Stream Selected Films of Julia Roberts

Mystic Pizza 1988 Directed by Donald Petrie. The first time the public became aware of Julia Roberts. Three young women of Portuguese descent follow their destines in Mystic, Connecticut. Daisy Araújo (Julia Roberts), her sister Kat (Annabeth Gish), and Jojo Barbosa (Lili Taylor), work at Mystic Pizza, owned by the maternal Leona (Conchata Ferrell).  

Though aware of class difference issues, Daisy gets involved with local rich boy Charles Gordon Windsor, Jr. (Adam Storke). Kat, on her way to Yale, longs for a relationship with Tim Travers (William R. Moses), father of the child she nannies. Jojo continues to have cold feet about marrying longtime boyfriend, fisherman, William “Bill” Montijo (Vincent D’ Onofrio), whose patience is at an end. All three have romantic issues relating to their futures. A well executed little film. The three ladies are excellent. Free with Amazon Prime.

Pretty Woman 1990 Directed by Garry Marshall. A modern day Cinderella story. Low end street prostitute Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) meets corporate raider Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) when she gives him directions to his hotel. As his usual hired company quit the scene, Edward hires Vivian for the entire time he’s in San Francisco. She gets a pocket full of money – shared with sarcastic best friend Kit De Luca (Laura San Giacomo) – luxurious digs and a prince charming. With the help of sympathetic hotel manager, Barnard Thompson (Hector Elizondo), Vivian cleans up to look like the kind of woman her patron would squire. And squire he does.

Much to the chagrin of insensitive business associate Phillip Stuckey (Jason Alexander), Vivian influences Edward in unexpected ways. Romance wins. Roberts is irresistible. Rent on Amazon Prime.

My Best Friend’s Wedding 1997 Directed by P.J. Hogan. Years ago, Julianne “Jules” Potter (Julia Roberts) and her best friend, sportswriter Michael O’Neal (Dermot Mulroney), made a pact to marry if neither had a significant other by 30. When Michael calls to invite her to his imminent wedding, she literally falls off the bed, suddenly realizing deeper feelings for him.

Jules flies to Chicago determined to declare herself, but finds his fiancé, Kimmy (Cameron Diaz), so sweet and friendly, she’s torn. George Downes (Rupert Everett- great fun), her gay friend and editor, arrives to get Jules through it, only to find himself cast as her fiancé. Jules does something terrible to break up the couple and almost does. The film has solid charm. Its deli lunch scene is grand. With Philip Bosco. M. Emmet Walsh, and Rachel Griffiths. Rent on Amazon Prime.

Erin Brockovich 2000 Directed by Steven Soderbergh. Dramatization of the true story of Erin Brockovich who fought against the energy corporation Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) regarding its culpability for the Hinkley groundwater contamination incident. Unemployed single mother of three, Erin Brockovich (Julia Roberts), has recently been injured in a traffic accident with a doctor and is suing him. Her lawyer Ed Masry (Albert Finney) loses the case. Erin shows up at his office insisting he give her a job. He reluctantly does just that.

Curious about medical records she finds in files for a real estate case, Erin takes up the trail ingratiating herself to Hinkley residents as no lawyer could, doggedly (and compassionately) following up, creating what becomes one of the biggest class action suits in the country. She acquires a boyfriend, a whopping check, and a career. Roberts won Best Actress Academy Award.  An inspiring and entertaining film. With Marge Helgenberger, Peter Coyote, Cherry Jones, Aaron Eckhart. Rent on Amazon Prime.  

Closer 2004 Based on the play by Patrick Marber. Directed by Mike Nichols. Newly arrived in London, American Alice Ayers (Natalie Portman), meets struggling writer, Daniel “Dan” Woolf (Jude Law). They become lovers. A year later at a book party for Dan’s biography of Alice, he meets photographer Anna Cameron (Julia Roberts). They’re attracted. He wants to have an affair. Alice overhears the proposition. Anna says no. In a cybersex chat room, Dan meets dermatologist Larry Gray (Clive Owen) and pretends to be Anna. He sets up a meeting between them.

Anna and Larry realize they’ve been pranked and by whom. They nonetheless become a couple. All four characters end up cheating on their lovers with one another evoking a lot of sophisticated confrontation and some serious consequences. Well written, well acted. Dark. Like the play on which it is based, the film is interpreted by some as a modern and tragic version of Mozart’s opera Cosi fan tutte, with references to the opera in both the plot and the soundtrack. Clive Owen garnered the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award. Rent on Amazon Prime.

Eat, Pray, Love 2010 Based on the memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert. Directed by Ryan Murphy. A romanticized, aspirational journey to find oneself filled with beautiful scenery, attractive, interesting people and lessons learned fast. Still, one occasionally needs a warm bath.

Elizabeth ostensibly turns her back on a comfortable, successful life to travel in Italy, where she learns about sensual nourishment, India, where she begins spiritual study, and Indonesia, where she gains balance and openness. With Javier Bardem, James Franco, Richard Jenkins, Viola Davis, Billy Crudup, and Sophie Thompson. The two Balinese lead characters (Ketut Liyer and Wayan) are played by Indonesian actors. Rent on Amazon Prime.

Money Monster 2016 Directed by Jodie Foster. A crime thriller. Twenty-four hours ago, IBIS Clear Capital’s stock inexplicably cratered, ostensibly due to a glitch in a trading algorithm, costing investors $800 million. Its CEO Walt Canby (Dominic West) disappears. Television financial evangelist Lee Gates (George Clooney) is in the middle of his show Money Monsters, which was to have featured Canby, when disgruntled investor Kyle Budwell (Jack O’Connell) arrives with a gun and straps the host into explosives.

Director Patty Fenn (Julia Roberts) and IBIS chief communications officer Diane Lester (Caitriona Balfe) try to find the CEO and offer compensation to Budwell who refuses. Canby returns. Lies are discovered. Fenn and the Money Monster team contact a group of hackers to get to the complex truth. Canby won’t admit guilt until the dangerous vest is taken off Gates. Unnecessary violence occurs. Investigation is an also ran. Taut. Rent on Amazon Prime.

Steel Magnolias 1989 can be found in Stream Selected Films with Shirley MacLaine.

Notting Hill 1999 can be found in Stream Selected Films of Hugh Grant.

Mona Lisa Smile 2003 can be found under Stream Career Women.

Top photo: Bigstock