The 8 Funniest Meryl Streep Movies Guaranteed To Lift Your Mood

Meryl Streep has been one of the most revered actors in the world for almost half a century. It would be easier to name the movies she wasn’t Oscar-nominated for than the ones she was. Streep is primarily known for her dramatic chops, bringing a powerful humanity to roles like the instigator of a bitter divorce in Kramer vs. Kramer and a mother who had to choose between her kids in Sophie’s Choice.

But, as one would expect, Streep is just as adept at playing comedic roles. Sure, not every Meryl Streep movie is laugh-out-loud hysterical – The Deer Hunter is a harrowing study of the psychological effects of the Vietnam War – but there are a select few that are guaranteed to lift viewers’ spirits.

8 It’s Complicated (2009)

One of Nancy Meyers’ most complex romcoms, It’s Complicated stars Meryl Streep as a single mother who starts a secret affair with her ex-husband (played by Alec Baldwin) a decade after their divorce, only to suddenly find herself attracted to a new guy (played by Steve Martin).

The well-matched Streep, Baldwin, and Martin make for a hilarious love triangle, and it’s rare that Hollywood romances shed a light on older people finding love.

7 Lemony Snicket’s A Series Of Unfortunate Events (2004)

Although Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events books have since been adapted in their entirety as a Netflix original series, the first crack at turning them into an on-screen franchise came way back in 2004. While the movie was a box office disappointment, it beautifully recaptured the pitch-black comic tone of the source material.

There’s something unique about watching a dark comedy for kids. Count Olaf, a master of disguise who slips in and out of various personas, was the perfect role for Jim Carrey. Meryl Streep plays a small but memorable supporting role as Josephine Anwhistle, the Baudelaires’ aunt and temporary guardian.

6 Mamma Mia! (2008)

Although the main draw of Mamma Mia! is ABBA’s music, the movie does have a plot: a bride-to-be (played by Amanda Seyfried) invites three men who might be her father to her island wedding to determine once and for all who fathered her.

Meryl Streep co-stars as the mother, realizing all the comedic potential of facing three exes at once. Not all the actors are great singers, but the hypercamp tone works wonders. The movie was so successful that it even got a sequel a decade later, 2018’s Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, which received better reviews than its predecessor.

5 Adaptation (2002)

When Charlie Kaufman was tasked with adapting Susan Orlean’s The Orchid Thief into a screenplay, he struggled to find an interesting hook and ended up instead writing a screenplay called Adaptation about a screenwriter named Charlie Kaufman struggling to adapt The Orchid Thief into a screenplay.

Nicolas Cage gives one of his all-time greatest performances in dual roles as Charlie Kaufman and his fictional twin brother Donald, a more conventional (and more successful) screenwriter, while Meryl Streep plays Orlean herself. Without a doubt, Adaptation is one of the most meta movies ever made, but it also has plenty of accessible gags on top of the heady writing-about-writing stuff.

4 Death Becomes Her (1992)

The pitch-black humor of Robert Zemeckis’ Death Becomes Her works because everybody plays against type. Meryl Streep plays a shameless narcissist, Bruce Willis plays a cowardly alcoholic, and Golden Hawn plays an unhinged writer seeking revenge.

The plot concerns a potion that supposedly grants immortal life, which the vengeful writer decides to use to her advantage in her rivalry with Streep’s fading starlet. As a bonus, the movie is also filled with incredible special effects.

3 The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

Meryl Streep doesn’t usually play villains, but she played one brilliantly in The Devil Wears Prada. Miranda Priestly is one of the most powerful fashion magazine editors in New York City who rules her office like a ruthless tyrant.

Anne Hathaway’s grad student Andy, presented as a fish out of water completely unprepared to inhabit Priestly’s cutthroat world, makes a hilarious foil for Streep. Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci also give memorable supporting turns.

2 Postcards From The Edge (1990)

Directed by The Graduate’s Mike Nichols, Postcards from the Edge is a heartfelt mother-daughter story. Meryl Streep stars as a movie star and recovering addict who’s forced to move back in with her mother (played by Shirley MacLaine) to avoid unemployment when the studio’s insurers demand that she live with a responsible guardian.

Carrie Fisher adapted the screenplay from her own novel of the same name, so her signature dry humor can be seen all over the dialogue (and Streep nails every delivery).

1 Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Wes Anderson’s first and so far only movie adapted from previous source material was 2009’s Fantastic Mr. Fox, a beautiful, quirky, heartwarming masterpiece of stop-motion animation based on the Roald Dahl classic of the same name. Like Pixar’s best efforts, Fantastic Mr. Fox is fun for all ages.

George Clooney stars as the titular fox, who makes a living stealing livestock from local farms, while Meryl Streep co-stars as Mrs. Fox, who implores him to find a new line of work after starting a family. It’s a heist movie starring talking barnyard animals – what’s not to love?

About The Author

Ben Sherlock
(3458 Articles Published)

Ben Sherlock is a writer, comedian, independent filmmaker, and Burt Reynolds enthusiast. He writes lists for Screen Rant and features and reviews for Game Rant. He’s currently in pre-production on his first feature (and has been for a while, because filmmaking is expensive). You can catch him performing standup at odd pubs around the UK that will give him stage time. Previously, he wrote for Taste of Cinema, Comic Book Resources, and BabbleTop.

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