Top 6 Julia Roberts Movies

by Helen Earnshaw | 21 January 2014

August: Osage County

We haven't seen Julia Roberts on the big screen since Mirror Mirror back in 2012, but now she is back.

She is part of the all-star ensemble cast of August: Osage Country; she has already received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for her performance.

To celebrate her return to the big screen, we take a look at some of Roberts' best movies of her career.

- Pretty Woman (1990)

There is no greater way to grab everyone's attention than taking on a role that sees you wear a short skirt and thigh high boots... that is exactly what Julia Roberts did with Pretty Woman.

Pretty Woman was the movie that really put Roberts on the map as she teamed up with Richard Gere and director Garry Marshall.

Pretty Woman is a movie with a lot of heart, and Robert delivers a fantastic central performance in this modern day Cinderella story.

It remains one of Roberts' most famous roles - not to mention one of the most popular films in the rom-com genre.

Roberts went on to win a Golden Globe and pick up an Oscar nomination for her performance as Vivian.

- Steel Magnolias (1990)

1990 was a major breakthrough year for Roberts, as Steel Magnolias was another film that really helped put her on the map.

Steel Magnolias was an adaptation of the Robert Harling's play of the same name, and brought together a fantastic cast.

Roberts starred alongside Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, and Daryl Hannah, in a film that focuses on the bond between a close-knit group of friends.

Steel Magnolias is a terrific character study, which sees Roberts deliver a wonderful supporting performance.

For her work, Roberts picked up a Best Supporting Actress nomination - she lost out to Brenda Fricker for My Left Foot.

- My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)

Roberts teamed up with Dermot Mulroney in 1997 for new romantic comedy My Best Friend's Wedding.

Directed by P.J. Hogan, the movie follows Julianne Potter, who discovers that she is in love with her best friend after he announces his engagement.

My Best Friend's Wedding really does show off the comic skills of Roberts, in a movie that is laugh out loud funny.

This is a movie about friendship and love and at the same time, it is a darker wedding movie when compared to others that have come before or after it.

Roberts and Mulroney are joined by an all-star cast as Cameron Diaz and Rupert Everett are also on board.

- Notting Hill (1999)

Roberts did focus on romantic comedies at the end of the nineties - and had huge success with them.

One of the biggest box office hits came in the form of Notting Hill, as Roberts teamed up with Hugh Grant.

The life of a simple bookshop owner changes when he meets the most famous film star in the world.

Directed by Roger Michell and written by Richard Curtis, Notting Hill is as funny as it is charming.

Roberts and Grant have fantastic chemistry from start to finish, and it is this relationship that really pushes this film forward.

Notting Hill was the biggest opening weekend in the U.S. for a romantic comedy - a title that is lost to Runaway Bride. It went on to gross in excess of $363.8 million worldwide.

- Erin Brockovich (2000)

In 2000 Roberts left the rom-com behind as she tackled the biopic with Erin Brockovich.

Directed by Steven Soderbergh, the movie followed the true story of Erin Brockovich; a legal assistant and almost single-handedly brings down a California power company accused of polluting a city's water supply.

Erin Brockovich is an intelligent and captivating movie - that is largely thanks to the terrific central performance from Roberts.

Brockovich could have been quite an unlikable character in lesser hands, but Roberts' appeal really does help her become a character that you are rooting for.

For her terrific central performance, Roberts picked up her first Best Actress Oscar.

- Charlie Wilson's War (2008)

Charlie Wilson's War saw Roberts team up with Tom Hanks for this biopic comedy.

Charlie Wilson's War follows Texas congressman Charlie Wilson's covert dealings in Afghanistan, where his efforts to assist rebels in their war with the Soviets have some unforeseen and long-reaching effects.

It is hard to believe that this film is based on a true story, as it is a film that is packed with larger than life characters.

Hanks, Roberts and Phillip Seymour Hoffman make a terrific acting trio who all give wonderful central performances.

Charlie Wilson's War is a smart and sophisticated movie that is also a lot of fun.