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Last week, I reviewed Managing Expectations by British-American actress Minnie Driver. Tina was fascinated by the archeaology in The Bog People by Peter Glob.

Reading Managing Expectations, Minnie Driver’s memoir, naturally led me to want to see more of her movies. I already had a few favorites — Good Will Hunting, An Ideal Husband, Return to Me, and Ella Enchanted.

Here are some films featuring Minnie Driver that I’ve seen recently.

Grosse Pointe Blank (1997). Grosse Pointe Blank is a dark comedic thriller featuring John Cusack as an assassin-for-hire who returns to his hometown for a job, only to redevelop an attraction to his high school sweetheart (Minnie Driver) who is now the local radio announcer. This was all a bit too dark for me, but I see why it got good reviews, especially for the witty dialogue and the chemistry between the two lead characters.

Hope Springs (2003). This is a pretty silly romantic comedy, but it’s definitely worth it to see Colin Firth as the hapless Englishman in a small town in New England that overflows with Americana. Minnie Driver plays his ex-girlfriend who somehow manages to bring charm to deviousness, eventually.

The Phantom of the Opera (2004). This was a re-watch, but I’d forgotten that Minnie Driver was in it. Her role is small, but pivotal, and a lot of fun! Minnie Driver can sing, but not opera, so her songs were dubbed by Margaret Preece, an English soprano.

Hunky Dory (2011). I wrote last week that I enjoyed Minnie Driver’s personal stories about being a theater kid. In Hunky Dory, she plays a teacher who directs the theater kids in an unconventional production of The Tempest by William Shakespeare. Troublesome students and traditionalist colleagues combine to make the whole endeavor harder than she imagined it would be. This film is based on real events from the mid-1970s, so we get to see the actual people at the end and learn how their lives turned out.

Beyond the Lights (2014). Beyond the Lights is a film about love and the music industry. Gugu Mbatha-Raw plays a young singer, Noni. She falls in love with Kaz (played by Nate Parker), a police officer with political ambitions, after he talks her down from jumping off of a balcony. The romance was beautiful, but I also enjoyed the character arc of Noni’s mother / manager played by Minnie Driver.

Cinderella (2021). This version of Cinderella has a strong empowerment vibe, beginning with Cinderella’s career goal to be a dressmaker. My favorite character in the movie is Princess Gwendolyn, the prince’s sister who is clearly way more qualified to govern a kingdom than her brother. Minnie Driver has a small role as meek Queen Beatrice who eventually finds something to say and makes sure that it is heard. Both Cinderella (played by Camila Cabello) and her prince (Nicholas Galitzine) have gorgeous voices, making the popular songs incorporated into the story even more fun.

What’s your favorite Minnie Driver film?