12 Best Goldie Hawn Movies, Ranked
Goldie Hawn has been a star for more than 50 years. She got her start dancing and giggling, often in a bikini, on "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In," a seminal TV comedy series of the late 1960s. She left the show to focus on her film career. At first, her film roles were pretty similar to the free spirit/dumb blonde act she did on "Laugh-In," but her potential as a comedic actor shone through, and by the 1980s, she was leading movies herself. After starring in some classics of the '80s and '90s, she left acting behind in the early 2000s, focusing on her family, writing her autobiography, and running the Hawn Foundation, a nonprofit that helps disadvantaged kids perform better in school.
After a 15-year hiatus from the big screen, Goldie Hawn returned to star with Amy Schumer in the comedy "Snatched." Since then, she's appeared alongside her real-life partner, Kurt Russell, in the Netflix "Christmas Chronicles" movies, as Mrs. Claus. If we're going to talk about the best of Goldie's movies, however, we're going to have to look back to her earlier career, for a run of 12 movies that span 31 years from 1971 to 2002.
12. Wildcats
In the mid-1980s, there weren't that many women who could open a comedy as its sole advertised lead, but Goldie Hawn certainly could. Given that she was a woman who'd recently turned 40, it was probably inevitable that she'd play a school teacher, but nobody was expecting her to play a football coach. Nevertheless, that's her role in Michael Richie's "Wildcats," released in 1986. Specifically, she plays Molly McGrath, the daughter of a famed football coach with a lifelong love of the game. She's coaching girl's track when the film opens but sees an opportunity to live her dream when a football coaching position opens up at an inner-city Chicago high school. She manages to get the job, but getting the team to respect her is another matter.
Of course, the white teacher/coach who comes to an inner-city school and inspires her students to make something of themselves is a tried and true trope. It hasn't aged particularly well, and "Wildcats" and its ilk have been criticized in recent years for falling into the "White Savior" trope. It's not an unearned criticism, but a strong performance by Goldie Hawn in her prime at least mitigates it a bit. The film also features Woody Harrelson and Wesley Snipes in their feature debuts.
11. Housesitter
In the 1992 screwball comedy "Housesitter," Goldie Hawn teamed up for the first time with another comedy legend: Steve Martin. Martin and Hawn are the same age, and he got his start on "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" while she was on "Laugh-In," so they make a pretty perfect pair. On the other hand, Martin specializes in playing uptight and easily frustrated characters, while Hawn excels at being flighty and silly, so they're also a pretty perfect odd couple, which is just the right formula for a romantic comedy.
Martin plays an architect named Newton Davis, who is completely smitten with his girlfriend, Becky, played by Dana Delaney. He designs and builds a dream house in his hometown for them to share. When she refuses his proposal of marriage, he abandons the house and returns to the city. There, he meets Hawn's character, Gwen, a waitress at a Hungarian restaurant named. Thinking she only speaks Hungarian, Newton tells her the whole sad story of Becky and the house. Then, he finds out that Gwen does speak English, and they have a one-night stand. He departs before she wakes up but accidentally leaves the drawing of the house he built for Becky. Gwen is intrigued by the house, takes a bus out to it, and then moves in, telling people in town that she's Newton's new wife. By the time Newton realizes what she's doing, Gwen has already formed positive relationships with his parents, Becky, and the rest of the town, telling them romantic stories of her imaginary relationship with Newton.
Newton agrees to let her live in the house and poses temporarily as his wife if she helps him win back Becky. You've seen romantic comedies, so you already know that's not quite how it goes, but we won't spoil it here.
10. The Banger Sisters
Released in 2002, The Banger Sisters" was the last movie Goldie Hawn would make for 15 years, and it's a pretty memorable one to go out on. Hawn plays Suzette, a middle-aged bartender and former groupie who was once inseparable from her best friend, Vinnie. When she seeks out Vinnie for a reunion, she finds that her friend (played by Susan Sarandon) has left her wild life behind to become the respectable wife and mother known as Lavinia Kingsley. Suzette's presence creates chaos in the lives of Lavinia, her politician husband, and their two teenage daughters. This turns out to be the first time Lavinia's family learns about her former hard-partying lifestyle, and it comes as quite a shock. Eventually, everyone comes to a fuller understanding of themselves and each other, and Lavinia's oldest daughter even gives a valedictorian speech about authenticity at her graduation.
This may not be the freshest or most innovative comedy, but the chemistry between Goldie Hawn and Susan Sarandon makes the whole effort worthwhile. Not only are they funny together, but they're also believable as alienated lifelong friends. When they're reconnecting, you really believe that they're rediscovering a long-buried friendship, even though you've never actually seen them together before.
9. Shampoo
Although it was released in 1975, "Shampoo" is set entirely on November 5, 1968, the day Richard Nixon was elected president. Warren Beatty stars as Beverly Hills hairdresser George Roundy. Goldie Hawn plays his girlfriend, Julie Christie plays the woman he's in love with, and Lee Grant plays another woman he's sleeping with. All George seems to care about is having sex with beautiful women, and his life and career are set up to facilitate that one activity. If the world is changing around him, for better or worse, he barely takes notice amid his escapades. Naturally, he ends the movie entirely alone. Goldie Hawn's character has learned of his extreme unfaithfulness and leaves him for a film director (Tony Bill), who can probably offer the aspiring actress more anyway. The other women in George's life similarly abandon him for partners who promise to be faithful, something George can never do.
"Shampoo" is a satire of Nixon-era politics and evolving sexual mores, and as such, its themes are a bit dated and can be hard to parse today. Nevertheless, the movie is still worth watching for its visual evocation of that era, and for the performances at its center, particularly by Beatty, Christie, and Hawn.
8. Dollars
"Dollars," also known as "$" (and released in the UK as "The Heist"), is a 1971 American comedy set in Hamburg, Germany, and the first collaboration between Goldie Hawn and Warren Beatty. Beatty plays Joe Collins, an American bank security consultant who plans the perfect crime with the help of Dawn Divine, a sex worker played by Hawn. Because of West German banking privacy laws, criminals can store illicit cash in the bank's safety deposit boxes. With Dawn's help, Joe steals the cash from three such boxes, which of course, makes the two of them a target for the criminals they've ripped off. What follows is a series of chases, stunts, and double-crosses as the two uncommonly good-looking Americans attempt to flee with the money.
"Dollars" isn't as well-remembered as a lot of films on this list, but as silly crime comedies go, it holds up pretty well. Beatty and Hawn are always a delight to watch, and this caper gives them a lot to do. Of course, Hawn's "sex worker with a heart of gold" character isn't the sort of female lead we usually root for these days, but much like Julia Fox in "Uncut Gems," she does pretty well for herself by the movie's end.
7. Swing Shift
1984's "Swing Shift" had a famously troubled production, with director Jonathan Demme clashing with producer/star Goldie Hawn during the editing process. Hawn insisted on reshoots that Demme didn't want, and the finished product came out messier and with less of a clear vision than Demme's original take. Hawn's objections may have had something to do with the portrayal of her character, who is meant to be a sympathetic protagonist despite cheating on her husband, but there are also rumors that the problem had a lot to do with Christine Lahti, who was said to be stealing the movie in a supporting role. Considering how messy things got behind the scenes, the movie turned out better than you'd expect.
Goldie Hawn plays Kay, a housewife whose husband, Jack (Ed Harris), goes off to fight in World War II. Kay gets a job in an armaments factory, where she gains confidence and a sense of independence away from her husband. She also has an affair with a coworker (Kurt Russell) and befriends her nightclub-singer neighbor (Lahti). The movie never seems entirely sure whether it wants to be a historical drama about women going to work during WWII or a melodrama about one particular woman's questionable choices and journey of discovery, and Hawn's last-minute changes only muddles things further. Still, it's a strong dramatic performance from Hawn, and of course, her chemistry with Russell (her real-life partner of the last 40 years) is always unmatched.
6. The Sugarland Express
"The Sugarland Express" is a 1974 true crime movie best remembered today as the theatrical directorial debut of Steven Spielberg, released only a year before he would forever alter the cinematic landscape with "Jaws." Goldie Hawn stars as Lou Jean Poplin, a young Texas woman who convinces her husband Clovis (William Atherton) to break out of prison and help her keep their young son out of foster care. The couple takes a policeman (Michael Sacks) hostage and leads a low-speed chase across Texas, attracting reporters and everyday people who join the "express" as it goes. Inevitably, the cops catch up with them at the foster parents' house. Clovis is fatally shot, and Lou Jean is arrested, bringing the strange story to an ignominious end.
Spielberg's unique talents as a filmmaker are already on display, even if he's still finding his footing. The movie does go off the rails a bit, so to speak, in the torrent of car crashes that makes up its climax. Still, Spielberg's technical skill is unmatched, and he gets great performances from his actors. Goldie Hawn is the star and the standout of the picture, but Atherton holds his own in a very different role from the professional jerk he'll become known for playing in the 1980s. "The Sugarland Express" holds up both as a reasonably entertaining movie and as a fascinating intersection of some young talents at an early point in their careers.
5. Butterflies are Free
Almost entirely set in one space with a limited cast, 1972's "Butterflies Are Free" is one of those movies that's very obviously based on a play. In this case, that space is the adjoining apartments of Jill Tanner, a free-spirited young woman played by Goldie Hawn, and Don Baker, a sheltered young blind man played by Edward Albert. Don has lived with his overprotective mother (Eileen Heckart) for his entire life until renting this apartment, with an agreement that his mother won't visit for at least two months. Jill just moved in, and she hits it off with Don right away. She helps him buy hipper clothes and pursue his music career. The two soon become a couple. Then, of course, Don's mother walks in on them, and things get messy.
"Butterflies Are Free" was Goldie Hawn's first chance to show that she could be more than just cute and funny. The character of Jill Tanner is cute and funny, but she also has real pathos and moments of emotional turmoil, and Hawn proves she can handle this kind of material. She and Albert have a chemistry that smooths over some of the more awkward moments of their flirtation. The movie's depiction of disability doesn't hold up to modern standards, but as a portrait of the early 1970s, it's hard to beat.
4. The First Wives Club
"The First Wives Club" is a 1996 comedy about three college friends who reunite in middle age to take revenge on their unfaithful husbands. Goldie Hawn plays Elise, an actress turning to alcohol and plastic surgery as she ages out of Hollywood's and her producer husband's (Victor Garber) favor. Diane Keaton plays Annie, an insecure housewife whose husband (Stephen Collins) is leaving her for their therapist (Marcia Gay Harden). Bette Midler plays Brenda, who helped her husband (Dan Hedaya) start a successful electronics store for which she gets none of the profits. After the death of a friend (Stockard Channing), the three women come to realize the similar place they're in with their husbands and come up with a convoluted but ultimately successful scheme to get the better of all of them.
Everyone in this movie seems like they're having a fantastic time, and Hawn, Keaton, and Midler are hard to match as a comedic trio. The movie's take on gender dynamics and double standards around aging doesn't seem dated at all, which may just be a sad commentary on how little things have changed. Either way, this is a funny movie that holds up and will make you laugh, even if some of the chuckles get slightly rough.
3. Private Benjamin
"Private Benjamin" was a huge success on its release in 1980, proving what a big star Goldie Hawn was. She could be the sole star of a movie (with no man by her side), and it could be a hit. Here, she plays Judy Benjamin, a sheltered woman from a wealthy family who is talked into joining the Army by an unscrupulous recruiting sergeant (Harry Dean Stanton) after the shocking death of her husband (Albert Brooks) on their wedding night. In basic training, she runs afoul of Captain Doreen Lewis (Eileen Brennan) and humiliates herself multiple times before eventually having a change of heart and proving herself. Then, she's briefly a paratrooper until inappropriate behavior from a commanding officer (Robert Webber) leads to a reassignment to Europe. She almost marries a French gynecologist (Armand Assante), even leaving the Army for him, but she ultimately abandons him at the altar when she realizes he's a jerk.
One of the best showcases of Goldie Hawn's comedic skills at the height of her career, "Private Benjamin" is definitely worth watching, especially for fans of Hawn. The only place where the movie doesn't hold up is its structure. Understandably, the filmmakers would want to show what happens to Benjamin after basic training (even though her final victory there feels a lot like an ending), but things drag a bit once she gets to Europe. It's weird that she unceremoniously leaves the Army for a guy she doesn't even end up with. Nevertheless, this movie has more than enough going for it to make up for some questionable decisions toward the end.
2. Overboard
"Overboard" is the best film to star real-life partners Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell and has become a cult classic since its release in 1987. Something of a throwback to socially conscious screwball comedies of the 1930s, the film stars Hawn as spoiled heiress Joanna Stayton and Russell as blue-collar single dad Dean Proffitt. After an unpleasant encounter with Dean, Joanna falls off her yacht and is taken to a local hospital with amnesia. Joanna's husband, Grant (Edward Hermann), finds out what happened but leaves her there without telling anyone who she is, figuring this will leave him to enjoy her money all by himself. When Dean finds out what happened, he takes revenge on the amnesiac Joanna by telling her she's his wife and the mother of his children. She adjusts to that role surprisingly quickly, so much so that she inevitably feels conflicted when she rediscovers who she is.
It's probably best not to spend too long contemplating the ethical or moral implications of the plot of "Overboard." At least we can rest assured that Hawn and Russell really love each other and loved making this movie, regardless of how messed up the relationship between their characters might be. And if you can get past all that, they have great chemistry and play off each other in two great comedic performances, which is what this movie's popularity is all about.
1. Death Becomes Her
"Death Becomes Her" is a truly bizarre movie that's completely unlike anything else on this list. That may be part of what puts it at the top. A 1992 black comedy from director Robert Zemeckis, this is one of those movies that, love it or hate it, is guaranteed to be unlike anything else you've seen. It stars Goldie Hawn as a writer named Helen, who retreats into depression after her fiancé, Ernest (Bruce Willis), leaves her for her longtime frenemy Madeline (Meryl Streep). One day, Helen reemerges, looking more youthful and beautiful than ever. Madeline gets the same rejuvenation treatment, which turns out to be a magical immortality potion offered by a scantily clad Isabella Rossellini. After they've both taken the potion, Helen and Madeline attempt to kill each other, but it turns out they can't die. Things go rapidly downhill from there.
Unsurprisingly, "Death Becomes Her" has a huge following in the LGBTQ community, and it's worth watching just for everything weird and unique and, at times, off-putting about it. But everything on this list is worth watching or rewatching for one reason or another because they entirely hold up or because they so perfectly encapsulate a specific moment of the past. And, of course, Goldie Hawn and her unique and enduring talent make all of them enjoyable.