Asthe Emmy Awards season begins to kick into high gear,it is hardnot to think about one of television's most beloved actresses:5-time Emmy winner Betty White. White died on December 31, 2021, less than one month away from her 100th birthday.
Primarily known for her work onThe Golden Girls,The Mary Tyler Moore Show, andHot in Cleveland, Whitewas also a consistent supporting player in motion pictures right up until 2019. For those missing the beloved star, these films represent the very best of Betty White's movie career, ranked according to IMDb.
You Again (2010) - 5.7
Stream on Disney+
This2010 comedy starring Kristin Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Sigourney Weaver tells the story of Marni (Bell) who discovers that her brother isgoing to marry her high school bully, while her mother (Curtis) discovers that her high school enemy (Weaver) is a relative of the bride. In this film, directed by Andy Fickman, White plays Bell's lovable grandmother.
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Though not the highest ranked movie in her filmography,You Again features always reliable work from Betty White, who has the last laugh at the end of the movie when she runs into her former high school frenemy, played by Cloris Leachman.The comedic success of the ending relies on White'sperformanceasher charming demeanor gradually fades into the background. Her dry delivery to Leachman in which she says "I missed your funeral last year" is pitch perfect.
Lake Placid (1999) - 5.7
Stream on Tubi
Perhaps the most surprising part of the 1999 horror cult filmLake Placidis Betty White's supporting turn as a widow living on a lake terrorized by a giant crocodile. In one especially bizarre moment, White is seen feeding a cow to the large monster.
Although her performance in the film is brief, it is arguably the most memorable part of the movie, which was written by Big Little LiesscribeDavid E. Kelley. Even the critical consensus of the film on Rotten Tomatoes states that "Betty White's delightful supporting turn may be worth the price of admission alone." Part of what makes a Betty White performance so special is how she injects a refreshing sense of humor in even the most surprising of circumstances or, in this specific case, genres.
Trouble (2019) - 5.8
Stream on Netflix
Betty White's very last film role was a voiceover performance in the Netflix animated filmTrouble, in which she plays Mrs. Sarah Vanderwhoozie, the owner of the title character, her dog (played by rapper Big Sean). The film was released in early 2020 and also featured the voices of Pamela Adlon and Snoop Dogg.
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Although White's highly recognizable voice is always a delight to hear, there is a particularly strange moment inTroublethat makes it especially odd that this was White's last project.In one scene, a pre-recorded video of White's character includes the triumphant declaration: "Hello everyone. I have some sad news...I'm dead!" What was likely originally intended to be a comedic moment might read differently now. However, White's engaging line reading may also provide insight into her uncanny ability to find the lightness within tragedy.
The Story Of Us (1999) - 5.9
Available to rent on AppleTV+ & Amazon Prime Video
Rob Reiner'sThe Story of Us takes elements from many of his previous films, the most obvious of which isWhen Harry Met Sally.This nonlinear take on a marriage of fifteen years and the various therapy sessions it takes to hold the marriage together stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Bruce Willis in a strong dramatic performance.
White's role inThe Story of Us is a brief cameo in which the two central characters fight in bed and hear the voices of their respective parents arguing and adding to the noise. Even in the smallest of roles, Betty White always managed to make the most out of these moments, including a memorable quip in which she tells Jayne Meadows, who plays Michelle Pfeiffer's mother, that her face is tight.
Hard Rain (1998) - 5.9
Stream on HBO Max
This divisive 1998 film starring Morgan Freeman,another actor with a recognizable voice, and Christian Slater functions as both a disaster film and a heist movie.Hard Rainfollows anarmored truck driver (Freeman) and the nephew of his former partner as they team up against agang in the midst of a flood of epic proportions.
LikeLake Placid, this film is not exactly what one might expect from a Betty White movie. Here, she plays one half of an older couplethat won't evacuate their town despite the weather conditions. Once again, White proves that she can apply her natural on-screen charisma to any kind of film, whether it is a comedy, an animated film, or an epic disaster flick.
The Lorax (2012) - 6.4
Stream on Peacock
Betty White lent her vocals to the 2012 adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classicThe Lorax. This animated film also included the likes of Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, and Danny DeVito as the title character. Like the original children's book,the film features themes related to environmental neglect.
Whiteplayed Grammy Norma, the grandmother of Ted Wiggins (Efron). In one particularly special scene, Grammy Norma makes a comment at the dinner table expressing resentment for how she is treated because she is old just before asking where her teeth went, retrieving them, and putting them back in her mouth. White's humor here blends well with the physical comedyof the animation.
The Proposal (2009) - 6.7
Stream on FuboTV & DIRECTV
Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds proved to be a strong team in this 2009 romantic comedy, which was released the same yearthat Bullock premiered her Oscar-winning filmThe Blind Side. InThe Proposal,Margaret (Bullock), a "boss from hell," has to marry her employee Andrew (Reynolds) in order to avoid getting deported.
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White alwaysdid an excellent job in romantic comedies. It's the kind of genre that welcomes her sense of spirit. InThe Proposal, White plays another grandmother, though thistimeshe gets to have some more fun especially when her character chants in the woods with Bullock or when she fakes a heart attack.The Proposalremains an easily watchable, thoroughly enjoyable comedy.
Ponyo (2008) - 7.6
Stream on HBO Max
Academy Award winning master of animation Hayao Miyazaki is perhaps best known for his filmsSpirited Away,My Neighbor Totoro, and other Studio Ghibli creations. However, audiences should not forget his 2008 adventure filmPonyo, which follows the story of a young boy's relationship with a special goldfish.
Ponyo features Miyazaki's signature hand-drawn animation style and techniques, which were received with universal critical acclaim. White was part of an impressible English dubbing cast along with Tina Fey and Cate Blanchett.She plays an elderly woman living in a senior center along with fellow co-star from The Mary Tyler MooreShow,Cloris Leachman.
Advise & Consent (1962) - 7.7
The oldest film on this list is Otto Preminger's 1962 filmAdvise & Consent,which stars Henry Fonda as a polarizing candidate nominated to be the U.S. Secretary of State. The film is based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Allen Drury.
In this tense political drama, a young Betty Whiteplayed the role of Senator Bessie Adamsof Kansas. Although there are elements to this film that have not aged well, White's confidence on screen as a senator in a male-dominated arena remains to be compelling and fascinating to watch 60 years later. It is also a treat to see White in a role that couldn't be more different from the comedic persona she wouldadoptin later years.
Toy Story 4 (2019) - 7.7
Stream on Disney+
The highest-ratedmovieon IMDb out of all of Betty White's films is the fourth installment of Disney/Pixar's classicToy Storyseries, which was released in 2019. The film reunites Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) as they try to bring Bonnie's new toy, Forky, back to her.
Toy Story 4 marked one of Betty White's final roles and in this case, it was actually a cameo. White plays one of Bonnie's neglected older toys, a toy tiger conveniently credited as Bitey White. Despite the brevity of the role, the tongue-in-cheek name of Bite White suggests thather involvement in the Pixar film was special to the filmmakers. As with all of her film performances, White often brought a levity, charm, and undeniable commitment no matter the size of the role.
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