Laura Dern comes from a long line of strong and entertaining people, so it is no surprise that the 47 year old actress has a career that has spanned almost as long as her life. Dern made her first film appearance in 1973 in the film White Lightning, which also featured a performance from her mother, Diane Ladd. Dern continued to act in films and in 1982 she won the Miss Golden Globe award, making her the youngest person ever to receive that honor. Her breakthrough came in 1986 with her starring role in the film Blue Velvet, and since then, Dern has been in over 40 films and has more than 10 television appearances. With a career that has lasted more than 4 decades, and a list of acting credits that include films such as Jurassic Park, I am Sam, and The Fault in Our Stars, Dern has certainly carved out a place for herself in Hollywood history. Here is a list of the five best movies featuring Laura Dern.
4. Citizen Ruth
In this 1996 comedy, Dern plays the role of Ruth Stoops, a young pregnant woman who already has four children who have been taken away by the state due to her inability to care for them. During the film Ruth gets caught in the middle of an abortion debate where she is offered thousands of dollar by both pro-life and pro-choice parties. However, on the date when Ruth is scheduled to recieve her aborition, she suffers a miscarriage.
3. Blue Velvet
In her 1986 break out role, Dern stars as Sandy Williams, the daughter of a local police detective. In the film, Dern’s character assists a hometown friend in uncovering the details behind a local crime. The film received positive reviews and is considered one of the best films of the 80s, with film critic Phillip French stating: “The film is wearing well and has attained a classic status without becoming respectable or losing its sense of danger.”
2. Wild at Heart
This 1990 crime thriller features Dern in the role of Lula Pace Fortune. Wild at Heart was Dern’s second time working with producer, David Lynch, who says that he thought of Dern immediately after reading the book from which the film was based. Dern starred in the film along side her mother, Diane Ladd, who also played her mother in the film.
2. The Fault in Our Stars
In this 2014 film based on a book of the same title, Dern plays the role of Frannie Lancaster. Lancaster’s daughter, Hazel Grace Lancaster, is a 16 year old girl who is suffering from cancer. The film has won several awards and has received critical acclaim with the Rolling Stone’s Peter Travers describing the film as, “”fresh, lively love story, brimming with humor and heartbreak.”
1. Inland Empire
In 2006 Dern starred in another film along side her mother which was directed by David Lynch. Inland Empire took two and a half years to complete and, according to Cahiers du cinéma, it was the second best film of 2007. In the film, Dern plays the role of an actress who is looking to make a come back by auditioning for a role in a film. The night before her audition, Dern’s character (Nikki Grace) is visited by a strange old woman who predicts that she will get the role. The New York Times has described Inland Empire as “fitfully brilliant” and The Guarding considers the film to be one of the 10 most underrated movies of the decade.
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