10 Best Movies With The Fanning Sisters, According To IMDb

Dakota Fanning rose to prominence as a child actress and even became the youngest nominee in the history of the Screen Actors Guild Award back in 2001. But her younger sister Elle is just as successful as her and is currently getting role after role, bringing even more attention to her talent.

Both Fanning sisters have had both successful and failed roles, but it’s obvious that the two young women are quite talented and have some interesting works to their name. From Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood to Nicolas Winding Refn’s The Neon Demon, Dakota and Elle Fanning have an outstanding shared filmography.

10 20th Century Women (2016) – 7.3 – Available On Netflix, Hoopla, And Kanopy

The comedy-drama 20th Century Women is notable for several things. It was released by the adored A24 company and was nominated for two Golden Globes (Best Picture – Musical or Comedy and Best Actress) and the Best Original Screenplay Academy Award. Starring Elle Fanning, its cast also includes Greta Gerwig who would go on to direct the acclaimed Lady Bird and Little Women. Fanning, much like her female co-stars, was particularly praised for the character development her performance infused into the role.

Set in the 1970s Southern California, this movie tells the story of a young boy living with his mother who asks their two female tenants to help her raise him.

9 The Secret Life Of Bees (2008) – 7.3 – Available On Hulu

Despite mixed reception from critics, The Secret Life of Bees seems to be more beloved by regular viewers. Right after Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning had one of the most important roles in the movie which was visibly more mature than her past works and her performance offered great range.

Adapted from the novel of the same name, it takes place in 1964 and follows a teenage girl who runs away in search of the truth about her mother and finds a family of independent women who help her on her journey.

8 Babel (2006) – 7.4 – Available On Paramount+, Pluto TV, Hoopla, Kanopy, And Popcornflix

With a cast including the likes of Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s Babel was one of the very first roles Elle Fanning got as a child actress. The movie was a success and even earned seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. For her performance, Fanning received a nomination for the Young Artist Award in the Best Performance in a Feature Film – Young Actress Age Ten or Younger category.

Like two other Inarritu films from his Death Trilogy, Babel has multiple storylines connected between each other. In the US, a Mexican nanny takes two kids she is looking after on a trip to Mexico while their parents are away in Morocco. Elsewhere, their mother gets accidentally shot while their father tries to save her. In Japan, a teenage girl works through the journey of her life.

7 Trumbo (2015) – 7.5 – Available On Netflix, Kanopy, And Pluto TV

Though Elle Fanning doesn’t have a very big role in Trumbo, it is still one of the most acclaimed movies in her filmography. The biopic was a critical success and lead actor Bryan Cranston was even nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. The ensemble cast, including Fanning, was nominated for multiple awards, including Best Acting Ensemble at the Critics’ Choice Awards and Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture at the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Based on the biography Dalton Trumbo, the movie depicts the life of the American screenwriter Dalton Trumbo who was one of the blacklisted Hollywood professionals in the early stages of the Cold War, when the House Un-American Activities Committee was investigating the communist influence in the American film industry.

6 Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood (2019) – 7.6 – Available On FuboTV, Starz, And DirecTV

One of Quentin Tarantino’s lengthiest works, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is similar to Trumbo in a way that Dakota Fanning – much like her sister – doesn’t have a big role in it, but it is still a notable movie. At the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the ensemble cast, including Fanning, was nominated in the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Motion Picture category.

Set in 1969 Los Angeles, it follows a fading movie star and his stunt double struggling to maintain their careers while a young actress achieves her first success in the movie industry.

5 I Am Sam (2001) – 7.7 – Available On HBO Max, Tubi TV, And The Roku Channel

Dakota Fanning made history with her role in I Am Sam with the aforementioned SAG Award, but not everyone may remember that Elle Fanning actually portrayed the two-year-old version of Dakota’s character. Despite its negative reception from critics, the movie was a commercial success and earned Sean Penn a Best Actor nomination at the Academy Awards.

The story follows a man fighting for the custody of his seven-year-old daughter while showing his lawyer the value of family.

4 Man On Fire (2004) – 7.7 – Available On The Roku Channel

Another one of Dakota Fanning’s earlier roles, Man on Fire has her co-starring with none other than Denzel Washington himself. Despite the mixed reviews, the movie was a box office success and is loved by regular viewers. Though Fanning was very young when she acted in this film, she stands out as a true professional.

Based on the novel of the same name, it follows a former US marine and CIA officer who works as a bodyguard. When the girl from the family he must protect is kidnapped, he goes on a mission to get her back.

3 Coraline (2009) – 7.7 – Available To Buy From Prime Video, Google Play, iTunes, YouTube, And Others

One of the best stop-motion animation movies of all time, Coraline was a critical and commercial success and even received a nomination at the Academy Awards in the relevant category. Though the Fanning sisters are mostly known for acting work, they have also tried voice acting – the main character in Coraline is voiced by Dakota Fanning. As the lead, her voice contributes to making this movie truly great.

Based on Neil Gaiman’s novella of the same name, it follows a girl named Coraline who moves into a new neighborhood with her parents. In their new home, she finds a secret door that leads her to a different and dark world.

2 The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (2008) – 7.8 – Available On DirecTV And Max Go

David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button had Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett reuniting on-screen, but what’s even more interesting is that Elle Fanning also happened to star in the movie, portraying a younger version of Blanchett’s character. Though the role was a small one, Fanning’s casting was perfect, excellently evoking the older form of her role.

Adapted from the F. Scott Fitzgerald short story of the same name, it depicts the life of a man who is born old and ages in reverse becoming younger and younger over the years.

1 My Neighbor Totoro (1988) – 8.2 – Available On HBO Max

My Neighbor Totoro is both a Studio Ghibli classic and a masterpiece from the iconic animator Hayao Miyazaki. Both Dakota and Elle Fanning were involved while dubbing the movie for the Disney release of 2005 – they voiced the two lead characters of Satsuki and Mei Kusakabe respectively.

Set in post-WWII Japan, it follows two young girls, the daughters of a professor, who move into a new home. The two sisters quickly find out about the local spirits and start spending time with them. The childish delight that the Fanning sisters bring to these characters makes the movie shine.

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