Sandra Bullock is widely regarded as one of the greatest Hollywood stars. Her career spans over three decades and has included everything from romance, to sci-fi, to thrillers. With each role she’s taken on she’s been transformative, adapting to whatever situation she’s thrown into, and turning in a remarkable performance every time.
The definition of a movie star, her filmography delivers tears, laughs, moments of peril, and moments that make us swoon. She’s so versatile in her work, and it shows in every role she takes on. With so many films under her belt, it's the perfect time to dive into some of Sandra Bullock's best movies ever, ranked from good to great.
25 'Hope Floats' (1998)
Appeared as Birdee Pruitt
In 1998, the romantic drama Hope Floats placed Bullock beside Harry Connick Jr. in what turned out to be a rather charming film. She plays Birdee Pruitt, a woman who discovers on live television that her husband has been having an affair with her best friend. Heartbroken and humiliated, Birdee and her daughter Bernice (Mae Whitman) move back to her hometown in Texas for a new start.
The film as a whole is very heartwarming and has a very cozy feeling, due to the small town setting and story of finding a new path. The standout of the movie is the chemistry between Bullock and Connick Jr. It’s your classic friends-to-lovers trope, and it’s so sweet, making for some memorable romantic moments. It’s a charming little movie and one of the more underrated romantic movies in her filmography.
24 'The Lake House' (2006)
Appeared as Dr. Kate Forster
The Lake House gave us the second team-up of Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves, something much desired after their performance in Speed. Here we get them in a romantic role, though it’s not your typical romance movie, it’s a sci-fi romance movie. The Lake House follows Alex Wyler who’s living in 2004, and Kate Forster who’s living in 2006, as they meet and fall in love through letters they exchange at an old lake house — one they both lived in during their respective time periods.
The plot can get rather mind-boggling due to its addition of time travel, but for the most part, the story is strong, and it does well at keeping things from getting too confusing. And it’s not surprising to note that the chemistry between Bullock and Reeves was magnificent.
The Lake House
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- Release Date
- June 16, 2006
- Director
- Alejandro Agresti
- Cast
- Keanu Reeves , Sandra Bullock , Christopher Plummer , Ebon Moss-Bachrach , Willeke van Ammelrooy , Dylan Walsh
- Runtime
- 98
- Main Genre
- Drama
23 'Forces of Nature' (1999)
Appeared as Sarah Lewis
Another addition to Bullock’s romantic films is 1999’s Forces of Nature, in which Ben Affleck plays her leading man. Ben (Affleck) is set to be married when just about everything goes wrong and keeps him from getting home in time. He ends up reluctantly embarking on a road trip with Sarah (Bullock), who’s also heading to the same destination as him, and along the way, feelings begin to arise.
Though the chemistry between the leads isn’t quite as great as one might expect or anticipate, Forces of Nature does subvert the typical rom-com happy ending, which is an interesting change of pace. But though the chemistry may not entirely be there, Bullock’s performance is unwavering, and she’s just as charming as always.