor
28		57	Italy	Actress
June	3		93	UK	Film Critic	None; critiqued films for The Sunday Times
5		75	US	Actress
6		60	Russia	Actor
10		54	UK	Actor
15		95	UK	Screenwriter
17		81	US	Screenwriter
18		85	UK	Actor
20		82	US	Producer
27		41	Israel	Actor
29		84	US	Director
29		74	US	Actress
30		89	US	Actor
July	1		57	US	Actor
2		87	Canada	Screenwriter
4		76	Hungary	Actress
12		61	UK	Director
17		69	US	Actor
27		88	Hungary	Composer
31		95	US	Actress
August	1		80	US	Actress
1		92	US	Actress
2		66	US	Director
3		77	UK	Actress, Director
7		73	US	Studio Executive
8		85	US	Actress
9	Peter Carew	72	US	Actor
10		84	UK	Actor
11		91	US	Actor
11		93	US	Screenwriter
16		71	US	Actor
17		80	UK	Actress
18		66	US	Actor
21		69	Italy	Director, Screenwriter
24		62	US	Actor
27		75	US	Actress
29		65	US	Producer, Director
31		75	US	Actress
31		87	UK	Actor
September	1		84	US	Actress
5		42	US	Actor
6		69	US	Film Editor
9		60	US	Costume Designer
9		50	US	Actor
10		64	UK	Visual Effects Artist
12		61	UK	Actor
12		91	UK	Actor
17		89	US	Actor
29		51	UK	Actress
October	5		50	US	Voice Actress
6		69	UK	Actor
9		47	US	Production Designer
12		55	UK	Actor
15		68	Mexico	Actor
20		53	US	Actor
21	Maxene Andrews	79	US	Singer, Actress
21		83	Poland	Screenwriter
22		85	US	Actress
25		66	US	Actor
25		74	Sweden	Actress
29		79	US	Actress
29		71	US	Screenwriter
30		86	UK	Composer
30		54	UK	Composer
31		56	US	Actress
November	3		66	UK	Actor
4		68	UK	Actor
4		65	US	Actor
6		62	US	Actress
7		90	US	Screenwriter
9		92	US	Sound Engineer
10		69	US	Producer
12		64	UK	Actor
13		81	US	Composer, Lyricist
21		81	US	Costume Designer
22		85	UK	Producer, Screenwriter
23		63	France	Director
24		86	US	Actor
December	3		85	UK	Actor
4		79	US	Director, Actor
7		73	UK	Set Decorator
7		103	UK	Actress
8		91	US	Actor
9		74	US	Actress, Singer
10		69	US	Cinematographer
11		85	UK	Actor
17	Lexie Bigham	27	US	Actor
19		85	US	Director, Film Editor
20		57	Jamaica	Actor
22		84	US	Actress
23		84	UK	Actor
25		78	US	Singer, Actor
26		83-84	??	Production Designer
30		71	US	Actress, Voice Actress
30		45	US	Costume Designer

References

Web site: 1995 Worldwide Box Office . Box Office Mojo. IMDb. March 7, 2020.
Web site: Box Office History for Batman Movies . The Numbers.
Web site: 'Batman' Takes a Bite Out of 'Jurassic' Record: Movies: Third Bat film soars to an estimated opening weekend gross of $53 million. 'Pocahontas' makes a staggering $2.7 million in just six--albeit large--theaters.. . June 19, 1995.
Web site: Claudia . Eller . Average Cost Of Making, Marketing Movie Soars : Hollywood: Figure Hit $50.4 Million, 'A Beast Of A Number,' Says MPAA President Jack Valenti.. . March 8, 1995 . September 13, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210321102127/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-03-08-fi-40252-story.html . March 21, 2021 . live.
Web site: Bernard . Weinraub . Skyrocketing Star Salaries . . September 18, 1995 . September 13, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211118102844/https://www.nytimes.com/1995/09/18/business/skyrocketing-star-salaries.html . November 18, 2021 . live.
Web site: Bernard . Weinraub . Waterworld Disappointment As Box Office Receipts Lag . New York Times . July 31, 1995 . September 13, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220329125419/https://www.nytimes.com/1995/07/31/business/waterworld-disappointment-as-box-office-receipts-lag.html . March 29, 2022 . live.
News: Seagram heads for Hollywood; Seagram will buy 80% of big studio from Matsushita. April 14, 2013. The New York Times. April 7, 1995.
Variety. April 17, 1995. 4. Pioneer pulls back. Robinson. Gwen. Weiner. Rex.
Kuusniemi . Matti . From Trash to S(h)itcoms and Beyond . Nordicom Information . 39 . 2 . 82–88 . 2020-12-31.

External links

List of 1995 films at IMDb
1995 Domestic Grosses at Box Office Mojo
List of 1995 deaths at IMDb
List of 1995 births at IMDb