Sissy Spacek's notable career has seen her in a multitude of complicated roles. These are her 10 best movies according to Rotten Tomatoes.
Few actors have had the same career longevity and success as screen veteran Sissy Spacek. Known for her transformative abilities as a performer, Spacek has had a career full of rich characters that she has embodied with perfection on nearly every film outing.
The multiple-time Oscar nominee's career has spanned from horror classics like Carrie to musical biopics like Coal Miner's Daughter and everything in between. Though her films are generally well-received, some have garnered higher scores than others on Rotten Tomatoes.
10 Coal Miner's Daughter (1980) - 86%
After a decade of playing wide-eyed and innocent characters, Sissy Spacek showed her range by stepping into the shoes of a real-life person in Coal Miner's Daughter. The country music biopic follows the tale of Loretta Lynn, from her humble upbringing to her rise as a country music superstar.
Spacek shined as the singer, and her Texan heritage brought an air of believability to her portrayal. Coal Miner's Daughter took advantage of its opportunity to tell an interesting story from the world of country music and resulted in one of the best music biopics of all time.
9 The Long Walk Home (1990) - 88%
By 1990, Sissy Spacek had established herself as an acting juggernaut and her versatility was unquestionable. The Long Walk Home tells the story of a Black woman who works as a maid for wealthy family in Alabama in the 1950s. While boycotting the public transportation system because of its racist practices, she forms an unlikely bond with her employer.
Spacek and her co-star Whoopi Goldberg make an excellent pair and the film allows both characters to shine without overshadowing one another. The film is an understated piece of history and doesn't give in to the typical theatrics of many Hollywood depictions of the civil rights movement.
8 Affliction (1997) - 88%
Throughout her career, Spacek has had the opportunity to work with some of the screen's best directors and in Affliction she teamed up with Paul Schrader for one of his classic films. The story follows a troubled small-town cop who is tasked with investigating the circumstances behind a mysterious hunting accident.
In typical Schrader fashion, Affliction is tightly plotted and deals with a character's slow descent into personal chaos. Spacek is relegated to a supporting role but she handles it with her typical finesse. Without being given much to do, she still manages to call upon her excellent character work and transform into a woman from a small New Hampshire town.
7 In The Bedroom (2001) - 93%
The true signature of a great actor is their ability to play characters intensely as well as in more subtle ways. In the Bedroom is the story of a family that is torn apart when their college-age son announces that he is dating an older woman. The appearance of the woman's jealous ex-husband leads to tragedy.
Spacek plays Ruth, the young man's concerned mother, and her subtle torment slowly grows throughout the film. Though the story has melodramatic elements, it is a nuanced exploration of interpersonal conflict and the tension between the family members is taut throughout.
6 The Old Man And The Gun (2018) - 93%
Though she is known for her more dramatic roles, occasionally Spacek is given the chance to shine in a more comedic piece. The Old Man and the Gun is the mostly true story of 70 year old man who escaped from prison and went on a series of daring heists.
Though the film focuses on screen legend Robert Redford and his masterful portrayal of the character, Spacek shines as the woman who loves him despite his flaws. Almost like a return to her characters in the 1970s, Spacek shows that she is still capable of being a naive person who attaches herself to more powerful personalities.
5 Carrie (1976) - 93%
Few films have come to define an actor quite like Carrie has defined Sissy Spacek's career. The film follows an awkward teen who lives under the domineering rule of her religious mother. While traversing high school, Carrie discovers that she has telekinetic powers that she uses to get revenge against the classmates who wronged her.
Generally regarded as one of the best Stephen King adaptations of all time, Carrie is a masterclass in horror. Director Brian De Palma brought his unique style of directing to the simple story and Sissy Spacek's performance brought the character to life. Equally tragic and horrifying, Carrie is a role that will forever be linked to Spacek's illustrious career.
4 Missing (1982) - 94%
When not given the spotlight, Spacek still manages to find a way to shine even when the story isn't specifically about her character. Missing follows a conservative American businessman and his son's girlfriend as they go to Chile to find his missing son who was swept up in a U.S sponsored coup of the government.
The film effortlessly balances conflicts both large and small for an interesting effect. The film is about the real-life coup, but it is also about one man's faith in his country and how it is tested by wrongdoing. Spacek plays a less forceful character but her emotional arc is an important counterbalance to Jack Lemmon's character. She is a skeptic from the start while he slowly has his faith eroded throughout the film.
3 3 Women (1977) - 94%
Coming on the heels of her masterful work in Carrie, Spacek showed that she still had more to offer in the thriller genre. 3 Women is the story of a pair of roommates who both work as physical therapists. Throughout the film, the audience is taken on a ride as the roommates' personal lives become strangely intertwined.
Playing off of her co-star Shelley Duvall, Spacek is both diminutive and strange simultaneously. Legendary director Robert Altman masterfully plays the two characters off one another and allows them to explore the psychology of the film. Though not as overt as other thrillers, 3 Women still packs a great punch.
2 The Straight Story (1999) - 95%
Even when not appearing throughout the entire film, Spacek has shown that she can work well with a small amount of screen time. The Straight Story is the tale of an older man who makes a long journey on his riding lawn mower to reconnect with his estranged brother upon learning that his health is failing.
Unlike many of the surreal films in director David Lynch's excellent filmography, The Straight Story is a simple narrative that explores one man's journey. Spacek plays the man's daughter who has a learning disability and in true Spacek fashion, she plays the role with subtlety and dignity. The film shines because it is a very pleasant and simple tale about forgiveness in the face of mortality.
1 Badlands (1973) - 97%
Though it was ostensibly the world's introduction to Sissy Spacek, Badlands is still perhaps her most celebrated film. Based on a true story, the film follows a young woman and her older boyfriend as they embark on a lengthy killing spree across the badlands of South Dakota.
Delivering the wide-eyed and innocent performance that Spacek would be known for, she is able to imbue the character with subtle darkness. The story is one of the most harrowing true-crime films of all time and both leads bring the appropriate amount of reality to the picture. Though it was a well-known national story, director Terrence Malick used the film as an opportunity to explore the inner workings of the character's minds.
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