Reese Witherspoon began her career when she was just a teenager in the 1991 film The Man in the Moon. From there, Witherspoon appeared in the film Cruel Intentions, which became her breakthrough role. Her starring role in the film Legally Blonde made her a movie star. She went on to achieve huge success, eventually winning an Oscar for her role in Walk the Line.
From the start of her career, Witherspoon showed her consistent talent as an actress. Her films have grossed millions of dollars worldwide. But which one of her films has the highest worldwide gross?
Let's find out.
8 Legally Blonde - $141,809,235
This is the film that helped Witherspoon become a movie star. It tells the story of Elle Woods, a college student at a sorority who decides to go to law school in an effort to win back her ex-boyfriend. During her time at Harvard, Elle develops a passion for law and becomes a successful lawyer. The film broke stereotypes about blondes and, according to Witherspoon, helped inspire lots of women to attend law school.
7 This Means War - $156,974,557
In many cases, a film's review score will not necessarily match its box office success. This is not the case with this movie, which holds a 26% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This romantic comedy about two CIA agents who end up dating the same woman did not fare will with critics. The film, in which Witherspoon co-starred with Chris Pine and Tom Hardy, was equally underwhelming in its performance at the box office. Fun fact about this movie: it was produced by Will Smith.
6 Four Christmases - $168,311,558
When it comes to the holiday season, one of the best things to do is watch a fun, lighthearted Christmas movie. Witherspoon stars alongside Vince Vaughn in this film, in which they play a couple whose vacation plans get canceled due to a dense fog. Therefore, they must travel to each of their four divorced parents' homes on Christmas Day. The film wasn't a big hit with critics, who took issue with its script and tone. However, the film did very well at the box office, opening second to Twilight its opening day before reaching number one.
5 Sweet Home Alabama - $182,365,114
Witherspoon starred in this 2002 romantic comedy alongside Josh Lucas, Patrick Dempsey, Fred Ward, Mary Kay Place, Jean Smart, Candice Bergen, Ethan Embry, and Melanie Lynskey. The film tells the story of a successful New York fashion designer named Melanie (played by Witherspoon) who becomes engaged. However, her ex from her hometown refuses to divorce her, so Melanie travels back to Alabama to confront her past. This was another film that received mixed reviews from critics, but became a box office success.
4 Walk the Line - $187,707,495
This 2005 biopic told the story of Johnny Cash and his relationship with fellow singer June Carter. Carter was played by Witherspoon, while Cash was played by Joaquin Phoenix. The film was based on two of Cash's autobiographies: Johnny Cash: Man in Black: His Own Story in His Own Words from 1975 and Cash: The Autobiography from 1997. Witherspoon would go on to win Best Actress at the 78th Academy Awards for her role in the film. Phoenix was also nominated for Best Actor along with the film, which received additional nominations for Best Sound, Best Costume Design, and Best Film Editing.
3 Monsters Vs. Aliens - $381,687,380
This 3D computer-animated film starred Witherspoon alongside Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Kiefer Sutherland, Rainn Wilson, Paul Rudd, and Stephen Colbert. The film tells the story of a group of misfit monsters who get hired by the United States Armed Forces to stop an extraterrestrial villain from invading the planet in exchange for their freedom. It was the first film by DreamWorks Animation to be directly produced in a stereoscopic 3-D format, as opposed to being converted into 3-D after completion.
2 Sing 2 - $404,000,261
Jukebox musicals rose in popularity after the success of Mamma Mia! The brilliant play consisting entirely of ABBA songs was eventually made into a hit movie, which spawned a sequel. This is a sequel to another hit jukebox musical, Sing. The sequel stars Witherspoon, Matthew McConaughey, Scarlett Johansson, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly, Nick Kroll, Garth Jennings, Peter Serafinowicz, Jennifer Saunders, and Nick Offerman. While the film's worldwide gross didn't beat its predecessor, it was still a huge success at the box office.
1 Sing - $631,064,182
This film tells the story of a theater owner who is facing the possibility of foreclosure. In order to save his theater, he stages a singing competition. The film also deals with how the competition interferes with the contestants' personal lives. This jukebox musical features more than 60 songs. Seth MacFarlane, John C. Reilly, Beck Bennett, and Jay Pharoah also have roles in the film. While the film received mixed reviews from critics, it was a huge success at the box office.
