The 14 Best Meg Ryan Movies, Ranked

If there was ever an actor worthy of the distinction of "America's Sweetheart," it's Meg Ryan, who has been appearing in films since 1981. Effortlessly charming and with an often easygoing magnetism whenever she's on-screen, Ryan channels her natural talents effectively in romantic comedies and family-friendly fare. However, Ryan also possesses a much wider range than many give her credit for, delivering solid work in military dramas and character studies while occasionally branching out into hard science-fiction and fantasy.

Despite performing in dozens of film roles over the past 40-plus years, Ryan is one of her generation's more underrated actors. In fact, though millions of moviegoers adore her and her work, Ryan has yet to earn an Academy Award nomination of any kind. With that in mind, here are the 14 best Meg Ryan movies spanning her feature film career so far.

Top Gun (1986)

Just to clarify, the placement of "Top Gun" here is not a judgment on the overall quality of the 1986 aviation movie but rather, more specifically, how it fares as a Meg Ryan movie. With its male posturing and unabashed military jingoism, "Top Gun" is quintessential '80s, but it's not a particularly memorable showcase for Ryan herself. She tackles a supporting role as Carole Bradshaw, wife of naval pilot Nick "Goose" Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards) and the mother of their young son Bradley.

Narratively speaking, Carole and Bradley exist in the original "Top Gun" for the sole purpose of making Goose's tragic death halfway through the film sting that much more than it already does. It's a thankless role, to be sure, but Ryan shares a solid, if brief, chemistry with Edwards and delivers a heartbreaking moment as Carole mourns Goose's death. Still, so inconsequential to the "Top Gun" saga is Carole that the idea of bringing Ryan back for "Top Gun: Maverick" was never on the table. In fact, the powers that be decided it'd be better if the character died between movies. That should tell you everything you need to know. All that said, Ryan does fine work with the material that she's given in "Top Gun," but she's not why we watch the movie -- and that's not her fault.

The Doors (1991)

"The Doors" holds a strange place in Ryan's wider filmography, serving as a clear counterpoint to the usual romantic comedy fare that she was primarily starring in at the time. Ryan portrays Pamela Courson, the longtime paramour of The Doors' fiery frontman Jim Morrison (Val Kilmer), with their violently tumultuous relationship as the emotional litmus test for the biopic around them. While the surviving band members and those who knew Morrison were critical of the creative liberties filmmaker Oliver Stone took with the movie, Ryan makes the most of the role written for her.

The biopic's depiction of Pam presents her as less of an enabler and more of a victim caught up in the hurricane of personality that was Morrison, a decision that was reportedly informed by Stone working with Courson's parents. Ryan's performance is a vast departure from her more reserved appearances at this particular moment in her career, and likely a conscious one. Though "The Doors" itself is a largely flawed look at Morrison's rise and fall, Ryan's strong performance is not one of this misguided biopic's weak points.

Promised Land (1987)

The ennui and middle-class frustration with the realities of the American Dream constitute the thematic centerpiece of the 1987 indie flick "Promised Land." Several years after their high school graduation, former classmates David Hancock (Jason Gedrick) and Danny Rivers (Kiefer Sutherland) feel disillusioned about the direction their respective lives have gone. They've not fulfilled their dreams. Danny's wife Bev (Ryan) persuades him to join her in robbing a local convenience store, putting him on a collision course with David, who has since become a police officer.

By design, Bev rates as one of the more unlikable characters Ryan has ever played, as Bev constantly controls and humiliates the emotionally vulnerable Danny. Compared to the more laconic male leads, Ryan steals the show and injects some much-needed life into the proceedings, vitally helping a movie with pacing as aimless as its protagonists. Similarly, as a whole, "Promised Land" is a bit more ambling and subdued than it should be in its character study, so whenever Ryan comes on screen, she lights everything up and improves it.

Restoration (1995)

Robert Downey, Jr. and Ryan lead an all-star ensemble cast in the 1995 period piece drama "Restoration," an adaptation of the 1989 novel of the same name by Rose Tremain. Set during King Charles II's reign in 17th century England, court physician Robert Merivel (Downey) loses the king's favor when he falls for the monarch's mistress, Celia Clemence (Polly Walker). Banished to London, Merivel strikes up a romance with a troubled woman named Katharine (Ryan) while the city descends into widespread chaos caused by the Black Death.

On her own, Ryan does a great job with the material that she's given but she feels noticeably out of place from the larger ensemble. Katharine resembles a pastiche of tragic Shakespearean women, without any of the gravitas or heartbreaking pathos that usually enables them to stand out. "Restoration" does provide Ryan with the rare chance to star in a period piece and showcase some of her untapped range, though it fails to take full advantage of it.

Joe Versus The Volcano (1990)

The first of Ryan's three pairings with fan-favorite co-star Tom Hanks, 1990's "Joe Versus the Volcano" is, simply put, a very strange movie. After unassuming everyman Joe Banks (Hanks) is diagnosed with a rare, terminal condition, he agrees to sacrifice himself in a remote volcano to appease a local populace and convince them to go into business with unscrupulous mogul Samuel Graynamore (Lloyd Bridges). Samuel's daughter Patricia (Ryan) accompanies Joe, with the two falling in love along the way, finally giving Joe something to live for.

There is a lot wrong with "Joe Versus the Volcano," from its problematic premise (Indigenous people reverting to primitive stereotypes in the year 1990?!) to its unfunny humor. Ryan plays three characters in all, including Patricia's half-sister Angelica and Joe's former co-worker DeDe, though only Patricia seems reasonably developed. What earns "Joe Versus the Volcano" a spot on this list is just how gosh-darn likable Hanks and Ryan are together, resuscitating the overly goofy story into a watchable screwball comedy.

Kate & Leopold (2001)

Before he directed Hugh Jackman in two Wolverine movies, filmmaker James Mangold first worked with the Australian actor in the 2001 romantic comedy "Kate & Leopold." Ryan stars as Kate McKay, a woman living in 21st-century Manhattan, while Jackman plays Leopold, a time-displaced English Duke from the 19th century. Accidentally brought together by Kate's physicist ex-boyfriend Stuart (Liev Schreiber), Leopold is educated on the eccentricities of modern life while Kate is reminded of the value of romance.

"Kate & Leopold" is a bizarre footnote on the career of everyone involved, especially considering Stuart is revealed to be Leopold's distant descendant, rendering his past relationship with Kate all the more ... questionable. Ultimately what pushes through these narrative questions and fish-out-of-water contrivances are the immediately likable performances by Ryan and Jackman. Easy and breezy, "Kate & Leopold" isn't Ryan's strongest romantic comedy but her natural chemistry with Jackman and the picturesque depiction of the title characters' courtship make it worthwhile.

You've Got Mail (1998)

The third and final collaboration between Ryan and filmmaker Nora Ephron, as well as the third pairing between Ryan and Tom Hanks, 1998's "You've Got Mail" is a dated but fun product of its time. Released in the early days of public adoption of email and online chatrooms, the romantic comedy is a tech-oriented update to 1940's "The Shop Around the Corner." Ryans stars as Kathleen Kelly, who runs a small New York City bookshop poised to be put out of business by Joe Fox's (Hanks) corporate bookstore chain. Despite Kathleen and Joe being professionally at odds in person, the two maintain a flirtatious online relationship, with both unaware of each other's true identity.

If "Sleepless in Seattle" kept Ryan and Hanks separate for the majority of the film, "You've Got Mail" pits them directly against each other for most of its runtime. The dynamic works, with neither character coming off as particularly unlikable despite the animosity between the two protagonists. Ephron's last collaboration with Ryan is the sappiest and most superficially contrived of the three but, with two leads who play so well off each other, "You've Got Mail" earns a lot of deserved leeway.

City Of Angels

Ryan pairs with Nicolas Cage for a very different kind of romantic film in 1998's "City of Angels," a loose remake of the 1987 West German film "Wings of Desire." In a world where heavenly angels exist invisibly and observe humanity, Cage plays an angel named Seth who falls in love with human surgeon Maggie Rice (Ryan) after she begins to notice his presence. Seth agrees to forgo his divine immortality in order to be with Maggie, only for immense tragedy to strike as their romance blossoms.

"City of Angels" runs heavy on melodrama and leans into formula, without any real surprises, relying largely on the chemistry between Ryan and Cage. Cage's performance is the weaker of the two, with Seth coming off as an obsessive stalker with a naively childlike understanding of humanity, but Ryan is in fine form and does a lot of the major lifting for their dynamic. Though not among Ryan's absolute best projects, "City of Angels" does provide her with a more mature love story to play in than usual and she takes advantage of the tonal shift.

When A Man Loves A Woman (1994)

As the title would suggest, there is a love story at the heart of 1994's "When a Man Loves a Woman" but one that's already well underway at the start of the movie. Ryan and co-star Andy Garcia play married couple Alice and Michael Green, who are raising their two children together, with Alice suffering from severe alcoholism. After Alice undergoes rehab to overcome her addiction, the change in the domestic power balance makes Michael uncomfortable, leading the two to reassess their lives together.

"When a Man Loves a Woman" isn't so much about two people falling in love but a couple asking frank, direct questions about codependency and the idea that substance abuse recovery extends beyond the addicted. At times a hard watch, particularly during Alice's drunken bender early in the film, Ryan and Garcia command full attention with their uncompromising performances. In retrospect, I think the movie ends a little too neatly. Still, after so much grueling exploration of how substance abuse impacts unassuming middle-class families, it certainly feels like an earned and cathartic relief.

Anastasia (1997)

While the Romanov royal family was brutally murdered in 1918 as the Bolsheviks seized power over Russia, an urban legend posited that the Romanovs' young daughter Anastasia survived and went on to live incognito. That relatively dark premise serves as the basis for the 1997 animated family film "Anastasia," with Ryan assuming the title role, as teenage orphan Anya learns about her true family history. Traveling from Russia to Paris to meet the last surviving Romanov, Anya is joined by two conmen, including Dimitri (John Cusack), with the trio pursued by an undead Grigori Rasputin (Christopher Lloyd).

Ryan brings a youthful energy and sense of curiosity to Anya, and it's a shame that she hasn't since enjoyed a prolific voiceover career, because she certainly has the chops. Though some of the comic relief feels forced, Ryan leads an engaging ensemble cast, and "Anastasia" boasts a well-deserved Academy Award-nominated score and original song. What stops "Anastasia" from taking a higher spot on this list is the fact that, like most of her co-stars, Ryan doesn't provide her character's singing voice. Instead, Liz Callaway performs Anya's songs.

Innerspace (1987)

Easily one of the quirkiest movies of Ryan's entire career is the 1987 science-fiction comedy "Innerspace," helmed by filmmaker Joe Dante at the height of his powers. After naval aviator Tuck Pendleton (Dennis Quaid) goes on an experimental mission, being miniaturized and injected into a living human body, it's up to his girlfriend Lydia Maxwell (Ryan) and grocer Jack Putter (Martin Short) to rescue him. This leads to the trio becoming caught in the middle of a feud between rival scientists looking to steal the miniaturization technology for themselves.

I feel like "Joe Versus the Volcano" is the more widely known screwball comedy starring Ryan, presumably because it's the first time that she worked with Tom Hanks. The significantly better '80s screwball comedy, however, is actually "Innerspace," mostly because the humor in the latter actually connects whereas the former skates by entirely on the charisma of its leads. Interestingly, most of Ryan's scenes are shared with Short and not Quaid, despite the latter's romantic connection in the film (and real life), with Ryan more than keeping up with Short's comical sensibilities, proving herself as a comedic natural.

Sleepless In Seattle (1993)

It's a bold move for a romantic comedy not to have its two leads meet each other until the very end of the story, and yet that's exactly what 1993's "Sleepless in Seattle" does -- and to great effect. The movie not only reunites Ryan with Tom Hanks for the second of their three collaborations but also reteams Ryan with filmmaker Nora Ephron after "When Harry Met Sally ..." Ryan plays journalist Annie Reed, who becomes infatuated with recent widower Sam Baldwin (Hanks) after Sam's son calls into a radio show to search for a new partner for his father.

With its prominent themes of destiny and true love, "Sleepless in Seattle" could've slipped into outright schmaltz, but the appeal of its leads and its self-awareness when it comes to romantic storytelling elevate it above this narrative pitfall. Throughout the movie, Annie is vocally cognizant of how shallow and shameless Hollywood is in selling love stories to the masses but finds herself believing in and applying that silver screen magic to her own life. There is a wide-eyed innocence to "Sleepless in Seattle" that fits squarely into Ryan's acting strengths, and she sells every second of it. 

Courage Under Fire (1996)

What makes 1996's "Courage Under Fire" so interesting within the larger canon of Ryan's work is that her character, Captain Karen Emma Walden, is ostensibly dead for most of it. Reportedly killed in action during the first Gulf War, the circumstances of Captain Walden's fatal mission in Iraq are invested by Lieutenant Colonel Nathaniel Serling (Denzel Washington) to determine if she should posthumously be awarded the Medal of Honor. As Serling digs deeper and speaks with members of Captain Walden's unit, he discovers a disturbing conspiracy that grows more troubling with each revelation.

To be sure, "Courage Under Fire" is anchored by a powerhouse performance from Washington but the presence of Ryan's character hangs over the entire film like a ghost. No other movie in her filmography to date demonstrates just how impressive a dramatic actor Ryan can be above her usual romantic comedy fare. She turns in a fierce and touching performance. Tonally, "Courage Under Fire" feels like a courtroom drama without the courthouse and a ghost story without a specter, with Ryan haunting every frame as a fallen hero in the middle of a bloody cover-up.

When Harry Met Sally ...

There's a very simple reason why so many of Ryan's most memorable films are romantic comedies: she excels at them. At her best in such outings, Ryan displays an easygoing and playful energy, along with a relatively innocent woman-next-door demeanor. The movie that puts these natural talents to the best use is 1989's "When Harry Met Sally ..." directed by Rob Reiner and written by Nora Ephron, marking the first of several fruitful collaborations between Ryan and the screenwriter. The eponymous couple is played by Billy Crystal and Ryan, respectively, with Harry and Sally addressing if their close friendship can stay strictly platonic over their initial 12 years together.

The movie's most iconic scene -- Sally loudly faking an orgasm in the middle of Katz's Deli in Manhattan -- ranks as the most famous of Ryan's career and helped catapult her into the spotlight. Simply put, if America wasn't overly familiar with Ryan's work before, the diner scene gave her the standout moment that elevated her prominence in Hollywood considerably. Beyond that classic bit, Ryan not only shares great chemistry with Crystal but has a knack for Ephron's dialogue-driven scenes (and it works better here than in any of their subsequent collaborations). "When Harry Met Sally ..." endures as a classic comedy, and that's in large part thanks to Ryan's unfailingly funny, charming, and relatable performance.

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