Laura Dern’s brand-new movieLonely Planetis currently streaming on Netflix, and these 10 movies are her best roles to watch after finishing it.Lonely Planet’scast of charactersstars Dern as Katherine Loewe and Liam Hemsworth as Owen Brophy, an unlikely couple givenOwen and Katherine’s age gapand Owen’s relationship with his girlfriend, Lily Kemp (Diana Silvers). All three characters are attending a writing retreat in Morocco, which is primarilywhereLonely Planetwas filmed, and throughout the trip, Owen and Katherine develop deep feelings for one another.
Although there were someproblems withLonely Planet, the movie was generally charming, and Hemsworth and Dern’s performances were solid. Even in light of Dern’s performance in the movie, though,Lonely Planetis far from Dern’s best role.These 10 movies represent Laura Dern’s very best performances outsideLonely Planet.
10The Son
Laura Dern’s 2022 Movie With Hugh Jackman Included Heavy Subject Matter
The Sonstars Laura Dern as Kate and Hugh Jackman as Peter, a divorced couple whose teenage son, Nicholas, is experiencing intense distress and depression.The Sonisn’t based on a true storybut rather on a play of the same name, which follows similar plot points. The movie did face controversy, as some viewers felt the twist ending, which temporarily left Nicholas' fate uncertain, was insensitive.
In spite of that controversial ending,Jackman and Dern are both absolutely brilliant inThe Son, and the movie is easily one of Dern’s best performances. She plays the role of the concerned, loving mother and heartbroken ex-wife in a way that feels authentic. In the end, this makes the movie so much more tragic, but as that was intentional, it just speaks to what a strong performance this is from Dern.
9The Tale
Yet Another Heavy Addition To Dern’s Filmography, The Tale Is Important And Timely
InThe Tale, Laura Dern plays the older Jennifer Fox opposite Isabelle Nélisse, who plays the character’s younger self. LikeThe Son,The Taleis a truly difficult movie to sit through, but it is an important one. Dern’s Jennifer is a documentary filmmaker who uncovers the dark truth of her past regarding a ‘relationship’ she had with an adult coach when she was just 13.
It can be incredibly difficult to produce such a story in a way that feels respectful of and sensitive to victims/survivors, butThe Taleand Dern’s performance manage to accomplish that. In the role, Dern is convincing, as ever, and truly captures the emotional pain and complex feelings that emerge for Jennifer as she has to reframe the narrative she’d constructed for herself around this trauma. The movie was also rather timely, as it was released in 2018, when the Me Too Movement was still in full swing.
8Downsizing
Although Downsizing Has Received Plenty Of Criticism, It’s Nevertheless A Fun Watch
Downsizingis a massive tonal shift followingThe SonandThe Tale, and it sees Laura Dern in a much less prominent role.Downsizingis a 2017 comedy-drama starring Matt Damon. In the movie, Damon’s character, Paul Safranek, is one of many people who elect to shrink themselves down to about 5 inches, which will (theoretically) allow them to live a much more luxurious, relaxed lifestyle because of the cost reductions. This is precisely where Dern’s character comes in, as she plays Laura Lonowski, who delivers a sales pitch for Leisureland, the home of those who are downsized.
In truth, the movie is a bit all over the place, which is why it wasn’t very well-received. The story is inconsistent, particularly in the latter half of the movie, and it feels driven more by the concept of people shrinking themselves down than by a cohesive narrative. However,Downsizingis nevertheless fun to watch, and Dern is wonderful in it.
7Wild
Laura Dern Starred Alongside Reese Witherspoon In This Movie Adaptation Of A Memoir
The decade-old movieWild, based on the Cheryl Strayed memoir of the same name, stars Reese Witherspoon as Cheryl, a young woman who treks an incredible 1,100-mile hike by herself. This hike is in part brought on by the death of Cheryl’s mother, Bobbi, who is played by Laura Dern in the movie. Although Dern does not play a massive role inWild, her performance is still an excellent one, andtogether Dern and Witherspoon perfectly represent the love Strayed and her mother shared in real life.
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There are also a number of movies based on true stories of journeys (literal and figurative) of self-discovery, butWildhas staying power because of the performances and the fact that Cheryl Strayed was involved in bringing her memoir to life on the screen. In fact, Strayed even had a cameo inWild, as an unnamed woman. While this isn’t one of Dern’s biggest roles, it’s certainly a movie worth watching.
6The Fault In Our Stars
This Heartbreaking Story Is One Of Laura Dern’s Best Roles As A Mother
Dern plays a mother yet again inThe Fault in Our Stars, a tragic movie charting the romance between two teenagers with cancer. In the movie, Dern plays Mrs. Lancaster, protagonist Hazel Grace Lancaster’s (Shailene Woodley) mother. Like many of Dern’s roles, though arguably especially the ones in which she plays a mother,The Fault in Our Starsrequires an emotional performance by Dern, and she delivers.
The Fault in Our Starsis also based on a book, although the novel, written by celebrated author John Green, was not directly based on a true story likeWildwas. It was inspired by Green’s time working in a children’s hospital and specifically influenced by the story of Esther Grace Earl, who died of cancer at just 16. Perhaps because Green was pulling from real-life experiences,The Fault in Our Starshad a major impact, and it continues to be a beloved book and movie.
5October Sky
This 90s Movie Stars Jake Gyllenhaal Alongside Laura Dern
One of the oldest additions on this list,October Skystars Jake Gyllenhaal as Homer Hickam, a teenage boy from a coal mining town who becomes obsessed with rocket science after seeing Sputnik 1 in the sky. Although he demonstrates an aptitude for science, his father disapproves of this interest, as he wants Homer to follow in his footsteps as a coal miner. InOctober Sky, Laura Dern plays Homer’s teacher, Miss Riley, who supports Homer’s dream of becoming a rocket scientist and is easily his greatest advocate in the movie.
October Skyis also based on a true story, although it sees Dern in a fairly unique role in terms of her overall filmography. Dern is truly brilliant in the movie, perfectly capturing the difficult waters Miss Riley had to navigate as a teacher supporting Homer against his parents' (but largely his father’s) wishes. The 1999 movie really is one of Dern’s most iconic roles.
4Marriage Story
Laura Dern’s Character Is Perfectly Infuriating In Marriage Story
Noah Baumbach’sMarriage Storystars Adam Driver as Charlie Barber and Scarlett Johansson as Nicole Barber and received plenty of media attention when it debuted on Netflix in 2019. In the movie, the couple is going through a messy cross-country divorce and custody battle involving their young son, Henry. Laura Dern plays Nora Fanshaw, Nicole’s overeager lawyer who seems to get a kick out of bullying Charlie and becomes particularly antagonistic in the courtroom.
Dern’s acting in the movie is excellent, and she nails the role perfectly, down to the last sarcastic comment and smug grin.
Nora comes across as a typical divorce lawyer, looking to nickel-and-dime Charlie (and, at times, Nicole as well), butthat unlikable characterization is entirely the point. Dern’s acting in the movie is excellent, and she nails the role perfectly, down to the last sarcastic comment and smug grin. In fact,Marriage Storyincludes some of the best acting by Johansson, Driver, and Dern.
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3Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Laura Dern’s Vice Admiral Holdo Saved The Resistance In Star Wars
Laura Dern also played a role inStar Wars’sequel trilogy as Vice Admiral Holdo inStar Wars: The Last Jedi. Although Holdo wasn’t necessarily a major character amongtheStar Warssequel trilogy’s characters, she did play a pivotal role inThe Last Jedi.Vice Admiral Holdo was indeed the very reason the Resistance survived an attack by the First Order, which also meant saving the life of fan-favoriteStar Warscharacter Princess Leia Organa.
Holdo managed to save the Resistance fleet by executing what has been coined ‘the Holdo Maneuver,’ which saw her jump her ship into hyperspace, intentionally smashing into the First Order’s ship on its way. The maneuver killed Holdo, but she sacrificed her life to save the Resistance and make a better future possible for the galaxy. Dern is unsurprisingly brilliant as Holdo, and it’s great fun to see her act in the galaxy far, far away.
2Little Women
Laura Dern Played Marmee March Beautifully In Little Women
Laura Dern’s role as Marmee March in the 2019 remake ofLittle Women, based on the beloved book of the same name by Louisa May Alcott, is certainly one of her best. Marmee is the mother of four daughters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, on whom the story focuses. The movie is set in the 1880s, as is the book, and reflects upon the complexities of sisterhood, gender, and coming-of-age in wartime.
Although Marmee isn’t necessarily a leading character, she is essential to the story. It’s clear that Marmee is a warm, loving mother, and it’s through her maternal nature and the manner in which she raised her girls that they have become the smart, kind, and funny young women depicted in the movie. Dern is once again perfect in the role, andthe movie and the actors manage to bring something new to a story that has been around for generations.
1Jurassic Park
Laura Dern’s Most Iconic Role Is Easily Jurassic Park
Laura Dern’s single best movie isJurassic Park, which has become a cult classic. In the original movie, which was released in 1993, Dern plays Ellie Sattler, a scientist who visits the fateful park full of real-life dinosaurs that have been brought back into existence via some questionable science. Unsurprisingly, and now quite famously, the park has disastrous consequences, including the main characters of the movie nearly losing their lives to various dinosaurs.
Given how terrifying the dinosaurs and the characters' near-death experiences were meant to be, Dern had to put on quite the performance, and she did so perfectly. Dern has also returned to the franchise in the years since, most recently inJurassic World Dominion(2022). WhileLonely Planetwas an enjoyable movie to watch, these 10 movies,Jurassic Parkin particular, represent the very best Laura Dern performances in her filmography.
