10 Best Jean Smart Movies, Ranked

Jean Smart has been a hallmark of American movies and TV for years. She was cast in Designing Women, a sitcom that ran from 1986 to 1993. Most recently, Smart has been making audiences scream-laugh as Deborah Vance, a comedian trying to re-ignite her career, in Hacks. Although she has had a massive TV career, she has also starred and been featured in movies that highlight just what a wide range she has as an actor.

Smart’s movie roles have been as versatile as she is as a professional. There are some movies, like Garden State, that show Smart’s ability to make herself an essential part of any ensemble cast and elevate any story she’s part of. Others, like Guinevere, spotlight her ability to make individual scenes memorable. The best Jean Smart movies show how well she is able to create lovable and complex characters who are easy to invest in.

10

‘Mistress’ (1992)

Directed by Barry Primus

Mistress introduces Marvin, a Hollywood screenwriter who’s been down on his luck. He meets a producer who’s also fallen on hard times, who agrees to make Marvin’s movie a reality. The three men who want to invest in the project each have mistresses they insist be cast in the movie. Smart plays Patricia, an alcoholic flight attendant and mistress to one of the men who promised funding for the project, Carmine (Danny Aiello).

Mistress highlights Smart’s ability to handle dark humor and to use this to create an unhinged yet lovable character. Through this character, Smart shows how well she fits into an ensemble, especially one that relies heavily on a satirical tone. Even though this is a smaller role, Smart makes Patricia stand out in the middle of the chaos. This is one of Smart’s most notable performances because it offers a glimpse at how well she plays nuanced and layered characters that are more than their sense of humor.

9

‘The Accountant’ (2016)

Directed by Gavin O’Connor

The Accountant is a thriller that follows a seemingly mild-mannered accountant known as Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck). In reality, he sanitizes the financial records of criminals and criminal organizations. Smart plays Rita Blackburn, an executive at a robotics company. She and her brother hire Christian to look into irregularities that an in-house accountant, Dana Cummings (Anna Kendrick), first uncovered.

The Accountant features Smart in a more serious role. Although Rita is an objectively minor character in the movie, she is instrumental in kicking off the story. This role gives Smart a chance to show off how she can make even an unlikable character effortlessly cool. This is one of Smart’s best performances because it is another example of the fact that she is able to take limited screen time and captivate an audience.

8

‘Sweet Home Alabama’ (2002)

Directed by Andy Tennant

Sweet Home Alabama introduces Melanie (Reese Witherspoon), a New York City fashion designer who finds herself having to return to her home in Alabama to officially divorce her first husband Jake (Josh Lucas). Smart plays Stella, Jake’s mother and Melanie’s former mother-in-law. Stella embodies the culture of the American South, and is a lovable mother figure who clearly just wants the best for her family.

Sweet Home Alabama gives Smart a chance to show how well she embodies charming characters. Through this character, Smart proves that she always shines in an ensemble, and can uplift anyone she shares the screen with. Smart is also a grounding influence in Sweet Home Alabama, and provides the wisdom that other characters need. Stella’s no-nonsense energy is balanced by her love for her family, which gives Smart the chance to showcase her range in such a short amount of time.

7

‘Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey’ (1993)

Directed by Duwayne Dunham

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey is an adventure comedy that follows a group of pets separated from their owners. They have to navigate treacherous terrain in order to be reunited with their family. Smart plays Kate, a ranch owner, where the animals are left before their family leaves on vacation. When Kate leaves on a cattle drive and leaves the animals in someone else’s care, a misunderstanding makes the animals think they’ve been completely abandoned.

While this is another minor role for Smart, Kate is an essential part of the story as a character. Ordinarily, it would be easy to despise a character who leaves animals behind, even if they had already made arrangements for them to be taken care of. However, Smart makes Kate easy to sympathize with by focusing on how this character is just as capable of human error as everyone else. Even with this minor role, Smart shows just how well she’s able to make herself essential to any story she’s in.

6

‘Babylon’ (2022)

Directed by Damien Chazelle

Babylon follows Hollywood’s transition from silent movies to “talkies”. In particular, the movie highlights the rise and fall of several actors, actresses, and other Hollywood personalities. Smart plays Elinor St. John, an entertainment journalist who focuses on Hollywood gossip. Elinor specifically focuses her attention on Nellie (Margot Robbie), a new Hollywood star who makes a name for herself while battling her own demons.

What makes Babylon one of Jean Smart’s best movies is the fact that it highlights how experienced she is as a professional. Her scene-stealing monologue alone makes this movie one of her best. Smart establishes the fact that her character is the perfect person to deliver this iconic speech about fame, legacy, and the realities of Hollywood.

5

‘Whisper of the Heart’ (1995)

Directed by Yoshifumi Kondō

Whisper of the Heart is a Japanese animated movie that introduces Shizuku (Brittany Snow), an aspiring writer who lives in Tokyo with her parents. The story revolves around Shizuku’s quest to find Seiji Amasawa (David Gallagher), whose name she discovers in all the books she’s signed out from her local library. In the English dub, Smart voices Shizuku’s mother Asako, who encourages her daughter to continue her studies if she wants to pursue a writing career.

Any time an actor has the chance to do voice work, it’s a chance for them to stretch their limits and challenge themselves. Smart takes this opportunity in Whisper of the Heart, which is why it’s one of her most notable performances. With her voice alone, Smart is able to create a complex character who sometimes struggles to connect with her daughter. Smart understands how much her character simply wants what’s best for her daughter and how much she tries to support her the best way she knows how.

4

‘Forever Fabulous’ (1999)

Directed by Werner Molinsky

Forever Fabulous follows Loreli (Smart), a former beauty queen who moves from her home in Texas after a scandal rocks her career. Loreli’s daughter, Corrine (Jennifer Elise Cox), eventually convinces her to return to her home state. The road trip goes terribly wrong when they are involved in a freak accident. Smart is over-the-top, domineering, and nothing less than delightful as a domineering mother who never stops trying to recapture her own glory days.

What makes Forever Fabulous one of Smart’s best movies is that she is able to delve into her character’s vulnerability while being her naturally comedic self. This is also an example of Smart using her character to highlight the social commentary attached to a story. Through Loreli, viewers are invited to consider the negativity and shallow nature of beauty pageants. Smart brings a gravitas to this role that could otherwise have been a caricature.

3

‘Hope Springs’ (2012)

Directed by David Frankel

Hope Springs features Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones as Kay and Arnold Soames, empty-nesters looking to revitalize their marriage. The two have been physically and emotionally distant since their youngest son moved out. The movie follows their efforts to save their relationship as they face a new stage in their lives. Smart plays Eileen, one of Kay’s friends and confidantes who provide a much-needed perspective on Kay’s relationship issues.

While Hope Springs centers on a relationship that is at a crossroads, characters like Eileen are essential in providing further context to the root causes of the problems the Soames are facing. It’s clear that Eileen is a necessary character in this story, since Kay desperately needs someone to confide in. Relatedly, this role is a venue for Smart to show how much of a match she is for someone who’s as much of a legend as Streep is.

2

‘Garden State’ (2004)

Directed by Zach Braff

Garden State is a romantic comedy that introduces Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff), a young aspiring actor who returns to his hometown in New Jersey after his mother’s death. While home, he reconnects with old friends Mark (Peter Sarsgaard) and Dave (Alex Burns), who immediately re-introduce Andrew to the local party scene. Smart plays Mark’s mother, who is a recovering alcoholic and sees nothing but potential in her son.

What makes Garden State one of Jean Smart’s best movies is the fact that she stands out in this ensemble cast. In this movie, which is a unique way to explore grief, Smart presents a character who is relatable and fun to follow. Watching her character stand up for her son, no matter what, is sweet, if at times more than a little hard to understand. Smart provides a much-needed grounding influence in a story about a group of friends who sometimes take drastic measures to find themselves.

1

‘Guinevere’ (1999)

Directed by Audrey Wells

Guinevere introduces Harper Sloane (Sarah Polley), a woman who feels out of place in her upper-class, judgmental family. When she meets photographer Connie Fitzpatrick (Stephen Rea) at her sister’s wedding, she discovers a whole new Bohemian world. Smart plays Harper’s mother, Deborah. Deborah represents everything that Harper feels is stifling her as she wants to make her own way in the world.

Guinevere could be considered one of Smart’s best movies for her single scene in which she confronts her daughter about her relationship with Connie. This is a turning point for Harper, and leads her to see Connie for who he really is. Deborah is a force to be reckoned with, and it makes sense that she would have such a devastating impact on her daughter. Smart is able to highlight her character’s complex nature without ever making excuses for her actions.

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