Known for her versatile body of work that spans decades, Annette Bening is one of the finest performers in Hollywood. With numerous accolades to her name, one of Bening’s unfortunate claims to fame is that, despite her endless nominations, Bening is in the unique class of performers nominated for the Triple Crown of Acting —Academy Award, Tony Award, and Primetime Emmy Award— without winning.
Nevertheless, Bening’s resume is filled with essential classics that deserve to be revisited as a reminder of her extraordinary career. From her breakout performance in The Grifters to a resounding performance in the classic hit American Beauty, Bening is one of the most versatile performers of her generation. It’s time to celebrate and honor the Hollywood staple.
10
‘Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool’ (2017)
Sometimes you reach a point in your career in which romantic parts are still viable, but they’re most intriguing when you play opposite a younger man. Such is the case for Bening in Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool. Based on Peter Turner’s memoir of the same name, the film tells the true story of iconic Hollywood actress Gloria Grahame (Bening) and her love affair with the younger British actor Peter Turner (Jamie Bell). When Grahame falls ill, she turns to Turner and his family in Liverpool for support, leading to a poignant and bittersweet story about love, memory, and aging.
Tackling the complexities of a May-December romance, Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool showcases a phenomenally heartbreaking performance from Bening, who puts her full body into Gloria. Though it’s not the most daring or illuminating biopic, Bening carries the film on her shoulders, proving she’s got a lot of fight left in her career. Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool is an underrated Bening essential.
9
‘Nyad’ (2023)
Many actors seek out the right biopic that will help them earn Oscar gold. For Annette Bening, she was banking on an epic sports drama to finally get her gold. Playing swimmer Diana Nyad, the film follows her intense training and multiple attempts to swim the Straits of Florida. Using flashbacks to explore the tension and drama of her daring journey, Nyad is a story of ambition, perseverance, and the hope of achieving a lifelong dream. Bening portrays Diana with true grit and resilience, though sometimes woefully unaware of the support her team provides.
Beyond the human element of the film, Nyad puts a spotlight on female companionship through the great dynamic between Bening and Jodie Foster as Bonnie Stoll. Tacking the highs and lows, Nyad experiences some rocky waters at times, despite the Oscar nominations for both Bening and Foster. It was the latest loss for Bening, losing out to Emma Stone in Poor Things. Admittedly, Nyad isn’t one of my favorite films, but Bening does a phenomenal job taking the extraordinary woman and breathing new life into the story.
8
‘Love Affair’ (1994)
Though we’ll talk about where it all began soon, 1994’s remake of Love Affair defined the hit and heavy real-life romance between Warren Beatty and Annette Bening and how it flourishes on screen. To say their chemistry is undeniable is an understatement, but that may be partially due to the source material. Love Affair is a passionate romance that tells the tale of Mike Gambril, a former football star, and Terry McKay, a singer, who meet on a flight to Sydney that makes an emergency landing on a remote island. Though engaged to others, the pair fall in love, promising to meet in New York City atop the Empire State Building months later to see if their love is real, but an accident prevents one of them from showing up. Will the star-crossed lovers ever be able to meet up again?
Some might consider Love Affair a complete bomb while others see it as a criminally underrated gem, but if you love Bening, this is a must-watch. Though if you’re a purist and prefer the original, you may feel as if you’re just comparing, just as you do with A Star Is Born. Another reason to see this film is to celebrate Katharine Hepburn’s final performance as Mike’s elderly aunt Ginny.
7
’20th Century Woman’ (2016)
Written and directed by Mike Mills, who draws on his own childhood, 20th Century Woman is a coming-of-age dramedy. Dorothea, a single mother, believes her son Jaimie (Lucas Jade Zumann) needs more guidance in his life. She enlists her two housemates, Abbie (Greta Gerwig), a young, free-spirited photographer, and Julie (Elle Fanning), her son’s savvy teenage friend, to help teach him about life, love, and identity. In a nonlinear structure, 20th Century Woman blends humor with poignant beats to tell a rich, balanced story about a makeshift family.
Leading the ensemble, Benning simply shines. Finding her groove in more mature roles in her later career, Bening’s fervor as a woman with a contrarian mindset while confined within societal norms is illuminating. There’s a whimsy in her portrayal of Dorothea that makes you sense the adoration Mills has for the character he crafted. Focusing more on character building over plot, Bening soars, doing what she does best: acting.
6
‘The Grifters’ (1990)
The film that officially put Annette Bening on the map was the 1990s neo-noir crime thriller The Grifters. Acting alongside John Cusack and Anjelica Huston, the Martin Scorsese-produced film is based on Jim Thompson‘s 1963 novel. Small-time conman Roy Dillon (Cusack) is caught between two high-stakes grifters: his estranged mother, Lily (Huston), and his new girlfriend, Myra (Bening). Both women converge on him, manipulating Roy and opening a dangerous web of passion, mistrust, betrayal, and ambition. The Grifters is wonderfully gritty, taking audiences on a joyride.
Part of the charm that the film exudes is the old-school style con artists dropped into the 90s. There are moments when comedic capers take control, but you forgive the hijinks as it serves a greater purpose. Though Cusack is the center of the action, it’s the battle between Huston and Bening that becomes the best part. The film helped establish Bening as a rising star in Hollywood, marking her first Oscar nomination. Up for Best Supporting Actress, Bening was defeated by Whoopi Goldberg for her performance in Ghost.
5
‘Bugsy’ (1991)
In 1991, Annette Bening starred in Bugsy alongside Warren Beatty. A year later, the two were wed. For those intrigued about how chemistry on screen can spill off-screen, Bugsy is proof. The biographical crime drama follows the life of Bugsy Siegel, focusing on his tumultuous affair with Virginia Hill, a tough-talking Hollywood starlet, and his dream of building the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas —an endeavor funded by the mob that led to his downfall. A period piece that romanticizes the mob, it’s a cinematic homage to the underworld that is mystifying and magnetic.
Beatty gives Bugsy a charming yet violent front, which makes sense as to why Virginia falls so madly for him. Just like Bening for Beatty. Bening and Beatty’s daughter, Ella Beatty, has infamously discussed watching her parents fall in love on screen, watching the film with her siblings. If you enjoy the mobster underworld and are eager to see the pinnacle point in Bening’s career, Bugsy is a must.
4
‘Being Julia’ (2004)
Bringing the world of theater into the cinema, Being Julia takes audiences on a journey of love and betrayal through the peaks and valleys of entertainment. Julia Lambert (Bening), a successful London stage actress in the 1930s, is losing passion for her career. After her husband, Michael Gosselyn (Jeremy Irons) ,a director, introduces her to a young American actor, Tom Fennel (Shaun Evans), the pair begin an ill-advised illicit affair that is riddled with a dramatic and vengeful plan as Tom is using her to secure a part for young actress Avice Crichton (Lucy Punch).
The film, based on the 1937 novel Theatre by W. Somerset Maugham, is a beguiling romance that goes beyond its basic plot. Bening gives a remarkably captivating, high-spirited performance as a woman searching for authenticity and control over her self-worth. What makes Julia so brilliant is Bening’s ability to play the gamut of emotions, whether authentic or faux. It’s a delightful and sophisticated romp that explores how age and entertainment don’t always go hand in hand. Bening was nominated for an Oscar for her role, ultimately losing to Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby.
3
‘The American President’ (1995)
Yes, there was absolutely a time when stories about politics didn’t terrify you about what happens behind closed doors. In fact, there was a time when a political film was actually a romance! Such was the case for The American President. Directed by Rob Reiner and written by pre-The West Wing Aaron Sorkin, The American President tells the story of President Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas), a widower who pursues a romantic relationship with environmental lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade (Bening), while at the same time attempting to win the passage of a crime control bill during a re-election year. The film is a charming romantic comedy that brings romance into a world that only the audience could fantasize about.
Douglas and Bening have a passionate, wonderful chemistry, balancing the struggles of maintaining both a personal and private relationship as the film explores poignant discussions about politics and media at the time. Of course, Bening might be best remembered in the film for her iconic image wearing nothing but a white buttoned dish shirt. For fans of The West Wing, the film highly influenced the legendary TV series as both the film and the series share many traits and themes of a Sorkin idealistic politics. It also features Martin Sheen before he was a Sorkin president. He takes on White House Chief of Staff A. J. MacInerney.
2
‘The Kids Are Alright’ (2010)
Not all families are the same. They can look different from other families and thus come with their own trials and tribulations. For Jules (Julianne Moore) and Nic Allgood (Bening), their family dynamic is thrown into turmoil when their two children, Joni (Mia Wasikowska) and Laser (Josh Hutcherson), seek out their sperm-donor biological father, Paul Hatfield (Mark Ruffalo). Their facade of normalcy is upended, but in the end, it’s a warm celebration of family values. As one of the first mainstream films to feature a same-sex couple raising children, The Kids Are All Right pushed Hollywood into giving light to new stories that were kept in the darkness.
With an extraordinary cast, Bening was praised for her complex performance as the OB/GYN, terrified that her family would be ruined by Paul’s presence. Finding the balance of betrayal and loyalty, guilt and love, Bening’s ability to allow Nic to discover that an imperfect family is beautiful in itself. The film was regarded as one of the best of 2010, with Bening earning an Oscar nomination. Again, despite the praise as one of her greatest parts, she fell short, losing to Natalie Portman’s haunting performance in The Black Swan.
1
‘American Beauty’ (1999)
Never has a midlife crisis been more beautiful. Directed by Sam Mendes in his directorial debut, American Beauty is a satirical drama about Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey), a suburban advertising executive who has a midlife crisis when he becomes infatuated with his teenage daughter’s best friend, Angela (Mena Suvari). This infatuation spurs him to quit his job, change his perspective, and rebel against societal expectations, which causes his family life to unravel further. Exploring themes of suburban emptiness, the American Dream, identity, beauty, and the complexities of human relationships, American Beauty provocatively prompted audiences to reflect on themselves.
Met with universal praise at the time, the film’s flawless cast brought out the dark tones amid the bright backdrop. Bening plays Carolyn Burnham, Lester’s materialistic wife. She delivered an engrossing and tragic performance that pushed her versatility to new heights. For her part, Bening went toe to toe with Spacey, earning herself an Oscar nomination. Despite many believing she was deserving, Bening lost the award to Hilary Swank for Boys Don’t Cry. The film has felt a changing of the tides over time, but if you’re here to view essential Bening films, this must be on your list.