While Julia Roberts’ movies have always been widely admired, the extra time in quarantine allowed me to watch almost all of her movies. The way she can easily transform from character to character from each film, while still maintaining a certain kind-hearted demeanor is what attracts me and many others to the multitude of movies she is featured in.

From my vast research, here are my top Julia Roberts movies.

My Best Friend’s Wedding:

Childhood best friends Julianne and Micheal make a vow that if they are both unmarried when they are 28, they would marry each other. While they drift apart over the years, Julianne decides to call Micheal days before her 28th birthday. To her surprise, he tells her he is to be married that weekend. Julianne then makes it her mission to find a way to stop the wedding, with many obstacles in the way. While this may be an unexpected favorite, the unrelenting nature of Roberts’ character and unexpected plot twists made for a captivating watch. I am always a sucker for the classic friends-turned-lovers trope, which is probably why I enjoyed this movie so much. The chemistry between Julianne and Micheal is annoyingly present throughout the movie and makes it impossible to turn off before making sure they end up together. This constant entertainment is reason enough for My Best Friends Wedding to be my favorite Julia Roberts movie.

Runaway Bride:

The Runaway Bride is not only a cinematic masterpiece but also journalistically relevant! As columnist Ike Graham (Richard Gere) is searching for ideas for his next article, he half-hazardly stumbles upon the story of the Runaway Bride—a woman notorious for her cold feet. When the woman herself, Maggie Carpenter (Julia Roberts), writes to the editor of the publication alleging factual inaccuracy, Ike is fired. Motivated to return to his job, he seeks out this woman. When he discovers she is currently engaged, he digs around her town trying to uncover more of her story. In the process, however, Ike unexpectedly uncovers more than a story, but a spark between them. Julia’s upbeat acting and focus on her character’s indecisiveness create an amazing dynamic between Ike and Maggie. The slow-burn romance keeps viewers entertained throughout the movie while the focus on each of the character’s backstories also adds a level of intrigue as you find out the depth of each character the more you learn about them. The commitment Julia showed to her character, and the evolving relationship between Maggie and Ike is what led to my repeated watching of this irresistible movie.

Notting Hill:

This Julia Roberts classic takes place in London following the story of how an unsuspecting bookstore-owner comes across a famous American actress and falls in love. After realizing who he stumbled upon at his bookstore, he soon becomes friends with her and takes her on a few unconventional dates. While the British accents alone are enough to make this movie, William Thacker’s (Hugh Grant) innocent and pure-hearted demeanor paired with Anna Scott’s (Julia Roberts) classic “famous but kind” persona truly create an eye-grabbing movie. The London backdrop with the sentimental feel of the book store tied the whole movie together. While Anna may seem like a surface-level American actress, you soon find out that she is charming and simply an elevated yet comedic person. This movie is honestly a classic and must-watch for anyone even remotely interested in romcoms. I would definitely recommend watching this movie if you are in the mood for a comedic yet heartfelt Julia Roberts movie.