Juliette Lewis is one of the most prolific and diversely talented actresses of her generation. After scoring the role of Audrey Griswold in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation in 1989, Lewis became one of the most ubiquitous actors in the 1990s. She not only appeared in some of the most iconic movies of the decade, but she also got to work with such acclaimed filmmakers as Martin Scorsese, Oliver Stone, Quentin Tarantino, and Kathryn Bigelow in the process.
In total, Lewis has tallied 94 big and small screen credits since her 1987 debut in the TV movie Home Fires. Next up for Lewis is the TV series Yellowjackets and Tate Taylor's upcoming film Breaking News in Yuba County.
10 Aurora Borealis (2005) 68%
In James Burke's Aurora Borealis, Joshua Jackson stars as a deeply depressed young man who finds his life at a crossroads upon losing another job. Tired of renting out his apartment to his brother for random romantic affairs, Duncan (Jackson) takes a caretaker position at his Grandfather Roland's (Donald Sutherland) nursing home.
At the nursing home, Duncan meets Roland's caregiver, Kate (Lewis), a refreshingly cheery young woman who begins to alter Duncan's dour worldview.
9 Kelly & Cal (2014) 71%
As a punk rocker herself in the real-life band Juliette and the Licks, Lewis brought an extra layer of credibility in Kelly & Cal, in which she plays a former punk musician struggling to walk the straight and narrow following the birth of her first child.
When Kelly moves her newborn son into the suburbs, she meets next-door neighbor Cal (Johnny Weston), a 17-year-old quadriplegic who lost the ability to walk after a grave car accident. As both of them grapple with their newfound circumstances, an unlikely kinship is forged between both souls.
8 Hysterical Blindness (2002) 73%
The radical 80s is wholeheartedly celebrated in the 2002 HBO movie Hysterical Blindness, in which Lewis and Uma Thurman star as two besties trying to navigate the pitfalls of single life in New Jersey.
As Beth (Lewis) and Debby (Thurman) near 30, they can feel their biological clocks ticking down. They spend most of their time at local bar Oliver's, where a love triangle develops between both women and Rick (Justin Chambers), a macho contractor who likes Beth but goes home with Debby. Meanwhile, Debby's mother Virginia (Gena Rowlands) insinuates herself into the drama but only exacerbates the situation.
7 Cape Fear (1991) 74%
Lewis scored the one and only Oscar nomination of her decorated career following her turn opposite Robert De Niro in Cape Fear, Martin Scorsese's remake of the classic 1962 thriller.
The film follows Max Cady (De Niro), a hardened criminal who vows revenge on Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte), the lawyer who put him in jail for several years. When Cady is released, he skillfully skirts the law in the way he torments Bowden and his family, including the seduction of his teenage daughter Danielle (Lewis). The iconic scene in the auditorium was completely improvised by De Niro and Lewis.
6 Whip It (2009) 85%
Based on the Shauna Cross novel, Drew Barrymore directs the female-centric period sports drama Whip It, in which a young teenage girl finds herself and comes of age when joining an all-girl roller derby team in Bodeen, Texas.
Ellen Page stars as Bliss Cavendar, the independent 17-year-old girl whose mother wants her to enter beauty pageants her whole life. Looking for something more meaningful, Bliss stumbled upon a tight-knit community of badass women who partake in violent rollerskating competitions. Lewis plays Iron Maven, a rocking rollerskater out for blood.
5 Full Tilt Boogie (1997) 88%
Although Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino's From Dusk Till Dawn did not make the list of Lewis' 10 best movies, per RT, the making-of documentary Full Tilt Boogie did.
Directed by Sarah Kelly, the film chronicles the making of the 1996 vampire movie starring George Clooney, Harvey Keitel, Cheech Marin, Salma Hayek, and Ernest Liu. The nuts and bolts account features on-set footage being filmed, interviews with stars including Lewis, Fred Williamson, and co-director Rodriguez, and exec-producer Lawrence Bender discussing the project.
4 What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993) 90%
Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Juliette Lewis earned rave reviews for their performances in What's Eating Gilbert Grape, a devastating coming-of-age drama directed by Swedish filmmaker Lasse Hallstrom.
The film follows the Grapes, a midwestern family revolving the morbidly obese matriarch (Darlene Cates) and mentally-impaired youngest son, Arnie (DiCaprio). The burden of caretaker falls on the shoulder of Gilbert (Depp), a sensitive young man who struggles to find his footing in the world. When the free-spirited Becky (Lewis) arrives in town, Gilbert's life changes for the better as he allows himself to love someone other than his troubled family members.
3 Husbands And Wives (1992) 93%
A year after working with Scorsese in Cape Fear, Woody Allen cast Lewis in his dramatic rom-com Husbands and Wives. Allen earned an Oscar nod for Best Original Screenplay, while star Judy Davis was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
The film revolves around the marital strife of two couples living in New York. When Jack (Sydney Pollack) and Sally (Davis) announce their impending divorce, their friends Gabe (Allen) and Judy (Mia Farrow) are shaken to the core. As time passes, Judy and Gabe's marriage is put to the test when feeling attracted to others in The Big Apple.
2 Janis: Little Girl Blue (2015) 94%
Written and directed by Amy Berg, Little Girl Blue documents the personal and professional rise of iconic rock musician Janis Joplin. The film is narrated by musician Cat Power and incorporates several letters written by Joplin to friends and family to depict how she became such an iconic star.
In addition to archival footage of Joplin and her musical contemporaries, the film features interviews with Lewis, Pink, Melissa Etheridge, Kris Kristofferson, and more.
1 The Fearless Freaks (2005) 100%
The highest-rated movie Lewis has appeared in thus far, according to Rotten Tomatoes, belongs to the 2005 documentary The Fearless Freaks. The doc chronicles the unlikely rise of beloved indie rock band The Flaming Lips.
Directed and narrated by Bradley Beesley, the film includes interviews with the band members, as well as actors in close proximity to them such as Adam Goldberg, Christina Ricci, Lewis, and others. Fellow musicians including Jack and Meg White, Liz Phair, Cat Power, Gibby Haynes, and more also appear in the film.
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