Leslie Mann’s 10 Best Films, According To Rotten Tomatoes

Leslie Mann has undoubtedly made her mark in the film industry, appearing in various movies from How to Be Single to George of the Jungle, in which she starred alongside Brendan Fraser. She has worked in films of many different genres, and, more recently, on projects with her filmmaker husband, Judd Apatow, including Funny People and This Is 40, among others.

Mann’s acting chops know no limits and she’s made an impression as a talented actress, especially in comedies, as seen in this Rotten Tomatoes round up of her best roles.

10 Motherless Brooklyn (63%)

This 2019 film, written, directed and produced by Edward Norton, is set in the 1950s. Norton plays a private investigator that sets out to solve the murder of his mentor, who took him and the other men in the agency in as children when they were orphans.

Mann plays the mentor’s widow, Julia, who is also later revealed to be sleeping with Tony, one of the detectives in the agency and the man that Julia appointed to run it upon her husband’s death.

9 Timecode (68%)

Mann makes an appearance in this 2000 film, which depicts various characters in the office of a film production company.

There are twists and turns in the plot, especially in the form of a jealous friend who listens in on the discussions between her friend and her boyfriend. What makes this film unique is that it features four stories that are playing simultaneously, each in a quarter of the screen and each shot in one take.

8 Funny People (69%)

After a diagnosis that leaves George (Adam Sandler) to believe he is dying, he decides to make some changes in his life. He befriends a young comedian, he goes after his married ex-fiancée Laura (Mann), and he returns to his work in stand-up comedy.

George finds himself in a love triangle between himself, Laura and her husband and it doesn’t end well, but it goes to show how messy life is, especially when life itself is on the line.

7 I Love You Phillip Morris (71%)

This film is based on the real-life story of con artist Steven Russell (played by Jim Carrey), who was initially married with a family and a police officer. However, after a car crash, his life is forever changed, as he pursues love with men, expressing his true sexuality.

Eventually, he becomes a con artist, landing himself in jail, yet finding love behind bars. Mann plays Debbie, Steven’s wife, in this unconventional love story.

6 Rio (72%)

Mann voices Linda, a sweet little girl in Minnesota that adopts Blu and grows up to own a bookstore. Their lives are forever changed by Túlio, an ornithologist that implores Linda to head to Brazil so Blu can mate with the last known female macaw.

In Brazil, Linda and Blu both find love and adventure, even stopping some bird smugglers from carrying out their plans.

5 Mr. Peabody & Sherman (81%)

Mann provides a voice to the sweet and kind Patty Peterson, mother of Penny (voiced by Modern Family’s Ariel Winter), who gives her classmate, Sherman, a hard time. Mr. Peabody and Sherman are wrapped up in essentially saving the world and trying to help Penny, who refuses to return to the present so she can marry King Tut.

Meanwhile, Patty and her husband are hypnotized by Mr. Peabody (voiced by Ty Burrell of Modern Family).

4 Blockers (84%)

Mann stars as an overprotective mom, Lisa, who joins forces with fellow concerned parents, played by Ike Barinholtz and John Cena. The three chase their daughters around all night after finding out they’ve made a “sex pact,” intending to stop them from going through with it.

Lisa is especially desperate, but surprisingly doesn’t intervene in her daughter’s sex life, realizing how she was projecting her own experiences onto her daughter. She realizes that the two have to be ready to let each other go and start new chapters in life, as her daughter is about to head off to college.

3 The 40-Year-Old Virgin (85%)

Steve Carell is Andy, a 40-year-old man who has yet to lose his virginity. When his buddies learn of this, they do everything they can to help their friend rid himself of his status. Andy’s search for romantic conquest isn’t easy, and it lands him in some situations. One such instance is when he tried to pick up Nicky (Mann) at a bar.

He later drives home with her, only for it to end in disaster. Luckily, Andy did find the love of his life in Trish, so his wayward journey ultimately brought him to the right person.

2 ParaNorman (89%)

Norman struggles with his paranormal abilities, and Sandra, his mother (played by Mann), is far more sympathetic and understanding of him than his father, who is more aggressive in his approach. Sandra’s support is something Norman desperately needs, and Mann plays her character perfectly.

Norman saved his town and learned more about his family history, and in helping his ancestor find her happy ending, he also found his own, in which each member of his family accepted him and he felt like less of an outcast.

1 Knocked Up (90%)

Alison (Katherine Heigl) and Ben (Seth Rogen) couldn’t be more different, but after their one-night stand leaves them as expectant parents, they struggle to come together and make things work in this romantic comedy.

Debbie has a tendency to be a little too bossy and initially suspects her husband (played by Paul Rudd) is cheating on her. Alison is also hesitant, given her sister Debbie’s (Mann) own problems with her marriage to Pete, but as it turns out, both couples help the other reconcile and move forward for the better.

About The Author

Kacie Lillejord
(373 Articles Published)

A Seattle native, Kacie has loved entertainment in the forms of books, films, television and music since day one. Inspired by a filmmaker relative, Kacie has been pursuing a career in the film and television industry in Los Angeles ever since. A graduate of The University of Arizona, Kacie has written for her college newspaper The Daily Wildcat, Harness Magazine, 25YL, and now has added Screen Rant to her resume. She loves writing and all things pop culture.

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