Brittany Murphy - Top 5 Performances
March 23rd 2010 11:41
Following her tragic death late in 2009, I found myself drawn to watching some of my old DVDs. I was amazed at how many of them contained this etheral, fragile star. Here are my favourite Brittany Murphy performances.
5: Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)
In Drop Dead Gorgeous, Brittany played a beauty pagent entrant named Lisa Swenson. Her infectious laugh and ready smile helped her to dominate in her screen time against co-stars like Kirsten Dunst and Denise Richards. A mocumentary-style film, Drop Dead Gorgeous is probably one of my Top 10 films. It's a great way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon and the film is so much fun. If you get the chance, give yourself the couple of hours it takes to watch and just enjoy the pithy comments, digs at Beauty Pagents and the fantastic performances by all the cast and crew,
4: Girl, Interrupted (1999)
I have to admit I'm not a huge fan of etiher Winonna Ryder or Angelina Jolie - although I did like her in the Bone Collector - but Brittany Murphy again outshone those around in this film based on the life of Susanna Kaysen. The scenes between Lisa (Angelina Jolie) and Daisy (Brittany Murphy) are so well played by both actresses that it's impossible to look away. Over all Girl Interrupted was an ok film, saved by some remarkable performances. There was such a fragility to Brittany's performance of the sexually abused girl with an eating disorder. I stil wonder why she didn't receive an Oscar Nomination for that performance. It was definitely worthy of that sort of notice.
3: Don't Say A Word (2001)
Brittany Muprhy in Don't Say A Word is haunting. A brilliant performance, as her character Elizabeth chant's "I'll never tell" is something that send cold chills up your spine. Over all the movie is pretty crap. It had a great cast, a fairly good - if predictable - storyline but for some reason it comes across as hack-kneed and cliche ridden. The ending of the film was a yawn fest but it is a good way to spend a couple of hours. Saved by it's performances Don't Say a Word is worth watching if you see it one of the movie channels one Saturday evening.
2: Riding In Cars With Boys (2001)
As Faye, the lifetime best friend off Beverly in this Penny Marshall directed film Brittany Murphy was pure perfection. Telling the story of a young teenage mother who ends up divorced and a single mother while still a teenager, Riding in Cars With Boys packs no surprises. As the rock in Beverly's life, the one true constant friend, Brittany Murphy takes a role that could easily have been a cardboard cut out and breaths life and love into it. I'm a huge Drew Barrymore fan, but I have to say it was Brittany Murphy who stole the show in this film.
1: Clueless (1995)
Every generation has it's slacker teen comedies. This one wasn't mine, but it was a film I loved and remain really fond of. Where slacker comedies go it differs in that the film tells the story of a group of rich Beverly Hills girls who act like they're 30. Into their High School comes Taj (Brittany Murphy) who is instantly adopted by Cher (Alicia Silverstone) and turned into a makeover project. Through Taj, we see the development of another Beverly HIlls brat who finds finally there is more to life than popularity and designer clothes. One of the first images I had in my mind when I heard that Brittany Murphy had passed away was of her, as Taj at the house party in the valley, sitting on the kitchen island and singing Rollin' with my Homies. That image will always be the first thing I think of when I think of Clueless.
Brittany Murphy
5: Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999)
In Drop Dead Gorgeous, Brittany played a beauty pagent entrant named Lisa Swenson. Her infectious laugh and ready smile helped her to dominate in her screen time against co-stars like Kirsten Dunst and Denise Richards. A mocumentary-style film, Drop Dead Gorgeous is probably one of my Top 10 films. It's a great way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon and the film is so much fun. If you get the chance, give yourself the couple of hours it takes to watch and just enjoy the pithy comments, digs at Beauty Pagents and the fantastic performances by all the cast and crew,
4: Girl, Interrupted (1999)
I have to admit I'm not a huge fan of etiher Winonna Ryder or Angelina Jolie - although I did like her in the Bone Collector - but Brittany Murphy again outshone those around in this film based on the life of Susanna Kaysen. The scenes between Lisa (Angelina Jolie) and Daisy (Brittany Murphy) are so well played by both actresses that it's impossible to look away. Over all Girl Interrupted was an ok film, saved by some remarkable performances. There was such a fragility to Brittany's performance of the sexually abused girl with an eating disorder. I stil wonder why she didn't receive an Oscar Nomination for that performance. It was definitely worthy of that sort of notice.
3: Don't Say A Word (2001)
Brittany Muprhy in Don't Say A Word is haunting. A brilliant performance, as her character Elizabeth chant's "I'll never tell" is something that send cold chills up your spine. Over all the movie is pretty crap. It had a great cast, a fairly good - if predictable - storyline but for some reason it comes across as hack-kneed and cliche ridden. The ending of the film was a yawn fest but it is a good way to spend a couple of hours. Saved by it's performances Don't Say a Word is worth watching if you see it one of the movie channels one Saturday evening.
2: Riding In Cars With Boys (2001)
As Faye, the lifetime best friend off Beverly in this Penny Marshall directed film Brittany Murphy was pure perfection. Telling the story of a young teenage mother who ends up divorced and a single mother while still a teenager, Riding in Cars With Boys packs no surprises. As the rock in Beverly's life, the one true constant friend, Brittany Murphy takes a role that could easily have been a cardboard cut out and breaths life and love into it. I'm a huge Drew Barrymore fan, but I have to say it was Brittany Murphy who stole the show in this film.
1: Clueless (1995)
Every generation has it's slacker teen comedies. This one wasn't mine, but it was a film I loved and remain really fond of. Where slacker comedies go it differs in that the film tells the story of a group of rich Beverly Hills girls who act like they're 30. Into their High School comes Taj (Brittany Murphy) who is instantly adopted by Cher (Alicia Silverstone) and turned into a makeover project. Through Taj, we see the development of another Beverly HIlls brat who finds finally there is more to life than popularity and designer clothes. One of the first images I had in my mind when I heard that Brittany Murphy had passed away was of her, as Taj at the house party in the valley, sitting on the kitchen island and singing Rollin' with my Homies. That image will always be the first thing I think of when I think of Clueless.
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Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
For me Murphy's best work was in the under seen gem "Dead Girl".
Her work on "King of the Hill" would be #2 for me.
Rounding out the list, Sin City, Spun and possibly her performance in the upcoming Sly Stallone, Jet Li, Mickey Rourke extravaganza The Expendables.
Comment by Mike Cullen
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