Meryl Streep is, beyond any doubt, one of the best actresses in movie history and also probably among the audience’s favorites. Her impeccable acting skills, which have been with her since her early days, only got better and better over the years. The year 1975 would mark her Broadway stage debut, as Miss Imogen Parrott in the play Trelawny of the Wells, while the following year saw her break into television, landing a small role in the independent film Everybody Rides the Carousel. Shortly thereafter came her final but most significant debut: in 1977 she starred in the Holocaust drama film Julia, ushering in what would become a highly successful career.
With over 400 nominations and having won half of those awards, the actress, per Insider, holds several records to her credit. Streep is recognized for being one of the few artists nominated for both the Triple Crown of Acting and EGOT, as well as for her record number of nominations for the Academy Awards and Golden Globe Awards, with 21 and 32 nominations respectively. Among her most renowned films are Sophie’s Choice, The Devil Wears Prada, The Bridges of Madison County, Kramer vs. Kramer and Death Becomes Her, but most of the films she starred in, which currently number almost 80, became hits.
Well known for her versatility and her ability to mimic almost any accent, Streep has dabbled in nearly every genre, ranging from drama to comedy and everything in between. Among her many ventures, she also tried her luck in one genre that suits her very well: musical movies. Even though she has not taken part in that many, she has excelled in each one of them. Therefore, this article will review Meryl Streep’s best musical movies, ranked.
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6 The Prom
Netflix
By 2020, writer, director, and producer Ryan Murphy wrapped his first feature film for Netflix, the musical comedy The Prom. With a stellar cast led by Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman, Keegan-Michael Key, and Andrew Rannells, and introducing Jo Ellen Pellman in her acting debut, this movie follows Emma (Pellman), a young lesbian student from a small conservative town in Indiana. Emma is eager to attend prom with her girlfriend, but while she is supported by the school’s Principal, the James Madison High School PTA is not happy about it, so they cancel the event altogether, prompting the entire student body to take out their frustration on Emma. Once a group of Broadway performers hears about this unfair decision, they rush to town to defend Emma, in an attempt to ensure that she gets the prom she’s always dreamed of, as well as to revive their own careers. This film got mixed reviews: while the songs and performances were praised, it was criticized for its narrative and for perpetuating stereotypes.
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5 A Prairie Home Companion
GreeneStreet Films
A Prairie Home Companion was the last film directed by Robert Altman, and it served as an homage to the radio show of the same name. As a matter of fact, Garrison Keillor, the radio show’s host, was the film’s screenwriter as well as part of the cast, that also featured Streep, Kevin Kline,, Lily Tomlin, Lindsay Lohan, Woody Harrelson, John C. Reilly, and Tommy Lee Jones, among others. The film gives a behind-the-scenes look at the legendary show and its segments, as well as the day-to-day lives of its performers. With the upcoming demolition of the Fitzgerald Theater, the show’s home, its stars must face what could possibly be their last show, and at the same time, do their best to remain on the air.
4 Into the Woods
Walt Disney Pictures
In 2014, Into the Woods, Disney’s screen adaptation of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s musical of the same name, was released. Directed by Rob Marshall, Into the Woods might be the modern version of classic children’s stories, intertwining its characters into a single story starring a baker and his wife as a couple who wish to have children, but are unable to due to a witch’s curse on their family. Determined to break the curse, they both go into the woods to gather the ingredients requested by the witch, who promises them to reverse the curse. However, their actions are bound to have catastrophic consequences, so the pair must find allies and restore the peace of their land. Headlining this production is Streep as The Witch, alongside Emily Blunt, James Corden, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, Tracey Ullman, Christine Baranski, and Johnny Depp, among others.
3 Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Universal Pictures
One thing that Mamma Mia!’s sequel proved is that one can improve and learn from mistakes. In 2018, a decade after the first film, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again premiered, an installment that served as both a prequel and sequel to the original. Featuring all the original actors and incorporating hit singer Cher as Ruby, Donna’s mother (Streep), and Lily James as Young Donna, the film simultaneously recounts two stories: Sophie’s (Amanda Seyfried) present, returning to the island a few years after the wedding, pregnant and ready to open the Bella Donna Hotel, and Donna’s past, and how she got to meet her best friends and her greatest lovers.
2 Mary Poppins Returns
Mary Poppins Returns is a 2018 Disney movie that served as a sequel to Mary Poppins, the 1964 production starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. Led by Emily Blunt and set in London during the Great Depression, the audience is reunited with Jane and Michael Banks, the children from the first film, who are now adults. Michael recently suffered the loss of his wife, and he lives on his own with his three children, with many debts to pay that threaten to leave them homeless. Therefore, Mary Poppins, Michael and Jane’s childhood nanny, reappears in the Banks family’s life in order to restore their lost joy. Joining Blunt in the cast are Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Streep, and Dick Van Dyke, among others. In this film, Streep plays Topsy, Mary Poppins’ eccentric cousin, and showcases her musical skills, singing “Turning Turtle.”
1 Mamma Mia!
This 2008 musical romantic comedy ranks at the top of this list because it is, beyond any doubt, the film in which Streep best showcases her musical talents. Mamma Mia! is inspired by the musical of the same name written by Catherine Johnson, who also serves as the film’s screenwriter. Directed by Phyllida Lloyd, the movie centers around Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), a young woman from the Greek island of Kalokairi about to marry her fiancé at her mother Donna’s (Streep) villa. Unknown to Donna, her daughter has secretly invited three men to the wedding, one of whom, according to her mother’s diary, could be her father. Joining Streep and Seyfried in the cast are Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Julie Walters, Dominic Cooper, and Christine Baranski. The movie was a box-office hit, despite being criticized by experts for being a bit far-fetched, as well as for some actors’ performances, as they had no singing experience. Nevertheless, Mamma Mia! still became the highest grossing live-action musical of all time, until it was surpassed by Beauty and the Beast in 2017, and it also became a record holder for the highest grossing opening weekend for a movie based on a Broadway musical. Its soundtrack, based on the hit songs of ABBA, remains extremely popular to this day.
