Jennifer Connelly was born on December 12, 1970. She started her acting career when she was only 12 in 1984, with a small part in “Once Upon a Time in America.” However, her breakthrough was Jim Henson’s “Labyrinth” in 1985. Shortly after, she evolved to take up adult roles, mainly as the lead’s woman or mistress due to her stunning appearance. Her major accolades include:
- Oscar, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Critics Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress (Beautiful Mind, 2001).
- SAG bids for Actress and Ensemble (A Beautiful Mind, 2001)
- Critics’ Choice nomination for Best Actress (House of Sand and Fog, 2003)
- Independent Spirit nomination as Best Supporting Actress (Requiem for a Dream, 2000)
With all these achievements, we chose to take a look back at her extensive career, putting together a list of Connelly’s top ten movies.
Image Courtesy: IMDb
-
A Beautiful Mind-2001
Director: Ron Howard
Other stars: Russell Crowe, Ed Harris, Christopher Plummer
Genre: Biographical drama
IMDB rating: 8.2
A Beautiful Mind narrates the tragic but captivating story of John Nash. He was a mathematical genius who suffered severe mental traumas that jeopardized his personal and professional life. The movie follows the story as his suffering worsens, eventually reaching a crushing schizophrenia diagnosis.
Jennifer Connely beautifully played the supporting role besides Russell Crowe, who gave one of his best performances in the movie. Together they bring this biography to life in an engaging way. The performance and the strong screenplay turned this simple story into an infinitely complex and personal depiction of John Nash’s life.
Image Courtesy: EW.com
-
Labyrinth-1986
Director: Jim Henson
Other stars: David Bowie, Shelley Thompson, Toby Froud,
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Family drama
IMDB rating: 7.3
The iconic adventure movie revolves around Sarah. She is a teenage girl who journeys through an enchanted maze to rescue her younger brother from the Goblin King. Labyrinth is a widely-beloved fantasy movie of all time, growing more popular and accepted with age.
Actor and singer David Bowie have given one of his most entertaining performances as the Goblin King, taking advantage of the opportunities to go wild with the eccentric character. Although he is the absolute heart of the movie, we cannot ignore Connelly’s captivating performance as Sarah in Labyrinth.
Image Courtesy: Timeout.com
-
Requiem For a Dream-2000
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Other stars: Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Marlon Wayans
Genre: Drama
IMDB ratings: 8.3
The fact that Requiem for A Dream is still held in such high esteem as one of Darren Aronofsky’s finest works speaks something about how compelling and evergreen its tale is. Sara (Ellen Burstyn), the film’s protagonist, becomes severely mentally unstable after developing an addiction to her weight-loss drugs.
The film takes a refreshingly original approach to its narrative, delving into issues of mental health, substance misuse, and the psychology of the human condition while still delivering a story that is both compelling and interesting. Jennifer Connelly gave an outstanding performance as Marion Silver, one of the protagonists in the movie, marking career highs for her.
Image Courtesy: IMDb
-
House of Sand and Fog-2003
Director: Vadim Perelman
Other stars: Ben Kingsley, Frances Fisher, Ron Eldard
Genre: Crime, Drama
IMDB ratings: 7.5
Kathy (Jennifer Connely) is the main character in this powerful psychological drama about an Iranian guy named Behrani. He comes into Kathy’s old home after she is wrongly evicted. Many will say this is Connelly’s best work to date, as the character has many layered emotions and experiences.
House of Sand and Fog stands apart from other dramas focusing on the central characters. This is because it cares much more about its genuine and human depictions of the persons than it does about the story’s intricate plotting.
Image Courtesy: Classiq.me
-
Blood Diamond -2006
Director: Edward Zwick
Other stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou
Genre: Adventure thriller drama
IMDB ratings: 8.0
It is the story of Vandy (a local fisherman) and Danny (a professional smuggler). They form an odd alliance to track down Vandy’s family and steal a valuable diamond for Danny. The story is narrated in a War drama setting.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Djimon Hounsou give outstanding performances, and their characters play off of one other brilliantly in this picture. Connelly joins them on their wild voyage in search of a career-making scoop as a reporter from the United States.
Image Courtesy: IMDb
-
Career Opportunities-1991
Director: Bryan Gordon
Other stars: Frank Whaley, Kieran Mulroney, Dermot Mulroney,
Genre: Romantic comedy
IMDB ratings: 5.8
The movies like this one helped make Jennifer Connelly a household name in the rom-com genre in the ’90s. Career Opportunities tells the romantic comedy story of two people who spend the night imprisoned in a store. Over the night, they form a romantic bonding, which is put to the test when a gang of robbers breaks in
the store.
Like many rom-coms of the era, Career Opportunities gets its laughs from putting its protagonists in implausible and awkward situations. Connelly and Frank Whaley’s endearing portrayals add to the comedy of the plot.
Image Courtesy: IMDb
-
Dark City-1998
Director: Alex Proyas
Other stars: Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Mystery
IMDB ratings: 7.6
Dark City is a one-of-a-kind film that features a gritty and dark narrative about a man’s search for evidence of his innocence connected to a string of mysterious murders. The protagonist (Rufus Sewell) uncovers a group of aliens known as the Strangers who have a sinister influence over the city.
Due to its innovative and unorthodox approach to narrating the grim story, Dark City is often considered one of the best and most undervalued neo-noir films of all time. It has a great deal of mood and atmosphere, with a tale in which viewers may easily become immersed.
Image Courtesy: IMDb
-
Hulk-2003
Director: Ang Lee
Other stars: Eric Bana, Sam Elliott
Genre: Action, Sci-fi
IMDB ratings: 5.6
Hulk (2003) is, although not the most well-received superhero film, it has its defenders who praise the fresh take on the beloved comic book character. Connelly plays Betty Ross, the protagonist Bruce Banner’s love interest.
The romantic subplot of Hulk’s journey hasn’t been deeply explored in the MCU’s vision of the character. Still, it offers a fascinating new dimension to the narrative. Their chemistry makes Betty’s unconventional romance with Bana’s Hulk believable.
Image Courtesy: Den of Geek
-
The Rocketeer-1991
Director: Joe Johnston
Other stars: Billy Campbell, Alan Arkin
Genre: Action, Family, Adventure
IMDB ratings: 6.5
This classic science fiction film stars Billy Campbell as the titular Rocketeer. It recounts his exploits after he acquires the power to fly, thanks to a prototype jetpack. However, trouble arises quickly once knowledge of the jetpack spreads and evil-doers attempt to steal it from him.
Jenny Blake, played by Connelly, is an aspiring actress whose friendship with the Rocketeer is important to the plot. They have believable chemistry, creating several memorable scenes that give this fanciful story a much-needed human element.
Image Courtesy: The Motion Pictures
-
Inventing the Abbots-1997
Director: Pat O’Connor
Other stars: Liv Tyler, Billy Crudup, Joaquin Phoenix
Genre: Romantic drama
IMDB ratings: 6.4
In this dramatic film from the 1990s, Connelly co-stars with Joaquin Phoenix as two families become entwined in a perilous web due to one patriarch’s imagined wrongs. While it’s hardly the most exhilarating movie ever created, you can nevertheless become wrapped up in the tale for its entire runtime.
As a result of the excellent work by both Connelly and Phoenix, the plot is more engaging and realistic than anyone could have anticipated. The picture is not very memorable, but it is a jewel in Connelly’s career, even though neither of the performers became known for their roles in this movie.
