What was the highest grossing film the year you were born?

1988: Rain Man

Worldwide gross: £132,700,554

Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise starred in the biggest film of the year, Rain Man. Cruise plays Charlie Babbit, a yuppie who is left his father’s car in his will ”“ but his father’s $3 million fortune has been left to someone else. In his quest to find the money, he meets his brother Raymond (Hoffman) and they venture across the country. Charlie wants the money for himself, but soon learns to love his brother.


1989: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Worldwide gross: £364,083,338

The third instalment of the Indiana Jones series was the best-loved film across the world in 1989. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade saw Indy searching for the Holy Grail as his father had done before he disappeared.


1990: Ghost

£388,293,618

If you haven’t seen it, Ghost is the film responsible for THAT pottery scene. Patrick Swayze starred as Sam Wheat who is madly in love with Molly Jensen (Demi Moore). When he’s murdered, his soul roams the Earth, powerless. He has to communicate with Molly through a psychic, Oda Mae Brown, to save her from danger. For her role as Oda Mae, Whoopi Goldberg was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Academy Awards, BAFTA’s and Golden Globes ”“ she bagged all three awards!


1991: Terminator 2: Judgement Day

£399,151,315

The second Terminator film made more than five times its budget at the box office. Only James Cameron’s fifth film, it helped to catapult him into the directing stratosphere. Sarah Connor had been targeted in the original film ”“ this time around, her son John is in danger. A more advanced cyborg is set on killing John, but another Terminator is sent to protect them.


1992: Aladdin

£387,024,879

Disney’s classic Aladdin tells the story of the poor street urchin who meets a girl who just happens to be a princess. Aladdin lets a genie out of his lamp who in turn will grant Aladdin three wishes ”“ the first is to become a prince in order to woo Princess Jasmine. Unfortunately, the Grand Vizier Jafar has other plans for Aladdin, the lamp and Princess Jasmine. A live action remake with Will Smith taking on the role as the Genie is set to be released next summer!


1993: Jurassic Park

£702,327,281

Jurassic Park would become one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time but it all began with the 1993 adaptation of Michael Critchton’s novel. A group including palaeontologists and a mathematician are chosen to tour a theme park island that inhabits cloned dinosaurs. The billionaire owner of the park assures everyone it’s safe ”“ but all is not as it seems. Jurassic Park was the highest grossing film ever at the time, holding on to the title for four years.


1994: The Lion King

£763,455,561

The Lion King is the highest grossing film of Disney’s Renaissance period ”“ referring to the period between 1989 and 1999 when their output has more musical animated films that were based on well known stories. The Lion King was inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamlet. It tells the story of Simba who will become King of the Pride Lands, witnessing his father Mufasa’s death at the hands of uncle Scar. Simba blames himself for the death and flees into exile, but matures with the help of his friends.  The live action remake is set for release in July 2019.