Meryl Streep is considered one of the greatest performers of the late 20th and 21st centuries. Although nominated nearly two dozen times, she won the Academy Award a mere three times. Let’s take a look back over the last five decades of her memorable roles.
20. Ironweed (1987)
Set in Albany, New York, in the 1930s, two people down on their luck meet and end up supporting each other. This Hector Babenco-directed film also stars Jack Nicholson. Meryl Streep’s acting chops show in this underrated drama.
19. The Ricki and the Flash (2005)
Meryl Streep has tackled some pretty serious roles of complicated women in the past. So, one might think playing Ricki was a turn for her. Streep shines as Linda (aka Ricki) – a complex woman who sought fame as a rock ‘n’ roll musician, thus nearly losing her family in the process.
18. The Munchurian Candidate (2004)
In this remake of the original film, Meryl Streep plays Eleanor Shaw. Eleanor is the mother of Raymond Shaw, the “candidate.” Meryl Streep’s character’s manipulative tendencies are on full display in this taut political drama.
17. Doubt (2008)
This motion picture boasted some of the most talented actors of this generation. Streep portrays Sister Beauvier opposite the late actor Philip Seymour Hoffman‘s character of Father Flynn. Between heavy subject matter and moral dilemmas, this film is a memorable watch.
16. Into the Woods (2014)
This particular movie might appear to be a take on classic fairytales, but it’s a little darker than that. The story ties Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and a few of the Brothers Grimm stories together. Meryl Streep dives into the role of The Witch with a darkly delicious interpretation.
15. August Osage County (2013)
Meryl Streep plays family matriarch Violet Weston, who is battling cancer, plus a whole slew of other personal demons. Note: if anyone is familiar with summers in Osage County, Oklahoma, it is sweltering. With a strong supporting cast, Streep triumphs as Violet in this film.
14. Mamma Mia (2008)
In a fun musical comedy is not exactly the first place you’d think to find Meryl Streep. She plays Donna, the mother of Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), who is getting married. Donna was also a singer back in her younger days. Hilarity ensues when Sophie searches for her real dad to walk her down the aisle. This is an enjoyable flick set against a beautiful beach backdrop in the Greek Islands.
13. The Post (2017)
In this journalistic drama about the Washington Post, we find Streep adeptly portraying Katharine “Kay” Graham. Graham, in the 1970s, was the publisher of the Washington Post and had some difficult decisions to make around the Pentagon Papers, which had to do with a cover-up in the Vietnam War. This Spielberg-directed movie is a must-see for news buffs.
12. Kramer vs Kramer (1979)
Set in the late 70s, this movie poignantly shows how divorce can affect families in America. The two main stars, Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep, played their flawed characters incredibly well. The movie also served to make Streep a household name.
11. Julia & Julia (2009)
Julie Powell (played by Amy Adams) decides to cook her way through Julia Child’s (Meryl Streep’s) book Mastering the Art of French Cooking and blog about it. The film begins in the 1940s, when Julia Child was alive, and then shifts to the present, when Julie Powell is blogging. The connection between the two powerful stories showcases the amazing talent that both Streep and Adams have.
10. The Deer Hunter (1978)
This is one of Meryl Streep’s first notable roles. Here she plays a young woman. Linda, the fiancée of Nick (Christopher Walken). The film is a character study about friendship and how war impacts several close friends in a Pennsylvania town. The well-done film marked Streep’s first Oscar nomination.
9. Music of The Heart (1999)
For about six hours a day for about a month, Meryl Streep learned to play the violin. By the time she was done, she was convincing enough to play Roberta Guaspari. Guaspari was a music teacher at a public school in Harlem, New York, pushing boundaries to teach underprivileged kids music. Flanked by a talented cast of Aidan Quinn, Cloris Leachman, and Angela Bassett, this is often one of Streep’s overlooked movies.
8. The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
In this Clint Eastwood adaptation of the Robert James Waller novel of the same name, Meryl Streep portrays Francesca. Francesca meets photographer Robert when her family is away, and they begin a four-day-long affair. Much like the book, the movie focuses on bittersweet raw emotions and deep feelings of longing. Both Eastwood and Streep excel at capturing lightning in a bottle with this film.
7. The Iron Lady (2011)
This is a biopic of the first British woman Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. Meryl Streep won an Academy Award for her performance as Thatcher. The movie actually is Margaret’s imagined dialogue with her late husband, Denis Thatcher (played by Jim Broadbent). In comparison, she is cleaning out his belongings. It is an excellent character study, and it is one of Streep’s finest roles.
6. Out of Africa (1985)
Meryl Streep portrays wealthy coffee plantation owner and writer Karen Blixen in this film. Blixen wrote fiction under the moniker Isak Dinesen. The story examines marriage, infidelity, and love during the colonial period of Mombasa, which is known today as Kenya. Meryl Streep gives a stand-out performance as Karen, along with a talented cast.
5. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
The mere sound of Miranda Priestley‘s stilettos clacking on the office floor would put the fear of the Devil into her employees. And there was no escaping Miranda‘s wrath when she felt the job was not well done! Andy (played by Anne Hathaway) felt the contempt of Miranda (Streep) numerous times, only to learn that the two shared more in common than they thought. Streep robustly tackled this great dramedy role.
4. Florence Foster Jenkins (2016)
This is one of her stand-out performances, and Meryl Streep captures the essence of Florence all the way. The titular character wants to be an opera singer, yet she is not suited for this. (That’s putting it mildly!) With excellent performances by Hugh Grant, Simon Helberg, and Rebecca Ferguson, this movie is not to be missed.
3. The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1981)
A story within a story, both Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons play dual roles in this absorbing flick. Irons, who plays Mike and Charles, and Streep, who plays Anna and Sarah, navigate two very complicated relationships, both in and out of the vignette. With multiple award nominations, BAFTA wins, this is a sublime example of Streep’s acting ability.
2. The Silkwood (1983)
Such an incredibly important story to be told, and set smack dab in the middle of nuclear power concerns, this film examines the life of Karen Silkwood. Silkwood was a worker at Kerr-McGee nuclear facility in Crescent, Oklahoma. She raised concerns about regulations and possible contamination, among other things. Silkwood’s untimely death was in 1974, when her car crashed on the way to meet reporters. Meryl Streep was beyond excellent in her portrayal of heroine whistleblower Karen Silkwood.
1. Sophie’s Choice
This is likely Meryl Streep’s finest performance, and she earned multiple awards. In a post-holocaust world in New York, Sophie and Nathan (Kevin Kline) are living in Brooklyn. Sophie‘s past and present haunt her, and ultimately, Sophie must confront her issues. Amazing acting by costars Kevin Klein and Peter MacNicol, as well. With a wonderful score and splendid cinematography, this movie is a stunning example of Streep’s work.
Conclusion
Meryl Streep has been in many projects to include movies, shorts, plays, and TV series. A few honorable mentions include Angels in America, The Hours, Adaptation, and The House of the Spirits. Whether you see her in a movie from several decades ago or something more current, her acting ability often reaches far beyond the scope of many of her colleagues.
