The Best and Worst of Jacki Weaver

“The Best and Worst of” series chronicles the career highlights and lowlights of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week, I take a look at the filmography of “Poms” star Jacki Weaver.

Films starring Jacki Weaver that I've seen:
The Five-Year Engagement
Silver Linings Playbook
Parkland
Magic in the Moonlight
The Voices
The Disaster Artist
Widows
Bird Box

Best Performance: Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
While it's understandable why Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence and Robert De Niro's work received more attention, Weaver's contributions to the success of Silver Linings Playbook have been unfairly overlooked in my eyes. The compassionate, non-judgmental way her character deals with her son's (Cooper) mental illness is heartwarming, believable and goes a long way in setting up the moving climax that makes the film so special.  

Worst Performance: Widows (2018)
Widows is a dreary crime story that touches on a variety of serious subjects ranging from domestic abuse to police brutality to political corruption. You'd have a hard time believing that the tone was so bleak if you were to just watch Weaver's scenes. Armed with a god awful American accent and a whole lot of manic energy, Weaver is a cartoonish, scenery-chewing tornado that seems like just she walked off the set of a Steven Segal movie.  

Best Film: Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Silver Linings Playbook is a true rarity in the world of cinema: A movie that leaves you feeling really good after you're done watching it. Not to mention, it's very funny, beautifully acted and flawlessly depicts the eternal misery Philadelphia Eagles fans felt before they won their first Super Bowl in 2017. Truly spectacular work from David O. Russell.

Worst Film: The Voices (2015)
A spirited performance from Ryan Reynolds as a well-meaning schizophrenic man who accidently turns into a mass murderer couldn't save The Voices from being a crappy albeit ambitious dark comedy. The jokes often feel awkward and out of place, which in turn makes this very morbid story far more unsettling than it is funny.

Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “John Wick: Chapter 3-Parabellum” star Ian McShane.