Sandra Bullock has become a Hollywood darling in recent years, as she has picked up roles in box office smashes and/or Oscar-bait films and gone through changes in her personal life that have drawn both sympathy and admiration. Although she has had a long, versatile and hit-filled career, and has always been likable, she was thrust to a whole new level with her Oscar-winning performance in 2009's The Blind Side. Just three films later, she is poised to pick up another in the 86th Academy Awards with her nomination for Best Actress in 2013's Gravity.
Her two latest high profile Oscar films solidified in everyone's mind the idea that the actress best known for her comedic chops has plenty of talent outside the realm of funny, but she has done drama and serious films before and done them well; she's also appeared in different types of comedy, and has her fair share of flops and megahits.
In honor of the nomination she received for her most recent hit, here are the top ten most memorable Sandra Bullock films--not necessarily her best and worst performances, but rather the films she is most known for, the ones people tend to think of when they hear her name and easily associate with her.
10. Two Weeks Notice- 2002
This romantic comedy stars Sandra Bullock as Lucy Kelson, a brilliant but peculiar lawyer who becomes somewhat of a personal assistant for her charming but arrogant and irresponsible client, George Wade (Hugh Grant).
The chemistry between Bullock and Grant is incredible and the two work well off each other to deliver line after line of comedy. It is smart, sweet and hilarious through and through and though it is not one of her most popular, it is the kind of movie that just wholly captures the essence of who Bullock is and why she is so adored.
Great line: Lucy Kelson: George, I think you're the most selfish human being on the planet.
George Wade: That is silly. Have you met everyone in our planet?
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9. The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood- 2002
This film is a mother-daughter relationship story in which Siddalee (Bullock) learns about her mother's past through a scrapbook detailing the wild adventures her mother and her childhood friends have had. Through looking at the scrapbook, Siddalee sees a part of the mother with home she has a rocky relationship in a different way than ever before, and audiences see how it affects Siddalee.
Bullock's character is the main one but as it's not really her story, she is one among several of an ensemble cast and she plays her part splendidly. The film is a memorable one, in part because it is an adaptation of a beloved book, and because it is just a compelling, touching story in general with a great cast.
For that reason, this is another of Bullock's most memorable films.
Great line:
Sidda: [about Vivi] I am sick of fighting! And, I am sick to death of this whole center of the universe, holier than thou, nothing is ever enough. Oh, how I've suffered, nobody understands me. Somebody fix me a drink and hand me a Nebutol, worn out Scarlett O'Hara... thang!
Caro: Well, she's got her pegged, all right.
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8. The Heat- 2013
Starring Bullock as Ashburn, an uptight FBI special agent forced to work alongside Melissa McCarthy's Mullins, an unconventional, unpolished, eccentric Boston Cop, this buddy comedy was a huge hit. The pairing of two of comedy's best women, one an established fan favorite and one a somewhat fresh face on the rise, was a formula that unsurprisingly worked. McCarthy took center stage and Bullock let her, complementing her in the best way, and their chemistry is exceptional.
The film was Bullock's first comedy since 2009's flop All About Steve and the buzz about it was so strong that it quickly garnered calls for a sequel. Regardless if the sequel happens and whether she is part of it, it will likely be a long and fondly remembered Sandra Bullock movie.
Great line: Ashburn: Why don't you have your own phone?
Mullins: What am I, the Queen of England?
Ashburn: I don't know. Does the Queen of England only wear sweatpants?
Mullins: Fuck you.
Ashburn: You... 'F' you.
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7. The Proposal- 2009
In this romantic comedy, Bullock portrays Margaret Tate, an uptight, harsh boss from Canada who forces her employee to pose as her fiancé so she doesn't get deported. Ryan Reynolds portrays her employee, Andrew Paxton, and the two are both such fan favorites that it's not surprising the film found success. Their chemistry is strong and the film is even funnier with the presence of the iconic Betty White.
It is not a particularly special movie in general, but as far as romantic comedies go, it is top tier. In addition, Reynolds and Bullock both are hot in their careers right now so this film is not likely to fade from people's minds anytime soon.
Great line: Margaret Tate: Why didn't you tell me you're some kind of Alaskan Kennedy?
Andrew Paxton: We were in the middle of talking about you... for the last 3 years.
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6. All About Steve- 2009
In the same year she won an Oscar, Bullock starred in this comedy that many dubbed as her worst film. It isn't without its laughable moments, but the somewhat stupidity and simplicity of the plot is a bit beneath Bullock, especially for how on top she was at the time.
Bullock plays Mary, an eccentric crossword puzzler who trails a CCN cameraman (then relatively newcomer Bradley Cooper) across the country whom she is convinced is her true love, in the hopes that she can convince him they belong together. It is the wacky, zany kind of character Bullock has often portrayed but amplified to the nth degree, so that it is just a bit too over-the-top. But for that reason, people will unfortunately remember the Bullock flop, though it hasn't and won't really affect her reputation in terms of talent and likability.
Great line: (Tie) "On the journey of life, just find someone as normal as you. If not a whole bunch."
"Mary, why do you wear those stupid red boots all the time? You wanna know why? Because it makes my toes feel like 10 friends on a camping trip, that's why."
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5. Crash -2004
This book-to-film adaptation was an epic dramatic saga about race and social disparity in Los Angeles. With an ensemble cast that included Bullock alongside Don Cheadle, Tony Danza, Matt Dillon, Brendan Fraser, Thandie Newton, Ryan Phillippe and more, it told the story of how different people's lives intertwine as they each deal with the struggles of life in the city. The centerpieces were Rick Cabot, a white district attorney with political ambitions, his wife Jean (Bullock), two black carjackers, two different sets of police partners with racial issues between them and their own personal issues, and three other characters in tough situations, each of different ethnicities.
Amidst a loaded and numerous cast, Bullock held her own with a riveting performance, and the film's heavy and intense subject matter is proof Bullock isn't just about comedy. The fact that it was a different kind of role compared to her usual ones, and the fact that the film won the Oscar for Best Picture that year, makes this film likely one of Bullock's most unforgettable.
Great line: (Jean Cabot to Rick [Brendan Fraser] upon seeing someone whom she thought looked like a gang member in her home after being carjacked.)
"And it was my fault because I knew it was gonna happen. But if a white person sees two black men walking towards her and she turns and walks in the other direction, she's a racist, right? Well I got scared and I didn't say anything and ten seconds later I had a gun in my face. Now I am telling you, your amigo in there is gonna sell our key to one of his homies and this time it'd be really fucking great if you acted like you actually gave a shit!"
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4. Speed and Speed 2: 1994 and 1997
These were one of Bullock's earliest big movies and though the second one was a bust, both are remembered by many. The first starred Keanu Reeves as a young cop who has to save Bullock's Annie Porter and others from a bomb by keeping the bus they're on above 50 mph-- through the busy streets of Los Angeles.
Aside from taking over as the driver after the original one is shot, in order to help Reeves' character manage the situation, Bullock was essentially just the damsel in distress, but it was a fun film and she made the best of her role. And though Speed 2 was a flop (the plot was essentially the same but on a boat), both films are widely associated with Bullock's name to this day.
Great line: (Speed. Annie to Reeves' Jack)
Annie: What is that smell?
Jack: It's gas.
Annie: We're leaking gas?
Jack: We are now.
Annie: What, you thought you needed another challenge or something?
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3. Gravity- 2013
This film is one of two frontrunners expected to take home the big prize of the Best Picture and it's easy to see why critics love it. The cinematography is something spectacular and never quite done before, and Bullock and costar George Clooney are incredibly charismatic.
Bullock portrays Ryan Stone, a medical engineer on a mission in space led by astronaut Matt Kowalski (Clooney). When a terrible accident happens, Stone must survive on her own, but with a little help from Kowalski. On top of that, she is still dealing with the loss of a child and it helps drive her through her struggle.
Even if the film does not win the grand Oscar prize, it will remain a centerpiece of Bullock's career for quite some time as it was powerful and her performance was critically acclaimed, earning her a nomination for best actress.
Great line: (Stone to herself) "The way I see it, there are only two possible outcomes. Either I make it down there in one piece and I have one hell of a story to tell! Or I burn up in the next ten minutes. Either way, whichever way... no harm, no foul! Because either way, it's going to be one hell of a ride! I'm ready."
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2. Miss Congeniality: 2000
This movie is a household title and one of the first people think of when they hear Bullock's name. She'd already been well under way with her career at the time but it spread her name to those who hadn't yet discovered her, in part because it was a comedy people of all ages could enjoy.
Bullock portrays tom-boy FBI agent Gracie Hart who is forced to go under cover in a beauty pageant to prevent a bombing of the event. She gets pageant training and a massive makeover from Michael Caine's Victor Melling, shocking her male coworkers, Melling, and everyone at the pageant with how well she cleans up and how unpolished yet likable she is.
Audiences fell in love with Bullock in this role and it will always be one of her most iconic movies.
Great line: (Gracie Hart about the skimpy outfit she is forced to wear for the pageant)
"The last time I was this naked in public I was coming out of a uterus!"
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1.Blind Side- 2009
This film turned people's head across the industry. It was not her first serious movie but for some reason it was the one that woke many up to the fact that Bullock could do so much more than just be funny. In the true tale about a southern wealthy family who takes in Michael Oher, a homeless and troubled boy of a different race and then helps him get to college through football and improving his academics, Bullock portrayed the mother who comes to love Oher as one of her own.
It was a touching film with sprinkles of comedy, tear-jerking moments and more, and Bullock's performance was passionate, sweet and sincere as possible. The buzz around the film made it likely to be one role of Bullock's that no one would forget, and the fact that she earned a Best Actress Oscar award for it sealed the deal as Bullock's most legendary role.
Great line: (Bullock's character to thugs from Oher's past, to protect him)
Leigh Anne Touhy: If you so much as set foot downtown, you will be sorry. I'm in a prayer group with the D.A., I'm a member of the NRA and I'm always packing.
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