1. The Benchmark of Acting Excellence
Let’s kick things off with a performance so gut-wrenching, it makes every actor question their life choices: Sophie’s Choice. I mean, come on, Streep’s portrayal of Sophie is the yardstick every thespian measures themselves against. It’s like saying you’re a chef but can’t boil water. Alan J. Pakula made a solid choice casting Meryl after she campaigned for the role, and she didn’t just nail it; she set the bar in the stratosphere. Plus, the film’s delicate cinematography and sympathetic score? Just icing on the cake.
2. That Glance Over The Spectacles
Next up, The Devil Wears Prada, where Streep turned Miranda Priestly into an icon with just a single icy stare. She made method acting look like child’s play, even if it left her miserable in her trailer. Teens to boomers, everyone knows who she is thanks to this role. And let’s be real: we all felt a twinge of fear we’d get on her bad side, despite her being nothing like her character off-screen.
3. Empathy and Irritation Hand in Hand
In Kramer vs. Kramer, Streep showed us why she’s the queen of making us feel all the feels. She played Joanna Kramer with such finesse that you can’t help but empathize with her, even while you’re mildly annoyed at her actions. It’s like she has this superpower to tug at your heartstrings and poke at your conscience simultaneously.
4. Questionable Accents But Who Cares
Oh, Out of Africa, where to start? Meryl had us all dreaming of dramatic African love stories, questionable accents aside. The film might not have dug deep into character psyche, but who needs depth when you’ve got sweeping landscapes and Streep’s towering performance? Plus, seven awards including Best Picture? Clearly, they did something right.
5. The Stern Nun You Don’t Mess With
Doubt is the film where Meryl played Sister Aloysius Beauvier, a nun you wouldn’t want to cross paths with in a dark convent hallway. She was so convincing that viewers were probably looking for confession booths right after watching the movie. And with John Patrick Shanley directing his own play adaptation – talk about taking control of your narrative.
6. The Greek Island Life We All Dream Of
Mamma Mia!, here we go again with Meryl showing off her singing chops and making us believe that yes, breaking out into ABBA songs is totally normal Greek island behavior. Who knew Streep could do musicals? Well, apparently Phyllida Lloyd did since she never forgot about that letter Meryl wrote post-9/11 praising the stage show for bringing joy to theatergoers.
7. A Steamy Affair Turned Life Lesson
In The Bridges of Madison County, Streep transformed a brief affair into a deep dive on love and longing that had us all sobbing into our popcorn buckets. It was all about that four-day affair that felt like a lifetime and left us questioning our own life choices – because who doesn’t love a good existential crisis?
8. Orchid Hunting And Screenwriting Neuroses
Adaptation, that 2002 mind-bender where Meryl played Susan Orlean and left us as confused as we were captivated. It’s one thing to adapt a book about orchid hunting; it’s another to write yourself into your own screenplay about adapting said book – and then cast Nicolas Cage as twins to really drive home the ‘what am I watching?’ vibe.
9. Humanizing A Polarizing Figure
With The Iron Lady, Streep did what seemed impossible: she made Margaret Thatcher somewhat relatable – handbag choices notwithstanding. It wasn’t so much about politics as it was about aging and dementia; still, Meryl brought humanity to one of history’s most divisive leaders, even if the film itself didn’t quite match up to her performance.
10. French Cuisine Risks Worth Taking
Last but not least, Julie & Julia. Meryl channeled Julia Child so well we all thought we could whip up boeuf bourguignon without setting our kitchens ablaze – spoiler: we couldn’t. Her performance not only boosted sales of both memoirs but also reaffirmed our belief that yes, butter makes everything better.
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