Every Julia Roberts Movie Ranked Worst To Best

When Roberts first collaborated with director Garry Marshall, the two gave us magic with 1990's "Pretty Woman." Their subsequent collaborations have decreased in quality — from the mediocre "Runaway Bride" to the terrible "Valentine's Day" and then, finally, the truly unwatchable "Mother's Day." Popular consensus is that "Mother's Day" is at the tail end of Roberts' filmography when it comes to quality, as the flick has an embarrassing critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. Not even a selection of top-tier movie stars like Jennifer Aniston, Julia Roberts, and Kate Hudson could save this shlocky snoozefest. "If you love your mother, do not make her see this movie," warned Entertainment Weekly.

"Mother's Day" is an intergenerational celebration of motherhood and family, told from the perspective of seemingly unconnected strangers. Roberts plays author and television personality Miranda Collins, who's on a promotional tour that's stopped in Atlanta. While there, her birth daughter Kristin (Britt Robertson) tracks her down and proceeds to get engaged on the air with Miranda standing by. Roberts' work in the film earned her a nomination for worst actress at the 2017 Razzie Awards — but let's be clear, it took a whole ensemble to stink up this movie.

Like "New Year's Eve" and "Mother's Day," Garry Marshall's "Valentine's Day" is a schmaltzy attempt to build a film out of star wattage and not a whole lot more. Marshall called on Roberts to lead the ensemble of this 2010 film, which is perhaps a smidge better than "Mother's Day" but still leaves much to be desired. But while critics hated the film — it has an embarrassing critic score on Rotten Tomatoes — it drew in audiences, making over $216 million worldwide (per Box Office Mojo). By the time "Mother's Day" rolled along six years later, moviegoers knew better than to expect much from Marshall's holiday-themed films.

"Valentine's Day" is an ensemble picture with many interwoven storylines, co-starring everyone from Anne Hathaway to Jaime Foxx to Kathy Bates. Roberts plays Captain Katherine Hazeltine, who we first meet on a flight to Los Angeles. Kate has one day off from the U.S. Army, and she's using it to get home to her true love — which we are to presume is a romantic partner, but turns out to be her son, Edison. "How did director Garry Marshall persuade a big name cast to stuff themselves into this box of rancid heart-shaped chocolates?," asked Rolling Stone's legendary critic Peter Travers. More than a decade later, we're still wondering the same thing.

"Dying Young" was not as poorly received by filmgoers as it was by critics — it has a better score with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes — but you would be hard-pressed to find many people who actually remember this forgettable 1991 drama. A romance directed by Joel Schumacher, "Dying Young" features Roberts as Hilary O'Neil, a down-on-her-luck woman who lives with her mother (Ellen Burstyn) and works as a caretaker. When Hilary begins caring for Victor Geddes (Campbell Scott), a man with leukemia, the two fall in love. "A movie like this has only one not-so-noble reason to exist: to make us sob," noted Newsweek. "And it just doesn't deliver the goods."

Hilary cares for Victor as he goes through therapy, and the two head to a vacation home once Victor finishes his care. She later finds out that Victor never actually finished his treatment and, after he tries to run away, they head to the hospital to nurse him back to health. It's all very Lifetime movie-of-the-week, and the performers are far better actors than the saccharine material warrants.

"Ready to Wear," otherwise known as "Prêt-à-Porter," had all of the ingredients to be a good movie. Centered around Paris Fashion Week, starring a mega-celebrity like Roberts and directed by acclaimed director Robert Altman, it seems like a slam dunk. In practice, very little about this 1994 film worked. The ensemble piece is centered by the death of fashion bigwig Olivier de la Fontaine (Jean-Pierre Cassel), the head of the Fashion Council, who chokes on a sandwich while riding in his limo. There are more than 30 characters in the film, but none of them could save it from critical savagery on Rotten Tomatoes, and even made the New York Times list of the worst films of 1994.

Roberts is somewhat removed from much of the action — which includes not only an investigation into Olivier's death, but also the hijinks of his wife, his mistress, three rival magazine editors, a sleazy photographer, and more. Her journalist character, Anne Eisenhower, is forced to share a room with fellow reporter Joe Flynn (Tim Robbins), and the two basically shack up for the duration of the movie. Despite the film's flaws, renowned movie critic Roger Ebert singled out Roberts' storyline as one of the finer elements, stating, "Robbins and Roberts, who hardly leave their room, create the bittersweet sense of a self-contained affair that has no reference to their real lives, past or future, and will wither on exposure to reality."

With its killer cast and relatively interesting concept, we get why Roberts would sign on to appear in Steven Soderbergh's 2002 ensemble film "Full Frontal." Unfortunately, it doesn't live up to its potential. "The best you can say about 'Full Frontal,' an ensemble piece that flirts with ideas about illusion and reality, is that the movie qualifies as a failed experiment," wrote the Denver Rocky Mountain News, in one of the kinder critiques.

"Full Frontal" is a dramedy that examines a Hollywood circle on the day of one friend's birthday party. Roberts appears as an actor named Francesca, who appears as Catherine in a movie-within-a-movie (called "Rendezvous") opposite Blair Underwood's Calvin, starring in the film as Nicholas. These movie scenes are intercut with the rest of the film, in quite a jarring manner. Though there were some critics who quite liked the creativity of the endeavor, the vast majority didn't get it. That said, as Newsweek noted, "Soderbergh's playfully experimental spirit should be saluted, even if the end product looks like it was more fun to make than it is to watch."

The 2001 romantic comedy "America's Sweethearts" is about an ugly Hollywood divorce between two beloved actors — Eddie Thomas (John Cusack) and Gwen Harrison (Catherine Zeta-Jones) — and the drama that ensues when they must head out on a press junket to promote a new film. Roberts plays Gwen's sister and personal assistant, Kiki, who is treated miserably by her spoiled, self-obsessed sister. Having recently lost a lot of weight, Kiki is — for the first time in her life — being noticed, and at the same time noticing how she operates as a doormat for her famous sis. While acting as the go-between for Gwen and Eddie, she proceeds to have sex with her brother-in-law. Only in romantic comedies do people so easily start relationships with their siblings' exes.

One of the biggest issues with "America's Sweethearts" — and there are many — is that Roberts was cast as the shy, overlooked sister of a big movie star. But, come on, it's Julia Roberts. In no world does that face and that charisma believably live in the shadow of anyone, extra weight or not. The film did relatively well at the box office, grossing $138 million (per Box Office Mojo), but did poorly with critics. The San Francisco Chronicle called the film "overpackaged, overslick twaddle," noting its lack of emotion, overall predictability, and dull jokes.

Julia Roberts looks like she is having so much fun on the poster for her 2011 film "Larry Crowne," which features her on the back of a motorcycle behind America's dad Tom Hanks. If only the movie were as much fun as the imagery — we promise, it's not. The romantic comedy — co-written and directed by Hanks — is a relatively flavorless offering, devoid of anything new or exciting. It is not awful, per se, just overwhelmingly "blah" in a way that we would not have expected when pairing two of Hollywood's most likable stars. "This is film as comfort food, and even if it has very little nutritional value, its pleasantly bland texture will help keep you occupied until your next job interview or layoff notice," said the Detroit News.

Hanks plays the titular character in the film, a recently fired divorced veteran who is having trouble finding work due to his lack of a college degree. Larry decides to enroll at a local community college, where he meets Mercedes Tainot (Roberts), his speech teacher. Larry and the unhappily married Mercedes strike up a friendship that turns romantic and, though Hanks and Roberts have the necessary chemistry, the film has very little to say beyond the obvious and there is very little comedy in this so-called rom com. "Do not expect 'Forrest Gump' or 'Pretty Woman,'" warned The Observer. "Congenial is the word for 'Larry Crowne,' but it's as flat as an ironing board."

"Satisfaction" was Roberts' first feature film credit, which makes it memorable in at least one regard. But will it leave you satisfied? Eh, probably not. The film has middle of the road score on both IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes, so people who have seen it are clearly not big fans. As the New York Times stated, "Satisfaction" is, "a typical, low-budget summer movie, where everyone has a hot romance, a good body and an expensive haircut." The movie is forgettable and cliched, but not entirely unwatchable, if only for the vibrancy of a young Roberts and her screen partners — including Justine Bateman and Liam Neeson.

The movie focuses on The Mystery, an all-female rock band from Baltimore, made up of graduating high school seniors. Lead singer Jennie Lee (Bateman) and her bandmates — including Daryle (Roberts), the bass guitarist — are headed to Florida for a big audition but find themselves with a number of obstacles in their way. They make it, ace the audition, and are hired by the nightclub owner, Martin Falcon (Neeson), but have issues fitting in at the Atlantic Ocean beach resort. The Los Angeles Times called "Satisfaction" a movie filled with "ruinous cliches" and blamed the script — not the performances — for its ordinariness.

The world had high expectations for "Runaway Bride," the 1999 film that reunited Roberts with her "Pretty Woman" co-star Richard Gere and director Garry Marshall. But "Runaway Bride" lacked the spark of "Pretty Woman," and it is a subpar romantic comedy that is nowhere near the quality of some of Roberts' other films in the genre. But even though the film was critically a miss, the studio was likely happy, given its enormous box office success. Per Box Office Mojo, "Runaway Bride" grossed nearly $310 million worldwide.

Roberts plays Maggie Carpenter, a woman who has been dubbed the "runaway bride" after leaving multiple would-be grooms at the altar. Gere's character, Ike Graham, is a reporter who has covered Maggie's story ... only to find out he included a number of factual errors. To regain his reputation, he heads to her hometown to write an in-depth article as Maggie preps for her next wedding. Predictably, it is not her fiancé Bob (Christopher Meloni) who steals Maggie's heart, but journalist Ike who ends up her groom. "It's a sitcom plot, loaded with sitcom jokes (an old lady gushes about Ike's 'tight butt') and directed by sitcom shtick master Marshall," wrote Rolling Stone's longtime critic Peter Travers, who also acknowledged that "Roberts rides above it all with her usual smiling radiance."

Roberts was only a couple of years into her Hollywood career when she starred in the 1990 psychological horror movie "Flatliners," directed by Joel Schumacher, so we can cut her some slack on this one. Though the film is watchable, it is not necessarily one we would pull out every time we need a good scare. "Flatliners" is about a group of medical students who start conducting covert experiments to force people to the brink of death, so that they can uncover what lies in the beyond. Roberts plays one of the students, Rachel Manus, all of whom are being led by their peer Nelson Wright (Kiefer Sutherland).

Even Roger Ebert — who gave the film three stars for being "original" and "intelligent" — noted the psychological horror's repetitiveness. "Eventually the movie falls into a disappointing pattern, in which we're supposed to hold our breath while yet another voyager balances between life and death," he wrote in his Chicago Sun-Times review. "One resuscitation is suspenseful. Two are fine. More than two wears out their welcomes." The visions the students have while flatlined also follow them back once they are resuscitated, which is interesting in concept and a bit boring in effect. After all, it difficult to sympathize with characters who keep purposefully taking the ultimate risk. In the Julia Roberts well, "Flatliners" is an unremarkable film, probably best known for being the picture on which she met future fiancé Sutherland (per Best Life).

Critics may have been mixed on "Stepmom," but audiences liked it a whole lot more. The 1998 drama is not without its flaws, but it is an effective tearjerker with solid acting by Roberts, Ed Harris, and Susan Sarandon, who received a Golden Globe Award nomination for her role in the film. As the Baltimore Sun noted, the movie's "success is due to its three appealing lead players, all of whom lend class and intelligence to the enterprise." Sarandon and Roberts have awesome screen chemistry, even if they are at each other's throats for the vast majority of the film.

"Stepmom" is about a New York City family and the issues that arise when patriarch Luke Harrison (Harris), divorced from the mother of his kids, Jackie (Sarandon), introduces girlfriend Isabel Kelly (Roberts) into the fold as a co-parent. Jackie and Isabel spend much of the movie at odds, but eventually form a mutual understanding in the face of Jackie's impending death (she has terminal cancer). The movie brought in nearly $160 million in worldwide grosses, per Box Office Mojo, but no word on how many boxes of Kleenex were used by tearful moviegoers.

When Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt were cast in "The Mexican," people had to imagine that the two beautiful screen stars would create flames. Unfortunately, the 2001 comedic caper movie gave audiences no big flames. It produced, at best, small sparks. "The Mexican" is neither's best work, as the pair's chemistry never gelled and the story is disjointed, but it is far from abysmal. As Slate acknowledged, the film is "a passably diverting entry in the Tarantino genre of splatter and yuks and soulfully bumbling hit men."

Pitt's Jerry Welbach works for the mob, a job he is forced into when he accidentally helps send mob boss Arnold Margolese (Gene Hackman) to prison. After Jerry has worked for Margolese's underling Bernie Nayman (Bob Balaban) for years, he is tasked with one final mission before he can get out: Go to Mexico and track down an antique gun. It's an idea so idiotic that it causes his girlfriend Samantha Barzel (Roberts) to leave him and head to Las Vegas. On the way there, Samantha is abducted by hitman Leroy (James Gandolfini), to give extra incentive for that pistol to come back undamaged.

Roberts made a lot of thrillers in the 1990s, with varying levels of success, but "Conspiracy Theory" is one of the better ones. While it is somewhat forgettable and often drowning in cliches, it is a watchable piece of fluff that unsurprisingly pulled in nearly $137 million at the box office (per Box Office Mojo). The Detroit News said it best: the plot works if "you just go along with the silliness to savor the performances."

The 1997 political thriller stars Mel Gibson as Jerry Fletcher, a New York cab driver with a penchant for conspiracy theories. Roberts is a lawyer for the Justice Department named Alice Sutton, who pretends to listen to Jerry's inane ramblings because he once saved her from a robbery. Jerry is eerily obsessed with Alice, so their inevitable romance storyline has a major ick factor. But the main crux of the movie, wherein one of Jerry's theories comes true and the duo pieces together the parts as they run from secret operatives, works as well as most big-budget blockbusters. ”'Conspiracy Theory' does show off enough glossy style (car headlights melting into blurs, etc.) and incidental cleverness to keep viewers largely hooked," wrote The New York Times.

We have mixed feelings about the 2009 rom com/crime hybrid "Duplicity," but it earned its place on this list because Roberts was quite dazzling in her role. In fact, she earned a Golden Globe nomination and rather positive reviews from critics. Overall, it is a spy thriller with some good acting and fun twists, but a hard-to-follow plot whose puzzles are perhaps overly complex.

"Duplicity" features Roberts as corporate spy (and former CIA officer) Claire Stenwick, who is romantically entangled with another corporate spy (and former MI6 agent), Ray Koval (Clive Owen). Because the film does not present the story in a chronological fashion, it is relatively confusing and requires much brain power. Many of the twists are interesting, however, as the two work together and apart on their various missions. "'Duplicity' doesn't have depth — but it does have Julia Roberts, in full Hollywood movie-star mode. And for filmgoers with scaled-back expectations, that news may be enough," wrote Entertainment Weekly. Come for the big con that the two main characters are running — which involves stealing a formula and selling it for millions — but stay for the witty banter and lighthearted romance.

It is hard to recommend a Woody Allen film these days, for obvious reasons, but if we divorce the movie from the creator, "Everyone Says I Love You" is objectively a good film. The 1996 musical would actually be even higher on this list if not for Roberts' relatively small role in the ensemble. Though "Everyone Says I Love You" was a box office flop, bringing in just under $10 million worldwide (per Box Office Mojo), critics were big fans of the movie. "It would take a heart of stone to resist this movie," wrote Roger Ebert, who awarded the film four stars.

"Everyone Says I Love You" features a multitude of famous actors singing (not always well) across cities like New York, Paris, and Venice. Roberts plays Von Sidell, a woman that Joe Berlin (Allen) falls for when visiting Venice with his daughter D.J. (Natasha Lyonne). D.J. helps Joe learn about the married Von, as she has insider information after eavesdropped on her therapy sessions with a friend's mother. Allen's romancing of the much-younger Roberts, using this secret information, is gross for sure, but the movie itself is entertaining and flirty — especially the parts featuring Edward Norton as a lawyer who falls for his boss's daughter. Plus, it is fun to see Roberts flex her inexpert singing voice in a musical.

"Ocean's Eleven" is great fun and, by most accounts, a very good heist movie. The only reason it is not higher on our list is because Roberts part is rather small, making it more of a movie Julia Roberts was in rather than a "Julia Roberts movie." Nonetheless, it would be criminal to leave this movie out, given that Roberts is on the poster and that it is one of her most exciting movies. As Rolling Stone's Peter Travers wrote, "Forget Oscar, 'Ocean's Eleven' is the coolest damned thing around." The 2001 heist movie brought in a whopping $450 million at the box office (per Box Office Mojo) and earned solid reviews.

Directed by Steven Soderbergh, "Ocean's Eleven" is a remake of a 1960 film of the same name, an ensemble heist film that gathers some of the best and brightest actors in Hollywood. Led by charming ex-con Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and his pal Rusty Ryan (Brad Pitt), a crew of thieves plan and execute a multi-location casino heist, stealing $160 million from casino owner Terry Benedict (Andy Garcia). Roberts appears as Danny's estranged wife Tess Ocean, who is now dating Benedict. Roberts is not given a ton to do, but she and Clooney work well together and she certainly stands out in the testosterone-heavy film. The New York Post wrote that their scenes "exhibit star chemistry rarely seen since Hollywood's Golden Era."

We may not have loved Roberts' pairing with Tom Hanks in 2011's "Larry Crowne," but we get why the two mega-celebs chose to work together again — because their first effort, "Charlie Wilson's War," was a really good film. The 2007 biographical drama is based upon the true story of U.S. Congressman Charlie Wilson (Hanks) and his efforts to finance Afghan freedom fighters going up against the Soviets. Wilson's allies in his efforts include CIA operative Gust Avrakotos (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) and beautiful Southern socialite Joanne Herring (Roberts).

It's easy to appreciate the movie's exploration of Wilson and co.'s role in the covert operations of the Afghan-Soviet War, and even more so appreciate Hanks playing a Texas bachelor with a wild streak. Hoffman earned much of the notice — and an Academy Award nod — but Hanks and Roberts both also scored Golden Globe nominations for their roles in "Charlie Wilson's War." The movie, helmed by Aaron Sorkin and directed by Mike Nichols, is also far more satirical comedy than outright political drama, which differentiates it from so many other political films. "'Charlie Wilson's War' is that rare Hollywood commodity these days: a smart, sophisticated entertainment for grownups," wrote renowned film critic Todd McCarthy in his review for Variety.

It is almost jarring that "Pretty Woman" only a slightly above average score on Rotten Tomatoes, as it has emerged as a classic film in the 30-some years since it came out. It is also one of the defining films of Roberts' career, one in which she gives a standout performance that earned her an Academy Award nomination and set her up to become America's sweetheart. We are by no means saying that "Pretty Woman" is a perfect film, but Roberts' Vivian Ward is unquestionably one of the most memorable characters she has ever played. It is also an example of how Roberts contagious energy and illustrious charm is able to elevate a movie. Plus, that hair and that smile have never looked so good. As Rolling Stone noted at the time, "The Roberts smile — full-lipped, a mile wide and gleaming — is the closest the movies have yet come to capturing sunshine."

"Pretty Woman" is at its core a love story between lonely businessman Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) and Vivian Ward, the sex worker he hires to spend the week with him. It relies on many classic Hollywood tropes, but the palpable chemistry between the main stars makes "Pretty Woman" work better than it should. "Here is a movie that could have marched us down mean streets into the sinks of iniquity, and it glows with romance," wrote Rogert Ebert.

"Closer" won the Best Cast award from the National Board of Review, but no awards body singled out Roberts for her work in the film (co-stars Natalie Portman and Clive Owen were both Oscar nominated). Despite that fact, it is one of Roberts' top performances — one in which she ditches her status as America's sweetheart and plays a truly unlikable character.

"Closer" focuses on four central characters, starting with British writer Dan (Jude Law), who has written a novel about Alice Ayres (Portman), a mysterious American woman he has been dating for a year. At a photoshoot with photographer Anna (Roberts), Alice overhears Dan trying to convince Anna to sleep with him. He then develops an obsession with the photog, which results in him pretending to be her in a sex chatroom, where he targets dermatologist Larry Gray (Owen). When Larry meets the real Anna due to the scheme, they fall in love and start dating. Each of the characters cheats and lies a few more times throughout the film, swapping partners in a merry-go-round that will leave you dizzy from all of the betrayal. As Rolling Stone's critic Peter Travers says in his review, the movie "vibrates with eroticism, bruising laughs and dynamite performances from four attractive actors doing decidedly unattractive things."

It is a real shame that so few people saw "Ben Is Back" in theaters when it came out in 2018 — the film grossed only $10 million worldwide, per Box Office Mojo — but it is our sincere hope that a far wider audience has found this critically acclaimed gem of a film on streaming services. "Ben Is Back" is a deeply moving film about a mother who does everything she can to help her young son overcome his substance addiction. Roberts is absolutely heartbreaking in it. The Seattle Times said that she "takes hold of this movie like a lamppost in the winter darkness."

Roberts plays Holly Burns, whose 19-year-old son Ben (Lucas Hedges) is visiting from rehab for a surprise Christmas Eve visit. We later learn that Holly and the family dog Ponce saved Ben from an overdose and see that she will stop at nothing to help Ben survive. Even after Ben ditches her at a gas station, Holly grabs medical aid and tracks him with the hope of reviving him if he has overdosed again. As the San Francisco Chronicle noted, "Almost every 10 minutes something unexpected happens that turns the story in an arresting new direction, and yet 'Ben Is Back' never once feels manipulated or mechanical."

There is no doubt that "Erin Brockovich" will go down in history as the ultimate Julia Roberts' performance, if only because it is the role for which she very deservedly won an Academy Award (and Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and BAFTA). The film capitalizes on every one of Roberts' many talents, from her dramatic chops to her ability to kill a one-liner to her general likeability and charm. Beyond the performance, it is an extremely enjoyable legal drama that both captivates and surprises. "There is never a dull moment. Not with Roberts taking charge," said The Hollywood Reporter, which also called Roberts a "force of nature" in the film. Newsweek wrote that Roberts is "playing a brash, tenacious, trash-talking heroine unlike any she's played before, and she's utterly convincing in the part."

Based upon real people and events, "Erin Brockovich" is the story of a woman who fought and won a case against a big energy company (Pacific Gas & Electric Company) that was accused of contaminating the groundwater in Hinkley, California. The character Erin — a single mother of three with no law education, a controversially skimpy wardrobe, and a biker boyfriend (Aaron Eckhart) she uses as a babysitter — is just as much a focus as the case, and it is hard not to root for the tough, bright underdog.

"The Normal Heart" is a beautifully crafted television movie, made by HBO and based upon Larry Kramer's 1985 same-titled play. The 2014 film is about the early years of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, tracing its evolution in New York City between 1981 and 1984. Mark Ruffalo plays Ned Weeks, an openly gay writer and activist who is mobilized by the onset of a disease affecting his community. Ned's fight for visibility is largely started after he visits Dr. Emma Brookner (Roberts), who asks for his help spreading awareness at a time when the disease was thought to be a rare cancer. A doctor fighting against a homophobic medical industry, government, and culture, Dr. Brookner plays a vital role in this devastating and important movie. According to Rolling Stone's Peter Travers, the film is "written, directed and acted with a passion that radiates off the screen."

"The Normal Heart" is Roberts' best reviewed film on Rotten Tomatoes, and her performance was lauded. Her work earned her nominations at the Primetime Emmy Awards, Critics Choice Television Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. The film itself won best television film at the Emmys and Critics Choice Television Awards and was nominated by the Golden Globes. The film is not an easy watch — many of the characters die by the end, and it is hard not to feel anger at the inaction that cost so many lives — but "The Normal Heart" is definitely a must-see picture.