75 Years old Jessica Phyllis Lange is an American actress whose talent and versatility have left an indelible mark on both the big screen and TV.
Under the supervision of Étienne Decroux, she studied mime theater and joined the Opéra-Comique as a dancer.
Later, she studied acting with Mira Rostova at HB Studio in New York City.
Jessica has achieved the Triple Crown of Acting, winning two Academy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, a Tony Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and five Golden Globe Awards.
If you are one of the fans of Jessica Phyllis Lange, here is a top 10 list of her movies you don’t want to miss.
| Movies | Release Date |
| King Kong | December 17, 1976 |
| Country | September 28, 1984 |
| A Streetcar Named Desire | October 29, 1995 |
| The Postman Always Rings Twice | March 20, 1981 |
| Rob Roy | April 7, 1995 |
| Titus | 11 February 2000 |
| Frances | December 3, 1982 |
| Cape Fear | November 15, 1991 |
| Tootsie | December 17, 1982 |
| Grey Gardens | April 18, 2009 |
Note that there may be differences in available movies depending on where you live.
10. King Kong
| Director | John Guillermin |
| Writer | James Ashmore Creelman Ruth Rose Merian C. Cooper |
| Casts | Jeff Bridges Charles Grodin Jessica Lange |
| IMDb Rating | IMDb |
King Kong is a 1976 American monster adventure film based on a modernized remake of the 1933 film about giant apes that are captured and taken to New York City for exhibition.
Fred Wilson, an executive of the Petrox Oil Company, forms an expedition based on infrared imagery that reveals an undiscovered island hidden by a permanent cloud bank.
The island is believed to have a huge deposit of oil.
Jack Prescott, a primate paleontologist, sneaks aboard the expedition’s vessel because he has heard strange rumors about the island.
He tries to warn the team against traveling to the island, citing an ominous final message from previous explorers about the roar of the greatest beast.
The crew rescues Dwan, the shipwreck survivor, en route to the island. Upon arrival, they discover native people living in fear of a colossal giant gorilla called Kong.
The film combines adventure, mystery, and monster elements, making it an intriguing watch.
9. Country
| Director | Richard Pearce |
| Writer | William D. Wittliff |
| Casts | Jessica Lange Sam Shepard Wilford Brimley |
| IMDb Rating | IMDb |
Country is a 1984 American drama depicting the hardships a rural family faced in the 1980s as they fought to maintain their farm against the difficult economic circumstances in the United States.
Gilbert “Gil” Ivy and his wife Jewell have worked on Jewell’s family farm for years. Her father, Otis, is determined to prevent the farm from being lost to foreclosure.
However, they face numerous challenges, including low crop prices, interest in FHA loans, pressure from the FHA, and tornados.
Jewell decides to fight for her family as they grapple with hardship and the prospect of losing their home and livelihood.
8. A Streetcar Named Desire
| Director | Glenn Jordan |
| Writer | Tennessee Williams |
| Casts | Jessica Lange Alec Baldwin John Goodman |
| IMDb Rating | IMDb |
A Streetcar Named Desire is a 1995 American drama adapted from the 1955 play of the same name.
The story centers around the destruction of a lonely Mississippi widow, Blanche DuBois, by her brutally outspoken brother-in-law, Stanley Kowalski.
The play begins when Blanche arrives in New Orleans from Laurel, Mississippi, at the squalid apartment of her pregnant sister, Stella, and Stella’s husband.
The film captures the tension, passion, and conflict between the characters, particularly the clash between Blanche and Stanley.
7. The Postman Always Rings Twice
| Director | Bob Rafelson |
| Writer | David Mamet James M. Cain |
| Casts | Jack Nicholson Jessica Lange John Colicos |
| IMDb Rating | IMDb |
The Postman Always Rings Twice is a 1981 American erotic thriller based on the fourth adaptation of James M. Cain’s 1934 novel of the same name.
In this thriller, drifter Frank Chambers and young diner owner Cora Smith plot to murder her much older husband, Nick Papadakis.
Their first attempt fails, but they succeed on the second try.
The local prosecutor suspects their guilt but lacks evidence. Later, he tries only Cora for the crime as a tactic intended to get Cora and Frank to turn on one another.
Cora pleads guilty to manslaughter and receives probation. Tragedy strikes months later when Cora dies in a car accident after marrying Frank.
6. Rob Roy
| Director | Michael Caton-Jones |
| Writer | Alan Sharp |
| Casts | Liam Neeson Jessica Lange John Hurt |
| IMDb Rating | IMDb |
Rob Roy is a 1995 historical biographical drama dedicated to two Scotsmen, film director Alexander MacKendrick and football player and manager Jock Stein.
Robert Roy MacGregor was the chief of Clan MacGregor in Scotland in 1713. Despite providing protection against cattle rustling for the Lowland gentry, he struggles to feed his people.
He borrows £1,000 from James Graham, Marquess of Montrose, intending to establish himself as a cattle raiser and trader to alleviate their poverty.
However, his anglicized noble relative, Archibald Cunningham, arrives to stay with Montrose and steal his borrowed money.
The film provides a gripping portrayal of honor, betrayal, and resilience in the rugged Scottish landscape.
5. Titus
| Director | Julie Taymor |
| Writer | William Shakespeare Julie Taymor |
| Casts | Anthony Hopkins Jessica Lange Osheen Jones |
| IMDb Rating | IMDb |
Titus is a 1999 historical thriller drama adapted from William Shakespeare’s revenge tragedy Titus Andronicus.
Victorious General Titus Andronicus returns to Rome after winning a war. He brings with him hostages Tamora, Queen of the Goths, and her sons.
In a grim act, Titus orders the eldest son of Tamora to be sacrificed to appease his 21 dead sons.
Little does he know that this act will set in motion a cycle of revenge and turmoil for himself and his family.
4. Frances
| Director | Graeme Clifford |
| Writer | Eric Bergren Christopher De Vore Nicholas Kazan |
| Casts | Jessica Lange Jonathan Banks Bonnie Bartlett |
| IMDb Rating | IMDb |
Frances is a 1982 American biographical drama that chronicles Frances Farmer’s life from high school to institutionalization and eventual deinstitutionalization.
Frances Elena Farmer, born in Seattle, Washington, is a rebel from a young age. In 1931, she won $100 from The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for a high school essay titled “God Dies.”
Later, she becomes controversial again when she accepts an all-expenses-paid trip to the USSR to visit its Moscow Art Theatre.
Determined to become an actress, Frances refuses to play the Hollywood game. She marries her first husband, Dwayne Steele, but cheats on him with alleged Communist Harry York.
Her bold disobedience attracts the attention of Broadway playwright Clifford Odets, who convinces her that her future lies with the Group Theatre.
After leaving Hollywood for New York City and appearing in the Group Theatre play “Golden Boy,” Frances discovers that the Group Theatre exploited her fame.
Her desperate attempts to restart her film career in Hollywood result in unchallenging roles in forgettable B-films.
She is admitted to a mental health facility with her mother’s consent after drunken fights and arrests ruin her career.
3. Cape Fear
| Director | Martin Scorsese |
| Writer | John D. MacDonald James R. Webb Wesley Strick |
| Casts | Robert De Niro Nick Nolte Jessica Lange |
| IMDb Rating | IMDb |
Cape Fear is a 1991 American psychological thriller film based on the 1957 novel The Executioners by John D. MacDonald.
It tells the story of a convicted rapist who seeks vengeance against a former public defender whom he blames for his 14-year imprisonment due to purposefully faulty defense tactics used during his trial.
Max Cady was sentenced to prison for the rape and battery of a 16-year-old girl.
Sam Bowden, Max’s attorney, was horrified by his crime and hid proof of the victim’s promiscuity, which could have lowered his sentence or even resulted in his innocence.
Sam has no idea that Max is a brilliant, monomaniacal sociopath.
After finishing his sentence, Max tracks down Sam and terrorizes his family.
The film explores vengeance, legal loopholes, and the consequences of Sam’s actions.
2. Tootsie
| Director | Sydney Pollack |
| Writer | Don McGuire Larry Gelbart Murray Schisgal |
| Casts | Dustin Hoffman Jessica Lange Teri Garr |
| IMDb Rating | IMDb |
Tootsie is a 1982 American satirical romantic comedy film partly inspired by a play written by McGuire in the early 1970s.
Michael Dorsey is a talented actor in New York City, but his reputation for being difficult to work with has left him unemployed.
Desperate for a job, he disguises himself as a woman named Dorothy Michaels and auditions for a role on the popular daytime soap opera Southwest General.
To his surprise, Michael lands the part of the hospital administrator. As Dorothy, he becomes a feminist icon and navigates the challenges of maintaining his dual identity.
The film humorously explores gender roles, relationships, and personal growth.
Tootsie is an engaging, original, and hilarious gender-comedy that showcases Dustin Hoffman’s remarkable performance as both Michael and Dorothy.
1. Grey Gardens
| Director | Michael Sucsy |
| Writer | Michael Sucsy Patricia Rozema |
| Casts | Drew Barrymore Jessica Lange Jeanne Tripplehorn |
| IMDb Rating | IMDb |
Grey Gardens is a 2009 American biographical drama about the lives of Edith Bouvier “Little Edie” Beale and her mother, Edith Ewing “Big Edie” Bouvier.
Jackie Kennedy’s father, John Vernou Bouvier III, had an older sister named Edith Bouvier Beale, who was known as “Big Edie” and her daughter, “Little Edie.”
The Beale women were formerly successful members of New York City society, but in their later years, they moved to their Long Island summer home, Grey Gardens, to escape the city.
Unfortunately, the Beale women became well-known when the mansion fell into disrepair.
The film flashes back and forth between various events ranging from Little Edie’s debutante years in 1936, when she moved with her mother, to the filming and premiere of the 1975 documentary Grey Gardens.
Little Edie decides to relocate to New York to pursue her acting career and has an unsuccessful affair with well-known married man Julius “Cap” Krug.
Her father advises her to find a husband to support her lifestyle, but Little Edie slowly realizes that her fate is to remain her mother’s companion at Grey Gardens.
Conclusion
Jessica Lange’s career has been filled with triumphs, and her performances continue to captivate audiences.
She remains one of Hollywood’s most gifted actresses whether on stage, screen, or television.
Her filmography is rich and varied, and these performances showcase her immense talent.
Hope this top 10 list has helped you find some of the best movies starring Jessica Lange.
