Sandra Bullock, the American actor and producer, was born on July 26, 1964. Media dubbed her “America’s sweetheart” for her “friendly and direct and so unpretentious” persona. She was also listed in the top 50 beautiful people of the world in People magazine in 1996 and 2011. In addition, they named her Woman of the Year in 2010 and the Most Beautiful Woman in 2015.
She has contributed to Hollywood with her outstanding performance in many movies. As seen in this year’s release, Sandra continues her unmatchable work, Bullet Train. So, here we give a countdown of her best movies that have made her a star for almost 3 decades.
Image Courtesy: Ultimate Action Movie Club
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Speed
Year: 1994
Genre: Action, Thriller
Director: Jan de Bont
Cast: Keanu Reeves, Dennis Hopper, Joe Morton
This high-concept smash combines elements of a disaster movie, siege thriller, and car chase to create one of the most inventive entertainments in contemporary action cinema. Bullock is the commuter who gets behind the wheel of a Los Angeles bus that will blow up if it travels less than 50 mph. It was already extraordinary to have a female action lead who was clever. Another stroke of genius was having her operate the bus and the film. Bullock’s casting, which gave the movie its freshness and gave her career the boost it needed, was a genius stroke because she was both unknown to audiences and attractive. That was unaffected by Speed 2: Cruise Control, either.
Image Courtesy: Slash Film
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Gravity
Year: 2013
Genre: Drama, Sci-fi, Thriller
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Cast: George Clooney
When an accident destroys her spacecraft and her team, astronaut Ryan Stone (Bullock) laments, “I hate space.” Bullock’s understated, Oscar-nominated performance as the grieving mother who feels no more alone in space than she does back on Earth is the real special effect in Alfonso Cuarón’s visually expansive, dramatically minimalist thriller. This is true despite the film’s technical sophistication and the supreme joke of a space movie where the protagonist almost drowns. Instead, she makes the dramatic heavy lifting seem effortless by carrying the majority of the film by herself.
Image Courtesy: Roger Ebert
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The Heat
Year: 2013
Genre: Drama, Crime, Comedy
Director: Paul Feig.
Cast: Demián Bichir, Marlon Wayans, Melissa McCarthy, Michael Rapaport.
Bullock plays a by-the-book egotistical FBI agent who is compelled to cooperate with a sleazy loudmouth Boston cop (Melissa McCarthy) on a case intended to bring down a local mafia in Paul Feig’s wildly popular odd-couple combination. These two actresses were brilliantly cast, especially Bullock, who can play stuffy with the best. It was a delight to watch her get down and dirty with McCarthy.
Image Courtesy: Talk Film Society
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While You Were Sleeping
Year: 1995
Genre: Drama, Romance
Director: Jon Turteltaub.
Cast: Bill Pullman, Peter Boyle, Peter Gallagher
“While You Were Sleeping” was one of Bullock’s biggest critical and commercial successes, while being hardly remembered today. Peter (Peter Gallagher), a commuter, is pushed on the tracks. Lucy (Bullock), a token collector for the Chicago subway system, saves him. However, Lucy finds herself attracted to Peter’s brother Jack (Bill Pullman) as she is lured more into Peter’s world. Bullock received her first Golden Globe nomination for her role as Lucy.
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The Blind Side
Year: 1995
Genre: Drama, Drama, Sports
Director: John Lee Hancock.
Cast: Tim McGraw, Kathy Bates, Quinton Aaron
Bullock portrays real-life Memphis socialite Leigh Anne Tully, who houses homeless high-school football player Michael Oher (“Big Mike”), played by Quinton Aaron. Bullock received her first Academy Award, first Golden Globe Award, and second Screen Actors Guild Award for this movie. Bullock’s performance in “The Blind Side” may not have been the best of 2009. Still, the fact that the popular actress handled herself admirably in this stirring success was enough to win over the Oscar voters.
Image Courtesy: IMDb
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Crash
Year: 2004
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime
Director: Paul Haggis
Cast: Matt Dillon, Jennifer Esposito, Don Cheadle, Ludacris, Brendan Fraser
One of the most contentious decisions in Academy history is the 2005 Best Picture award given to “Crash” over “Brokeback Mountain.” Bullock’s portrayal of Jean, a character that enables Bullock to use all of her theatrical skills as the victim of a carjacking, is unaffected by any of the criticism, though. Instead, Bullock won her first Screen Actors Guild Ensemble Award for her portrayal of Jean.
Image Courtesy: IMDb
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A Time to Kill
Year: 1996
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime
Director: Joel Schumacher
Cast: Samuel J. Jackson, Kevin Spacey, Matthew McConaughey
In Joel Schumacher’s crime drama, Bullock gave a terrific performance as law student Ellen Roark, who is assisting in defense of a black father who sought retribution against the guys who had sexually assaulted his 10-year-old daughter. Unfortunately, Roark is assaulted as the racist elements of the small Mississippi town swear revenge on the defense team. Bullock had all she needed from the script by Avika Goldsman to give one of her best dramatic performances.
Image Courtesy: Into Film
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Miss Congeniality
Year: 2000
Genre: Drama, Action, Comedy
Director: Donald Petrie
Cast: Michael Caine, Candice Bergen, Benjamin Bratt
Bullock plays Gracie Hart, an FBI agent who goes undercover as a beauty pageant competitor in order to track down a homegrown terrorist who intends to interrupt the Miss United States coronation in this action comedy. It’s hilarious to watch Bullock’s tough nut FBI agent Gracie squirm into pageant attire. Bullock received a second Golden Globe nomination for her role as Gracie.
Image Courtesy: IMDb
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The Proposal
Year: 2009
Genre: Drama, Romance, Comedy
Director: Anne Fletcher
Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Craig T. Nelson, Mary Steenburgen, Betty White
Bullock is in a position of authority in “The Proposal” as Margaret, a Canadian executive. However, she must marry an American citizen to avoid being deported. So she asks her executive assistant (Ryan Reynolds) to pretend to be her fiancé to keep her job at the publishing company. Bullock’s biggest hit, “The Proposal,” grossed over $317 million globally despite receiving mixed reviews. Bullock received a third Golden Globe nod for her portrayal of Margaret.
Image Courtesy: IMDb
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Two Weeks Notice
Year: 2002
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Director: Marc Lawrence.
Cast: Hugh Grant, Donald Trump, Alicia Witt.
This is the best portrayal of Donald Trump in a Sandra Bullock movie. She portrays a historic preservation lawyer who fights a pig of a real estate developer played by Hugh Grant. The movie is a wonderfully insubstantial romcom. The best thing about “Two Weeks Notice” is that it never devolves into polemics despite the characters’ potentially ideological points of view; instead, it focuses on their personalities.
