It’s Rachel McAdams‘ birthday! To mark the occasion, here are my five favorite performances from the acclaimed Canadian actress. Check some of these out!
About Time (2013)
I love time travel movies. I am also a redhead. So, I think you can see why I might like About Time, a time travel movie about a redheaded man who learns he has the ability to travel back to any moment in his life. He decides to use the ability to improve his love life. This is where Rachel McAdams’ Mary enters the picture. She’s funny, cute, and, well, she’s Rachel McAdams in a rom-com, so she’s pretty much perfect, okay. I think this was the movie that made me fall in love with Rachel McAdams. At the very least, it’s the one that made me decide to seek out her other work. If you haven’t already seen About Time, check it out. It’s a fun, light-hearted story that focuses more on the romance than on
Game Night (2018)
I recently wrote a Question of the Day asking what standalone movie had the best characters. My answer was Game Night. The core six characters are a lot of fun, but I think McAdams’ Annie Davis is the best of the bunch. It’s a rare role for McAdams where she’s not playing either the love interest (because she’s already Max’s wife) or a cruel bitch. McAdams is allowed to just make us laugh, and she delivers. Can we get McAdams in more comedy-comedies, please?
Sherlock Holmes (2009)
The first time I watch Sherlock Holmes, I don’t even think I realized it was McAdams playing Irene Adler. Although not given much to do in the 2009 film, or its 2011 sequel for that matter, McAdams still makes the most of her limited screentime. She shares the screen the most with Robert Downey Jr.’s Sherlock, and the two have some pretty great chemistry. Plus, it’s nice to see McAdams in a role where she’s not just kind-hearted or a bitch, but a bit of a mixture of the two.
Midnight in Paris (2011)
Honestly, I’m pretty sure I only watched this movie because of Rachel McAdams. I went on a binge of her filmography a couple years back, and thank god I did because I absolutely love Midnight in Paris. I love how Owen Wilson’s Gil casually travels back in time and gets to meet and talk to all these famous artists. I love its discussion on how the past is always looked at through a nostalgic lens making the present seem dull or unexciting. But I also love how McAdams’ role is more akin to Regina George in Mean Girls than anything else. Despite my preference being films where McAdams isn’t a total bitch, I do find it refreshing seeing her play someone the audience might not be expecting her to play. She’s not in Midnight in Paris much, but when she is, she’s a delight (as usual).
Mean Girls (2004)
Okay, despite being the appropriate age for Mean Girls when it came out, and being a huge Lindsay Lohan fan, I never actually saw this film (in one sitting) until maybe five years ago(?). And even though I’ve watched it once or twice since then, I always forget that Rachel McAdams is in this. And she’s playing Regina George, who is like the next major character after Lohan’s Cady. Maybe it’s because I’m not used to seeing McAdams play a teenager (and a straight up bitch), but I always found her to disappear in the role. With a filmography consisting mostly of rom-coms, Mean Girls seems like the odd film out. But what’s not odd is how McAdams kills it as Regina. And yes, I am aware that this whole article was mostly an excuse for me to rave about Rachel McAdams and how she is so fetch. Hold on, I’m being told to stop trying to make fetch happen. My apologies, everyone.
What are some of your favorite films to feature birthday girl Rachel McAdams?
