5 Ways Miranda Priestly Is Meryl Streeps Best Role (& 5 Better Alternatives)

5 Ways Miranda Priestly Is Meryl Streep’s Best Role (& 5 Better Alternatives)

Meryl Streep has been one of Hollywood’s most prolific stars for decades But is Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada the actor’s finest work?

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Quite possibly the greatest living actress, Meryl Streep has a career spanning more than forty years. After a successful start on the stage, she made her screen debut in 1977’s Julia. Streep would win her first Oscar for 1979’s Kramer vs. Kramer and her second for 1982’s Sophie’s Choice. A third would come almost thirty years later, for 2011’s The Iron Lady.

Known for her versatility and accents, Streep had one of Hollywood’s most prolific careers during the ’80s. Commercial success varied during the ’90s, but she reclaimed her stardom in the 2000s, thanks to the role of icy editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly in the now-iconic The Devil Wears Prada. And while her filmography is chock-full of excellent and unforgettable performances, it’s undeniable that Miranda marked a landmark in Streep’s career and is worthy of the top spot.

10 Miranda Is Best: A Star Is Reborn

In the ’80s, movies like The French Lieutenant’s Woman, Sophie’s Choice, Silkwood, and Out of Africa all but cemented Streep as one of the leading actresses of her generation. The ’90s brought acclaim for her performances, but commercial success was inconsistent.

The Devil Wears Prada brought a second wind to Streep’s career. Miranda was almost like a re-introduction, a second chance to enjoy and appreciate just how incredible an actress Meryl Streep truly is.

9 Better Alternative: Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Doubt)

Based on the 2004 Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name, Doubt follows the relentless Sister Aloysius Beauvier as she investigates a misconduct allegation against the charming but secretive Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Streep co-stars along with Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Viola Davis.

The film is a faithful adaptation of the stage play that never quite manages to translate to the screen. However, its stellar cast easily overcomes any narrative flaws. Streep, in particular, sinks her teeth into one of her most antagonistic and stern characters in ages, producing a performance that dominates and guides the entire film.

8 Miranda Is Best: Fashion Icon

In The Devil Wears Prada, fashion is its own character. The clothes reveal almost as much as the dialogue itself, telling audiences everything they need to know about the characters. The Devil Wears Prada features some of the most inspired and fashion-forward costume designs in a 2000s movie. It even became one of the few contemporary-set movies to receive a Best Costume Design nomination at the Academy Awards.

Miranda’s style is unique and timeless. Furthermore, it proved that fashion is universal and that statement outfits can be effective and breathtaking at any age.

7 Better Alternative: Ethel, The Rabbi, and The Angel Australia (Angels in America)

It’s impossible to understate just how captivating Meryl Streep is in Angels in America. Tony Kushner’s seminal play is one of the most intense, complex works of the 20th century. It tells multiple stories set against the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic in 1980s New York.

Streep plays multiple roles in the miniseries adaptation, among them the ghost of Ethel Rosenberg and Hannah Pitt, mother of one of the main characters. The actress is nothing short of spectacular, deftly going from one role to the next, never once losing the audience’s interest or understanding of each character.

6 Miranda Is Best: Commercial Success

The Devil Wears Prada became Streep’s most successful film at the box office, at the time, at least. It grossed $326 million against a production budget of $40 million, becoming the 12th highest-grossing film of 2006.

Streep, 57 at the time, proved that an actress over 50 could carry a film and make it a blockbuster. She also proved to her detractors that she wasn’t just a “prestige” actress but a genuinely charismatic and engaging performer capable of becoming a major box office draw.

5 Better Alternative: Karen Silkwood (Silkwood)

Following her Oscar win for Sophie’s Choice, Streep took on the titular role in Mike Nichols’ biopic Silkwood. The film centers on Karen Silkwood, a nuclear plant worker and labor union activist who died under mysterious circumstances.

Streep plays Silkwood with bravado and vulnerability. She’s courageous and daring, a hero in every sense of the word. The movie does engage in many of its genre’s narrative tropes, but like with most of her projects, Streep elevates the material with her sheer commitment and magnificent talent.

4 Miranda Is Best: Pop Culture Icon

Streep earned a legion of new and younger fans thanks to Miranda Priestly. The film appealed to mature audiences thanks to Streep’s reputation, but it also connected with younger viewers, partly because of Anne Hathaway — at the time known for her role in Disney’s The Princess Diaries.

These fans followed Streep into her next major project, 2008’s Mamma Mia!. The musical also enjoyed a healthy balance between fans who lived through ABBA’s prime and newer viewers, already enchanted by Streep’s versatility.

3 Better Alternative: Katharine Graham (The Post)

It’s amazing that Meryl Streep and Steven Spielberg’s first project together was 2017’s The Post. The film follows The Washington Post’s attempt to publish the infamous Pentagon Papers. Streep and Tom Hanks lead an ensemble of actors that include Sarah Paulson, Bob Odenkirk, and Bradley Whitford.

The Post plays to Streep’s strengths. As Katharine Graham, she is unstoppable, relentless, and steely. However, she never deprives Graham of her humanity or vulnerability, delivering an outstanding turn that ranks as, arguably, her best performance of the 2010s.

2 Miranda Is Best: Cementing Her Legacy

In 2006, Streep already had an iconic career; her ’80s resume alone could’ve earned her a spot among the greatest American screen icons. However, The Devil Wears Prada marked the beginning of a second wind for Streep’s career. She continued receiving lead parts in blockbusters like Mamma Mia! and critically acclaimed darlings like Doubt. She even explored quirkier characters in movies like Julie & Julia and Florence Foster Jenkins.

Streep’s career is now more alive than ever. And while it might be a stretch to attribute all her current success to The Devil Wears Prada, it is safe to say the film marks a landmark in her career and remains one of the greatest feathers in her cap.

1 Better Alternative: Sophie Zawistowski (Sophie’s Choice)

Many film lovers and critics consider Streep’s performance in Sophie’s Choice one of the all-time best. Premiere ranked it third in their list of The 100 Best Performances of All Time, the highest-ranked female performance.

It’s easy to understand the appeal. Streep gives a fierce, raw, at times unsympathetic but always realistic performance of a woman dealing with trauma. The pivotal scene where Sophie makes the titular choice remains one of cinema’s most heartwrenching moments, elevated to new rights by Streep’s bravura. Now, nearly 40 years after its premiere, Sophie’s Choice is still Streep’s crowning achievement, a performance unlike any other in film history.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/meryl-streep-best-role-miranda-priestly-devil-wears-prada-other-choices/

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