The Best Marisa Tomei Movies That Prove She Always Nails It
Vote up the movies that best showcase Tomei's talents.
Some might know Marisa Tomei as Aunt May in the latest Spider-Man trilogy, in which she turned in a performance way better than it had any right to be, but her career is much more than that. She always nails her roles, be it in comedies or dramas, has won an Academy Award, even if it was controversial at the time, and has earned two more nominations. She also makes every movie she appears in better. Be it her sense of humor and quirkiness, her layered, sad performances, and everything in between, Tomei never disappoints.
What's Marisa Tomei’s best performance? Do you love her as Aunt May? Do you believe her acting in The Wrestler is devastating? Or have you always had a soft spot for the role that made her a star in My Cousin Vinny? Vote on this list and let your voice be heard.
- 1197 VOTES
- Photo:
Her Role: Mona Lisa Vito was Tomei's breakout role. Mona Lisa is the smarter-than-she-looks girlfriend of attorney Vinny Gambini (Joe Pesci), who has never been to trial. When Vinny’s cousin and his friend are falsely accused of a crime in Alabama, Vinny and Mona Lisa go there to try to save them, even if there’s a lot of fake it till you make it style law by Vinny. The movie’s trial is so realistic that it’s a must-watch for any law student.
Why It's Worth A Watch: Tomei's performance won her a best supporting actress Oscar. It was such a surprise for everyone, Tomei included, that there was a nasty conspiracy that she wasn’t the name in the envelope, but how could she not be the winner? Tomei steals every scene she’s in, being charming, quirky, funny, and intelligent in one loud package, making for a one-of-one performance.
More My Cousin Vinny
- Dig Deeper...Behind-The-Scenes Stories From 'My Cousin Vinny'
- #136 of 769 onThe Most Rewatchable Movies
- #13 of 704 onThe All-Time Greatest Comedy Films
- 290 VOTES
- Photo:
Her Role: The My Cousin Vinny actress plays Cassidy, a stripper with a heart of gold who befriends Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a professional wrestler past his prime. They establish a friendship, even if he wants more, and she helps him see there’s life after the ring. He accepts a 20th-anniversary match against his biggest rival, and when he starts training and doing steroids he has a heart attack. He has to stop fighting, or he’ll die. Randy talks with Cassidy again, while attempting a romantic gesture that she refuses, and decides to fight the fight, consequences be damned, as it's where he's always felt more himself.
Why It's Worth A Watch: The performances are stellar. Rourke has never been better in a role that mirrors his real-life problems and career, and Tomei is incredible in showing how her character really feels, with every look, gesture, and posture. Both know they’re passed their primes in jobs that depend on their physiques, yet the way to change their circumstances couldn’t be more different. This is a tour de force acting performance by Rourke, but without Tomei’s, it would feel much emptier and hollow. Both actors were nominated at the Oscars for their performances, Tomei as the best supporting actress in what was her third nomination for the award.
More The Wrestler- #55 of 209 onThe Best Sports Movies Ever Made
- #57 of 133 onThe Most Utterly Depressing Movies Ever Made
- #156 of 675 onThe Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars
- 378 VOTES
- Photo:
Her Role: The actress is the lead in this romantic movie that is as corny as is beautiful. She plays Caroline, a beauty student and waitress. Going back home one night, two men try to sexually assault her, and Adam (Christian Slater), a shy busboy at the cafe she works at, saves her. They start a friendship that becomes romantic. Everything is going great until she discovers Adam has a heart defect and will probably die if he doesn’t get a transplant. They try to keep their lives going and fall in love even more, but his heart problem is not going away.
Why It's Worth A Watch: This is a romantic film that’s also a tear-jerker, as the story is as sad as it’s beautiful. The story works because of the naturalistic chemistry between Tomei and Slater, who make you believe their love is real and they’re soul mates. The film was one of the first Tomei did after winning the Oscar for My Cousin Vinny, where she proved she could be a romantic leading lady and maybe should’ve gotten some of the Meg Ryan/Sandra Bullock roles that made the rom-com genre such an important one in the '90s.
More Untamed Heart- #105 of 124 onThe Biggest Tearjerker Movies Of All Time
- #35 of 58 onThe Best Valentine's Day Movies
- #9 of 15 onThe Saddest Romance Movie Deaths That Make You Think Love Too Is Dead
- 463 VOTES
- Photo:
Her Role: Tomei plays Natalie, a divorcee with two kids who fall in love with a much younger man, Frank (Nick Stahl). The film is from the point of view of Frank’s parents, Ruth (Sissy Spacek) and Matt (Tom Wilkinson), who don’t believe in the relationship between Frank and Natalie. Her ex-husband Richard (William Mapother) is aggressive and wants to keep being in her and their kids’ lives in more worrying ways. After one of the kids calls Nick because their father is in the house and might hurt their mother, he goes to her aid and gets killed by Richard. Things spiral from there.
Why It's Worth A Watch: This movie is a very sad one with incredible performances by Wilkinson, Spacek, and Tomei, and all three were nominated at the Oscars, the first two as leads, and Tomei in the best supporting actress category. In the Bedroom was a critical sensation; for example, BBC’s Neil Smith said about it: “Intense, [a] superbly acted chamber piece.” It also became a pretty successful movie at the box office, earning $44 million with a budget of $1.7 million, making for a dramatic, excruciating film that will break the heart of anyone who watches it.
More In the Bedroom- #110 of 133 onThe Most Utterly Depressing Movies Ever Made
- #292 of 675 onThe Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars
- #52 of 55 onThe Best Oscar-Nominated Movies of the 2000s
- 556 VOTES
- Photo:
Her Role: Tomei plays Maggie McPherson, district attorney and ex-wife to Mickey Haller (Matthew McConaughey), known as the Lincoln lawyer because he conducts his business from his car. They also have a daughter together. Haller is hired by a rich kid, Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), who is accused of murdering a sex worker. The more he investigates, the more Haller believes Roulet also killed another sex worker for which a client of his went to jail. The problem is he can’t say anything as he’s bound by attorney-client confidentiality. With the help of Maggie, he’ll try to prove what really happened without breaking privilege.
Why It's Worth A Watch: McConaughey might be the film’s lead, but it wouldn’t work without Tomei’s performance. She’s his best friend, as smart as him but with incorruptible morals, and someone who makes audiences want to believe in the judicial system. Critics loved her performance, especially renowned critic Roger Ebert, who said about her:
When Tomei walks into a movie, it's like the Queen came into the room. I want to stand up. I know why Lady Gaga wants Marisa to play her in a biopic. It's not because they look like sisters. It's because every woman, and many men, would love to have a smile like Marisa Tomei's.
More The Lincoln Lawyer- #48 of 81 onThe 75+ Best Whodunit Murder Mystery Movies
- #15 of 65 onThe 60+ Best Court & Law Drama Movies
- #1 of 50 onThe Best Matthew McConaughey Movies, Ranked
- 666 VOTES
- Photo:
Her Role: Tomei plays Lola, an unemployed actress who works as a barista at the coffee shop Nick (Mel Gibson) goes to, and is a romantic interest for him. After an accident at home, Nick is able to listen to everything women think around him. What starts as a curse becomes a superpower when he starts listening to the ideas his new boss Darcy (Helen Hunt) has and uses them to his advantage, as he believes he deserves the job. The power also helps him bond with his teenage daughter Alex (Ashley Johnson), and save Erin (Judy Greer) from killing herself, while also helping him understand women.
Why It's Worth A Watch: This film is now pretty outdated in its views of the battle of the sexes and behavior at work. It also has as the lead someone who has had some public problems in the last few years. Having said all that, the movie has some funny scenes, with Tomei leading the charge. Her line readings of what she thinks while Lola is having sex with Nick are hilarious, especially when he’s not really doing it very well for her.
More What Women Want- #115 of 473 onThe 400+ Best Chick Flicks Ever
- #44 of 56 onThe Funniest Movies Starring SNL Cast Members
- #26 of 32 onBlockbusters With No Cultural Impact Whatsoever, Ranked
- 754 VOTES
- Photo:
Her Role: Tomei plays Gina, Andy’s (Philip Seymour Hoffman) wife, who is having an affair with his brother Hank (Ethan Hawke). Andy is a finance executive who has embezzled some money, so he convinces his strapped-for-cash brother to rob their parents’ jewelry store, as nobody will get hurt, and the insurance will pay for the robbery. Plans go as bad as they could go, and their mother gets killed. From then on, Andy and Hank get deeper and deeper in trouble, trying to solve their problems, making them worse every time. One of their many problems is that Gina wants a divorce, and tells Andy she’s been sleeping with his brother.
Why It's Worth A Watch: This film was Sidney Lumet’s last and is a perfect showcase for every actor involved. Hoffman and Hawke are great as the troubled brothers, showing their disdain and discomfort with each other in every scene together, but it’s Albert Finney as their father, and Tomei as Andy's wife who give the movie its spark. The actress is great in her role as a sexy, almost femme fatale who is dissatisfied with her life and wants to blow it up, creating more problems for the siblings.
- #119 of 133 onThe Most Utterly Depressing Movies Ever Made
- #293 of 675 onThe Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars
- #48 of 139 onThe Best Movies Of 2007
- 813 VOTES
- Photo:
- Spider-Man: No Way Home
- Sony Pictures Releasing
Her Role: The actress plays Aunt May, the guardian of Peter Parker (Tom Holland) AKA Spider-Man, in the trilogy of movies dedicated to the superhero where he learns how difficult and dangerous it can be to be a hero. Tomei’s Aunt May is much more modern than earlier iterations, and the fact that she knows her nephew’s secret makes her a much more dynamic and integrated character in his story. She’s also the emotional linchpin of Spider-Man: No Way Home as she gives the famous “With great power, there must also come great responsibility” speech.
Why It's Worth A Watch: The Spider-Man trilogy led by Holland is worth a watch as it’s the first time he’s really a teenager in the movies, and the whole thing has a John Hughes vibe. During the three movies, he evolves and becomes an incredible superhero who is as good at his job as Iron Man or Captain America. The last film in the trilogy is a cameo-fest, and the interactions between the three Spider-Men are really funny. Even then, it's Tomei’s character’s death that makes the movie matter.
- #11 of 155 onThe 150+ Best Classic Tween Movies
- #18 of 81 onThe Best Fantasy Worlds
- #87 of 100 onRecent Events That Will Most Likely Make It Into History Books 50 Years From Now
- Photo:
- 960 VOTES
- Photo:
Her Role: The actress plays Linda, Dave’s (Adam Sandler) girlfriend, who is trying to help him with his anger issues. Dave tries to not be confrontational with anyone, but after he loses it a bit with a flight attendant, he’s ordered by a judge to have anger management therapy under Dr. Buddy Rydell (Jack Nicholson). Rydell is a known therapist with some unique methods, and he makes Dave’s problems get much more complicated so he can understand his anger. Everything changes when Buddy meets Linda and wants to date her, making Dave even more furious.
Why It's Worth A Watch: This is the Sandler-iest of movies as he’s at his most ridiculous ever. If you like that, this film is absolutely for you. It’s also interesting to see Nicholson at his most extravagant and loud, yet he looks like he’s having the time of his life playing this obnoxious, crazy role. Tomei spends most of the film as the girlfriend with not that much to do, yet by the end, there’s a twist that proves she’s smarter and more resourceful than she looks, making her the brains of the operation of every ridiculous thing that happened before.
More Anger Management- #535 of 704 onThe All-Time Greatest Comedy Films
- #389 of 633 onThe 600+ Funniest Movies Of All Time
- #27 of 152 onThe Best Movies Of 2003, Ranked
- 1043 VOTES
- Photo:
Her Role: Tomei is Kate, a romantic interest to Cal (Steve Carell), after his wife Emily (Julianne Moore) has asked him for a divorce. As he hasn’t dated for decades, a young ladies’ man, Jacob (Ryan Gosling), teaches him how to hook up with women in the 21st century. Jacob is also having his own romantic troubles after meeting Hannah (Emma Stone), the one who might change his views on love. Tomei’s performance as the first lady interested in Cal is great, as their chemistry is fiery, and she is the perfect sparring partner for Carrell in some of the funniest scenes in the film.
Why It's Worth A Watch: This romantic comedy looks at dating in middle age, in one's twenties, and as a teenager. It works because of a good script, but especially because of the different couple’s chemistry. Gosling and Stone are fire together, especially in the Dirty Dancing scene, and Carell and Tomei have an easy, dirtier-than-it-should-look way of talking and looking at each other. Carell is also great at looking flummoxed by how much the dating world has changed since he was young.
More Crazy, Stupid, Love.- #21 of 136 onThe 100+ Best Movies For Date Night
- #65 of 170 onThe 150+ Best Teen Romance Movies, Ranked
- #363 of 633 onThe 600+ Funniest Movies Of All Time
- 1134 VOTES
- Photo:
Her Role: Tomei plays Mabel Normand, an actress in the first Chaplin Tramp film who also directed some Chaplin movies. The film insinuates she was so bad at directing Chaplin that it was what made the actor decide to start directing himself. This movie is a biopic that tells Charles Chaplin’s (Robert Downey Jr.) whole story, from when he was a child to his famous years, the gossip around his private life, his fights with J. Edgar Hoover (Kevin Dunn), leaving America and then going back to the country to receive an honorary Academy Award.
Why It's Worth A Watch: This movie is all about Robert Downey Jr.’s performance as he inhabits Chaplin more than he plays him. The actor was nominated for best actor at the Academy Awards. Tomei’s role is small, but she’s a good sport, as her character is the worst director ever, and the actress almost takes pleasure in showing it on camera.
More Chaplin- #65 of 242 onThe 200+ Best Movies Based On A True Story
- #18 of 53 onThe Best Movies About Movies
- #33 of 67 onThe Best Movies About Becoming Famous
- 1230 VOTES
- Photo:
Her Role: Tomei plays Martha, the pregnant wife of Henry (Michael Keaton), during the 24 hours of a day in the man’s life as an editor at the New York Sun, as he follows a story of two teenagers who have been accused of a crime they didn’t commit. He’s a workaholic who can’t leave the story alone and is getting pressured by Alicia Clark (Glenn Close), who wants to cut some costs at the paper. Martha is a reporter, but she feels Henry is too invested in his work and won’t be there for her and the kid that’s about to be born.
Why It's Worth A Watch: Keaton gives an incredible performance as the overworked, over-caffeinated editor who can’t leave a story alone. Although Tomei’s role is supporting, she holds her own against Keaton, making her case against working so much, a very good one, while still showing her love for him. In some other actor’s hands, the role would be the “needy wife,” but the actress makes it much more compelling, and real.
- 1323 VOTES
- Photo:
Her Role: The actress plays Dr. Polly Bellman, a psychologist who has as a patient ex-FBI Special Agent Joel Campbell (James Spader) and with whom something more might happen. Campbell has retired from the force and moved to Chicago after a serial killer killed his girlfriend. The problem is Griffin (Keanu Reeves), the serial killer, has followed him to Chicago and is now killing there and taunting Campbell in the process. He even sends him clues of who his next victim is going to be to see if Campbell can find them before he kills them. Bellman might be his next victim.
Why It's Worth A Watch: The cat-and-mouse game between Campbell and Griffin is what makes the film, as, from the point of view of the killer, killing is only fun if Campbell is trying to catch him and make it difficult for him. The movie has Keanu Reeves as the bad guy, which is also something worth watching. Although Tomei is pretty much the romantic interest and lady to be rescued, she gives the character some much-needed warmth.
- 1434 VOTES
- Photo:
Her Role: It’s 1976. After leaving rehab, Rita (Tomei), an almost thirty-year-old with a substance and alcohol problem, goes to live with her uncle Murray's (Alan Arkin) family. Vivian (Natasha Lyonne in her breakout role) is Murray’s daughter, a 14-years-old, and she’s tasked with keeping an eye on Rita and her nursing education, as her father is sending money for the whole family. Rita and Vivian become best friends while the former is lost and doesn’t know what to do with her life, and the latter is getting into her teenage years and has a lot to learn about love and sex.
Why It's Worth A Watch: The film has become a cult classic and is a comedy like no other. The chemistry between Tomei and Lyonne is undeniable, and every one of their scenes together is a blast. Tomei earned some accolades for her performance, for example, CNN’s Paul Tatara said in his review:
Tomei hasn't been this good in years. There's an underlying level of sadness to her performance that somehow never manages to get mawkish.
- #496 of 704 onThe All-Time Greatest Comedy Films
- #26 of 70 onGreat Quirky Movies for Grown-Ups
- #162 of 168 onThe Best '90s Comedy Movies, Ranked
