10 Essential Laura Dern Movies, Ranked

Laura Dern has been a force of nature throughout her entire career. She has played iconic characters who are complex, deeply empathetic women. Throughout her career, she has shown her ability to find nuance in the characters she plays, and make them relatable even at their most flawed. Dern’s career has been characterized by her involvement in independent movies and massive blockbusters.

Throughout her career, Dern has demonstrated her talents and has proven herself able to elevate any story. Some movies, like Little Women, demonstrate her ability to interpret already established characters and provide a new perspective on a beloved story. Other movies, like Citizen Ruth, highlight her ability to play compelling characters against the backdrop of stories with important social commentary. The most essential Laura Dern movies showcase her wide range as an actor.

10

‘Certain Women’ (2016)

Directed by Kelly Reichardt

Laura Dern wears a coat and stands in an office in Certain Women. — Image via IFC Films

Certain Women is based on three short stories by Maile Meloy. The story features Laura Wells (Dern), a lawyer dealing with a frustrated client, Will Fuller (Jared Harris), who is seeking justice for a workplace injury. When Will takes an employee of his former workplace hostage, Laura is called in to speak with him. After reviewing the details of his case, Laura realizes Will was actually cheated out of a fair settlement and tries her best to help him.

What makes Certain Women an essential Laura Dern movie is the fact that it highlights her ability to portray a character who never stops advocating for what she knows is right. Dern portrays Laura as a nuanced character who has to confront the fact that she faces massive challenges in her personal and professional life. The fact that Dern is able to play this with emotional depth makes Certain Women a necessary watch for any fan.

Certain Women

Release Date: October 14, 2016
Runtime: 107 minutes
Director: Kelly Reichardt
Writers: Kelly Reichardt, Maile Meloy

9

‘Wild at Heart’ (1990)

Directed by David Lynch

Nicolas Cage's Sailor leaning close to kiss Laura Dern's Lula in Wild at Heart — Image via The Samuel Goldwyn Company

Wild at Heart is the story of Lula Fortune (Dern) and Sailor Ripley (Nicolas Cage), a couple running from Lula’s domineering parents. The two have to outrun the killer that Lula’s mother, and the hired assassins hired to kill Sailor. What follows is a wild ride as the two rely on one another to start a new life on the open road. Their often violent and surreal road trip features detours that are based on The Wizard of Oz and the music of Elvis.

Wild at Heart is an essential Laura Dern movie because it showcases her ability to play a romantic lead. Her ability to play opposite Cage demonstrates the fact that she can be a part of any romantic story, even one as unhinged as this. The movie also gives Dern the chance to show how well she has always been able to balance humor and heart against the backdrop of a story with objectively wild stakes.

8

‘Marriage Story’ (2019)

Directed by Noah Baumbach

Laura Dern sitting in her office in 'Marriage Story'. — Image via Netflix

Marriage Story follows the story of a couple at the end of their relationship as they navigate the challenges of divorce. Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) and Charlie (Adam Driver) are artists who have grown apart over the years. While they both want what is best for their son, they struggle with the resentment that has led them to where they are. Dern comes in as the divorce lawyer Nicole retains to represent her. She is fiercely smart, and willing to stop at nothing to get the best for her client.

Marriage Story is another example of Dern being able to play a magnetic lawyer who knows that she’s right and will stop at nothing to advance her client’s goals. Additionally, while Dern’s character may be a secondary one, she is no less essential to this story about the end of a relationship. Marriage Story is essential viewing for fans of Dern, since it also highlights her ability to be a scene-stealing member of an ensemble.

Marriage Story

Release Date: December 6, 2019
Runtime: 136 minutes
Director: Noah Baumbach
Writers: Noah Baumbach

7

‘Little Women’ (2019)

Directed by Greta Gerwig

Saoirse Ronan as Jo and Laura Dern as Marmee in Little Women. — Inage via Sony Pictures Releasing

Little Women is one of the most recent adaptations of Louisa May Alcott‘s beloved novel about the March sisters and their lives during the American Civil War. In this version of the story, Dern plays Marmee, the March family matriarch, who does all she can to hold her family in the midst of war and poverty. While the story may focus on the March sisters– Meg (Emma Watson), Jo (Saoirse Ronan), Beth (Eliza Scanlen), and Amy (Florence Pugh)– Marmee provides a guiding light for her daughters as they face adulthood.

In Little Women, Dern shows off her ability to bring a beloved literary character to life by putting her own spin on her. Dern is a compassionate and relatable version of this character who represents a pillar of strength to her family in the original text. Little Women is an essential Laura Dern movie because it shows how well she is able to tap into a character’s vulnerabilities, and show them at their most human.

Little Women

Release Date: December 25, 2019
Runtime: 135 minutes

6

‘Citizen Ruth’ (1996)

Directed by Alexander Payne

Laura Dern holds a pink hair comb and stands in court in 'Citizen Ruth'. — Image via Miramax

Citizen Ruth introduces Ruth Stoops (Dern), a young woman who unexpectedly finds herself in the middle of a national conversation about abortion and reproductive healthcare. Ruth struggles with substance use and has had multiple pregnancies. Her story attracts national media attention, and she is held up as an example of why abortion rights are necessary. She finds herself having to adjust to a new life in the spotlight.

Citizen Ruth is an essential watch for fans of Laura Dern since it showcases her ability to take a serious issue and add a human face to it. Dern plays a highly sympathetic character who could have been harder to relate to in less capable hands. Citizen Ruth spotlights Dern’s ability to use humor and heart to tap into a character’s humanity to make them endearing.

Citizen Ruth

Release Date: November 21, 1996
Runtime: 104 minutes
Writers: Alexander Payne
Producers: Cary Woods

5

‘We Don’t Live Here Anymore’ (2004)

Directed by John Curran

Laura Dern looks across a table at someone off-camera in We Don't Live Here Anymore. — Image via Warner Independent

We Don’t Live Here Anymore is a story about a troubled marriage. Dern plays Terry, whose husband Jack (Mark Ruffalo) is having an affair. As the story unfolds, Terry and Jack confront the fact that they have been struggling with their relationship for some time. Terry is faced with the choice of what to do for her own sake and the sake of her family. The movie is based on the collection of short stories, “We Don’t Live Here Anymore and Adultery” by Andre Dubus.

We Don’t Live Here Anymore is an essential Laura Dern movie since it spotlights her ability to tap into the raw emotion of a character’s story. Dern’s emotional honesty in playing a woman whose husband is unfaithful is captivating to watch. While this may not be one of Dern’s most well-known movies, it’s a perfect example of her ability to zero in on what makes a character tick. She doesn’t need much dialogue to convey Terry’s heartbreak and inner turmoil.

4

‘Mask’ (1985)

Directed by Peter Bogdanovich

Laura Dern standing next to a horse and looking off-camera in Mask. — Image via Universal Pictures

Mask follows the story of a young boy with a rare genetic disorder, whose family is determined to give him as normal a life as possible. The movie is based on the true story of Rocky Davis (Eric Stoltz), who was born with craniodiaphyseal dysplasia. Dern plays Diana, a young blind woman Rocky meets at a camp for disabled children. Diana and Rocky develop a relationship and bond because of their shared sense of humor and experiences as disabled children.

Mask is an essential Laura Dern movie because it is an early look at her ability to shine. Dern was 17 years old when she starred in this movie, and this was just a brief glimpse of what was to come in her career. Dern took this character, who wasn’t a main character in the story, and made her memorable. Mask is an example of Dern being able to fully empathize with a character and play them with compassion.

Mask

Release Date: March 8, 1985
Runtime: 120 minutes

3

‘Jurassic Park’ (1993)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Jurassic Park chronicles the story of a remote island where scientists work to genetically resurrect dinosaurs to be part of a theme park. When the park’s security systems fail and the dinosaurs escape, everyone must confront the fact that nature is unpredictable. Dern plays Dr. Ellie Sattler, a paleobotanist who is invited to witness the scientific innovation taking place on the island before everything goes wrong.

It’s difficult to overstate Dern’s impact as a cultural icon in Jurassic Park. Dr. Ellie Sattler represents a unique kind of action hero and Dern plays her with complete sincerity. Dern highlights Dr. Sattler’s best qualities, and the fact that she is far more than anyone’s love interest. This role represented a turning point in Dern’s career from independent movies to more mainstream stories. Jurassic Park is an essential Laura Dern movie because it showcases her ability to be an essential part of a major movie franchise.

2

‘Blue Velvet’ (1986)

Directed by David Lynch

Kyle MacLachlan as Jeffrey Beaumont looking into the eyes of Laura Dern as Sandy Williams in Blue Velvet. — Image via De Laurentiis Entertainment Group

Blue Velvet is a mystery thriller that follows a college student who uncovers a massive criminal conspiracy in his hometown. After discovering a human ear, Jeffrey Beaumont (Kyle MacLachlan) finds out that this conspiracy is connected to a lounge singer. Dern plays Sandy Williams, a student who helps Jeffrey get to the bottom of the mystery he stumbles upon. She is also the daughter of a police detective, which puts her in a position to help solve the case.

What makes Blue Velvet such an essential Laura Dern movie is the fact that it highlights her ability to carry a thrilling story that has twists and turns from beginning to end. This is also an important watch for fans of Dern’s work, since it is her first collaboration with David Lynch. Blue Velvet is another early look at Dern’s talent, and highlights her ability to take on dark stories with spectacular results.

Blue Velvet

Release Date: January 1, 1986
Runtime: 120 minutes
Director: David Lynch
Writers: David Lynch

1

‘Rambling Rose’ (1991)

Directed by Martha Coolidge

Lukas Haas looks at Laura Dern as she looks away as they sit together in a forest in Rambling Rose. — Image via New Line Cinema

Rambling Rose is based on the novel of the same name by Calder Willingham. It follows Rose (Dern), a woman living in Georgia during the Great Depression. When she moves in with a family, she disrupts their dynamics, and forms a connection with the family’s teenage son Buddy (Lukas Haas). Through the story, Rose explores her own needs, wants, and desires and navigates the fact that she has been repressed for so much of her life.

What makes Rambling Rose the most essential Laura Dern movie is the fact that it is a showcase of all her best qualities as an actor. This movie earned Dern her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, which was a milestone in her career. Rambling Rose proves that Dern is at her best when given an emotionally deep character to delve into. This movie is also the clearest example of Dern being able to understand her character’s psyche on a deep level.