The 10 Best Jacki Weaver Movies, Ranked (2024)

Jacki Weaver is an Australian actress who has been turning in fantastic performances since the early 1970s. She was initially involved in that decade's Australian New Wave movement (most notably Picnic at Hanging Rock), but devoted most of her time to the stage in the '80s and '90s. However, Weaver returned to Hollywood's attention in 2010 with her brilliantly twisted performance in Animal Kingdom opposite Joel Edgerton. Since then, she's contributed solid supporting turns to a host of projects, from Silver Linings Playbook to Bird Box.

Weaver is a versatile performer who seems to always give her all to every part, often adding impressive depth to otherwise thin characters. Her range is especially impressive; she can be warm and likable or manipulative and frightening. As an indication of her varied abilities, her last three movies are a true crime drama (American Murderer), a coming-of-age comedy-drama (Wildflower) and a stop-motion animated film (Memoir of a Snail). Now's as good a time as any to look back at her filmography; here are Weaver's ten strongest projects, ranked.

10 'Parkland' (2013)

Directed by Peter Landesman

Parkland is a historical drama that recreates the chaotic events following JFK's assassination on November 22, 1963. The film is set primarily at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, where Kennedy was rushed after being shot. The story is told from multiple perspectives, including the doctors and nurses who tried to save the president, the Secret Service agents on duty, and Abraham Zapruder (Paul Giamatti), who famously captured the assassination on film.

The casting all-around is intriguing, from Jeremy Strong's turn as the assassin to Billy Bob Thornton's appearance as a Secret Service agent and Zac Efron as a doctor. Weaver plays Marguerite Oswald, the eccentric and conspiracy-minded mother of Lee Harvey Oswald. She and the rest of the cast turn in intense and well-executed performances, matching the uncertainty and disorder of that fateful day. The film ultimately falls a little short of its ambitions, but it deserves kudos for compressing so much into just 93 minutes.

Watch on Prime

9 'Father Stu' (2022)

Directed by Rosalind Ross

Mark Wahlberg leads this biopic as Stuart Long, a former boxer who becomes a Catholic priest despite battling a degenerative muscle disorder. The crux of the drama is Stuart's journey from recklessness to spiritual awakening. Father Stu aims to be an inspiring drama, and it's certainly sincere, but the finished product is a little too generic and detached, and Wahlberg doesn't ace the role in the way that he could have. Perhaps this was partly due to Father Stu being writer-director Rosalind Ross's feature debut.

Weaver, however, is solid in her supporting turn as Kathleen Long, Stuart's skeptical and tough-as-nails mother, who is initially unsupportive of his decision to join the priesthood. Where Wahlberg takes an interesting character and makes him a little more dull, Weaver instead adds some layers to Kathleen and makes her more vivid than she is in the script alone. She always goes above and beyond with these kinds of roles, but the movie sadly underutilizes her.

Father Stu

Watch on Hulu

8 'Stage Mother' (2020)

Directed by Thom Fitzgerald

"This whole nation is one big melting pot, but my town seems to be that big clump of white flour that just won't melt." Stage Mother is a comedy-drama about Maybelline Metcalf (Weaver), a conservative church choir director from Texas, who inherits her late son's drag club in San Francisco. The two were estranged, but Maybelline now finds herself learning about his life. As she steps into this unfamiliar world, she unexpectedly begins to bond with her son's friends, and grows in the process.

Stage Mother is a feel-good film. At times, it feels a little cutesy and even somewhat dated, but its heart is in the right place. It succeeds because of the warm, layered performance from Weaver. The actress has said she was drawn to the emotional rollercoaster of the script. "I like the way the story has you crying in one minute and laughing in the next," Weaver explains. "That’s what life is like, so it’s a very honest slice of life.

Watch on Prime

7 'Bird Box' (2018)

Directed by Susanne Bier

"The radio said to stay inside." This apocalyptic horror-thriller was one of Netflix's biggest hits (it was watched by almost 26 million people in its first week streaming). Bird Box stars Sandra Bullock as Malorie, a mother who must navigate a world where unseen entities drive people to commit suicide upon sight. Weaver joins her as Cheryl, one of the survivors who take refuge in a house with Malorie.

Cheryl is a compassionate and level-headed character, providing a sense of calm amid the chaos. Here, Weaver offers counterbalance to the film's relentless suspense, and she becomes a kind of maternal figure within the group of survivors. She and the rest of the cast do a lot of heavy lifting, elevating the derivative and somewhat mediocre material (it retreads ground covered which A Quiet Place covered more effectively) into an enjoyable supernatural thriller. For a better take on the same ideas, check out the spin-off Bird Box Barcelona.

Bird Box

R

Thriller

Sci-Fi

Cast

Sarah Paulson , Rosa Salazar , Sandra Bullock , David Dastmalchian , John Malkovich , B.D. Wong

Runtime

124 minutes

Watch on Netflix

6 'Stoker' (2013)

Directed by Park Chan-wook

"Forgive me, dear - these things should not be discussed in front of children." Stoker is a psychological thriller that revolves around India Stoker (Mia Wasikowska), a young woman who, after the sudden death of her father, finds herself living with her unstable mother and her mysterious uncle, Charlie (Matthew Goode). As Charlie becomes increasingly involved in their lives, India begins to suspect that he has ulterior motives. Weaver is Aunt Gwendolyn, a relative who becomes concerned about Charlie’s intentions and tries to warn India.

This is a dark film that succeeds thanks to the stylish direction from South Korean legend Park Chan-wook, in his English-language debut. It's not the best showcase of Weaver's talents, since her role is a minor one but, yet again, she imbues a stock character with a surprising amount of charm. Here, she plays the role of Cassandra, doomed to offer unheeded warnings and watch as disaster strikes.

Stoker

R

Drama

Horror

Mystery

Thriller

Cast

Mia Wasikowska , Nicole Kidman , David Alford , Matthew Goode , Peg Allen , Lauren E. Roman

Runtime

100

Rent on Amazon

5 'Widows' (2018)

Directed by Steve McQueen

"We have a lot of work to do. Crying is not on the list." Widows is Steve McQueen's take on a heist thriller. It centers on four women who come together to pull off a robbery after their criminal husbands are killed. The women decide to take matters into their own hands to secure their futures, and their heist becomes a vehicle through which McQueen examines themes of power, corruption, and survival.

The result is a film that's more thoughtful than most in its genre, while still being fundamentally crowd-pleasing. It also gives Weaver a juicy role in Agnieszka, the hardened mother of Alice (Elizabeth Debicki), one of the widows. Agnieszka is manipulative, controlling, and outright abusive. In contrast to some of Weaver's warm maternal roles, she is cold and calculating, though also capable of the occasional unnerving moment of tenderness. This only seems to make her creepier. It's a stellar effort from Weaver.

Widows

R

Crime

Drama

Cast

Viola Davis , Liam Neeson , Jon Bernthal , Manuel Garcia-Rulfo , Coby Goss , Michelle Rodriguez

Runtime

128

Watch on Fubo

4 'Animal Kingdom' (2010)

Directed by David Michôd

"We do what we have to do, we do what we must. Just because we don't wanna do something doesn't mean it can't be done." Weaver turns in one of her fiercest performances in this Australian crime film as Janine "Smurf" Cody, the matriarch of a criminal family. Smurf is a master of controlling her sons and orchestrating their criminal activities, all while maintaining a facade of warmth and care. She rules through a mixture of affection and ruthless manipulation.

The film was critically acclaimed, with Weaver's work consistently singled out for praise. Animal Kingdom plays fantastically to her strengths, giving the actress free rein to unleash her powers to the full. She adds so much subtext to her performance, like the subtly inappropriate ways she touches and kisses her adult sons. "There's also a kind of substitute [relationship] with her sons," the actress has said. Not for nothing, Weaver went on to receive a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her efforts.

Animal Kingdom

Crime

Drama

Cast

Ellen Barkin , Scott Speedman , Shawn Hatosy , Ben Robson

Watch on Prime

3 'The Disaster Artist' (2017)

Directed by James Franco

"For you, me, people like us, even the worst day on a movie set is better than the best day doing anything else." With The Disaster Artist, James Franco and Seth Rogen memorably created a great film out of a bad one. This gem dramatizes the creation of the infamously awful film The Room, with Franco as the eccentric filmmaker Tommy Wiseau and Dave Franco as his friend and co-star Greg Sestero. Weaver plays Carolyn Minnott, the actress who portrays Lisa’s mother in The Room.

Although Franco's uncannily accurate performance steals the show, the supporting cast are all great. In fact, a murderer's row of talents make appearances, from Zac Efron and Sharon Stone to Hannibal Burress, Nathan Fielder, and Bob Odenkirk. Weaver is also enjoyable in her part, though she's one of the least wacky characters, mostly serving to emphasize the zaniness of the rest of this motley crew.

The Disaster Artist

R

Comedy

Cast

Dave Franco , Dylan Minnette , James Franco , Sharon Stone , June Diane Raphael , Alison Brie , Seth Rogen , Zac Efron , Josh Hutcherson , Zooey Deutch

Runtime

104 Minutes

Watch on Kanopy

2 'Picnic at Hanging Rock' (1975)

Directed by Peter Weir

"I feel sorry for them kids." Picnic at Hanging Rock is a haunting film that explores the disappearance of a group of schoolgirls and their teacher during a picnic at in the early 1900s. Weaver, in one of her appearances in a significant feature film, plays Minnie, one of the staff members at the school. While her role is relatively small, Weaver’s presence adds to the ensemble, and it showed off her range, as her previous film appearances had been in raunchy comedies.

Performances aside, the movie is strong and certainly worth seeing - it's now considered a classic of Australian cinema. The script is well-written and director Peter Weir handles the material deftly, ratcheting up the tension and complementing the themes with rich imagery, including a hefty dose of sexual symbolism. "Everyone went a bit wild in the '70s," Weaver has said. "There was a lot of sexual freedom and that’s reflected in those films."

Picnic at Hanging Rock

PG

Mystery

Cast

Rachel Roberts , Dominic Guard , Jacki Weaver

Runtime

115

Watch on Criterion

1 'Silver Linings Playbook' (2012)

Directed by David O. Russell

"Pat, this whole thing was a mistake." The strongest project Weaver has been involved is the quirky rom-com-drama Silver Linings Playbook. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence star as Pat and Tiffany, two damaged people who find a connection. Weaver is Pat's mother Dolores Solitano, who is trying to support her son’s recovery while managing the tensions within the family. Dolores could not make for a stronger contrast with Weaver's turn in Animal Kingdom.

In this movie, she's warm and empathetic, though also tired and stressed. After all, she's dealing with the fallout of her son's issues while trying to hold her family together. Like the rest of the cast, Weaver clearly put a lot of effort and care into her performance, significantly elevating the film in the process. Without the strong acting, Silver Linings Playbook would have been so-so and forgettable. As with Animal Kingdom, Weaver received an Oscar nod, proving that she's brilliant at playing maternal roles of any kind.

Silver Linings Playbook

R

Comedy

Documentary

Drama

Romance

After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.

Cast

Jennifer Lawrence , Robert De Niro , Bradley Cooper , Julia Stiles , Chris Tucker , Shea Whigham

Runtime

122

Watch on Max

NEXT: The 10 Best Gary Cooper Westerns, Ranked