Kevin Kline's 7 Best And 7 Worst Movies Ranked

Kevin Kline is one of those rare actors who could convincingly tackle any role that's given to him. From his initial cinematic debut in 1982, he's starred in emotionally taut romance films, feel-good ensemble movies, westerns, musicals, and comedic heist movies. As radically different as each of his movies are, Kline always consistently manages to dial his performances up to a perfect "10" time and time again. Over the past 40 years, Kline has left a lasting legacy on the film industry as a consistently impressive performer the likes of which are seen only so often. Though capable of handing in riotously humorous performances, he's also proven he can excel in more serious roles as well. For his character-rich portrayals, he's gained such coveted awards as the Academy Award for best supporting actor, three Tony Awards, and numerous nominations at the BAFTAs, Golden Globes, and Primetime Emmy Awards.

However, as is the case with any actor, Kline's filmography is not completely flawless, containing several underwhelming movies sprinkled throughout his career. In particular, the movies of Kline's later years usually fail to live up to the success of his earlier career, including the defining movies of the 1980s and '90s that made Kline a worldwide star in the first place. Here are some of the greatest films to feature the Oscar-winning Kline, as well as a handful of his worst movies to date.

Kevin Kline has starred in his fair share of biopics over the years, but few are as gripping or emotionally stirring as "Cry Freedom." Set in the late 1970s, the movie takes place in politically divided South Africa during the height of apartheid. After Black activist Steve Biko (Denzel Washington) dies under mysterious circumstances, his liberal journalist friend Donald Woods (Kline) decides to write a book about him, meeting the antagonism of the corrupt South African police as a result.

Based on a true story, "Cry Freedom" was a critical success for everyone attached to the project. The film received Academy Award nominations for best supporting actor (Washington), best original score, and best original song ("Cry Freedom"). It was also nominated for best film among other accolades at the BAFTA Film Awards. "The performances are excellent, the crowd scenes astonishing, and the climax truly nerve-wracking. An implacable work of authority and compassion, 'Cry Freedom' is political cinema at its best," said Time Out. Some critics felt the movie could've gone further in probing the racial injustices of South Africa during its apartheid period, but "Cry Freedom" still does a great job examining the lives and influence of Biko and Woods. Washington may outshine Kline in most of their shared scenes, but Kline still excels at portraying a white man who becomes more and more aware of his country's wrongs, seeking to make a fundamental difference as his friend had previously.

Kevin Kline reteamed with filmmaker Lawrence Kasdan, embarking on a film stylistically apart from the grounded realism of their 1983 hit "The Big Chill": "Silverado," a rip-roaring western starring Kline, Scott Glenn, Danny Glover, and Kevin Costner. On the frontier badlands of the Wild West, four men — each a social outcast for different reasons — band together to battle a small town's corrupt sheriff (Brian Dennehy) and his hired goons. While the film has shades of older '50s westerns in lieu of the more sophisticated revisionist westerns of the '60s and '70s, it was still generally well-received by critics. Rather than harkening too far back to the tone of the '50s, Kasdan still brings an element of sophistication to his story, creating a more engaging narrative for modern audiences. As The New York Times' Janet Maslin wrote, "'Silverado' is a sweeping, glorious-looking western that's at least a full generation removed from the classic films it brings to mind."

"Silverado" marked a very different kind of performance from Kline, one steeped in mystery and macho bravado that still maintained shades of his more comedic performances. As Paden — a lone cowboy with an enigmatic past — he's trying to run from his former life as a criminal and hired gun, forging a new existence for himself as a more respectable, law-abiding citizen with his own set of morals.

One of the more fascinating movies of Kevin Kline's career was his appearance in "The Pirates of Penzance." Released one year after his more dramatic screen debut, it is about as contrasting a film from "Sophie's Choice" as you can imagine. It is a brilliant and audacious modern take on Arthur Sullivan and W. S. Gilbert's famed opera of the same name. Coming of age in the 1850s, young Frederic (Rex Smith) was raised as the apprentice of the fearsome Pirate King (Kline) after an innocent mistake made by his elderly nurse (Angela Lansbury). Now grown, Frederic vows to leave his former companions behind and rid the seas of pirates once and for all.

"The Pirates of Penzance" saw most of the original cast from the 1980 Broadway run return for the film, all to dazzling effect. As brightly colored as a '50s Technicolor movie, it's almost a self-aware parody of classic Hollywood pirate films. Though a box office disaster, grossing a mere $694,497 (per Box Office Mojo), the movie performed remarkably well among critics. "The show is strewn with throwaway sight gags absent from the stage version which, while mercifully never quite sliding into camp, serve to apply a much-needed cattle prod to Messrs G & S," said Time Out. As the Pirate King, Kline seems to be channeling his inner Errol Flynn decades before his turn as the actor in "The Last of Robin Hood," with over-the-top mannerisms and speech to charming effect.

Kevin Kline made his film debut with the romantic drama "Sophie's Choice," directed by Alan J. Pakula who would work with Kline later on "Consenting Adults." Having had a decade of experience working in theater, Kline arrived as a fully-formed talent. The film allowed him to gain the instant attention of moviegoers and Hollywood producers alike, almost certainly accounting for his career heights throughout the remainder of the '80s. In the late 1940s, aspiring writer Stingo (Peter MacNicol) moves to New York City, quickly becoming friends with his neighbors Nathan (Kline) and his Polish immigrant wife Sophie (Meryl Streep). The more Stingo gets to know the couple, though, the more he learns about their complex marriage, characterized by lies, jealousies, and abuse.

It takes an exceptional actor to match the onscreen presence of someone like Meryl Streep. In "Sophie's Choice," Kline proves himself an actor of radically high marks, breathing life into his endlessly complicated character. A favorable box office draw, raking in $30 million against its $9 million budget (via Box Office Mojo), "Sophie's Choice" was warmly received by critics. Roger Ebert said of the film, "the movie is so perfectly cast and well-imagined that it just takes over and happens to you. It's quite an experience." The movie was nominated for best adapted screenplay, best cinematography, best original score, and best costume design at the Academy Awards, with Streep winning the Oscar for Best Actress.

Like all the best comic actors, Kevin Kline is able to portray characters that are as full of heart as they are genuinely entertaining to watch. In "Dave" Kline perfectly demonstrates that keen ability, portraying not one but two completely different lead characters, each of whom possesses their own distinct personality and character quirks. Dave Kovic (Kline) is a mild-mannered temp agency executive approached by the Secret Service due to his uncanny resemblance to the President (also Kline). Hired to act as a body double for POTUS whenever the commander-in-chief wants to get away, Dave finds himself stuck in the role indefinitely after the President suffers a major stroke that leaves him in a coma.

The central premise for "Dave" may have all the makings of a dull role-swap comedy, but the movie's capable cast and the intelligent script allow it to go in unexpected directions. A financial success — grossing $63.2 million against its $28 million budget (via Box Office Mojo) — "Dave" also drew in an Academy Award nomination for best screenplay and a Golden Globe nomination for best actor (Kline). "When I first heard this storyline, I imagined that 'Dave' would be completely predictable. I was wrong ... Ivan Reitman's direction and Gary Ross' screenplay use intelligence and warmhearted sentiment to make 'Dave' into wonderful lighthearted entertainment," said Roger Ebert. Watching Kline in dual roles, you're aware that — despite their obvious physical similarities — each character feels unique from one another, a testament to Kline's profound onscreen abilities.

Kevin Kline has built a rich filmography filled with a mixture of dramatic and comedic performances. Arguably his most emotionally engaging role came with 1997's "The Ice Storm," which saw the actor as part of an ensemble cast featuring Joan Allen, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood, and Sigourney Weaver. Over Thanksgiving weekend in 1973, two suburban families contend with a variety of issues threatening their private lives, including alcoholism, infidelity, and meaningless sexual liaisons. Directed by noted auteur Ang Lee, the film competed for the prestigious Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and performed very well among critics. The influential team of Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel named it one of the best films of 1997. "'The Ice Storm'... captures this place, this season, this garish and confusing moment in history, with surgical precision," said Newsweek's David Ansen.

As Ben Hood, Kline plays a far more misanthropic character than any he'd previously portrayed. Moody about his stagnating career and forever at odds with his wife Elena (Allen), he tries to grasp whatever cheap form of momentary happiness he can find, whether through alcohol or extramarital affairs. It's a dark role for such a comically inclined actor, but as with many of his other dramatic performances, Kline completely hits out of the park.

"A Fish Called Wanda" may not contain any of Kevin Kline's strengths as a dramatic actor, but it does boast the most memorable comedic performance of his entire career. In a movie that also features "Monty Python" members John Cleese and Michael Palin along with Jamie Lee Curtis at the height of her popularity, Kline remains the standout. Four criminals conspire to steal a massive cache of diamonds, but after successfully completing the heist each of the gang members tries to double-cross the others. Among its numerous accolades, the film won Kline the Academy Award for best actor and received Oscar nominations for best director and best original screenplay. It was also nominated for best picture at the Golden Globes, and received a total of eight nominations at the BAFTAs.

A modern classic of British cinema, critical appreciation of "A Fish Called Wanda" has only grown with time. "'A Fish Called Wanda' is one of the best-constructed, funniest, and most clever comedies to grace motion picture screens in recent years," said James Berardinelli of ReelViews. Years later, it was included on the British Film Institute and Empire magazine's lists of the 100 greatest British films. As Otto — the closest thing the movie has to the main antagonist — Kline excels in a performance so animated, he seems straight out of a '40s screwball comedy. Maintaining wondrous chemistry with his fellow leads, Kline hands in one of his best and most famous roles to date.