Whether you first fell in love with Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde or she captured your heart as June Carter Cash in Walk the Line, one thing we know for sure is that the award-winning actress is a Hollywood icon. Witherspoon's entertainment career began in 1991 when the then-14-year-old applied to be an extra in The Man in the Moon, and ended up landing the lead role.
Two decades later, we love Witherspoon for all her movie roles plus many other things—her amazing book club picks, Big Little Lies, and Draper James. Oh, and did we mention that Legally Blonde 3 is set to premiere this year? While we wait, here's a little refresher on the all-time best Witherspoon movies out now. We guarantee that you'll become even more obsessed with the Southern belle after you watch them!
1) The Man in the Moon (1991)
In The Man in the Moon, a 14-year-old Reese Witherspoon made her film debut as a young girl named Dani who falls in love with her neighbour. This coming-of-age movie shows little Dani work up the courage to confront Court (Jason Foster) about her feelings. In the end, the two share their first kiss. Witherspoon landed the lead role when simply auditioning to be an extra, and we're so glad that she did.
2) A Far Off Place (1993)
In 1993, Witherspoon made her fourth on-screen appearance in Disney's A Far Off Place. The actress plays a young girl who becomes stranded in an African desert with two strangers and must escape. Along the way, the trio faces obstacles like wild animals and severe weather conditions, but they somehow make it out alive.
3) Fear (1996)
In 1996, Witherspoon and Mark Wahlberg landed the lead roles of Nicole and David in American psycho-thriller Fear. Nicole falls in love with David, and he seems like the perfect guy, but Nicole's dad is suspicious from the start. Her father discovers that David isn't all he makes himself out to be, and the family ends up in danger.
4) Cruel Intentions (1999)
Cruel Intentions gave Witherspoon her breakout role, cementing her as a rising star to watch. (Last year, the film replayed in theaters to celebrate its 20th anniversary!) The iconic film stars Witherspoon, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Selma Blair, and Witherspoon's first husband, Ryan Phillippe. It takes place in an elite Manhattan prep school, where two step-brothers compete against each other to take the virginity of the new headmaster's daughter, played by Witherspoon.
5) American Psycho (2000)
In American Psycho, Witherspoon plays the wife of Wall Street yuppie Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale). But Patrick is hiding a huge, dark secret: He's actually a psychotic killer who assaults and murders strangers and friends without reason. Based on Bret Easton Ellis's novel, this psycho-thriller will definitely send a chill down your spine.
6) Legally Blonde (2001)
Watching Legally Blonde is basically a rite of passage. Witherspoon plays the film's bubbly lead Elle Woods, who pursues a career in law to win back the heart of her politically ambitious ex-boyfriend. This movie not only catapulted Witherspoon to mega fame, but it also led to decades of Elle-inspired Halloween costumes and "bent-and-snap" references.
7) The Importance of Being Earnest (2002)
You might be used to Witherspoon with a Southern accent, but in the The Importance of Being Earnest, Witherspoon becomes a Brit to play the role of Cecily. The film adaption of Oscar Wilde's romantic comedy-drama tells the tale of two young British gentlemen who make up a pseudonym to add some excitement into their lives. Let's just say that their fabrications catch up to them.
8) Walk the Line (2005)
Walk The Line earned Witherspoon her first Academy Award for Best Actress, and for good reason. The then 29-year-old actress plays the love of Johnny Cash's life, country star June Carter, whom he met while on tour. Cash's volatile lifestyle seriously tests their relationship, but in the end they get married. The film itself received five Oscar nominations.
9) Water for Elephants (2011)
Based on Sara Gruen's best-selling novel, Water for Elephants explores an unexpected romance between a drop-out vet school student (Robert Pattinson) and a circus performer (Witherspoon). The two meet when Pattinson's character takes up a job as an animal caretaker at the circus, and they bond over their love of an elephant named Rosie. The only problem? Marla is married, and her husband is not happy about this budding relationship.
10) Wild (2014)
Witherspoon loved the book version of Wild so much that she purchased the film rights to Cheryl Strayed's memoir and adapted it into a movie. The actress stars as the show's lead, a young girl who travels miles to cope with the death of her mother (played by Laura Dern). If you're a fan of this movie, you may love it even more once you learn that Witherspoon wore no makeup while filming and shot hiking scenes with a 30kg bag on her back.
11) The Good Lie (2014)
In this heartwarming film, Witherspoon plays a single woman who is assigned the job of helping three Sudanese orphans find jobs in America after their village is destroyed. Once Carrie learns that there are more refugees in Sudan, she heads overseas to find a lost refugee of war. She also goes to great lengths to ensure the boys don't get separated and successfully find their way in America. The Good Lie is based on a true story.
12) A Wrinkle In Time (2018)
In this mystical film, Witherspoon stars as the youngest of three celestial beings who help three young students escape a planet that holds all the evil in the universe (!). The children discover the planet and bravely decide to travel there, but find themselves in danger. Many critics enjoyed Madeleine L’Engle's novel better than the Disney film it inspired, but you'll just have to watch and decide for yourself.
Newsletter
