Glenn Close is one of the most esteemed stage and screen talents to grace Hollywood over the past four decades. After spending the mid to late 70s honing her craft on television, Close made her big-screen debut opposite Robin Williams in the 1982 adaptation of The World According to Garp, for which she earned an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Close has tallied well over 80 big and small screen credits since then, adding another six Oscar nominations to her illustrious resume. Next up for Close is a date with Ron Howard's Hillbilly Elegy and a chance to play Norma Desmond in the Sunset Boulevard musical remake. Until then, here are Glenn Close's 10 Best Movies, According to Rotten Tomatoes.
The Wife (2017) 86%
Close was the betting favorite to finally collect the elusive Oscar statuette following her turn as The Wife but was ultimately bested by Oliva Coleman for The Favorite.
Based on the Meg Wolitzer novel, The Wife concerns Joan Castleman (Close), a dignified career woman largely responsible for the success of her husband Joe's (Jonathan Pryce) lifework. When Joe travels to Sweden to receive a Nobel Prize in Literature, Joan finally steps out of the shadow and demands to be seen and heard despite the consequences.
The Paper (1994) 88%
Ron Howard's newsroom farce The Paper stars Michael Keaton as Henry Hackett, a New York City tabloid editor struggling to stay afloat amid long hours and low wages. Close plays Alicia Clark, Henry's chief in-house rival responsible for budget cuts.
As Hackett deals with his wife's pregnancy and a tantalizing new job offer, he struggles to keep the paper functioning at maximum capacity. Robert Duvall, Jason Robards, Marisa Tomei, Randy Quaid, and Catherine O'Hara costar.
Tarzan (1999) 89%
In the 1999 animated rendition of Tarzan, Close voices the role of Kala, the compassionate ape who raises the little orphan boy in the jungle. The film won an Oscar and Golden Globe for Phil Collins' Original Song "You'll Be in My Heart."
Directed by Chris Buck and Kevin Lima, the familiar story tracks the formative years of Tarzan (Tony Goldwyn), whose sojourn into the wild leads to the discovery that he is human and not a natural part of Kala's ape family. Of course, love isn't bound by DNA and Tarzan reciprocates his love to Kala in the end.
Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014) 91%
Close isn't immune from starring in MCU mega-movies, and in 2014 she played Nova Prime in Guardians of the Galaxy, the alpha leader of the Nova Corps.
The FX-driven Marvel movie follows Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), the bumbling leader of a band of intergalactic thieves on a mission in deep space to retrieve a cryptic orb. When the stolen merchandise is sought after by the ruthless Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace), Quill and his crew of misfits must defend the galaxy at all costs.
Reversal Of Fortune (1990) 92%
Jeremy Irons won an Academy Award for Best Leading Actor following his performance in Reversal of Fortune, Barbet Schroeder's legal drama based on a true story.
Based on the Alan Dershowitz book, the film follows Claus von Bulow (Irons), a man convicted twice for attempting to murder his affluent wife Sunny (Close). As Sunny remains unconscious in a vegetative state, Claus hires Dershowitz to overturn his two convictions and win a Reversal of Fortune ruling.
Dangerous Liaisons (1990) 93%
Stephen Frears' Dangerous Liaisons is a steamy period drama of duplicity and debauchery set in 18th-century France. The film won three Oscars, including Best Costumes, Best Art Decoration, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
Close stars as the Marquis de Merteuil, a conniving luminary who plays lusty head-games with her husband, Valmont (John Malkovich). When the Marquis dares Valmont to seduce the young newcomer Cecile (Uma Thurman), he accepts the challenge but soon falls for the ravishing Madame de Tourvel (Michelle Pfeiffer) instead.
Casting By (2012) 94%
The most unsung casting directors in Hollywood get their shine in Casting By, a documentary that celebrates the machinations of how an acting ensemble is put together.
Close joins several Hollywood titans such as Robert De Niro, Jeff Bridges, Clint Eastwood, and many more to highlight the unheralded work casting directors rarely get noticed for. Several of the industry's top casting directors such as Ellen Chenoweth, Fred Roos, Lynn Stalmaster, and many others also participate to give a thorough understanding of what the role calls for.
The Lavender Scare (2017) 96%
Close narrates the 2017 documentary The Lavender Scare, which chronicles the systematic discrimination of gay and lesbian Armed Forces members during the Cold War.
At the height of the Cold War paranoia, President Dwight Eisenhower began a witch hunt to root out every homosexual service member on the grounds that they pose a "security risk." The lasting ramifications of such blatant prejudice and discriminatory practices continue for several decades later. Close is joined by fellow actors David Hyde Pierce, Cynthia Nixon, and Zachary Quinto.
Anne Frank Remembered (1995) 97%
In Jon Blair's powerful 1995 documentary, several high-profile Hollywood actors read the diary entries left behind by Anne Frank, the infamous young Jewish girl who hid from the Nazis in her family's attic during WWII and the Holocaust. The film won an Oscar for Best Documentary.
While Kenneth Branagh narrates, Close and fellow actress Joely Richardson read various diary entries while previously unseen archival footage of Frank and her family are shown onscreen.
Meeting Venus (1991) 100%
With nary a dissenting opinion, Meeting Venus is the unanimous top-rated film of Close's career to date, according to Rotten Tomatoes. For her performance in the film, Close won a Golden Ciak and Photographers Award at the 1991 Venice Film Festival.
Directed by Hungarian filmmaker Istvan Szabo, the film depicts an operatic production of Richard Wagner's Tannhauser. When a Hungarian conductor plans a daring new version of the opera, he finds it extremely difficult to execute his vision in the wake of several production obstacles. Close plays Karen Anderson, the female lead of the play within the film.