Born in Texas, with an accent to prove it, Margo Martindale might not be a name you recognize right away, but is a distinguished actress who often makes her characters memorable and well-rounded. She's seemingly done it all; Broadway, television, and movies that have paved her career and earned her a handful of awards for different projects.
You might know her from The Americans, Justified, or The Good Wife. Or, if you're the age of remembering when Hannah Montana was on Disney Channel, you know that she played Miley's Grandmother Ruby in Hannah Montana: The Movie. Martindale's list of films she's been in is quite impressive, so let's take a look at her top ten films ranked by Rotten Tomatoes.
9 The Hours (2002) - 79%
In this retelling of Virginia Woolf's novel Mrs. Dalloway, which was written in 1925, The Hours follows three different times and three different stories that interconnect. You're put into three different generations, the 20s, the 50s, and 2001; all focusing on three women who are different in some ways and extremely similar in others. In the '20s, we follow Virginia Woolf as she struggles to finish writing Mrs. Dalloway, and it highlights how she struggled with depression and went through multiple breakdowns before completing her book.
Margo Martindale plays a role that's easy to picture her in; a babysitter in the '50s who cares deeply for the child she watches and looks like she could give you some of the best advice. The Hours is a great film if you love women-led dramas, as well as retellings of classic literature.
8 Instant Family (2018) - 82%
Instant Family is a great movie for family night or just when you need a good laugh but also a heartfelt cry, seeing as this film can pull on just about anyone's heartstrings. The plot follows a couple who decide to get into foster care after they have trouble having biological kids, and soon learn that parenthood is a lot harder than it looks when they foster three kids, instead of one.
This blended family goes through plenty of ups and downs as they balance living together and learn a proper routine. Mark Wahlberg and Rose Byrne lead this film with great chemistry. Martindale plays Grandma Sandy, Pete's mom, who's a bit over the top, but has a big heart when it comes down to it.
Related: 8 Mark Wahlberg Movies That Deserve More Credit
7 Marvin's Room (1996) - 84%
Marvin's Room is a very touching story about family ties and being there for your loved ones even if you're estranged, proving that blood is thicker than water in trying times. Meryl Streep plays Lee, a mother to two sons and soon-to-be caretaker to her father and sister. Her father is bedridden due to a stroke that happened 20 years prior, and her older sister has been diagnosed with leukemia, causing the family to reunite and grow closer as medical issues become more severe.
With a knockout cast featuring the likes of Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro, and Margo Martindale, you'll be sucked into this family affair the moment you press play.
6 Rocket Science (2007) - 84%
In this comedy that has a more somber tone at points and is a great coming-of-age film that didn't get much attention, we follow a 15-year-old Hal, who suffers from a stutter as well as regular high school issues. Just trying to make it through his high school career, Hal is encouraged to join the debate team, despite his stutter, and he agrees after falling for the team leader, Ginny (Anna Kendrick).
Hal has a hard time on the team as it's hard for him to speak and Ginny suddenly transfers to a different school where she excels on that debate team, leaving Hal's team squabbling. Margo Martindale plays the brutally honest Coach Lumbly who runs the debate, often dropping bombs of truth on Hal and making his life even harder. Rocket Science is a sweet movie with an important lesson of being yourself.
Related: Character Actress Margo Martindale's Best Performances, Ranked
5 Million Dollar Baby (2004) - 90%
Proclaimed as one of the best movies from the 2000s, as well as one of the best boxing movies, Million Dollar Baby was a hit when it was released, catering to all types of audiences and gaining four Oscar awards. Hilary Swank plays Maggie Fitzgerald, who gets into the boxing scene too late in her career, but soon excels as she starts to get trained by a man named Frankie Dunn.
You watch as Maggie wins round after round, soon pulling in enough money to buy her mother (Margo Martindale) a house, but her mother is incredibly ungrateful to the offer. Martindale plays Earline, a woman who relies on the government for money and makes Maggie feel bad for pursuing such a career as boxing. Million Dollar Baby is a fantastic film, but prepare to grab the tissues by the time the credits roll.
4 Nobody's Fool (1994) - 91%
In Nobody's Fool, as you watch this film, it'll feel like you're watching the life of a mundane man who knows a lot of people and has a lot of personal issues he needs to work through. Filmed in Upstate New York, Nobody's Fool drew quite the crowd as it's based in a small town, and the characters really don't do all that much in the duration of the film, making it a comfortable watch with low stakes.
Growing old, family issues, and weird neighbors fill this film, and Paul Newman is great as Sully, making it that much more enjoyable as he often frequents the same bar every night. The bar is where we meet Martindale's character, Birdy the bartender, who has some enjoyable quips and huge hair.
3 Lorenzo's Oil (1992) - 93%
Based on a true story surrounding a young boy who was diagnosed with ALD and his parents' fight to get answers, which eventually led to Lorenzo's Oil, which is the title of this touching film. Augusto and Michaela realize that their son's disease is very rare, and they set out to find multiple doctors to help get answers to save their son, but it's not easy; they're met with several shortcomings and doubtful doctors.
It becomes even sadder when you remember that this is a true story, noting how much pain Lorenzo was in and how much damage he suffered while they waited for his diagnosis, and the oil that would relieve the pain he was going through.
2 Win Win (2011) - 94%
In this feel-good movie, you'll be crying before you realize it, not expecting this film that centers around high school wrestling to get you right in the heart. Mike is an attorney who also coaches his local high school's wrestling team, and he's in desperate need of cash but refuses to express to his wife that things aren't great with their funds.
Mike's life takes a change for the better when a teenager, Kyle, comes to stay with them, excelling in wrestling and finding his niche in order to focus his energy in something positive. Win Win is coming of age and a perfect watch when you need a laugh but also need to get some tears out. Paul Giamatti and Alex Shaffer have great chemistry together.
1 Blow the Man Down (2019) - 98%
With a near perfect score of 100%, Blow the Man Down is a woman-led film that flew under the radar when it was released in 2019. It focuses on two sisters, who, after the loss of their mother, spiral in their own ways and get into some trouble. Trouble being the murder of the creep of the fishing town. Living on a small island off of Maine, their coastal town is one where everyone knows just about everything about each other, and their New England accents are incredibly strong.
Martindale plays Enid Devlin, the owner of the one and only brothel that hosts the seedy men in town, and the actress swaps her southern accent to fit in with the Maine setting. Enid is an interesting character when it comes to grief and blackmail, giving the sisters a hard time but ultimately having a lot of unresolved issues of her own. Blow the Man Down is a must-watch and a win for women-led films, keeping you engaged while also being relatable as the plot thickens.