Top Five Movies of Elisabeth Shue

Since I moved to Los Angeles, I get to see celebrities out and about in normal life. Sometimes it?s just people doing everyday things, but most of the time it?s at places you?d expect like walking by the red carpet to a premiere as I?m going to a different movie or on stage at one of the many intimate theaters around town. Most look exactly how you?d expect them to look, some look worse and then there are ones that look much more amazing that I?d thought possible. Elisabeth Shue falls squarely in the latter category.

I got to see her on stage at a taping of Doug Loves Movies (that also had Adam Scott and Rob Huebel) at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater. It?s a hilarious podcast and a hilarious group of comedians, but I remember just being mesmerized by Elisabeth?s easy charm while speaking about her career and her role in ?Piranha.?

I?ve seen many movies of Elisabeth?s in my life, from when she was a super cute teen to now as she has grown up to a beautiful adult. Here?s my list of the top five movies that have starred Elisabeth, and though I feel bad about not listing some favorites of my youth like the ?Back to the Future? films and ?Cocktail,? but I?m pretty pleased with these selections from her filmography.

5. Hamlet 2

Elisabeth and Catherine Keener?!?! Yes, I?m willing to watch the idea of a sequel to one of the best pieces of writing of all time for those two.

4. The Karate Kid

I think I list this movie partly due to nostalgia. However, can anyone deny such quotable classic lines like ?Sweep the leg,? and ?Wax on, wax off??

3. Mysterious Skin

After such wholesome entertainment like ?3rd Rock from the Sun? and fun teen movies like the adaptation of ?Taming of the Shrew? into ?10 Things I Hate About You,? Joseph Gordon-Levitt probably needed a movie like this one to show that he was more than a cute kid. He followed this up with ?Brick,? ?Havoc,? ?Hesher? and ?Stop-Loss.? Now, he may be one of the biggest stars of the future after recent roles in ?Inception,? ?The Dark Knight Rises,? ?Looper? and the upcoming ?Lincoln.?

2. Leaving Las Vegas

Elisabeth earned an Oscar nomination for this role, and though it has been a while since I saw this movie, I can remember enjoying every minute of it. That said, I also remember that it?s not that happy and heartwarming, so it will probably be a while longer before I actually watch every minute again.

1. Soapdish

One of the underrated movies of the 1990s, this movie not only stars Elisabeth, but also adds in Teri Hatcher, Robert Downey Jr. and my personal favorite Kevin Kline. Why my favorite? Because of possibly the funniest role in the 80s, his turn in ?A Fish Called Wanda.?

Agree? Disagree? Which movies would make your Elisabeth Shue top five?