Barbra Streisand’s 10 Best Movies, Ranked

By Greg MacArthur Published 4 minutes ago

Barbra Streisand is an acclaimed actor on both screen and stage, singer and even director, becoming one of the few entertainers to win a coveted EGOT.

Summary

• Barbra Streisand received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 SAG Awards for her impact as a Hollywood actor and singer, cementing her role as a legendary entertainer.
• Streisand is one of the elite group of EGOT winners, boasting an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony award, in recognition of her incredible skills and versatility in the industry.
• From her successful comedic roles in films like "The Guilt Trip" and "Meet the Fockers" to her impressive directorial debut in "Yentl," Streisand has maintained a remarkable career spanning over six decades.

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The multitalented Barbra Streisand was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 SAG Awards celebrating her successful life and impact as a Hollywood actor. Streisand is one of the few performers who have been awarded an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony, making her a member of the exclusive EGOT club alongside Elton John, Viola Davis, and John Legend. Streisand's career in music, theatre, film, and television has spanned over six decades and she has cemented herself as one of the most notable entertainers of the 20th century.

Streisand was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1942 where she became well-known for her impressive singing abilities at a young age. Streisand's natural talents led to her prominent career as a singer, songwriter, and performing artist, earning 8 Grammy Awards including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995. She has also won 5 Emmy Awards for her work on My Name Is Barbara (1965), Barbra Streisand: The Concert (1995), and Timeless: Live in Concert (2001). Streisand has earned an astounding 46 Grammy nominations and is an incredibly decorated performer.

10 The Guilt Trip (2012)

Streisand & Rogen are a hilarious mother-son duo

The Guilt Trip is a hilarious modern comedy starring Barbra Streisand alongside a then-up-and-coming comedic talent in Seth Rogen. As a standalone comedy movie, The Guilt Trip was met with mildly positive reviews that celebrated Streisand's comedic abilities alongside Rogen's iconic characterizations, making it a notable point in his filmography as well. The Guilt Trip perfectly cast Streisand in the role of Rogen's overbearing but supportive mother, making for a rare road trip film that has aged well over the years.

9 Meet the Fockers (2004)

Funny follow-up to Meet the Parents

Close Director Jay Roach Release Date December 22, 2004 Cast Robert De Niro , Ben Stiller , Dustin Hoffman , Barbra Streisand , Blythe Danner , Teri Polo Runtime 95 minutes

Meet the Fockers is considered by some to be a classic of the early 2000s comedy genre with a hall-of-fame cast that includes Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Robert De Niro, and Dustin Hoffman. While not among the most elite comedy movies ever made, Meet the Fockers was the sequel to the celebrated Meet the Parents (2000), which earned critical acclaim. Streisand demonstrated her comedic talents in Meet the Fockers as Roz Focker, the mother of Stiller's Greg Focker, and is a highlight of the outstanding ensemble cast.

8 The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996)

Streisand directed the 1996 rom-com

Streisand stars alongside a beardless Jeff Bridges in The Mirror Has Two Faces, a romantic comedy from 1996. Streisand also impressively directed the film, marking her third feature directorial effort. Critics weren't so impressed with the film as a whole, claiming that some aspects of the performances could have been trimmed down. The screenplay also received criticism for being underdeveloped and dwelling in the realm of self-indulgence. Still, those who enjoyed The Mirror Has Two Faces regarded it as a highly entertaining romantic comedy.

7 A Star Is Born (1976)

Streisand won the Oscar for Best Original Song

The story of A Star Is Born is well known nowadays from the 2018 adaptation starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, which shares many similarities with the 1976 version starring Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. Audiences were mostly divided over the quality of A Star Is Born upon its release but applauded the outstanding performance of the scene-stealing Streisand, who won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, "Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born)". A Star Is Born arguably offers the most complete display of Streisand's talents on film, but suffers in other areas such as the originality of the plot.

6 Hello, Dolly! (1969)

Streisand shines in an overextended musical

Director Gene Kelly Release Date December 12, 1969 Writers Michael Stewart , Thornton Wilder , Ernest Lehman , Johann Nestroy Cast Barbra Streisand , Walter Matthau , Michael Crawford , Marianne McAndrew , Danny Lockin , E.J. Peaker Runtime 146 minutes

Hello, Dolly! was one of the first acting ventures of Streisand's career and was based on the popular musical of the same name by Jerry Herman. Hello, Dolly! was Streisand's follow-up to the acclaimed Funny Girl, which offered her breakout Hollywood performance in 1968. While Streisand shines in her protagonist role as the ambitious matchmaker Dolly Levi, some critics felt as though the film stretched beyond its means, criticizing some of Gene Kelly's directorial decisions and an overwhelmingly large ensemble cast that lacked much purpose.

5 Yentl (1983)

Streisand made her directorial debut with this project

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Streisand also made her directorial debut with Yentl, establishing yet again another craft that she was able to succeed in. Streisand also had her hand in writing the screenplay alongside Jack Rosenthal based on the book "Yenti, the Yeshiva Boy" by Issac Bashevis Singer. Streisand delivers one of the best performances of her career as Yentl, a Jewish girl who disguises herself as a boy to begin religious studies in Eastern Europe in 1904. The film holds up with an impressive mastery for a first-time director. Yentl was nominated for 5 Oscars, winning for Best Original Score.

4 The Way We Were (1973)

Won Oscars for Best Score & Best Song

Director Sydney Pollack Release Date October 17, 1973 Writers Arthur Laurents , David Rayfiel Runtime 118 minutes

The Way We Were features an iconic pairing of Streisand and Robert Redford in a celebrated romantic drama from acclaimed director Sydney Pollack (Tootsie, The Firm). The film was nominated for 6 Oscars including a Best Actress nomination for Streisand, winning 2 for Best Original Score and Best Song. The Way We Were represented a cultural moment in the early 1970s when Streisand and Redford were two of the biggest names in the industry, paying off with a thoughtfully constructed script, stellar performances, and sweeping, remarkable original music.

3 The Prince of Tides (1991)

Arguably Streisand's greatest directing achievement

The Prince of Tides was Streisand's second directorial effort and arguably the best of her career. In an on-brand romantic drama, Streisand stars alongside Nick Nolte in a story based on the novel of the same name by Pat Conroy. The Prince of Tides explores heavy topics in delicate and nuanced ways that require an empathetic sensibility for it to come off as an authentic and powerful portrait of internalized pain. Streisand's sincere and effective efforts both in front of and behind the camera make The Prince of Tides one of her greatest all-around works.

2 What’s Up, Doc? (1972)

Arguably Streisand's best comedic role

What's Up, Doc? is a classic screwball comedy film starring Streisand as Judy Maxwell, which many critics agree is one of her funniest and most likable roles. The comedy is directed by Peter Bogdanovich of Paper Moon acclaim and is widely regarded as one of the best comedies of the early 1970s. Streisand shines alongside Madeline Kahn (Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles) and Ryan O'Neal (Love Story, Barry Lyndon) in what many consider to be her best comedic role.

1 Funny Girl (1968)

Streisand won the Best Actress Oscar in film debut

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Funny Girl is universally considered Barbra Streisand's greatest movie despite it also being her feature film acting debut. Funny Girl was adapted from the Broadway play of the same name and became a massive commercial and critical success, earning 8 nominations for Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Song, Best Cinematography, and Best Supporting Actress. Barbra Streisand won her first Academy Award for Best Actress as the famed entertainer Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, starting her Hollywood acting career on a remarkably good note.