25 Best Sissy Spacek Movies, Ranked (2024)

Sissy Spacek is one of those iconic figures within American cinema who's been prominent for decades, appearing in numerous iconic movies and garnering significant critical acclaim in the process. She had her earliest roles in the first few years of the 1970s, became a full-fledged star by the end of that decade, and then won an Academy Award at the start of the 1980s. She's continued to work steadily in both film and TV since, consistently picking interesting roles across a variety of genres.

What follows is an attempt to catalog some of Spacek's most notable film roles, all of which showcase her talents as an actress. These films, which span close to 50 years, are ranked below, taking into account how compelling they are as films and how much they showcase Sissy Spacek, meaning a merely good film with a lead performance from her could be considered "better" than a great film where she's only featured briefly.

25 'Nine Lives' (2005)

Director: Rodrigo García

Not to be mixed up with another film of the same name (a 2016 release about a man having his mind put into the body of a cat), 2005's Nine Lives is instead about the lives of nine different women, rather than something feline-focused. Spacek is one small part of a rather large ensemble cast that also includes the likes of Dakota Fanning, Ian McShane, Glenn Close, and Holly Hunter, to name just a few.

Nine Lives is a drama that has numerous stories all strung together, each exploring various difficult themes and hardships faced by each of the women at each story's center. It's a straightforward and sometimes grim film, but has the kind of great acting you'd expect from a large and accomplished cast, and also proves ambitious from a technical perspective, thanks to the way each separate story unfolds in a single unbroken take.

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24 'The River' (1984)

Director: Mark Rydell

Released in a crowded year for films, The River might not be super well-remembered or overall amazing, but it was the movie that saw Sissy Spacek get her fourth overall Oscar nomination for acting (out of six). It deals with a family struggling to keep their farm going through tough financial times, leading to the father feeling conflicted over working as a strikebreaker ("or scab") to keep things running at home.

Mel Gibson starred as the father, with Spacek portraying his wife. Though it's narratively a little slow at times, it's worth watching for that Oscar-nominated turn by Spacek, and its technical qualities also proved worthy of nominations at the Academy Awards, seeing as both John Williams (as composer) and Vilmos Zsigmond (as cinematographer) got recognition for their contributions.

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23 'Welcome to L.A.' (1976)

Director: Alan Rudolph

Welcome to L.A. is a musical drama film that's aggressively of its decade, aiming to capture a level of grit and realism while being intentionally light on direct narrative. It follows a group of largely well-off (but also somewhat shallow) individuals tied to the music industry in Los Angeles, covering various characters who all deal with difficult things revolving around family, the business side of creativity, and various affairs.

If it all sounds a bit Robert Altman-esque (particularly comparable to the previous year's Nashville), then it might not be too surprising to learn that the director of Welcome to L.A., Alan Rudolph, was mentored by Altman and worked on some of his films. Altman also was one of the producers of this 1976 film, and though this isn't a case of a protégé exceeding their master by any means, it's still a relatively good movie that's worthy of attention from those who like American films from this era.

22 'Blast from the Past' (1999)

Director: Hugh Wilson

A slightly cheesy though still endearing movie starring Brendan Fraser, Blast from the Past is one of many "fish-out-of-water" movies. Fraser's protagonist is a man who's only known life in a fallout shelter for over three decades, and the shock he gets when he finally gets to emerge into the 1990s, and experience the world with his limited worldview (that's been largely informed by his parents and pop culture from decades past).

Brendan Fraser is reliably likable in the lead role, with Spacek and Christopher Walken both playing his parents. As a blend of romance, comedy, and some science fiction, Blast from the Past is largely successful, finding humor in - and things to say about - the culture of the 1950s and 1960s while also feeling distinctly like a product of the late 1990s, at least when watched today.

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21 'Crimes of the Heart' (1986)

Director: Bruce Beresford

Crimes of the Heart can be described as a very dark comedy, as it centers on three sisters who are all shown trying to process a tragedy that's just impacted their family. Befitting a film based on a play, it's very dialogue-heavy and relatively contained in its scope, giving its cast members ample opportunities to go big with a story that balances black comedy with family drama elements.

Like the aforementioned The River, it's a movie that's not hugely well-remembered today, but does contain one of Spacek's Oscar-nominated performances, with performances from the likes of Diane Keaton and Jessica Lange also impressing. Crimes of the Heart is decently made while also being most noteworthy for the caliber of the acting it contains, which can very well be reason enough to watch something sometimes.

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20 'A Home at the End of the World' (2004)

Director: Michael Mayer

As far as romantic drama movies go, A Home at the End of the World isn't particularly famous, but it does feel underrated. It's an LGBT-themed film, following three friends in the early 1980s, and the way they feel conflicted when it comes to discerning between the kind of love close friends have for each other and the kind of romantic love potential partners might have for one another.

Colin Farrell, Dallas Roberts, and Robin Wright are the leads here, with Sissy Spacek playing the mother of Wright's character. It's far from perfect, but A Home at the End of the World is still easy to admire, considering it was released at a time when general audiences didn't seem to respond as much to films about LGBT themes. That much is evident from its box office earnings, but the strength of its acting and its heartfelt story mean it could well be deserving of reappraisal.

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19 'If These Walls Could Talk' (1996)

Directors: Cher and Nancy Savoca

While it's a TV movie, If These Walls Could Talk is still a noteworthy title in Sissy Spacek's filmography, and an uncompromising look at the topics of unplanned pregnancies and abortions. It follows three different women dealing with such things at three different points in history: one during the 1950s, the second during the 1970s, and the third during the 1990s.

The three women are also linked by the fact that they share the same house years apart, which is what the title clearly alludes to. Divided into three distinct acts, If These Walls Could Talk also stars Demi Moore, Anne Heche, and Cher (the last of whom directed one of the three segments), and stands as an in-your-face and inevitably bold look at a topic that's still divisive and frequently debated to this day.

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18 'Get Low' (2009)

Director: Aaron Schneider

Get Low is a very strange and quietly unassuming movie, with Robert Duvall as the central character and Sissy Spacek and Bill Murray featured in supporting roles. Duvall plays a man who expresses a desire to throw his own funeral while he's still alive, and is such a reclusive person that the townspeople he visits with plans to enact this aren't quite sure how to react.

The absurd premise leads to some comedic moments, but Get Low is inevitably more of a drama as it reveals more about the main character's rather sad life and tragic past. It's probably not a movie for everyone, but it stands out, owing to the fact that it's hard to think of too many other films it can be compared to. Those who want something offbeat and kind of morbid (while also being a little funny) might well find giving Get Low a shot to be worthwhile.

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17 'Raggedy Man' (1981)

Director: Jack Fisk

Notable for being the first (but not only) film in which Sissy Spacek was directed by her husband, Jack Fisk, Raggedy Man is a low-key and understated character-focused drama. The premise is simple, taking place during the Second World War and following a divorced mother who becomes the subject of gossip in a small town after she becomes friends with a member of the US Navy who's on leave.

Again, like some of the aforementioned dramatic films, Raggedy Man is a showcase for acting and perhaps not exactly thrilling from a narrative perspective. Maybe it's the kind of film that stands out because it probably wouldn't be made today, perhaps seeming too unexciting or uneventful. But films don't have to be hugely dramatic or explosive to be effective, and this one supports that idea, getting by on being intimate and down-to-earth.

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16 'The Long Walk Home' (1990)

Director: Richard Pearce

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, The Long Walk Home is another film where the main attraction is the acting, seen here with its leads, Whoopi Goldberg and Spacek. It goes back to the 1950s, being a historical film though with fictional characters, even if their stories are affected by a real-life event: the Montgomery bus boycott, which started when Rosa Parks refused to abide by a segregation law that said Black people had to remain seated at the back of buses they traveled on.

It contrasts the lives of Goldberg's and Spacek's characters, the former's character working as a nanny/maid for the latter's, and works as a solid drama that's bolstered by the talents of its two lead actresses. It does unpack a pivotal event in a rather blunt and perhaps sentimental way, but it's more than serviceable by the standards of the early 1990s, and still stands as pretty good overall.

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15 'North Country' (2005)

Director: Niki Caro

Standing as an underdog film that doesn't belong to the sports genre, North Country was inspired by the story of a real-life court case that was significant for reshaping laws surrounding sexual harassment in the workplace. The characters are based on the real-life people involved, rather than it being a direct biopic or historical film, but it does capture numerous details about the case in question: Jenson v. Eveleth Taconite Co.

Like a surprising number of Sissy Spacek movies released in the 21st century, North Country sees her playing the mother of the protagonist, alongside the always great Richard Jenkins as the father. But the film does belong to Charlize Theron, who gives an Oscar-nominated performance in the lead role as the woman at the center of the lawsuit, with Frances McDormand also getting an Oscar nomination for playing another plaintiff involved in the case.

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14 'Prime Cut' (1972)

Director: Michael Ritchie

It might not be famous enough to contain Sissy Spacek's true breakout role, but Prime Cut was the first film where she had a credited role. It's an odd and oftentimes uncomfortable crime film starring Lee Marvin and a particularly slimy Gene Hackman, with the premise revolving around a conflict between a mob enforcer and the various shady characters he's sent to collect a debt from.

It's a movie that can be very sleazy and rather crude at times, dealing with some very adult content and having violence that's particularly grisly for its time. Prime Cut also functions as an action movie, ensuring its tone is overall fairly wild, and it can be thrillingly hard to predict where it's going. Its weirdness may be the reason it's not hugely well-known today, but it's admirable for standing out from typical crime/action movies of its era.

13 'The Help' (2011)

Director: Tate Taylor

Another historical drama that could be compared to the aforementioned The Long Walk Home, The Help takes place in the 1960s instead of the 1950s, and plays out against the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement. Beyond Spacek, the cast also includes Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard, Viola Davis, Jessica Chastain, and Octavia Spencer, the last three of whom were all nominated for their performances, with Spencer winning the award for Best Supporting Actress.

The Help can be criticized for elements of its narrative and the handling of sensitive themes, with Viola Davis herself regretting her participation in the film. Still, it does have its effective moments and is well-acted throughout, with those qualities being possible to appreciate so long as one is also aware that the film as a whole isn't perfect, by any means.

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12 'Affliction' (1997)

Director: Paul Schrader

Paul Schrader has never been afraid to make dark and oftentimes challenging movies, and Affliction is one of his most intense and perplexing. Like many films he's written and/or directed, it follows a protagonist who unravels psychologically over the course of the film, here centering on a policeman whose life is falling apart while he investigates a mysterious incident that's supposedly the result of a hunting accident.

Even without it taking place in a small town during what seems to be the dead of winter, Affliction is a cold and intentionally distant film, at least emotionally. It depicts one character and their struggles with being in a very difficult headspace, and that can make it a bleak and not entirely enjoyable watch. Still, it leaves an impact and is certainly raw, and has a great cast that includes Nick Nolte, Sissy Spacek, James Coburn, and Willem Dafoe.

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11 'Hot Rod' (2007)

Director: Akiva Schaffer

Hot Rod is an exceptionally silly comedy, but that's also what makes it charming and surprisingly fun, being perhaps the most underrated of all the movies Andy Samberg's starred in so far. Samberg plays an aspiring stuntman who's not very good at performing stunts, though he continues persevering because he wants to earn the appreciation of his mother (Spacek) and especially his stern stepfather (Ian McShane) while also attempting to fundraise for the latter's illness.

It's not a movie that wastes much time, given it clocks in at under 90 minutes and feels overall fast-paced and breezy. There's plenty of absurd comedy and slapstick violence, meaning Hot Rod doesn't always feel like the most clever or biting comedy, but it is undeniably funny for those who just want to sit back and watch something easygoing.

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10 'The Old Man & the Gun' (2018)

Director: David Lowery

A bittersweet swansong for Robert Redford's acting career, is an uncharacteristically breezy and surprisingly not intense heist movie. Redford is the titular old man, a charismatic thief who's still able to escape imprisonment and pull off a series of robberies despite being in his 70s.

It's fairly gentle, as far as comedies go, and does work as something more serious when it looks at things like growing old and the challenges of leaving behind some kind of meaningful legacy. Spacek notably also gets to play a character who's not the parent of a more prominent character, here being a love interest for Redford's character, with the scenes between the two giving The Old Man & the Gun an extra dose of heart that makes an already entertaining crime/dramedy even better.

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9 '’night, Mother' (1986)

Director: Tom Moore

1986 saw the release of two Sissy Spacek movies that were surprisingly comparable. One was the aforementioned Crimes of the Heart, and the other was 'night, Mother, with both being based on plays revolving around family drama and having suicide as a prominent theme. In Crimes of the Heart, it was three sisters dealing with their mother taking her own life, and in 'night, Mother, it's Spacek's character who says she intends to end her own life one evening, and the way her mother reacts to this.

Naturally, it's a very emotionally intense film, especially because the daughter claims she has plans to do the deed within hours. Spacek and Anne Bancroft (as the mother) both deliver dynamite performances, and the film serves as a powerful (and sometimes grim) exploration of the unique bonds that tend to develop between mother and daughter.

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8 'JFK' (1991)

Director: Oliver Stone

Even with a runtime that spans over three hours, it's still surprising how many notable actors Oliver Stone crammed into his 1991 historical drama/thriller, JFK. Kevin Costner's the lead character here, playing Jim Garrison, the district attorney investigating the assassination of John F. Kennedy, with the gargantuan supporting cast including the likes of Spacek, Tommy Lee Jones, Gary Oldman, Kevin Bacon, Jack Lemmon, Joe Pesci, and Donald Sutherland, to name just a few.

It's a film all about paranoia and conspiracies, but even if you don't necessarily feel convinced by some of what Stone presents, it's still undeniably fascinating to watch it all unfold. JFK isn't shy about interpreting all sorts of things in its own way, but the uncompromising approach to showing the darker side of an already dark chapter in American history does make it one of its decade's most ambitious films.

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7 '3 Women' (1977)

Director: Robert Altman

Many Robert Altman films are defined by their large casts, most notably seen with something like The Player, which had a ridiculous number of notable actors appearing as either themselves or as fictional people. This makes 3 Women something of an outlier, at least compared to those truly Altman-esque films as, befitting its title, the focus here really is on just a small number of women (which should come as a surprise to no one).

It's a slow and increasingly surreal film, with its premise mostly concerning the strange ways three women become involved with one another, further becoming prominent parts of each others' lives in unexpected ways. It's an eerie and potentially alienating movie, but 3 Women is worth exploring because of how unique it manages to be, and also because of how good Spacek and Shelley Duvall are as 2 of the 3 women.

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6 'In the Bedroom' (2001)

Director: Todd Field

In the Bedroom is a grim and brutally effective crime/drama movie, and one film where it's hard to say much about the premise without giving away certain things that could harm one's appreciation of the film considerably, if known in advance. At least as far as the initial setup goes, it's about a young man who begins a relationship with a slightly older single mother, and finds himself entangled with her abusive ex-husband.

Sissy Spacek and Tom Wilkinson play the parents of this young man who are also impacted by the actions of the film's volatile antagonist, leading to a grim series of events that prove very hard to watch. It's an emotionally heavy film, but worth sitting with due to the performances of Spacek and Wilkinson, and the slow, methodical, and ultimately absorbing storytelling that Todd Field's steady and sure-handed direction provides.

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