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Reese Witherspoon (real name Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon) is what many would call the perfect actress. She embodies the ability to mold to just about any movie role she is given, and plays it in a fashion that allows people to appreciate both her acting skills and her infectious personality. The Baton Rouge native has done a fine job at being a well loved celebrity all thanks to her versatile list of movie roles she takes under her wings that turn out to be both superb and certified laugh riots. Though Reese’s entire filmography is worth boasting about, there are five movies that star Reese that are simply worth the rave.

Election (1999)

Election is an American comedy film that was released in 1999, and was adapted from a novel that shares the same title written by Tom Perrotta. In the film, Reese Witherspoon plays Tracy Flick – an overachiever that sets her eyes on being class president. Tracy is so obsessed with achieving this set goal that she is willing to do any and everything to make sure she does. The movie also starred Matthew Broderick as the "cool" teacher Jim McAllister. Election was a big hit amongst moviegoers and earned Reese numerous nominations including an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

Legally Blonde (2001)

Legally Blonde is a comedy film that is considered a cult classic thanks to its efforts to stomp on the "dumb blonde" belief. The film that was released in 2001 starred Reese as Elle Woods – a fashion merchandising student and sorority girl who seeks to gain her ex-boyfriend’s approval by attending Harvard Law School to prove that she has brains to go along with her beauty. Legally Blonde was based on a novel that shares the same name and was written by Amanda Brown. The comedy film gained so much popularity that it spawned the 2003 sequel, Legally Blonde 2: Red, White, and Blonde as well as a 2009 straight-to-DVD sequel Legally Blondes. The latter film did not star Reese.

Walk the Line (2005)

Released in 2005, Walk the Line was a film based on the life and times of Country music legend Johnny Cash. Reese played the very popular singer and Johnny Cash’s love interest June Carter. The chemistry between Reese and Joaquin Phoenix (who played Johnny Cash) was magical and one of a kind and truly brought out the essence of the film. Walk the Line earned Reese her first Academy Award for her portrayal of June Carter.

Cruel Intentions (1999)

Cruel Intentions was a dangerously entertaining cult classic which also starred Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe. In the film, Reese plays Annette Hargrove – a self-righteous young teen who has taken an oath to remain a virgin until she is married. The aforementioned description is the reason why Annette becomes the apple of Sebastian’s (Ryan Phillippe) eye after he enters into a bet with his step-sister Kathryn (Sarah Michelle Gellar) to bed Annette. Cruel Intentions is an entertaining tale of seduction and betrayal told in a wickedly hard-to-look-away fashion. Worth mentioning, this film was where Reese met Ryan, jumpstarting a future which included two kids and a marriage which eventually ended in divorce.

Pleasantville (1998)

Pleasantville was a film about two teenage siblings who find themselves transported into a 1950’s sitcom where everything is, well, pleasant. The film, which was released in 1998, starred Reese as Jennifer – a rebellious sexually free-spirited wild child. Simply put, she wasn’t considered the quintessential girl next door; she was more like the girl down the block and around the corner. After Jennifer and David (played by Tobey Maguire) are teleported into a sitcom following a tousle for control over their TV’s strange remote control, which was given to them by an equally strange repair man, their presence in this new TV world causes noticeable changes in the people and the place known as Pleasantville.

As proven by the listed films, Reese Witherspoon is a versatile actress that is able to make a role her own all the while allowing for her own personality to shine bright no matter the role. There’s no telling how far her talents may expand to, one thing is for sure the camera and movie fans love and can’t get enough of Reese Witherspoon.