The greatest (fill in the blank) of the century. The best (your pick here) of the millennium. The top ten (any subject will do) of the year. List upon list has descended upon us as we approach the new year, and as 2000 draws nigh, one senses we need not fear the cataclysmic potential of any Y2K bug as much as the threat of being crushed by the weight of all the year-end, century-end, millennium-end tallies of the best of everything, from life-changing innovations to history-shaping leaders and personalities. Despite the ungainly number of these lists, far be it for this reviewer not to jump on the bandwagon. Thus, I’ll ring in the new year with a fairly arbitrary grouping: my choices of the five most underrated films of the 90s, listed in the order in which they were released in theaters.

*Avalon (1990) — Part of director Barry Levinson’s Baltimore saga, this gentle film chronicles four generations of a Baltimore Jewish immigrant family. Graced by a wonderful central performance by Armin Mueller-Stahl and a cherubic Elijah Wood, the movie follows the blossoming of American prosperity in the 1950s, as marked by the growth of television and rise of the suburbs, yet also laments the ensuing deterioration of family unity ushered in by this upward mobility. A visually splendid, emotionally moving gem.

*Quick Change (1990) — An under-valued comedy, co-directed by Bill Murray and Howard Franklin, that displays a wry sense of humor. Although it may meander a bit, this engaging film tells of a gang of errant bank robbers (Murray, Geena Davis and Randy Quaid, all exhibiting fine comic chemistry) who have more problems with the pitfalls of living in — and trying to leave — New York City than staying one step ahead of the police. Some gags fall a little short, but be patient. When the movie hits its marks, it’s hilarious.

*Grand Canyon (1991) — Lawrence Kasdan directed and co-wrote this film, which chronicles the lives of six Los Angeles residents who lament the breakdown of civility and security in their society. Among those individuals is a middle-aged man (played by Kevin Kline) struggling with many of the same issues as a certain Lester Burnham in this year’s American Beauty. In fact, the two movies make an intriguing double-bill, with Grand Canyon being the more hopeful, less dark and caustic cousin of two surprisingly spiritual pictures.

*A Perfect World (1993) — An escaped convict (Kevin Costner) flees from the law with a kidnapped child (T.J. Lowther) in tow, and their ensuing father-son relationship gives the film an eccentric, outlaw-duo tone. The pacing by director Clint Eastwood is modulated, with a steady reliance upon the narrative; instead of disjointed sequences, we get a progressive series of events that builds to an effective climax. Watching perennial good-guy Costner use his indolent charm to portray a bad seed may have turned off audiences, but he delivers marvelously here.

*The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) — Despite the daunting title, this is one of the most authentic re-creations of the 1940s, Frank Capra-style Hollywood tale that has ever been done. A dimwitted country boy (Tim Robbins) hits the big city and becomes the pawn of a corporate bigwig (a suitably gruff Paul Newman) trying to gain control of the company. Jennifer Jason Leigh, as a spirited reporter with moxie, hits all the right notes in this rich, wonderfully stylish comedy. It serves as a true homage to the movies . . . the way they used to be.

Honorable mentions: The Freshman (1990), L.A. Story (1991), Forever Young (1993), Searching for Bobby Fisher (1993), Rob Roy (1995), Heat (1996), The Game (1997), and The Spanish Prisoner (1998).