The late Brittany Murphy died tragically at the young age of thirty-two, but in that short time, she managed to snag several notable roles within her acting career. She was extremely versatile, taking roles from several different genres of movies, including comedy, drama, romance, and thriller. Murphy was most recognized for her doe-like eyes, with many shots from different films utilizing her looking up at the camera with her big eyes to bring more depth and tone into the scene. Murphy was a rising star who hadn’t reached her full potential yet. She passed at such a young age; Hollywood calling her the next big thing when she snagged roles in Clueless and Girl, Interrupted. A few years ago, a documentary titled, What Happened, Brittany Murphy? was released on HBO, and took a deeper look at what happened to Murphy throughout her life as well as her death. Rolling Stone compares Brittany Murphy’s life to the abuse and censorship that Brittany Spears went through, stating that Murphy should have gotten more help before it was too late. Brittany Murphy should have gotten more time, but here is a list of her best roles, ranked.
6 Just Married (2003)
Twentieth Century Fox
Just Married is a fantastic mess of a romantic comedy. The film opens with Tom (Ashton Kutcher) and Sarah (Brittany Murphy) angrily walking through an airport and fighting the entire time. It was directed by Shawn Levy, a well-known filmmaker, and the movie received harsh reviews from critics, even though it was a hit at the box office. Brittany’s character Sarah comes from a rich family, and her parents aren’t too thrilled with her and Tom’s relationship, so when they get married, there isn’t much support there. Throughout the film, the couple tries multiple times to consummate their marriage, but are unsuccessful with several comedic interruptions. They both become so frustrated, they call it quits; Sarah moves out before at the very end of the movie, Tom confesses his love to her, and they once again get back together.
5 8 Mile (2002)
Imagine Entertainment
Murphy plays Alex in Eminem’s film debut, 8 Mile. Alex is the love interest in this film, getting involved with B-Rabbit as he struggles to find his footing in the rap world. Murphy holds her own as she plays the role of Alex; her character is reckless and involved with too many people in a semi-dangerous world. However, Alex supports B-Rabbit and cheers him on throughout the movie, as he proves himself to be a legitimate rapper. Distractify states that Murphy and Eminem had so much chemistry in the movie, that many fans believed that they were actually romantically involved in real life, which is still unknown to this day.
4 Sin City (2005)
Dimension Films
This noir-style film released in the mid-2000s had a massive cast, all notable and extremely credible, and Murphy was among them. She plays Shellie, a barmaid who has a rough life, but then again, so does everyone who lives in Sin City. She has several great moments of dialogue, heavy one-liners, and hypnotic scenes, where audiences root for her and also try and figure out how the scene is going to end. One of her most notable lines is when she’s facing Jack and says, “If you’re gonna slug me, just go ahead and get it over with, you sick bastard.”
3 Clueless (1995)
Paramount Pictures
Another blockbuster event that Murphy starred in, Clueless was a great film about it-girls and self-worth. Murphy plays Tai, a girl from out of town who joins the school, and Cher and Dion take it upon themselves to give her a makeover, taking Tai under their wings to help transform her into an it-girl. The makeover is mostly to make themselves feel better, but throughout the process and mostly through the end of the movie, they all come together and realize what self-worth is all about, and what true friendship really means.
2 Girl, Interrupted (1999)
Columbia Pictures
Murphy’s character in Girl, Interrupted is more complex than some of her other roles. Daisy, her character, who was sexually abused in her younger years by her father, struggles with self-harm and bulimia, and makes friends with Winona Ryder’s character Susanna once she joins the group at the psychiatric ward. Daisy is released to go home before the other girls, and when Susanna and Lisa break out of the ward, they go and find Daisy, bribing her with drugs to let them in. In a terrible turn of events, Lisa becomes very cruel to Daisy and makes comments about enjoying the trauma that happened to Daisy as a kid, and in the end, Daisy takes her own life. Lisa proves to be a tormented person, as she robs Daisy’s dead body and room, taking money from her before fleeing to Florida.
1 Uptown Girls (2002)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
In one of her best movies, Murphy plays Molly Gunn, a young, carefree woman who never really had to work in her life due to her late father being a rock artist. When it’s discovered that all of her father’s money has been embezzled by his accountant, Molly is left homeless and broke, and crashes on her friend’s couch. She secures a job as a nanny to a young girl who goes by Ray, and the two seem to switch roles as Molly has more childlike qualities, while Ray is uptight and a hypochondriac. Throughout the film, the two bring out the best in each other, discovering that life can be more than one makes of it.
