This year, the movie La La Land won the Academy Award for Best Picture. And then it didn’t. Fortunately, Emma Stone’s win for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role legit, and we couldn’t be happier. If you can’t tell, we’re big fans of Emma Stone.
Young Miss Stone is not a stranger to the Academy Awards – in 2015, she was nominated for her supporting role in Birdman – a movie that did, actually, get the “Best Picture”. Sadly, Stone didn’t take the trophy home then.
Her first Oscar for La La Land will be in good company on her mantel (in our heads, Stone has a huge mantel where she keeps her Golden Globe, her BAFTA and her many other awards). We are also positive it will be first of many.
This is why we decided to celebrate Emma Stone by making a list of the 10 best movies where the 28-year old actress makes an appearance. Here they are.
#1: La La Land (2016), IMDB rating: 8.5
La La Land is a charming story about the young aspiring actress Mia and Sebastian – a musician who’s hung up on the past and the glory days of jazz. Their paths cross, a love affair develops but in the end, their career ambitions get in the way and we don’t get to see the happy ending we’re so hoping for.
Directed by Damien Chazelle, La La Land is a beautifully shot musical journey enjoyable for people of all ages and backgrounds. The movie received a total of 14 Oscar nominations, and won 6 trophies, after winning 7 Golden Globes awards.
#2: The Help (2011), IMDB rating: 8.1
The Help shows Emma Stone as a young southern society girl set on her way to becoming an author. Set in Mississippi in the 1960s, the movie tackles the topic of race, feminism, friendship, social prejudice and acceptance. Such deep and controversial themes do indeed require some serious and dedicated acting but Stone fails to disappoint. Of course, she is good company – the cast also Viola Davis (nominated for an Oscar for her role in the movie) and Octavia Spencer (won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar that year).
#3: Birdman (2014), IMDB rating: 7.8
Alejandro Iñárritu’s Birdman got four Academy awards in 2015 – for directing, original screenplay, cinematography and best picture.
Emma Stone played the role of Sam, the daughter of the actor Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton). Sam is just out of rehab, and is hired as a production assistant for a Broadway play Thomson is producing.
The movie focuses on the struggles of the actor as he tries to kickstart his stagnant career and rebuild his relationship with Sam. Thomson juggles with logistical issues, actors who are hard to work with, a potential lawsuit, and critics – but most of all with his own insecurities.
#4: Zombieland (2009), IMDB rating: 7.7
Zombieland is a horror comedy set in early 21st century. Zombies have taken over the USA, and two men have found their ways to survive the zombie attack. One is Columbus – a young college Student trying to get to Ohio and see if his family is alive (played by Jesse Eisenberg), the other – Tallahassee (played by Woody Harrelson) – a badass boisterous zombie-hater headed to Florida. They cross paths with Wichita (Emma Stone) and her younger sister Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), and the four team up trying to find a zombie-free spot and stay alive.
#5: Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011), IMDB rating: 7.4
Crazy, Stupid, Love was the first project, in which the Stone-Gosling duo appeared together. The movie tells the story of the middle-aged couple Cal (Steve Carell) and Emily (Julianne Moore) who separate after being unhappy in their marriage. Cal meets Jacob (Ryan Gosling), a ladies’ man who helps Cal get more game. Later on, Jacob falls in love with Hannah (Emma Stone) who turns out to be Cal’s daughter and comedy (and love) ensues.
#6: Easy A (2010), IMDB rating: 7.1
In this picture, Stone plays Olive Penderghast, a high-school student who is almost invisible to her peers. She pretends to lose her virginity to Brandon (Dan Byrd), which does wonders to both the teenagers’ popularity – and soon other boys approach her with the same request. Penderghast sees an opportunity to build up her social status and make some money – until she bumps into her old crush Woodchuck Todd (Penn Badgley) and decides to get her life together.
#7: Superbad (2007), IMDB rating: 7.6
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PUwQ1JK_S4
Superbad is the story of two high-school seniors Seth and Evan (Jonah Hill and Michael Cera), both nerdy and unpopular. By pure luck, they get invited to the house party thrown by Jules (Emma Stone) and do their very best to score some booze. Later on, the party takes a weird turn and through the process, Seth and Evan get a chance to get a clear picture of what their friendship truly means.
#8: The amazing Spider-Man (2012), IMDB rating: 7.0
If you are not familiar with (or have at least heard of) the character of Spider-Man, we can safely assume you have been living in a cave. In case you have indeed inhabited a cave, here it goes: Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is a teenager abandoned by his parents as a boy. Bitten by a genetically altered spider, he gains spider-like super powers and goes out in the world to solve the mystery of his parents’ death.
Emma Stone plays the role of Gwen Stacy, Parker’s first high-school crush.
#9: Paper Man (2009), IMDB rating: 7.0
Failed author Richard Dunn (Jeff Daniels) has a lot of issues in his life – the most disturbing one being the strong presence of his imaginary friend/superhero Captain Excellent (Ryan Reynolds). Dunn then meet Abby (Emma Stone), a teenage girl from Long Island, and the two form an unlikely friendship, in which Abby teaches him a log about growing up.
#10: Gangster Squad (2013), IMDB rating: 6.7
After Crazy, Stupid, Love and before La La Land, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling appeared together in Gangster Squad – a picture about 1949 Los Angeles, run by gangsters.
The movie shows us LA at a time, when the city is ruled by the mobster Mickey Cohen (Sean Penn). LAPD’s Sergeant John O’Mara (Josh Brolin) puts together a team of cops with the intent to end the criminal activity – but in the process, he needs to deal with the issue of Sgt. Jerry Wooters (Ryan Gosling), who falls in love with Grace Faraday (Emma Stone), Cohen’s girlfriend.