Want to know the best Frances McDormand movies? How about the worst Frances McDormand movies? Curious about Frances McDormand’s box office grosses or which Frances McDormand movie picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which Frances McDormand movie got the best reviews from critics and audiences? Well you have come to the right place….because we have all of that information.
Frances McDormand (1957-) is a Chicago born, three-time Academy Award® winning actress. I noticed McDormand in her very first movie 1984’s Blood Simple. I worked at a video store back in the mid 1980s. One of the movies that I always recommended was Blood Simple. The feedback I got back from those people that took my recommendation was either they loved the movie or the hated the movie – there was no middle ground. Blood Simple was the first movie that was directed by the brother team of Joel and Ethan Coen and the first movie of Frances McDormand. This partnership between the Coen brothers and McDormand continues to exist today and has produced 8 movies together, two Oscar® wins, multiple Oscar® nominations, and with the Joel half of the Coen brothers, a marriage and one son.
Her IMDb page shows over 75 acting credits since 1984. This page will rank Frances McDormand movies from Best to Worst in six different sortable columns of information. Television shows, shorts, cameos and movies that were not released in theaters were not included in the rankings.
Frances McDormand Movies Ranked In Chronological Order With Ultimate Movie Rankings Score (1 to 5 UMR Tickets) *Best combo of box office, reviews, and awards.
Year
Movie (Year)
Rating
S
Year Movie (Year) Rating S
2003
Something's Gotta Give (2003)
2017
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)
AA Best Picture Nom
AA Best Actress Win
1996
Fargo (1996)
AA Best Picture Nom
AA Best Actress Win
1988
Mississippi Burning (1988)
AA Best Picture Nom
AA Best Supp Actress Nom
2015
The Good Dinosaur (2015)
Voice Only
2020
Nomadland (2020)
AA Best Actress Win
2011
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)
2000
Almost Famous (2000)
AA Best Supp Actress Nom
1996
Primal Fear (1996)
2012
Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
2008
Burn After Reading (2008)
2018
Isle of Dogs (2018)
Voice Only
1990
Darkman (1990)
1987
Raising Arizona (1987)
1996
Lone Star (1996)
2000
Wonder Boys (2000)
1984
Blood Simple. (1984)
1993
Short Cuts (1993)
2022
Women Talking (2022)
AA Best Picture Nom
2001
The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)
2021
The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)
2005
North Country (2005)
AA Best Supp Actress Nom
1998
Madeline (1998)
2021
The French Dispatch (2021)
2008
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008)
2006
Friends with Money (2006)
1990
Hidden Agenda (1990)
2002
Laurel Canyon (2002)
2002
City by the Sea (2002)
2011
This Must Be the Place (2011)
1995
Palookaville (1995)
1997
Paradise Road (1997)
2012
Promised Land (2012)
1998
Talk of Angels (1998)
1995
Beyond Rangoon (1995)
1985
Crimewave (1985)
2005
Aeon Flux (2005)
1991
The Butcher's Wife (1991)
1989
Chattahoochee (1989)
1992
Passed Away (1992)
Frances McDormand Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table
The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.
- Sort Frances McDormand movies by co-stars of her movies
- Sort Frances McDormand movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
- Sort Frances McDormand movies by domestic yearly box office rank
- Sort Frances McDormand movies by how they were received by critics and audiences. 60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
- Sort by how many Oscar® nominations and how many Oscar® wins each Frances McDormand movie received.
- Sort Frances McDormand movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score. UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | Review | Oscar Nom / Win | UMR Score | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | Movie (Year) | UMR Co-Star Links | Actual B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Domestic (mil) | Adj. B.O. Worldwide (mil) | B.O. Rank by Year | Review | Oscar Nom / Win | UMR Score | S |
| 2 | Something's Gotta Give (2003) | Jack Nicholson & Keanu Reeves |
124.70 | 223.0 | 476.80 | 16 | 71 | 01 / 00 | 95.6 | |
| 1 | Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) AA Best Picture Nom AA Best Actress Win |
Woody Harrelson & Sam Rockwell |
54.50 | 65.5 | 189.30 | 52 | 90 | 07 / 02 | 93.0 | |
| 2 | Fargo (1996) AA Best Picture Nom AA Best Actress Win |
Steve Buscemi | 24.60 | 60.0 | 147.80 | 66 | 91 | 07 / 02 | 92.5 | |
| 4 | Mississippi Burning (1988) AA Best Picture Nom AA Best Supp Actress Nom |
Gene Hackman | 34.60 | 90.8 | 90.80 | 32 | 79 | 07 / 01 | 91.5 | |
| 7 | The Good Dinosaur (2015) Voice Only |
Anna Paquin | 123.10 | 157.4 | 424.80 | 25 | 71 | 00 / 00 | 91.4 | |
| 5 | Nomadland (2020) AA Best Actress Win |
David Strathairn | 2.10 | 2.5 | 6.40 | 50 | 81 | 06 / 03 | 90.3 | |
| 7 | Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) | Shia LaBeouf & John Turturto |
351.40 | 477.7 | 1,526.30 | 2 | 51 | 03 / 00 | 90.2 | |
| 8 | Almost Famous (2000) AA Best Supp Actress Nom |
Kate Hudson | 32.50 | 65.1 | 94.80 | 78 | 89 | 04 / 01 | 89.3 | |
| 10 | Primal Fear (1996) | Richard Gere & Edward Norton |
56.10 | 136.9 | 250.30 | 27 | 68 | 01 / 00 | 88.7 | |
| 9 | Moonrise Kingdom (2012) | Bruce Willis & Bill Murray |
45.50 | 61.6 | 92.40 | 71 | 90 | 01 / 00 | 87.7 | |
| 11 | Burn After Reading (2008) | George Clooney & Brad Pitt |
60.40 | 90.6 | 245.80 | 52 | 74 | 00 / 00 | 85.4 | |
| 11 | Isle of Dogs (2018) Voice Only |
Bill Murray & Bryan Cranston |
32.00 | 37.9 | 75.90 | 83 | 89 | 02 / 00 | 84.8 | |
| 14 | Darkman (1990) | Liam Neeson | 33.90 | 86.3 | 124.60 | 35 | 72 | 00 / 00 | 83.9 | |
| 14 | Raising Arizona (1987) | Nicolas Cage & John Goodman |
22.80 | 63.0 | 80.50 | 49 | 76 | 00 / 00 | 81.5 | |
| 15 | Lone Star (1996) | Matthew McConaughey | 12.40 | 30.3 | 30.30 | 114 | 85 | 01 / 00 | 81.3 | |
| 16 | Wonder Boys (2000) | Michael Douglas & Robert Downey Jr. |
19.40 | 38.8 | 66.90 | 97 | 79 | 03 / 01 | 81.1 | |
| 16 | Blood Simple. (1984) | Joel Coen & Ethan Coen |
6.50 | 20.9 | 20.90 | 100 | 88 | 00 / 00 | 80.8 | |
| 18 | Short Cuts (1993) | Julianne Moore & Robert Downey Jr. |
6.10 | 15.9 | 15.90 | 132 | 87 | 01 / 00 | 79.3 | |
| 19 | Women Talking (2022) AA Best Picture Nom |
Rooney Mara | 5.50 | 5.6 | 8.90 | 86 | 80 | 02 / 01 | 78.1 | |
| 19 | The Man Who Wasn't There (2001) | Billy Bob Thornton & Scarlett Johansson |
7.50 | 14.3 | 36.10 | 136 | 80 | 01 / 00 | 73.2 | |
| 21 | The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) | Denzel Washington | 0.10 | 0.1 | 0.60 | 198 | 81 | 03 / 00 | 71.7 | |
| 20 | North Country (2005) AA Best Supp Actress Nom |
Charlize Theron & Woody Harrelson |
18.30 | 30.9 | 42.50 | 124 | 72 | 02 / 00 | 71.5 | |
| 23 | Madeline (1998) | Nigel Hawthorne | 30.00 | 68.9 | 68.90 | 64 | 61 | 00 / 00 | 70.5 | |
| 22 | The French Dispatch (2021) | Bill Murray | 16.10 | 17.1 | 47.30 | 49 | 74 | 00 / 00 | 66.0 | |
| 24 | Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008) | Amy Adams | 12.30 | 18.5 | 25.10 | 137 | 73 | 00 / 00 | 65.3 | |
| 25 | Friends with Money (2006) | Jennifer Aniston | 13.40 | 21.9 | 29.90 | 141 | 69 | 00 / 00 | 62.2 | |
| 26 | Hidden Agenda (1990) | Brian Cox | 1.00 | 2.6 | 2.60 | 188 | 74 | 00 / 00 | 59.4 | |
| 27 | Laurel Canyon (2002) | Christian Bale | 3.70 | 6.8 | 8.20 | 171 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 49.4 | |
| 30 | City by the Sea (2002) | Robert DeNiro | 22.40 | 41.7 | 54.70 | 103 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 48.8 | |
| 29 | This Must Be the Place (2011) | Sean Penn | 0.10 | 0.2 | 16.00 | 231 | 67 | 00 / 00 | 45.0 | |
| 30 | Palookaville (1995) | Vincent Gallo | 0.40 | 0.9 | 0.90 | 220 | 64 | 00 / 00 | 38.5 | |
| 31 | Paradise Road (1997) | Glenn Close & Cate Blanchett |
2.00 | 4.7 | 4.70 | 173 | 56 | 00 / 00 | 24.8 | |
| 32 | Promised Land (2012) | Matt Damon | 7.60 | 10.3 | 11.00 | 137 | 54 | 00 / 00 | 24.6 | |
| 33 | Talk of Angels (1998) | Franco Nero | 0.00 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 298 | 55 | 00 / 00 | 20.1 | |
| 35 | Beyond Rangoon (1995) | Patricia Arquette | 5.80 | 14.2 | 14.20 | 139 | 49 | 00 / 00 | 18.0 | |
| 35 | Crimewave (1985) | Brion James | 0.00 | 0.1 | 0.10 | 215 | 53 | 00 / 00 | 16.9 | |
| 36 | Aeon Flux (2005) | Charlize Theron | 25.90 | 43.6 | 88.10 | 102 | 35 | 00 / 00 | 11.9 | |
| 37 | The Butcher's Wife (1991) | Demi Moore | 9.70 | 24.8 | 24.80 | 96 | 36 | 00 / 00 | 6.3 | |
| 38 | Chattahoochee (1989) | Gary Oldman & Dennis Hopper |
0.30 | 0.7 | 0.70 | 191 | 39 | 00 / 00 | 3.7 | |
| 40 | Passed Away (1992) | Bob Hoskins & William Peterson |
4.00 | 10.5 | 10.50 | 131 | 33 | 00 / 00 | 2.4 |
Possibly Interesting Facts About Frances McDormand
1. Frances McDormand has been nominated 6 times for an acting Oscar®….three times for Best Actress in Nomadland, Fargo and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri (she won all three times) and 3 times for Best Supporting Actress…those movies were Mississippi Burning, Almost Famous and North Country.
2. Frances McDormand has been nominated 6 times for a Golden Globe® award….twice for Best Actress….Fargo, Burn After Reading and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri and twice for Best Supporting Actress….Almost Famous and North Country. She won the Golden Globe® for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri.
3. Frances McDormand has been married to director Joel Coen since 1984…..they adopted their son Pedro in 1994. Adoption was something Frances McDormand was very familiar with, as she was adopted by Noreen and Vernon McDormand when she was a young child.
4. Frances McDormand has screen credits in 8 Coen brother movies. The first was 1984’s Blood Simple and the most recent was 2008’s Burn After Reading. Of course her most famous Coen brother role was her Oscar® winning performance in 1996’s Fargo.
5. Premiere magazine ranked Frances McDormand’s role in Fargo as the 27th Greatest Movie Character of All Time.
6. Frances McDormand is a graduate of Yale University.
7. Two roles Frances McDormand was considered for but did not do Apollo 13 and Thelma and Louise.
8. Frances McDormand got her role in the 1990’s Darkman after Julia Roberts decided to make Pretty Woman…a good decision by Julia Roberts.
Check out Frances McDormand‘s career compared to current and classic actors. Most 100 Million Dollar Movies of All-Time.
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For comments….all you need is a name and a comment….please ignore the rest.
Ok now I’m feeling a little weird and freaky leaving a zillion comments – but I told you – I’m such a fan of hers:). I had to tell you – my uncle reads hubs while I cook dinner or clean – I’ve mentioned it to a few of the people he reads – he refuses to learn to use a computer – never had a credit card – old school. But – I did teach him how to hit the up button:) lol. He’s read a few of yours (requested the Denzel Washingon one and he said that was really good).
I didn’t realize he was such a McDormand fan! He said he remembers seeing Blood Simple being mentioned as one of the top 100 scares movies somewhere…and he totally agrees with me – we think she’s under rated because she isn’t as sexy as some of the top model type. Ok – I’m sorry! I didmask for this one tho:)
Unfortunately I haven’t seen too many of her films but she does seem like a great actress. Great as usual, Cogerson 🙂
Hey Alecia….well I think Fargo is a great movie of hers to watch…and it is an Academy Award winning performance as well….thanks for stopping by it as always greatly appreciated.
Wow I love her as an actress, but I most admit I never thought you would do a hub on her. I think most of roles of late have been supporting roles but she always shines in those roles. My favorites are of course Fargo, I love her Minnesota accent she did, Raising Arizona Cage is excellent and Friends with Money. Nicely done.
Hey KellyE1967….thanks for the visit….I think you are correct she now seems to be a supporting actress more than a lead actress….sadly women actresses do not generally get to have a long run as the lead. Thanks for bringing up Raising Arizona…it is a strange film…but I love all the actors in the movie…Holly Hunter is excellent as is Nicolas Cage, John Goodwin and Randall Tex Cobb. As always your comments are greatly appreciated.
I like some of her movies, I am not much of a fan of Fargo, although I do remember vividly the woodchipper scene. I did however love Almost Famous, Wonder Boys and Mississippi Burning. I will admit that I you have me wondering about Blood Simple. Nice job as usual.
Hey YankeesRule…thanks for stopping by and checking out my latest hub. Wow I can not believe you did not like Fargo….but I respect your opinion…even if it is wrong….lol. I like two of the three movies you mentioned, I think Mississippi Burning is a good movie but not one I want to watch again. Although McDormand is excellent as the wife that helps Hackman. I think you could like Blood Simple…I have been on the Coen brothers bandwagon ever since they blew me away with Blood Simple…they are now mainstream now….but they are more popular than ever before. Thanks for the visit.
You are a funny guy Mr. Rogers. Well I have been wrong before and I will be wrong again. But I stand by statement about Fargo.
I am just joking with you YankeesRule…you are not the first to say they did not like Fargo. Way to stick by your guns. Very impressive
Frances was a rock star mama in Almost Famous! Which by the way REAL is an excellent movie which you would REALLY enjoy! She also rocked in Fargo! Outstanding movie…I’ve never looked at a wood chipper the same way again. Ewwwww! Voted UP and cool choice for a tribute page!
Hey Sunshine625 thanks for stopping by. I also enjoyed Almost Famous. And Fargo is a classic in my opinion. I once saw a place that was selling Fargo pencil sharpeners. You put the pencil in the sharpener and you rotated the leg which sharpened the pencil. I regret that I did not buy it because it was the best looking pencil sharpener I have ever seen. Thanks as always for the vote up and the comments.