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The Worst Reese Witherspoon Movie of All Time, According to Critics

This beloved star has plenty of film flubs on her résumé.

reese witherspoon in home again
Open Road Films

After breaking through in the '90s, Reese Witherspoon became a rom-com star, an award-winning actor and producer, and one of the most beloved celebrities working today. But with a three-decade long career in Hollywood, she's bound to have made some mistakes along the way. Based on the reviews, the following list represents the worst Reese Witherspoon movies of all time.


We once again turned to Rotten Tomatoes for a ranked list of every Reese Witherspoon film, then turned our attention to the 25 lowest-rated movies. Note that the site's algorithm weights some critics higher than others, so don't be surprised if the list isn't in exact descending order. Still, the following films—including some beloved fan favorites—reflect the worst reviews of Witherspoon's career. Read on to find out which movies got panned, and for more film flops, check out The Worst Jennifer Aniston Movies of All Time, According to Critics.

25 | Water for Elephants (2011)

reese witherspoon in water for elephants20th Century Fox

Rotten Tomatoes score: 60 percent

24 | Twilight (1998)

reese witherspoon in twilightParamount Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 60 percent

23 | The Importance of Being Earnest (2002)

reese witherspoon in the importance of being earnestMiramax Films

Rotten Tomatoes score: 57 percent

22 | Just Like Heaven (2005)

reese witherspoon in just like heavenDreamWorks Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 55 percent

21 | Cruel Intentions (1999)

reese witherspoon in cruel intentionsSony Pictures Releasing

Rotten Tomatoes score: 55 percent

20 | Penelope (2003)

reese witherspoon in penelopeSummit Entertainment

Rotten Tomatoes score: 53 percent

19 | Vanity Fair (2004)

reese witherspoon in vanity fairFocus Features

Rotten Tomatoes score: 50 percent

18 | Rendition (2007)

reese witherspoon in renditionNew Line Cinema

Rotten Tomatoes score: 47 percent

17 | Fear (1996)

reese witherspoon in fearUniversal Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 46 percent

And for more critical failures featuring a big star, these are The Worst Julia Roberts Movies of All Time, According to Critics.

16 | A Far Off Place (1993)

reese witherspoon in a far off placeBuena Vista Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 45 percent

15 | Best Laid Plans (1999)

reese witherspoon in best laid plansFox Searchlight Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 43 percent

14 | Overnight Delivery (1998)

reese witherspoon in overnight deliveryNew Line Cinema

Rotten Tomatoes score: 43 percent

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13 | A Wrinkle in Time (2018)

reese witherspoon in a wrinkle in timeWalt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 42 percent

12 | Sweet Home Alabama (2002)

reese witherspoon in sweet home alabamaBuena Vista Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 38 percent

11 | Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003)

reese witherspoon in legally blonde 2MGM

Rotten Tomatoes score: 37 percent

And for more failed follow-ups, check out The Worst Movie Sequels of All Time, According to Critics.

10 | Home Again (2017)

reese witherspoon in home againOpen Road Films

Rotten Tomatoes score: 32 percent

9 | How Do You Know (2010)

reese witherspoon in how do you knowSony Pictures Releasing

Rotten Tomatoes score: 31 percent

And for more wretched rom-coms, revisit The Worst Sandra Bullock Movies of All Time, According to Critics.

8 | Jack the Bear (1993)

reese witherspoon in jack the bear20th Century Fox

Rotten Tomatoes score: 29 percent

7 | This Means War (2012)

reese witherspoon in this means war20th Century Fox

Rotten Tomatoes score: 26 percent

6 | Four Christmases (2008)

reese witherspoon in four christmasesWarner Bros. Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 25 percent

And for more holiday horror, These Are the Worst Christmas Movie of All Time, According to Critics.

5 | Devil's Knot (2014)

reese witherspoon in devil's knotImage Entertainment

Rotten Tomatoes score: 25 percent

4 | Little Nicky (2000)

reese witherspoon in little nickyNew Line Cinema

Rotten Tomatoes score: 22 percent

And for more Adam Sandler disasters, we're Ranking Every Adam Sandler Movie, From Worst Reviewed to Best.

3 | The Trumpet of the Swan (2001)

still from trumpet of the swanTriStar Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 14 percent

2 | S.F.W. (1994)

reese witherspoon in sfwGramercy Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 12 percent

1 | Hot Pursuit (2015)

reese witherspoon in hot pursuitWarner Bros. Pictures

Rotten Tomatoes score: 7 percent

And for more of the worst of the worst, discover The Worst Movie That Came Out the Year You Graduated.