5 most iconic Reese Witherspoon roles

4. Sweet Home Alabama

As far as romantic comedies go, Sweet Home Alabama might be one of my favorites. Not only does it give us a McDreamy sighting thanks to him being one of the love interests of Reese Witherspoon’s Melanie Smooter, but it also gives us a look at a second chance romance.

This movie delivers southern charm, miscommunication, and a love that never really went away. And if that doesn’t make it a brilliant story, I don’t know what does. The fact that Witherspoon is our leading lady just made it the icing on the delicious cake.

3. Cruel Intentions

As a modern-day adaptation of a French novel from the late 1700s, Cruel Intentions is a brilliant and masterful retelling of a woman who manipulates all of the people in her life for her own entertainment. And while Reese Witherspoon may have played the innocent and loving Annette Hargrove, who loses the man she loves thanks to someone else’s manipulations, she is ultimately able to get her revenge.

Cruel Intentions allowed Witherspoon to show off her acting abilities in a manner that really helped to kick off her career in style. And the fact that her future husband, Ryan Phillippe, was her love interest in the film will always make this one of those movies I love for its ability to almost foretell the future.