The 25 best Julia Roberts films

Roberts pretty much came out the gate with charm and screen presence. Her first released film was technically a direct-to-video movie called “Firehouse,” but in 1988 she had two movies come out. One of those was “Mystic Pizza,” an ensemble romantic comedy that would set the course of Roberts’ career in many ways.

“Steel Magnolias” is what they would have called back in the day a “weepy,” in that it tugs at your heartstrings. It has quite the cast of ladies, with the likes of Sally Field, Dolly Parton, and Shirley MacLaine all involved. That’s a lot of talent, but Roberts does not exactly fade into the background either.

This is the breakout film for Roberts. Somehow, she and Richard Gere starred in a romantic comedy about a man who hires a prostitute off the street and then they fall in love. It was not a big mistake, though, nor a huge one. People love “Pretty Woman.” Roberts is a big reason why.

Speaking of 1990 movies with premises that shouldn’t really work, there’s also “Flatliners” This is an ensemble with some rising stars of the era about medical students putting themselves into near-death experiences in order to try and understand what happens after death. It’s got some stuff in it that might make you roll your eyes, but it has plenty of fans, and they tend not to remake movies that weren’t received at least reasonably well.

If you are a child of the ‘90s, there is a good chance you love “Hook.” If you aren’t, you probably think it’s not very good, and even some ‘90s children lack nostalgia for the Robin Williams film. However, we know if we made a list of Roberts’ best movies and didn’t include “Hook,” we’d have a lot of thirtysomethings mad at us, and we don’t want that. Roberts plays Tinker Bell. Of course, a lot of you already knew that, and you’re too busy chanting “Rufio!” right now anyway.

Of all the movies based on John Grisham novels, “The Pelican Brief” probably has the best reputation. That’s partially because it’s directed by Alan J. Pakula, but also because it stars the dynamic duo of Roberts and Denzel Washington. That’s a lot of wattage to lead a film.

Being based on a key figure in Irish history, “Michael Collins” may have been overlooked by an American audience. On the other hand, in Ireland, it was the second-highest-grossing film in the country’s history as of 2000, behind only “Titanic.” Liam Neeson stars as Collins, the Irish revolutionary, but Roberts is part of the cast as Kitty Kiernan, a politician, and Collins’ fiancé.

In “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” Roberts plays a woman who is working to sabotage her male friend’s wedding because she wants to be with him. On its face, that’s a premise that could fall flat. How do you get people to enjoy watching a woman trying to ruin a relationship? By having Roberts play her, of course.

“Stepmom” was Roberts’ first time working as an executive producer on a film, but in addition to that, she’s one of the stars as well. It’s a light drama where Roberts plays a woman who marries Ed Harris, who used to be married to Susan Sarandon. The film mostly focuses on Sarandon and Roberts, and they both got a lot of critical praise for their work.

Roberts was one of the biggest movie stars of the ‘90s, maybe the biggest female star, so when “Notting Hill” needed somebody to play a movie star, naturally they hired Roberts. In a bit of meta casting, Roberts plays a star that meets, and falls in love, with a bookstore owner played by Hugh Grant. Of course, he was also a big movie star in the ‘90s, but he could still get away with playing a stammering, nervous everyman, as was his milieu at the time.

Gere and Roberts are back at it, but this time with a lighter premise than “Pretty Woman.” “Runaway Bride” features Roberts as a woman who becomes a minor celebrity for her penchant to run away from weddings and leaving her husbands-to-be at the altar. Gere writes a story about her, which brings them together, and naturally, he falls in love with Roberts’ Runaway Bride. But can he be the one to keep her?

A lot of these films are romantic comedies and light dramas. They made a lot of cash, but they weren’t exactly Oscar bait. Then, “Erin Brockovich” came around. Stephen Soderbergh’s film is definitely serious, though not overly so. As the titular character, Roberts still gets to crack some jokes and show her charismatic side. It all worked, because Roberts one her first – and so far only – acting Oscar.

Here’s another Hollywood movie starring Roberts, but this time she doesn’t play the celebrity. No, she plays the sister and publicist of Gwen Harrison, played by Catherine Zeta-Jones. Gwen is an actor, and she’s making a film with her husband Eddie Thomas, played by John Cusack. However, these two – known as “America’s Sweethearts” – are going through an ugly breakup. It’s sort of a silly showbiz film, but with an impressive cast that keeps it working well enough.

“Ocean’s Eleven” is as much about movie stars as it is about what the plot is. That plot, by the way, is a rip-roaring heist story about ripping off a Las Vegas casino. It’s a heist being pulled off by characters played by the likes of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon among others. Roberts played Danny Ocean’s (Clooney) ex-wife, who is now with the casino magnate that Clooney is planning to rip off.

Speaking of Roberts and Pitt, they were in two movies together in 2001. It’s a throwback action-adventure comedy that feels like ‘80s films akin to “Romancing the Stone.” There are big celebrities involved and a lot of action set pieces and nice settings to look at. There’s also a gun, which is also “The Mexican” of the title.

George Clooney began his directing career with a somewhat trippy script from the legendarily inscrutable Charlie Kaufman. The movie is based on a book by game show host Chuck Barris where he claims he led a double life as a CIA assassin. Sam Rockwell stars as Barris and carries the show, but Clooney got old friend Roberts to show up and provide a little star power as well.

“Mona Lisa Smile” has some “Dead Poets Society” energy, save for the fact that it takes place in college and involves art. Otherwise, it is a movie where a movie star plays a teacher who wants to shake things up and inspire their students. It doesn’t have the cultural legacy of Robin Williams’ “Carpe Diem” schtick, but it has its charms to be sure.

We head back to the world of Danny Ocean and crew once more. The first film was such a success they had to make a sequel. Plus, Soderbergh needed money to fund some experimental film where he does Shakespeare underwater and shoots day for night just for the sake of it or whatever. “Ocean’s Twelve” isn’t quite up to the original’s level, but it brings a lot of the same fun, and also has Roberts’ Tess pose as…Julia Roberts.

Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts were arguably the two biggest stars of the ‘90s, so when they join forces it’s always notable. That’s even true when it’s a movie like “Larry Crowne,” which did not make this list. “Charlie Wilson’s War” has a lot more going for it, including a tremendous performance from the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Hanks and Roberts are good as well, and they have an Aaron Sorkin script to work with.

Tony Gilroy followed up the excellent “Michael Clayton” with the somewhat overlooked “Duplicity.” Sure, it’s not a pure firecracker of a film like “Michael Clayton,” but it’s an interesting, twisty espionage film that stars Roberts and Clive Owen. Sometimes it’s a little dense, but you are always happy to be along for the ride with these stars.

Yes, this is a movie about a privileged white lady traveling to far-flung exotic locations to find herself. That inherently is going to make some eyes roll, and that’s a fair gut instinct. However, if you like movies that look lavish and pretty and have star power, “Eat Pray Love” delivers that in spades. If this movie is on your wavelength, you’ll probably find plenty to enjoy.

Taking a play to the big screen can be tricky, especially if you are trying to make the movie feel dynamic. “August: Osage County” has real “play” energy, inasmuch as it’s about a dysfunctional family yelling and emoting for its entire run. It also has Meryl Streep and Roberts as the two leads. That’s pretty much impossible to screw up, and both those actresses got Oscar nominations.

“Secrets in Their Eyes” kind of flies under the radar, but it has quite the cast. We’re talking Roberts, Nicole Kidman, and Chiwetel Ejiofor among others. While this film was unfavorably compared to the Argentine film it’s a remake of, that doesn’t mean it lacks its own quality points.

“Money Monster” is kind of a silly name for a movie, but if you look past that it’s a solid thriller directed by Jodie Foster. It’s another pairing of Clooney and Roberts, and like the “Ocean’s” movies it also focuses on money. Not in a fun, casino-heist way, though. It’s kind of odd Clooney is playing a Jim Cramer-esque figure, but it works somehow.

Roberts hasn’t made a ton of small, searing dramas, but “Ben is Back” is definitely one of those. She plays a mother who is looking after her addict son after he gets out of rehab. It feels like a swing for an Oscar nomination, and while she didn’t get one, Roberts got to show off her dramatic chops, a reminder that she can do much more than romantic comedies.