After winning an Oscar for her stirring portrayal of Judy Garland in the 2019 biopic Judy, Renée Zellweger has reaffirmed herself as one of the most captivating performers of our time. Including her aching portrayal of Garland, disarray as the chaotic Bridget Jones, and sly schemes as Roxie Hart, Zellweger's range is unparalleled.
Before Judy, Zellweger won her first Oscar in 2003 for the war movie Cold Mountain, but her acclaimed performance didn't crack this list of top ten roles. Instead, some of Zellweger's lesser-known films have earned their time in the spotlight and conveniently span the entirety of her career. Here are Zellweger's top ten scripted films, ranked according to the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer:
10 The Whole Wide World (76%)
Period pieces fit Zellweger like a (vintage) glove, and her fashionable turn as Novalyne Price Ellis is an early example of this early-twentieth-century swagger. The 1996 film follows Novalyne and a writer named Robert E. Howard (portrayed by Vincent D'Onofrio), who launch a love affair in 1930s Texas. The film is based on the real-life Ellis's books about Howard, who published "pulp fiction" and is famous for inventing the character Conan the Barbarian. If the romantic plot sounds a bit too saccharine, the movie is worth watching for Zellweger's thick southern accent and affinity for frocks from the 1930s.
9 Bridget Jones's Baby (78%)
This 2016 follow-up to the first two films is occasionally a cheese-fest (three words: Ed Sheeran subplot), but it remains true to the eccentric earnestness that first made audiences love Bridget Jones. Zellweger brings her adorable clumsiness to the role yet again, as Bridget becomes pregnant and attempts to discern the identity of her baby's father.
The two possibilities? There's Mark Darcy, played by the always charismatic Colin Firth, or Jack, a billionaire played by Bridget Jones newcomer Patrick Dempsey. The father's identity is arguably less important, though than the endlessly captivating cringefest that is an expectant Bridget.
8 Bridget Jones's Diary (80%)
Zellweger's debut as Bridget Jones is, of course, one of the actress's most famous roles to date and established her as the poster child for romantic ineptitude. The 2001 film is based on Helen Fielding's novel and follows the eponymous character as she navigates a stressful workplace, family, and love life. Bridget must reckon with her romantic conundrums while tackling the insecurities that are exacerbated by coworker Daniel (played by Hugh Grant), an egoist of epic proportions. Zellweger depicts Bridget's struggles with earnestness, making this role a rightfully defining moment in her career. Among other iconic moments, there is a tragic vulnerability in Zellweger's drunken lip-synch of "All By Myself." This film is not afraid to make its protagonist messy (i.e. not boring), and Zellweger always succeeds at fleshing out the mess.
7 Cinderella Man (80%)
In another 1930s period piece for Zellweger's filmography, this 2005 film follows the rise of heavyweight champion James J. Braddock (played by Russell Crowe) during the Great Depression. Although her narrative arc may seem simple, Zellweger's performance as Braddock's perpetually anxious wife Mae is packed with raw emotion.
The concerned spouse of an ambitious man might be a recurrent theme in sports films, but Zellweger brings personality to her role and transforms Mae into a riveting and compassionate figure. "Every time you get hit, it feels like I'm getting hit," she tells Braddock; Zellweger's affecting delivery of lines like these makes her just as rich a character as Braddock himself.
6 Judy (82%)
In perhaps the most emotionally profound role of her career, Zellweger just won an Oscar for portraying the famous singer and actress Judy Garland in this moving biopic. Covering the later years of Garland's life, Judy engages in a heart-wrenching exploration of the intersections between fame, mental health, and family. With a few flashbacks that provide insight into Garland's emotional state as a middle-aged star, the lasting trauma of Garland's upbringing as a young actress is revealed.
Zellweger depicts Garland's mental health issues and relationship to fame with an agonizing sensitivity, and her deliberate mannerisms can make you forget you're even watching Zellweger. It is almost impossible to reject tears in the final scene when she desperately performs "Over the Rainbow" to a crowd of loving fans, who are both disconnected from and intimately close with Garland.
5 Love and a .45 (83%)
Zellweger plays one half of a criminal couple in this 1994 film about mobsters, love, and drugs. At such an early point in her career, Zellweger established herself as an actress who can do pretty much anything... even quirky, quickly-forgotten crime movies. As Watty Watts (played by Gil Bellows) explains, he and Zellweger's Starlene "specialize in risk management."
Running from mobsters after Watty can't pay the money he owes for Starlene's engagement ring, the couple must face a slew of scary encounters as they run away to Mexico. An intriguing twist occurs when, while on the run, Starlene and Watty acquire a media following. They sure are two fashionable criminals.
4 Nurse Betty (83%)
Before her turn as Bridget Jones, Zellweger had already displayed a knack for comedy in this outrageous romp about a waitress (Zellweger's Betty) who becomes infatuated with a soap opera star upon the death of her husband. It could happen to the best of us, right?
Also starring Morgan Freeman and Chris Rock as hitmen and Greg Kinnear as soap star George McCord, the 2000 film blends elements of crime comedy and romance into a formula that perfectly suits Zellweger's flexible skillset. Zellweger even earned her first Golden Globe for portraying this unconventional protagonist, setting her up for a career of playing, indeed, quite the unconventional protagonists.
3 Jerry Maguire (83%)
Often touted as one of her big breaks, Zellweger plays opposite Tom Cruise in this 1996 dramedy classic. Although Cruise earned a Golden Globe for his portrayal of the film's namesake, Zellweger deserves equal acclaim for her turn as Dorothy, a single mother who helps Jerry when he decides to begin a sports management agency.
In one particularly touching scene, Dorothy attempts to break up with Jerry and tells him, "On the surface, everything looks fine. I've got this great guy, and he loves my kid. And he sure does like me a lot. And I can't live like that. It's not how I'm built." As Zellweger chokes back tears while delivering these heartbreaking lines, it's not difficult to see the makings of an Academy Award winner.
2 Chicago (86%)
Fun fact: Liza Minnelli portrayed Sally Bowles in the Oscar-winning Bob Fosse film Cabaret, and Zellweger has gone on to play a starring lead in an adaptation of Fosse's musical Chicago and play Minnelli's mother in Judy. That's the wild world of show business, folks. Stepping into Judy Garland's shoes earned her an Oscar, but Zellweger proved her musical talent long ago as Roxie Hart in this 2002 caper. Adapted from Bob Fosse and Fred Ebb's stage musical, the plot follows Roxie (Zellweger) and Velma (Catherine Zeta-Jones) as they compete for fame after being arrested for killing their significant others.
The film's music and dialogue are packed full of irreverent wit, and Zellweger's cheeky portrayal of Roxie is captivating as she seeks the spotlight at all costs. Her rendition of "Roxie" is an incredible combination of suave dance moves and vocal power, which Zellweger demonstrated again 17 years later in Judy. Zellweger picked up her second Golden Globe for this role, only two years after a win for Nurse Betty.
1 One True Thing (89%)
This 1998 drama may be one of Zellweger's lesser-known acting credits, but One True Thing is poignant for its portrayal of terminal illness and the complicated bond between a mother and daughter. Zellweger plays Ellen, whose mother Kate (played by Meryl Streep) has been diagnosed with cancer and cannot rely on her self-absorbed husband as a caregiver. Despite their strained relationship, Ellen halts her career as a journalist to attend to Kate, and the film tracks a touching series of developments in their relationship. As Ellen becomes acquainted with the struggles her mom faces as a mother and wife, Zellweger displays an emotional depth that is staggering, but not at all surprising given her infinite emotional range.
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