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8 King of the Hill In Depression-era St. Louis, a 12-year-old (played with wary, wily reserve by Jesse Bradford) mobilizes both imagination and practicality to survive on his own after his family breaks up. Director Steven Soderbergh takes a strong- minded look at a hard-luck life.
9 Like Water for Chocolate Home cooking is the sorcery of the oppressed. In this sprawling banquet of a romantic Mexican melodrama, forbidden love finds the recipe for fulfillment -- even if it takes a lifetime and beyond. Screenwriter-novelist Laura Esquivel and her husband, director Alfonso Arau, capture a savory passion that comes straight from the hearth.
10 Shadowlands The oddest of couples -- an emotionally choked Oxford don and a high-spirited American poet -- find a transforming moment of happiness as they confront her imminent demise. Richard Attenborough's film gains strength from the sterling performances of Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger as the live-and-learn lovers.
...And the Worst
Grisham's Law It should be a snap to adapt a John Grisham thriller. Read the novel, compress the exciting first half, rewrite the rest, keep it moving. Well, the films of The Firm and The Pelican Brief maunder and mope as if Grisham were Graham Greene. Not that it makes any difference. The Firm was 1993's third biggest grosser; Pelican is a cool Christmas hit.