Michelle Williams recently received her fifth Oscar nomination for her role in Steven Spielberg's quasi-biopic The Fabelmans. Considered by many to be one of her finest performances, Williams will contend in the Lead Actress category for her work on the film.
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In her nearly thirty-year career, Williams has starred in several films, both studio-backed and indie productions, playing lead and supporting roles alike. Acclaimed for her versatility and intensity as a performer, Williams has amassed an impressive resumé full of recognizable and eclectic films, many of which rank highly in the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
10 'Wendy And Lucy' (2008)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%
Kelly Reichardt's Wendy and Lucy stars Williams as Lucy, a near-penniless drifter journeying to Alaska with her dog Lucy. After being arrested for shoplifting, Wendy discovers Lucy is missing and begins a frantic search to locate her sole companion.
Wendy and Lucy is an utterly heart-wrenching story of despair, elevated by Williams' committed and deeply affecting work. The film is not for everyone -- it's bleak and offers no consolation in the end. Indeed, viewers watching Wendy and Lucy will want to hug their dogs after the movie ends. However, Williams' performance is worth the tears.
9 'Meek's Cutoff' (2010)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%
Williams re-teamed with her constant collaborator, Kelly Reichardt, for the historical fiction film Meek's Cutoff. It stars Bruce Greenwood as Stephen Meek, a guide who leads a small group of settlers to perdition in 1845 Oregon. When the group captures a Native American man, a woman, played by Williams, defends him from Meek's abuses, prompting him to help the settlers find their way.
Loosely based on a real-life event, Meek's Cutoff received positive reviews from critics, who praised its production values and unique approach to the Western genre. The film's tone and tense atmosphere were also lauded, with many considering it one of the best underrated Westerns of the 21st century.
8 'Blue Valentine' (2010)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%
Michelle Williams gives an emotional tour-de-force in Derek Cianfrance's romantic drama Blue Valentine. The actress stars opposite Ryan Gosling in a story about a couple's love story, chronicling their early days and culminating in the eventual deterioration of their marriage.
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Blue Valentine received highly positive reviews from critics. Williams and Gosling attracted rave reviews for their performances, with Williams earning an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Like many of Williams' movies, Blue Valentine is a challenging viewing experience; however, its thoughtful exploration of emotional turmoil and its two leads' performances make it an essential watch for fans of the romantic drama.
7 'Lassie' (1994)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
Daniel Petrie's 1994 family adventure Lassie marked Williams' feature film debut. The film centers on the bond between a young boy, Matthew Turner, and a stray dog, the border collie Lassie. Williams plays Gretchen, Matthew's neighbor and love interest.
Although safe and overly sappy, Lassie remains a great family film with plenty of heart. Every human actor in the cast shines, including a scene-stealing Williams, but the film's real star is Lassie. The dog will steal every fan's heart and run away with it, refusing to give it back.
6 'Brokeback Mountain' (2005)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
Ang Lee's seminal romantic drama Brokeback Mountain stars Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal as two cowboys who maintain a complex romantic relationship over a twenty-year period. Michelle Williams and Anne Hathaway play their perceptive wives.
Brokeback Mountain received acclaim from critics, who praised Lee's direction, the film's music, screenplay, and the cast's performances; Williams received her first Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her work in the film. Brokeback Mountain was widely considered the favorite to win Best Picture at the Oscars, but the Academy infamously chose wrong and awarded the trophy to Crash instead.
5 'The Fabelmans' (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%
Williams' most recent release is Steven Spielberg's The Fabelmans. The film is a quasi-biopic about Spielberg's childhood, with Williams playing a fictional version of his mother. Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, and Gabriel LaBelle also star.
The Fabelmans earned rave reviews from critics, who considered it among Spielberg's most personal and richly emotional films. Williams' performance attracted similarly positive reviews, with many considering her a shoo-in for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar; however, she shocked everyone when she announced she would contend in the lead category. Several pundits claimed Williams might be committing category fraud, while many thought the opposite and insisted she was a bonafide lead. In the end, Williams had the last laugh, as she successfully got a nomination for Best Actress.
4 'Certain Women' (2016)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%
Williams reunited with Kelly Reichardt for a third time with 2016's Certain Women. The film stars an ensemble led by Williams, Laura Dern, Lily Gladstone, and Kristen Stewart and follows the lives of three women living in the American Northwest. Williams plays a dissatisfied housewife who longs to build a better home life for her family.
Certain Women received positive reviews from critics, particularly for Reichardt's screenplay. Like many of the director's other efforts, Certain Women is a deliberately slow-paced movie that finds the beauty in the ordinary, showcasing the lives of four women trying to do the best with what they have.
3 'Showing Up' (2022)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%
In their fourth and final collaboration so far, Williams and Reichardt team up for Showing Up. The film tells the story of Lizzy, a sculptor on the verge of a major and potentially life-changing exhibition, who must juggle her professional side with the chaos of her personal life.
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Showing Up premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival, where it competed for the Palm d'Or. The film received critical acclaim, with Reichardt's writing and directing and Williams' performance attracting the most praise. With Showing Up, Reichardt cements herself as a director of emotion, presenting thoughtful and rich narratives about the power and meaning hiding in everyday life.
2 'The Station Agent' (2003)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%
Peter Dinklage delivers the performance of a lifetime in Tom McCarthy's 2003 drama The Station Agent. The film centers on Fibar McBride, a lonely train aficionado who moves to an abandoned train station in New Jersey after his boss' death; there, he finds new life in his friendships with the townspeople. Williams plays Emily, the librarian who forms a romantic bond with Finbar.
The Station Agent received universal acclaim from critics, who raved about Dinklage's emotional and raw performance. The film's ensemble and humorous approach to loneliness and human connection was also met with excitement by critics.
1 Manchester By The Sea (2016)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
Williams earned her fourth Oscar nomination for her supporting turn in Kenneth Lonergan's 2016 drama Manchester by the Sea. The film stars Casey Affleck as Lee, a depressed man who inadvertently caused the deaths of his three children; following his brother's unexpected death, he must care for his nephew. Williams plays Randi, Lee's ex-wife.
Manchester by the Sea received universal acclaim from critics. Major praise went to Lonergan's direction and screenplay and the performances of Affleck, Williams, and Lucas Hedges; they all received Oscar nominations, with Lonergan winning Best Original Screenplay and Affleck Best Actor.
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