Laura Dern was first seen in the 1973 Joseph Sargent-directed American action film ‘White Lightning’ where she made an uncredited appearance as ‘Sharon Anne.’ Following her debut, she went on to star in films like ‘Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore’ (1974), ‘Foxes’ (1980), ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains’ (1980), ‘Grizzly II: Revenge’ (1983), and ‘Teachers’ (1984). She played the role of ‘Diana Adams’ in the 1985 American biographical drama film ‘Mask’ directed by Peter Bogdanovich. The film opened to a positive reception and grossed over $48.2 million on a $7.5 million budget. That same year, she also appeared in the Joyce Chopra-directed film, ‘Smooth Talk.’ The film received a positive response from critics and currently sits on a 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. She continued to star in films such as ‘Blue Velvet’ (1986), ‘Haunted Summer’ (1988), ‘Fat Man and Little Boy’ (1989), ‘Wild at Heart’ (1990), and ‘Rambling Rose’ (1991). In 1993, she starred as ‘Dr. Ellie Sattler’ in the American science fiction action film ‘Jurassic Park’ directed by Steven Spielberg. The film received positive reviews from critics and was a massive commercial success, grossing over $1.046 billion on a $63 million budget.
Dern went on to star in films such as ‘Citizen Ruth’ (1996), ‘Bastard Out of Carolina’ (1996), ‘October Sky’ (1999), ‘Dr. T & the Women’ (2000), ‘Jurassic Park III’ (2001), ‘Novocaine’ (2001), ‘We Don't Live Here Anymore’ (2004), ‘The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio’ (2005), ‘Inland Empire’ (2006), ‘Year of the Dog’ (2007), ‘Tenderness’ (2009), ‘Little Fockers’ (2010), ‘The Master’ (2012), and ‘Jay-Z: Made in America’ (2013). In 2014, she played the role of ‘Frannie Lancaster’ in the American coming-of-age romance film ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ directed by Josh Boone. The film received mostly positive reviews from critics and was a financial success, grossing over $307.2 million on a budget of $12 million. That same year, she was also seen in the American biographical adventure drama film ‘Wild’ where she played the role of ‘Barbara "Bobbi" Grey.’ The film earned praise from critics and grossed over $52.5 million on a $15 million budget. Dern also received an Academy Award nomination for her performance in the film. She next starred in films like ‘Bravetown’ (2015), ‘Certain Women’ (2016), ‘The Founder’ (2016), ‘Wilson’ (2017), ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ (2017), ‘The Tale’ (2018), ‘Trial by Fire’ (2018), and ‘Cold Pursuit’ (2019). She became a recipient of the ‘Academy Award’ and the ‘BAFTA Award’ for her portrayal of ‘Nora Fanshaw’ in the 2019 drama film ‘Marriage Story’ directed by Noah Baumbach. The film opened to massive acclaim and holds a 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. She was last seen in the 2022 American science fiction action film ‘Jurassic World Dominion’ directed by Colin Trevorrow. The film was panned by critics but managed to gross over $911.3 million on a $185 million budget.
Dr Alan Grant and Dr. Ellie Sattler are amongst the group of expert invited by John Hammond to visit his theme park where cloned dinosaurs are the highlight. However, the tour goes wrong when a storms sets in and an employee shuts down the power leaving the man eating dinosaurs to roam around freely. Alan has to ensure a safe return for himself and Hammond’s two grandchildren.
In this sequel, the story continues from where the events of ‘Fight for Your Right’ music video end. The Beasties get drunk in a liquor store, and create general chaos playing drunken antics on many Hollywood big-wigs. Then they run into ‘Beastie Boys from future’ who challenge them to a wild break-dance contest that necessitates intervention by cops….played by real Beastie Boys.
Marriage Story is a critically acclaimed and award-winning drama film which tells the story of a married couple, a successful stage director and an actress, who are going through a divorce. However, the divorce gets more and more complicated over time.
The movie tells the story of Homer H. Hickam Jr., a coal miner’s son who beats all odds stacked against him to build rockets after being inspired by the launch of Sputnik 1. Despite having a disapproving father and hostile townspeople, Homer eventually earns his father’s support and goes on to become a NASA engineer.
Little Women is a period drama film which is based on the popular novel of the same name by Louisa May Alcott. The film revolves around four sisters, each determined to live her life according to her own terms.
The movie, which is based on John Green’s novel of the same name, follows the journey of two teenagers, Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Gus Waters – both cancer patients – who meet and fall in love with each other. The two also travel together to meet her favourite author, though it does not turn to be what she expected.
Named after Bobby Vinton’s song, Blue Velvet, is a neo-noir thriller by American filmmaker David Keith Lynch. It starts when a college student, who is in town visiting his ailing father, finds a human ear severed and thrown in a field. What follows, is his journey to try and uncover the mystery and getting involved with an enticing lounge singer.
Sam Dawson is an intellectually disabled father raising his daughter Lucy with the help of a group of friends who also have disabilities. As Lucy grows up her intellectual superiority threatens their relationship. Things get more complicated when Lucy is placed in foster care but keeps coming back to her dad.
Two escaped prisoners, Butch and Pugh, stumble into a house belonging to eight year old Philip and needing a hostage, grab the boy. Later, Butch kills Pugh as he tries to harm Phillip and the two continue with their journey, quickly developing a loving relationship. Chasing them is Red Garnett, honorable Texas Ranger, who wants to catch Butch alive.
The biopic follows Ray Kroc, an unsuccessful traveling salesman of Price Castle milkshake mixers. Ray, who has ample but unsatisfactory experience of inefficiently run drive-ins, learns about Richard and Maurice McDonalds’ popular San Bernardino walk-up restaurant. With quality and consistency of food-products, speedy service and family atmosphere, Ray recognizes a franchise potential and enters a contract - creating history with McDonald Empire.
Sailor Ripley, released from prison after killing in self-defense, breaks his parole to set out for California with girlfriend, Lula Fortune. Lula’s mother, Marietta, sends a private detective and a contract-killer after them to eliminate Sailor. While on the run in a bid to keep one step ahead of Marietta’s plotting, they encounter offensives, and fight through challenges that test their love.
Rocky is a teenager who is intelligent, but suffers from a serious facial deformity. He manages to outlive his life expectancy, and his mother tries to get him accepted in the public school system. He tries to fit in and live a normal life under the circumstances.
Evelyn is a stay-at-home wife and mother, whose husband is an alcoholic working a low-paying factory job. In order to deal with their poverty, and take care of their ten children, she enters jingle contests, under the names of children, in order to use the prize money to hold their family together.
Having witnessed the horrors of WWII, Freddie Quell struggles to return to normal life and drifts from one job to another due to his alcoholism and violent nature. He is easily influenced by Lancaster Dodd, the charismatic leader of the philosophical movement, The Cause, but his rise within the cult makes the other members worried.
After the death of her mother, who had taken great pains to raise her and her brother, Cheryl Strayed finds herself sliding deep into drug addiction which breaks her marriage. To pull herself out of grief and addiction, Cheryl embarks alone on a 1000-miles Pacific Crest Trail hike. As she faces setbacks and hazards, it proves to be a journey of self-discovery.
A construction worker named Dennis who is in need of money, has no other choice, but to accept a job with a ruthless real estate broker Rick Carver. Rick is the same person who evicted Dennis and his family from their home.
Citizen Ruth is a comedy drama film which tells the story of Ruth, a poor, drug-addicted woman whose life gets complicated when she gets pregnant. A judge orders her to get an abortion, but a group of pro-life activists makes things more complicated for her, and she soon attracts national attention from those involved in the abortion debate.
In Star Wars: The Last Jedi, we see the good guys, aka the Resistance, battle it out with the bad guys, also known as the First Order in epic style. Featuring recurring heroes like Han Solo and Princess Leia, this epic space opera is the third part of the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
Inland Empire is a 2006 mystery drama film, revolving around an actress who begins to adopt the persona of her character in a film, and meanwhile, her world starts becoming nightmarish and surreal.
When the Game Stands Tall is a sports drama film which tells the story of Bob Ladouceur, a coach for the De La Salle Spartans. His career eventually begins a downward spiral because of his personal problems. Eventually the 151-game winning streak of his team comes to an end after they lose a game against Bellevue, Washington.
A story set in the Great Depression about a woman who is hired as a housemaid by a rich family. The woman runs into trouble with most men she encounters, who keep falling for her appearance and personality.
Fat Man and Little Boy is a historical drama film which is about the Manhattan Project, a secret wartime project in New Mexico commanded by General Leslie Groves, where the first atomic bombs were designed and built.
Nick Halsey, a longtime salesman, loses his job when he shows up drunk too many times at work. The same day he also finds that his wife has dumped him, and she has left all his possessions on the front lawn of their house. In an attempt to start over, he starts holding a yard sale on his front lawn.
Based on the true events of the 1940s notorious ‘Lonely Hearts Killings.’ Conman Raymond Fernandez seduces rich single women through personal ads, swindling their money. After meeting alike con-artist Martha Beck, they travel as a team, luring women, leaving a trail of homicides across several states. Detectives Robinson and Hildebrandt tenaciously hunt down the psychopaths, who are finally sentenced to death in 1949.
This drama film tells us the story of an attorney Laura Wells, who is dealing with a disgruntled client, Fuller, who is unemployed due to his disability from a workplace incident. The second story is about Gina and Ryan, a married couple building their new home, and the final story is about a ranch hand Jamie, who develops a friendship with a young lawyer named Beth.
This romantic drama film tells the story of two friends, Jack and Hank, who meet regularly for dinner, with their wives, but in reality, they are actually suffering from problems in their respective marriages. Jack and Hank soon realize that they are both in love with each other’s wives.
Mamie had given up her only son for adoption as the father was Maime’s stepbrother. Ironically, she is now working as a counselor at an abortion clinic. However, her life takes a turn when one day, an aspiring filmmaker, tells her that he has information as well as proof of her son’s identity.
Alex Jurel is an idealistic high school teacher whose life turns upside down when he is sued by a former student, when it is revealed that an illiterate student had received a diploma. Things get even more complicated when the lawyer assigned to the case turns out to be one of his former students.
Four years after the volcanic eruption leading to the destruction of Isla Nublar, dinosaurs are roaming the Earth freely. This leads to several problems such as ecological disasters. Meanwhile, a group of people are trying to fight for the protection of the dinosaurs, and expose illegal dinosaur breeders.
Peggy is a timid secretary whose whole life revolves around her adorable little dog, Pencil. However, when the dog passes away all of a sudden, her life turns upside down. She soon transitions to veganism and becomes an animal rights activist and starts working to help animals.
To fund his research, Dr. Grant reluctantly agrees to give an aerial tour of Isla Sorna to an affluent couple. Little does he know that the couple actually intends to find their son who went missing on the island. Grant is once again amidst dangerous predators who are fiercer and smarter. Along with the rest, he must find a way to survive and get out of the island.
Novocaine is a black comedy thriller film which revolves around the life of Steve Martin, a prosperous dentist, who seems to be having a happy and content life. However, when a new patient steps into his life, he finds himself lost in a world of sex, drugs and murder. He realizes how little control he has over his world.
Wilson is a comedy drama film which tells the story of a lonely and a neurotic middle-aged man who reunites with his estranged wife after a long time. He learns that he has a teen daughter.
Paul Safranek, and his wife, Audrey, decide to take part in a process where scientists shrink people down to miniature size, to live in small communities. Although the procedure is irreversible, the people are able to live a life of wealth and leisure as it helps cut down on the consumption of resources. However, Paul eventually learns that his tiny suburb comes with its own set of problems.
In this last film in the Meet the Parents series, Greg and Pam are leading a contented life with their twins when Jack Byrnes shows up and appoints his son in law as the successor of the Byrnes family. However, despite his move, Jack is still doubtful of Greg. His suspicion is enhanced when he sees Greg with the beautiful Andi Garcia.
Lori is an unhappy teen girl, living with her single mother, who is frustrated due to receiving too much sexual attention from men, including her boss at a retail store and Gary, the man dating her mother. She develops an unlikely friendship with Eric, an eighteen year old boy who had killed his parents, shortly after he is released from the juvenile detention facility.
Dr Sullivan Travis is a wealthy gynecologist whose life gets complicated when all the important women close to him, start experiencing troubles that also start affecting him in ways he never expected.
Reacting to the slaughter of Grizzly bears by poachers, a giant Grizzly bear goes on a bloody rampage at a rock concert held at the Yellowstone National Park.
Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore is a comedy drama film which tells the story of a woman who recently loses her husband. She hits the road with her young son, and is determined to make a new life for herself as a singer.
Bobby McKlusky is serving time in a prison in Arkansas for his illegal liquor business. However, when he learns that his younger brother Donny was murdered and Sheriff JC Connors was behind it, he manages to get out of prison, and starts to work undercover for a federal agency, in order to expose the sheriff and his wrongdoings.
Laura Dern Awards
| Marriage Story | Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role | 2020 |
| Big Little Lies | Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television | 2018 |
| Enlightened | Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical | 2012 |
| Recount | Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | 2009 |
| Afterburn | Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | 1993 |
| Marriage Story | Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture | 2020 |
| Big Little Lies | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie | 2017 |
| Marriage Story | Best Supporting Actress | 2020 |
