The Top 20 performances by Meryl Streep, as voted for by you, is like a treasure chest of golden acting. On the flip side, so sad to see those that did not quite make the final list. But there’s plenty to be in awe of here. Thanks to all who voted. And a huge, huge shout out to the quad-role in Angels in America – sadly not included here due to its television format. In case you were wondering.
20) The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
Jonathan Demme’s retelling of the 1962 film, but also adapted from the novel by Richard Condon, is a return to form for the director. The Manchurian Candidate is a taut, engaging political thriller, depicting an eerie military and government scandal, were soldiers are brainwashed like puppets.
Denzel Washington and Liev Schreiber are terrific, but it’s that Meryl Streep once again, who even in limited screentime seems to pack the greater punch. The venom and all-conquering nature of this woman, a U.S. Senator I might add, is ruthless terror personified. Angela Lansbury earned an Oscar nod for her portrayal in 1962, but incredibly Streep was nowhere to be seen in the 2004 Best Supporting Actress line-up. – – – Robin Write
19) One True Thing (1998)
One True Thing was based on a real-life struggle between a daughter unable to grab her own life and her mother who is diagnosed with cancer. The candid novel by Anna Quindlen was adapted for the screen by Karen Croner, and Carl Franklin took on the directing duties. Meryl Streep has good acting competition the shape of Renee Zellweger and William Hurt, but once again proves her worth as the finest actress year after year.
The decline in Kate’s health is a painful journey, and Streep exposes the pain and hope once can only imagine in such a torrid situation. The film slipped under the net in 1998, and were it not for Streep’s performance may have got lost altogether. Another Oscar nomination came her way too. – – – Robin Write
18) Postcards from the Edge (1990)
Such an emotional significance Postcards from the Edge holds now. The cracking screenplay by Carrie Fisher, based on the relationship she had with her mother Debbie Reynolds, is smart, funny, and rich in character. Directed by Mike Nichols, it is Meryl Streep playing the daughter, Suzanne Vale, attempting to salvage her acting career and live life after rehab. Having to return under the roof of her mother Doris Mann (Shirley MacLaine), Suzanne appears to be jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.
The chemistry between Streep and MacLaine is infectious, both delivering lines with such droll humor and bitterness. Streep has done comedy elsewhere of course, but in Postcards from the Edge she explores with ease a new layer of wit, such a dry sense of humour and naive outlook make her a fascinating character. – – – Robin Write
17) Florence Foster Jenkins (2016)
You watch Florence Foster Jenkins, and you likely have that same conversation. How good is Streep in this? Well, it’s Meryl Streep. It’s a flamboyant, tongue-in-cheek performance from the actress netting her 20th Academy Award nomination for this. Playing a somewhat out of tune heiress in New York, the lady just wants to sing, opera no less.
The facade that she is actually good at singing is paper thin, but those around her, including husband St. Clair (a strikingly good Hugh Grant), try their damnedest to keep her sweet. Streep delivers a comic turn given the plot, but that underlying vulnerability, and illness, brings a poignancy to the table that’s tough to resist. – – – Robin Write
16) Death Becomes Her (1992)
Beauty is everything in Hollywood, and this film follows narcissist actress Madeline Ashton (Meryl Streep) who when we first meet her has stolen her rival Helen Sharp’s (Goldie Hawn) fiancé Ernest Menville (Bruce Willis), who is a plastic surgeon. Seven years later, Helen is now an obese lonely woman in a psychiatric hospital and obsessed in seeking revenge on Madeline.
However, unknown to Helen, the marriage of Madeline and Menville is on the rocks and he is no longer a surgeon but an alcoholic caretaker. The couple attend a party celebrating Helen’s new book, discover that somehow, Helen is now slim, youthful and beautiful. Distraught, Madeline visits a mysterious Lisle von Rhoman, a woman specializing in youth rejuvenation who gives Madeline a potion which gifts eternal beauty, but at what cost? This excellent dark comedy, which has some dazzling special effects, has aged very well indeed. – – – Bianca Garner
15) Out of Africa (1985)
Sydney Pollock’s Best Picture winner Out of Africa stands as one of the most unremarkable victors of the big prize. That said, it has done truly breathtaking cinematography, and that score from John Barry is an absolute classic. Meryl Streep turns in a fine performance too donning a Danish accent, further demonstrating her range as an actress.
Her portrayal of Karen is an emotionally charged one, providing a spark to what turns out to be a somewhat labouring motion picture. That spark though is channeled through a woman’s struggle with ownership, hardships, farming, and loss. And Streep more than does her justice. – – – Robin Write
14) August: Osage County (2013)
Violet Weston (Meryl Streep) has cancer and a propensity for pills and alcohol. She’s a difficult woman to deal with and her husband has finally had enough. Violet’s family gathers including middle daughter Ivy, (Julianne Nicholson) youngest daughter Karen (Juliette Lewis), eldest daughter Barbara (Julia Roberts), and her sister Mattie Fae (Margo Martindale). A family tragedy causes tensions to run high and secrets to come out. The Weston women will be forced to examine themselves and their lives whether they want to or not.
Adapted from the play by Tracy Letts, this film centres around a family of despicable people, which may be a turn off for someone. However, this film is worth watching because the acting is so terrific, and Streep’s performance is a tour de force, despite her character is so unlikable. The outrageous, violent, destructive behavior of the characters and between the characters may hit a little too close to home, but it is a realistic portrayal of a dysfunctional family, trust me! – – – Bianca Garner
13) The Deer Hunter (1978)
In an epic tale of men preparing, experiencing, and recovering from the horrors of war, The Deer Hunter could be forgiven for depicting women in a smaller light. In fact, the character of Linda, played by Meryl Streep, was almost made obsolete from the screenplay, until director Michael Cinimo suggested Streep write many of her own lines. Essentially making the character hers then (but when when does she not?),
The magnetic, enticing Streep brought a ray of sun to the enduring picture. The attraction not acted upon between Linda and Mike (Robert De Niro), aside from the core friendships, remains the heart of the film in some ways. Even though their intentions become blurred by the absence of Nick, his buddy, and her intended. In her movie breakout role, Streep manages to balance the brutality and loss with glimmers of hope and innocence. – – – Robin Write
12) A Cry in the Dark (1988)
This film is based on the infamous true crime story of Lindy Chamberlain played her by Meryl Streep. During a camping trip to Ayers Rock in outback Australia, she claimed that she witnessed a dingo stealing her baby daughter, Azaria, from the family tent. Azaria’s body was never found. Police noted some apparent inconsistencies in her story, and she was charged with murder. The case attracted a lot of attention, turning an investigation into a media circus, with the public divided in their opinions.
Streep becomes Lindy and embodies what she actually went through. Apparently Streep even had speaking classes, so she could sound Australian. Streep presents us with an accurate version of Lindy who shows no emotion when she is going in and out of court, which is what the real Lindy Chamberlain did. The press are alarmed by the mother’s seeming “lack of emotion”, and are suspicious about her religious beliefs, and as a result they accuse her of murdering the baby. The sentiment against her begins to grow, and soon the whole continent is talking about the case. Although, this is an average film, it is made stronger by Streep’s performance. – – – Bianca Garner
11) The Post (2017)
When American military analyst, Daniel Ellsberg (Matthew Rhys), realizes the depths of the US government’s deceptions about the futility of the Vietnam War, he decides to take action by copying top-secret documents that would become the Pentagon Papers. Later, Washington Post owner, Kay Graham (Meryl Streep), is still adjusting to taking over her late husband’s business when editor Ben Bradlee (Tom Hanks) discovers the New York Times has scooped them with an explosive expose on those papers. Determined to compete, Post reporters find Ellsberg himself and a complete copy of those papers.
However, the Post’s plans to publish their findings are put in jeopardy with a Federal restraining order that could get them all indicted for Contempt. This is a highly impactful, committed and strong performance by Meryl Streep as Katharine Graham, the publisher of the Washington Post who helped crush gender barriers in journalism. In these uncertain times this film seems very relevant and shows the indispensable role of the press in a democracy. Truly gripping stuff. – – – Bianca Garner
10) The Hours (2002)
Competing with herself in 2002, Streep bagged the Academy Award nomination for Adaptation rather than the hotly fancied The Hours. Stephen Daldry’s trio of tales associated with Virginia Woolf’s novel Mrs Dalloway, leaps from one era to the next as three women come head-on with melancholy. The modern day segment of the film revolves around Clarissa Vaughan (Streep), who resembles the character of Mrs Dalloway in her own life.
Clarissa is attempting to prepare for the party of her terminally ill old friend, while trying to suppress her own potential grief and current troubles. Streep makes the inner turmoil look effortless, in line with the character from Woolf’s book. Cool, collected, but slowly prying apart at the seams, Streep knocks it out of the park without breaking sweat. – – – Robin Write
9) The Iron Lady (2011)
Phyllida Lloyd’s 2011 biopic depicting the hefty political and personal life of Margaret Thatcher is a tad light on impact, and rather page-skimming in its history lesson. What The Iron Lady does possess is not only the stature of one of the most prominent female figures in any country’s history, but also the greatest living actress playing her. And it’s no game.
Streep brings the ruthless battle axe to the screen like dynamite, but also the contrasting home life with husband Denis, and the appointment of the British Prime Minister. Streep continues to surprise us it seems. She finally grabbed her third Oscar for her role, after a 29 year gap since her previous victory. – – – Robin Write
8) Silkwood (1983)
Meryl Streep’s consistency as a remarkable acting talent is second to none. With every stone you throw at her filmography you’ll hit something refreshingly different. Excellence. To follow her Oscar-winning performance in Sophie’s Choice with the unforgettable portrayal of Karen Silkwood is a marvelous feat.
Based on the radiation exposure whistleblowing at the Kerr-McGee Cimarron Fuel Fabrication Site, Mike Nichols’ 1983 drama is a finely-tuned, well-handled, exceptionally acted film. Giving Cher and Kurt Russell an impressive change of career scenery, Silkwood represents what is great about delicate, real-life drama captured in fiction film. Streep is inch-perfect throughout, Karen is a determined woman, who just wants the safety of her co-workers from a company whose ethics and priorities are questionable to say the least. At every turn of the film’s plot, Streep is right on cue, giving Karen a true sense of right and wrong. A good heart too, the sorrow on Streep’s face when Thelma is showered following radiation contact is astonishingly heartfelt. – – – Robin Write
7) Adaptation (2002)
Nicolas Cage plays Charlie Kaufman, the lonely, insecure and socially awkward screenwriter who is hired to adapt “The Orchid Thief,” written by Susan Orlean, who is portrayed by Meryl Streep. The novel itself concerns the story of John Laroche (played by Chris Cooper), a smug plant dealer who was arrested in 1994 for poaching rare orchids in the Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve.
As Kaufman struggles to write the script, his troubles are compounded by the presence of his twin brother, Donald (also played by Nicolas Cage), who is Charlie’s exact opposite: reckless, carefree, over-confident and perhaps even a bit dim. The script for Adaptation darts back and forth between different moments in time, either chronicling Kaufman’s screen writing exploits or Orlean’s experiences in writing her novel. Meryl Streep is excellent as Susan Orlean, the journalist for “The New Yorker” who researches John Laroche and endeavours to catch a glimpse of the famed and very rare Ghost Orchid, if only to understand what it feels like to be passionate about something. – – – Bianca Garner
6) Julie & Julia (2009)
Based on two true stories, this movie combines six decades separated lives of Julia Child (Meryl Streep), wife of an American diplomat (Stanley Tucci) in post-WW2 Paris, discovering her passion for French cuisine, then introducing it to American amateurs, and the contemporary Julie Powell (Amy Adams), professionally reduced to a hot line counselling ‘cubicle girl’, desperately entertaining her unfulfilled literary ambitions via blogging about her attempt to try to finish all 524 recipes from Julia Child’s cookbook in 365 days.
Here Streep recreates a popular icon, in a fearless bold fashion. Her joy is utterly contagious and her side of the film is a marvel. Streep’s chemistry with Stanley Tucci as Julia’s husband, is breathtaking. No attempt is made to make Streep or Tucci conventionally attractive and their love story seems real compared to other forced romances that we are often subjected to. Steep and Tucci are every bit as charismatic a couple as Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn, and the film is worth seeking out for their scenes alone. – – – Bianca Garner
5) Doubt (2008)
A Charismatic priest, Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman), is trying to upend the school’s strict customs, which have long been fiercely guarded by Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Meryl Streep), the iron-gloved Principal who believes in the power of fear-based discipline. The drama comes when Sister James (Amy Adams), a hopeful innocent, shares with Sister Aloysius her suspicion that Father Flynn is paying too much personal attention to a student called Donald. This information sets Sister Aloysius sets onto a personal crusade to unearth the truth and to expunge Flynn from the school by any means possible.
Now, without any real proof besides her moral certainty, Sister Aloysius locks into a battle of wills with Father Flynn which threatens to tear apart the community with irrevocable consequences. Pairing off as adversaries in this screen adaptation of John Patrick Shanley’s stage play, both Hoffman and Streep deliver career best performances, Hoffman manages to keep up with the power house that is Streep and that’s saying something! – – – Bianca Garner
4) Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
Ted Kramer (Dustin Hoffman) is a career man for whom his work comes before his family. His wife Joanna (Meryl Streep) cannot take this anymore, so she decides to leave him. Ted is now faced with the tasks of housekeeping and taking care of himself and their young son Billy. When he has learned to adjust his life to these new responsibilities (mastering the art of making French toast), Joanna resurfaces and wants Billy back. Ted, however, refuses to give him up, so they go to court to fight for the custody of their son.
The film doesn’t present these characters as good or bad, but simply as humans with their own flaws and faults. You can relate to Streep’s character as she clearly loves her son, but was forced in motherhood and marriage when she was far too young, and as result she didn’t get to enjoy much of her freedom. An interesting piece of trivia reveals just how solid and capable Streep is as an actress, when Dustin Hoffman planned the moment when he throws his wine glass against the wall during the restaurant scene with Meryl Streep, the only person he warned in advance was the cameraman, to make sure that it got in the shot. Streep’s shocked reaction is real, but she stayed in character long enough for the director to yell cut. – – – Bianca Garner
3) The Bridges of Madison County (1995)
That’s right, Meryl Streep received yet another Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. This time in 1996, for the full-on serious romance that is The Bridges of Madison County. Director and co-star Clint Eastwood must have thanked his lucky stars to land Streep opposite him here, as I’m sure he was in little doubt the film would be something special with her in it.
And it’s another rural farm tale for Streep, this time her love affair has much different consequences. Married with two children, Francesca embarks on a brief, but life-changing relationship with Robert (Eastwood). The film was well-received given Eastwood’s change of pace, but it was Streep who grabbed the headlines once again. – – – Robin Write
2) The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Set in the word of fashion and the city never sleeps (New York), the film concerns a simple and naive journalist graduate Andrea Sachs (Anne Hathaway) is hired to work as the second assistant of the powerful and sophisticated Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), the ruthless and merciless executive of the Runway fashion magazine. Andrea dreams to become a serious journalist and doesn’t consider her time at Runway as being something of great importance.
Even if Andrea isn’t planning to stick around, she must learn to survive. The first assistant Emily (Emily Blunt) advises Andrea about the behavior and preferences of their cruel boss, and the stylist Nigel (Stanley Tucci) helps Andrea to dress more stylish to match the tastes of their boss. Andrea changes her attitude and behavior, but in turn this affects her private life and the relationship with her boyfriend Nate, her family and friends, and Andrea must make a decision. Meryl really does get a chance to play the Queen Bitch here, and she really sinks her teeth into this role. Yes, Miranda is a bitch but man she really has great fashion sense. – – – Bianca Garner
1) Sophie’s Choice (1983)
In 1947, writer Stingo (Peter MacNicol) relocates to Brooklyn in order to write a novel, and is befriended by Sophie Zawistowski (Meryl Streep), a Polish immigrant, and her emotionally unstable lover, Nathan Landau (Kevin Kline). Nathan is constantly jealous, and when he is in one of his violent mood swings, he convinces himself that Sophie is unfaithful to him, and he abuses and harasses her. One evening, Stingo learns from Sophie that she was married, but her husband and her father were killed in a German work camp, and that she was interned in the Auschwitz concentration camp.
We discover that upon arrival at Auschwitz, she was forced to choose which one of her two children would be gassed and which would proceed to the labor camp. It was a difficult choice, and one that has haunted forever. Meryl Streep is completely convincing throughout the film, with her genuine sounding accent. This is such a powerful performance that you honestly feel Sophie’s pain throughout the movie, and you will cry as a result of the film. – – – Bianca Garner
What are your favourite Meryl Streep performances? Or are you sick to death of her now? Of course not. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.