Julia Roberts is one of the highest-paid actresses in the world, and she has few competitors. Understanding how she manages this will be aided by a selection of the best films of the most smiley star of Hollywood.
In October 2025, Julia Roberts turned 58. She is not afraid of aging and fading into obscurity: she is actively filming (though not always in box-office hits), posing for magazines, and honing her social media skills. And we still love her dearly — for her big eyes, dazzling smile, and immense talent. Is there really a special occasion needed to rewatch any of Julia Roberts' films? We are sure there isn’t. Choose according to your taste and mood.
"Pretty Woman" (dir. Garry Marshall, 1990)
Julia Roberts had already received an Oscar nomination for the film "Steel Magnolias," but true fame fell upon her after her role as a prostitute in Garry Marshall's "Pretty Woman." Perhaps there is not a single romantic girl who does not know the plot of the most romantic story about a woman of easy virtue by heart. It should be noted that, despite the rather ambiguous profession of the main character, the film cannot be called vulgar in any way. On the contrary, it is overflowing with romance and girlish sentimentality to such an extent that the profession of the Pretty Woman ceases to matter.
A millionaire and a prostitute — what could be more impressive? Especially if it features the incredibly charming Roberts and handsome Richard Gere... For her role as Vivian, Julia Roberts was nominated for an Oscar, although she did not win the statuette, but she did receive a Golden Globe.
"Ocean's Twelve" (dir. Steven Soderbergh, 2004)
In the world of cinema, legends surround this film. One of the many tales goes like this: George Clooney, wanting to lure Julia Roberts into the film "Ocean's Twelve," personally sent the famous actress a letter asking her to accept the proposed role, and as an argument, he included a twenty-dollar bill with the note: "I was told you charge twenty for a role."
By the way, the film itself has an interesting backstory. In 1961, the film "Ocean's Eleven" was released, which neither brought in box office revenue nor received favorable reviews from critics. Young director Steven Soderbergh was madly in love with this film and dreamed of someday making a remake, but he could not acquire the rights. After many years, the long-awaited filming finally took place, and the success... Here, we believe, words are unnecessary — we all know the happy fate of the film, which became a classic of cinema in record time. And of course, without Julia, we are sure the film would have lost a lot. In 2018, a sort of "female" sequel to the classic "Ocean's Friends" was released, where Julia starred with friends — Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Rihanna, and Sarah Paulson.
"Notting Hill" (dir. Roger Michell, 1999)
Romantic comedy is Julia's favorite genre. And indeed, she is like a fish in water here, and "Notting Hill" is excellent proof of that. Moreover, the film was well-received by critics and simultaneously became the highest-grossing film of its release year. Agree, a rare and pleasant combination.
"Notting Hill" is a sort of remake of "Roman Holiday" with Audrey Hepburn. No, there will be no princess or journalist hunting for sensations, but there will be an amazing romantic story between people from completely different worlds. William Thacker is a modest owner of a bookstore in the London district of Notting Hill; he loves his job, and the life he leads is generally satisfactory, but like any normal dreamer, he feels something is missing. Thacker's life changes in an instant — one day, a popular global movie star, Anna Scott, walks into his bookstore to buy a guidebook...
"My Best Friend's Wedding" (dir. P.J. Hogan, 1997)
If you are going to study the history of traditional American romantic comedy, it should be exclusively through this film. Of course, it is far from the first example, but it is one of the most vivid. The story is simple, yet as old as the world and eternally relevant: Julianne and Michael made a pact in college that they would marry if they hadn’t found partners by the age of 28. Nine years later, Michael marries someone else, and Julianne becomes the bridesmaid, suddenly realizing that she loves Michael. However, unlike most films of this kind, the plot of this film will develop in completely unpredictable ways. Julianne does not plan to mourn her cruel fate by shutting herself in a room: her plans are to win Michael back and prove to him the seriousness of her intentions.
"Erin Brockovich" (dir. Steven Soderbergh, 2000)
And finally, the long-awaited Oscar! And, by the way, quite deservedly — Julia played a character with a rich history and a rather ambiguous personality. Moreover, the film is based on real events, and such stories are always captivating — after all, every woman likes to think that this could happen to her.
Erin Brockovich, a single mother with three children, gets into an accident caused by another driver, but the lawyer fails to achieve justice in her case. Erin is left without means of support and logically believes that the lawyer is now obliged to employ her. Who would have thought how the request of a woman who does not even have a legal education would end? The naturally curious newly hired employee at the law firm reads the mail too carefully. And a simple real estate case ends up being one of the most high-profile lawsuits for the protection of the rights of people affected by environmental pollution. A sharp plot with a touch of sparkling humor and a happy ending — a wonderful film.
"Snow White and the Huntsman" (dir. Tarsem Singh, 2012)
The story of Snow White, forced to flee from her home due to her unprecedented beauty and her stepmother's jealousy, intrigues many filmmakers. The ancient fairy tale has been retold in countless ways! Here is another non-trivial version by Tarsem Singh. In this film, Snow White knows how to fight like a seasoned bandit, while the prince resembles an infantile mama's boy, who on the one hand is ready to love the beauty, but on the other hand, at the first call, rushes to the queen, unable to decide which side he is on, and most importantly: which side is bad. Roberts is definitely stunning here. Firstly, we rarely see her in the role of a negative character, and secondly, even for an evil stepmother, she is incredibly charming. So the prince has a tough choice ahead: it will indeed be difficult.
"Eat Pray Love" (dir. Ryan Murphy, 2010)
Sometimes we long to escape from the everyday, the mundane, the grayness that eats us from the inside! To change something, to break free from the familiar space, to breathe in the city air. Is everything bad? No, there have been no global disasters, but something is wrong, and what exactly cannot be understood until you embark on a journey.
Someone said: don’t dream of moving — move. Julia Roberts' character, who is panically afraid of change (as probably all of us are, or at least a good half), finally decides to embark on a long journey without a clear plan, knowing only the approximate route: a great solution to finally determine what you truly want.
Elizabeth Gilbert, played by the amazing Julia Roberts, first travels to Italy, where she learns all the subtleties of the most musical language in the world, as well as the most delicious cuisine on the planet, then to India to get to know herself better, and finally to the sea to complete her grand journey to the sound of the waves. However, she cannot relax on the coast, as the most important adventure awaits her — the love that can happen to a free (single is not quite the right word) woman.
"Runaway Bride" (dir. Garry Marshall, 1999)
No selection of romantic comedies or films with Roberts is complete without this film. After the grand success of "Pretty Woman," Marshall's team came together again to create another little masterpiece.
Everyone has their phobias, and the main character of the film has her own — she is afraid of married life. Maggie is not going to the altar for the first time and decides to run away from her own wedding again. She has pulled this stunt four times already, which greatly interests a city journalist who is in search of new interesting stories for his column. However, Maggie, who is one step away from another attempt to get married, does not like Ike's article, to put it mildly. The girl manages to get the rude journalist fired, and in retaliation, he goes to her wedding to personally verify that everything he wrote is true.
"Sleeping with the Enemy" (dir. Joseph Ruben, 1991)
A psychological thriller for women. Yes, yes, this is absolutely a female film. From the outside, it seems that Laura and Martin are the perfect married couple; in public, Martin gives the impression of a real angel, but everything changes as soon as they are alone. Martin is a vivid example of a domestic tyrant: he torments Laura, turning her life into a living hell. It becomes absolutely clear that it is better to die than to continue existing in a permanent nightmare.
And Laura does die, though not for real. Now she does not exist solely for her husband and her past life. And it could have ended well, but Martin, despite his sadistic tendencies, seems to truly love his wife. That is why, after a long time, he finds Laura and begins to stalk her. An exciting dynamic action, love combined with the horror of the one you love. This is worth seeing, if only to enrich your knowledge of good cinema.
