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Top 10 Catherine Keener

If you judge a film by its cast, anything featuring Catherine Keener seems a pretty safe bet. Whether it’s small and quirky or part of a heavyweight ensemble, Keener’s performances always bring humility and honesty. We chart her top 10 film roles through the years.

Her Top 10 Films

Johnny Suede (1991)

After struggling to find her break in low-budget films, Catherine Keener was 32 when her career finally kicked off. This was thanks to the ‘painfully hip’ Johnny Suede, starring a then unknown Brad Pitt as the title character. She gained critical acclaim for her performance, and her first Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Female Lead

Rent

Walking and Talking (1996)

Co-starring Anne Heche and Liev Schreiber, Walking and Talking tells the story of two women struggling with their relationship changes; as one prepares for marriage and the other embarks on life as a singleton. The feature film debut of writer-director Nicole Holofcener (Lovely & Amazing, Please Give), this is the first of (so far) four collaborations with Keener, all revolving around themes of women and relationships.

Rent

Being John Malkovich (1999)

Nominated for three Oscars, including Best Supporting Actress for Keener, Being John Malkovich has quickly become a cult classic. Writer Charlie Kaufman sent his screenplay to Francis Ford Coppola, who passed it onto his daughter Sofia’s then-husband, director Spike Jonze. It was Jonze’s feature film debut and started a long-standing relationship with Keener.

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Lovely and Amazing (2001)

Nicole Holofcener’s second film, featuring Keener alongside Brenda Blethyn, Emily Mortimer and a young Jake Gyllenhaal, was a critical and commercial success, again focusing on family and women – the story plays around the individual insecurities of Blethyn’s two adult daughters and her pre-teen, adopted African daughter.

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The Ballad of Jack and Rose (2005)

Daniel Day-Lewis’ wife Rebecca Miller wrote and directed The Ballad of Jack and Rose, which finds Keener opposite Day-Lewis’ Jack, playing his girlfriend. The film centres on Jack’s complicated relationship with his daughter Rose (Camilla Belle), as they live a secluded life in an island commune. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

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The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)

Keener plays the love interest to Steve Carrell’s 40-year-old virgin in Judd Apatow’s breakout comedy, which was heavily improvised – the legendary chest-waxing scene, where Carrell’s chest hair was actually waxed, being particularly memorable. And, aside from the occasional slapstick, Keener’s performance as Trish – the woman tasked with popping Carrell’s cherry – brings humour and humility to the film.

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Capote (2005)

Shot in just 36 days, Philip Seymour Hoffman won a Best Actor Oscar for his role as Truman Capote, and Keener received her second nomination for Best Supporting Actress as Harper Lee. Sandra Bullock was also considered for the role, and she went on to play Lee in another Capote biopic, 2006’s Infamous. The film was released on 30th September 2005, which would have been Capote's 81st birthday.

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Into the Wild (2007)

Based on the true story of Christopher McCandless’ trek to the Alaskan wilderness, director Sean Penn waited 10 years to make the film, once he had approval from the McCandless family. Keener plays a hippie that Christopher (Emile Hirsch) meets on his travels, and it’s a role that demonstrates her ability to deliver a strong and memorable performance even in small, supporting parts

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Synecdoche, New York (2008)

In Charlie Kaufman’s directorial debut, Keener once again shares the screen with Philip Seymour Hoffman, this time playing his wife. Spike Jonze was originally going to direct but chose instead to work on Where the Wild Things Are. After premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, Kaufman’s work on this film was nominated for the Palme d'Or.

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Where the Wild Things Are (2009)

Continuing her collaboration with Spike Jonze, Keener played the role of Max’s busy single mum. It’s only a small part but Keener brings a powerful, realistic performance to contrast Max’s wild world. Maurice Sendak, author of the famed children’s book, approached Jonze about the adaptation, and the pair worked closely together throughout filming.

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Tegan Kniveton