Jennifer Aniston became a ubiquitous name after establishing the megahit situational comedy Friends, in which she starred. Since then, she has appeared in numerous films, but has largely stayed true to her comedic origins. Aniston and Jason Sudeikis co-starred in We’re the Millers, a comically fraught story about drug smuggling across the border. Her monotone delivery is a delight to observe.
Marley & Me
While Aniston’s decade-long role as Rachel Green in Friends made her a household name, she really broke through with this charming comedy. She and co-star Ben Stiller shine as a stuffy Manhattan couple who decide to test their relationship by moving to a hippie commune. It’s one of Twain’s funniest films.
Newlyweds John and Jenny Grogan move to Florida to start their lives as idealistic newspaper reporters. They get a feisty yellow Labrador Retriever named Marley, who quickly becomes a handful as they try to tame her. This heartwarming movie based on John Grogan’s memoir is a solid family film with good performances from Aniston and Owen Wilson. But the lookmovie feels too contrived and doesn’t make sense when it comes to time flow. Also, parents should be warned that there are some surprisingly sad scenes in this film.
The Internship
After Friends ended, Aniston starred in some high profile comedies. She and co-star Courteney Cox both won Golden Globes for their performances in 2009’s He’s Just Not That Into You.
In The Internship, Shawn Levy directs two unemployed watch salesmen (Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn) who get accepted into Google’s intern program. Their age difference and mismatched personalities make for great comic scenes.
In David Wain’s Wanderlust, Aniston and Paul Rudd portray Manhattanites laid off from their corporate jobs. The two uptight urbanites move to a hippie commune and learn to relax. The film is filled with perfect comedy timing and some interesting ideas.
The Break-Up 2
The sequel to Just Go With It proves Aniston can still make us laugh and showcase her dramatic range. The film produces a new look at relationships and the hardships that are bound to come between two people.
Acerbic exes battle it out for the house in this wry comedy, which serves as a cautionary tale about taking that understandable impulse to win back a former love too far. Aniston is a revelation as Brooke, an art dealer who moves in with her ex-husband (Vince Vaughn) and turns their condo into a hostile battleground.
Aniston earned an Emmy nomination for a guest appearance on 30 Rock and two more for her performance in the film. She starred alongside Danielle Macdonald in this movie about a self-proclaimed fat girl who reclaims her confidence and confronts people’s narrow views of beauty standards.
The Devil Wears Prada
A decade before Friends blew up Aniston was already a star with this underrated comedy drama. She starred as a woman who feels suffocated in her average life, opposite idealistic young literary type Holden (Jake Gyllenhaal).
Aniston was nominated for a Golden Globe for her turn as the title character in this well-observed 2002 drama. Aniston has said that she purposefully gave herself psychosomatic symptoms to add to the emotional impact of the film. Now that’s acting!
The Devil Wears Prada was a big-budget adaptation of Lauren Weisberger’s best-selling novel. The screenplay drew inspiration from Weisberger’s time as the assistant to Vogue magazine editor Anna Wintour. Meryl Streep’s ice-cold Miranda Priestly is one of the most iconic movie characters in recent history. Director David Frankel reportedly got so close to the real thing that fashion houses feared for their reputations for lending pieces.
Dumplin’
A charming comedy about beauty pageants and learning to love oneself, Dumplin’ is based on Julie Murphy’s 2015 young adult novel. The film stars Danielle Macdonald as Willowdean Dickson, a plus-size teenager who signs up for her mother’s pageant in protest—and ends up revolutionizing the town and her own life in the process.
In a small Texas town where pageant season is as big of a deal as the Superbowl, Dumplin’s Willowdean Dickson (aka “Dumplin’”) is ready to prove she’s more than just her steely, superficial mother, Rosie (Jennifer Aniston). When she signs up for her mom’s contest in an act of rebellion, she discovers a newfound confidence that turns the whole town around.
Kristin Hahn’s script and Aniston’s measured performance make this a must-see for anyone who loves a good feel-good movie. Bonus points for the Dolly Parton soundtrack, too!
