Filmography

Filmography for Winona Ryder, with links to related pages and sites.

Lucas

1986 | Overlooked at time of release. Adolescent angst.

More at I.M.D.b.

Square Dance

1987 | Not financially successful, but contains quality performances. Plot deals with difficult family circumstances.

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Beetlejuice

1988 | In film making circles, Winona was already known as an intuitive actor, but it was her appearance in this 'after-life comedy' that brought her to a wide audience. Here she plays Lydia—a black clad, death obsessed teenager who finds more comfort among the ghosts who haunt the family home than with her status-junkie step-mom and workaholic dad.

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1969

1988 | Deals with social tensions at the time of the Vietnam war. The film was not a success, but critics agreed that Winona was.

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Heathers

1988 | Winona lists this among her favorite movie making experiences; Heathers combines cutting sarcasm, wry analogies and multiple layers of sub-text—eloquently describing 1980s America as experienced by teens.

More about Heathers.

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Great Balls of Fire!

1989 | Engaging biopic of '50s rock-n-roller Jerry Lee Lewis and his child bride Myra (played by Winona). The way she went at this role strengthened her reputation as an inventive interpreter amenable to direction.

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Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael

1990 | By this time, the peg-board media had given up trying to explain Winona and settled for describing her as 'quirky'. Here, Winona gives a straight-forward interpretation of a teenager grappling with her status as a 'reject' while attempting to develop her own identity.

More about Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael.

More at I.M.D.b.

Mermaids

1990 | Blighted by one of the least representative promotion campaigns devised, it was to be several years before Mermaids acquired wide appreciation for what it is: a funny, original and bittersweet tour of the misguided past.

More about Mermaids.

More at I.M.D.b.

"Mermaids" official page at M.G.M.

Edward Scissorhands

1990 | Her second appearance in a Tim Burton film (after Beetlejuice). Despite being cast in a distinctly un-winonaish role—as a cheerleader(!)—Winona fits right into this tragi-comedy about people who don't fit in.

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Images: Edward Scissorhands.

Night On Earth

1991 | A well thought of collection of short stories. Winona plays a cabbie aspiring to be a mechanic!

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Bram Stoker's Dracula

1992 | A high budget exploitation of the classic novel by Bram Stoker.

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The Age of Innocence

1993 | By now Winona was considered one of Hollywood's most headlineable 'babes' the mere mention of whom could pre-sell a warehouse of gossipzines. Yet, at the same time, she was also seen as one the rarest of actors—combining the silent film presence and visual appeal of Lillian Gish with the intellectual plausibility of Bette Davis. Thus far, Winona had played teenage misfits, a murderer, a budding vampire, a fairy-tale heroine... And a cabbie. Sometimes she failed, but usually she succeeded, and more than once she was described as having 'carried' a film—not bad for someone who once described herself as a 'midget freak.'
When Hollywood superman Martin Scorsese was casting for his film version of Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence few were surprised that he called Winona.

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The House of Spirits

1993 | The film serves well as an advert for Isabel Allende's award winning and widely loved novel.

More about The House of Spirits.

More at I.M.D.b.

Reality Bites

1994 | Snapshot comedy, framing the disillusionment of 'X-Geners' who found themselves newly graduated components of the world beyond t.v.

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Little Women

1994 | The film was generally well regarded, but once again Winona's performance stood out. Possibly the most meaningful review she received was the number of eyebrows raised when she didn't get an Oscar.

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How to Make an American Quilt

1995 | A collection of short stories (memories of youth) linked by the theme of a young woman's impending marriage. Rich material for three movies, brutally crammed into one. Winona's best scenes involve her character's pre-wedding doubts and her escapist infatuation with another man.

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Boys

1996 | Twenty-something misfit exploits teenager. Formula titillation.

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Looking for Richard

1996 | An all-star semi-documentary of classical theater.

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The Crucible

1996 | Ryder is 'back' with a vengeance in Nicholas Hytner's adaptation of Arthur Miller's delicious, multi layered play. Much has been said about what Arthur Miller meant with his tale of community and private politics set during America's witch hunting era... But, by any interpretation, this is a great story (and movie).

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Alien: Resurrection

1997 | Winona ridiculed herself for appearing in this—as a diminutive space hero—and yet, in some ways, this is her most interesting role—combining previous themes of self and exterior with reality and perception. The project was a personal milestone for Winona as she was able to work with one of her heros—Sigourney Weaver.

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Celebrity

1998 | She has a small role in this cinematic sketch book by Woody Allen.

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Girl, Interrupted

1999 | Based on Susanna Kaysen's memoir of her time in a psychiatric hospital. Winona had wanted to make a film version ever since reading the book, but several years were to pass before the project got moving, and it was then dogged by the social and commercial taboos dominant at that time. Ultimately, the film fails to impart the distress of a teenager who's losing it, let alone the causes that underly such 'inexplicable' crashes; scenes that did have a hint of truth were edited out. Never-the-less, the film succeeded in bringing the issues described in Kaysen's book to a wide audience.

More at I.M.D.b.

Lost Souls

2000 | [Shot prior to Girl, Interrupted.] Winona has to save the world from the anti-christ. Winona fans may appreciate the scene where 'Maya' (Ryder) first meets 'Peter' (Ben Chapman).

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Autumn In New York

2000 | Fading playboy falls in love with dying young woman.

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Mr. Deeds

2002 | Winona plays a scheming journalist in this comedy with Adam Sandler.

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"Mr. Deeds" official site at Sony Pictures.

S1mOne

2002 | Small role in this film about a movie producer who replaces a troublesome actor with a digital one.

More at I.M.D.b.

Also: s1m0ne.com

The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things

2004 | Small role in this adaptation of the book by 'J.T. Leroy.'

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The Darwin Awards

2006 | Inspired by the Darwin Awards website, which posthumously awards those who get themselves killed in really dumb ways, thus proving that even somebody with the I.Q. of lettuce can still end up a winner.

More at I.M.D.b.

Also: movie.darwinawards.com

A Scanner Darkly

2006 | Adaptation of the Philip K. Dick novel, using animation overlay to convey the visual style of a graphic novel. Story depicts an Orwellian America addled by drugs and paranoia.

More at I.M.D.b.

Also: "A Scanner Darkly" website.

The Ten

2007 | Ten comedy shorts, each inspired by one of the Commandments.

More at I.M.D.b.

Also: thetenmovie.com

Sex and Death 101

2007 | Who said spam never killed anyone? By Daniel Waters (Heathers).

More at I.M.D.b.


Other

Winona narrated an acclaimed audio-book version of The Diary of Anne Frank.

For complete listings visit Winona Ryder at I.M.D.b.