The 27 greatest Julia Roberts movies

She’s just a girl, standing in front of an audience, asking them to love her. And boy is it so easy to love Julia Roberts. But which of her movies are actually the greatest of all time?

One of the most revered and bankable stars in Hollywood, Julia Roberts has sustained a career over several decades since her star-making rise in the 1990 romantic comedy Pretty Woman. Best known for starring in adult-oriented romantic comedies and family dramas – with extremely rare dalliances in genres like spy thriller and horror – Roberts is the picture definition of a Hollywood movie star, her luminous smile and vibrant energy practically made for the big screen. 

Born and raised in Georgia to Atlanta-area playwrights, the hospital bill for Roberts’ birth was paid for by Coretta King, the wife of Martin Luther King Jr., as a gesture of thanks to Roberts’ parents for running the only racially integrated theater in the Atlanta region. While she intended to pursue being a veterinarian, Roberts dropped out of George State University and ventured to New York City to pursue a career in acting. As one of the stars in the 1988 coming-of-age comedy Mystic Pizza, critic Roger Ebert complimented Roberts as “a major beauty with fierce energy” in his review. He also correctly predicted she may soon be a huge star.

In celebration of her ongoing career, here are the greatest Julia Roberts movies ever.