This barren Russell Crowe crime snooze doesn’t even pretend to give her something interesting to do. That nonetheless leaves a catalogue full of dynamic Dern performances that often tap into humanity’s grayest areas.ĭern’s lawyer should sue for gross negligence. Films not readily available on VOD or streaming ( Haunted Summer, Focus, Lonely Hearts) were tossed out, as were one-scene cameos ( Foxes, Downsizing).

Shows count only if the roles are recurring (no Fallen Angels, Ellen, or The West Wing, though all are great). TV movies don’t qualify, except for Recount, a buzzy HBO hit that earned her an Emmy nomination. In honor of her electric career, Vulture is ranking Dern’s live-action performances, with a few notable caveats owing to her very long résumé. Her reprisal of dinosaur-dung specialist Ellie Sattler marks a welcome extension to a movie series that is otherwise tiring itself out. This summer, Dern will return to the Jurassic Park franchise, one of the few veritable blockbuster projects she’s been part of. She is, in other words, immensely likable, making it all the more frustrating to realize how many half-baked supporting roles have insulted her talents. The earnestness she projects borrows Los Angeles’ earthy therapy-speak while still resembling the exact demeanor you’d hope for in your closest friend. Off-screen, however, Dern is the opposite of warped. She is most alive onscreen when her characters can’t contain themselves, when they are volatile and warped. Dern’s recurring collaborations with David Lynch, which date back to 1986, made her a magnet for highbrow directors and solidified her reputation for work best described as unfettered. Scorsese was so impressed with her stamina that, according to Dern, he declared, “This girl’s going to be an actress.” A mere six years later, his prophecy came true in earnest.Īcross the ensuing four decades, Dern has assembled one of the most revered careers in Hollywood, undoubtedly buoyed by her esteemed parents, Diane Ladd and Bruce Dern, who encouraged her to “challenge yourself, be bold, be radical.” To say that she is living up to their advice feels simplistic.

Long before the public knew her name, a 7-year-old Laura Dern ate ice-cream cones in the background of Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore - 19 cones, to be exact, one for every take. Photo-Illustration: Vulture Photos by Columbia Pictures, Lucasfilms Ltd, Netflix, HBO, Universal Pictures, International Spectrafilm and The Samuel Goldwyn Company

Wild at heart laura dern movies