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The Best Kathy Bates Movies

Updated September 22, 2019 4.2k votes 1.0k voters 104.2k views76 items

List RulesVote for your favorite movies, regardless of critic reviews or how big the role was.

List of the best Kathy Bates movies, ranked best to worst with movie trailers when available. We all became Katy Bate's "number one fan" after her Oscar-winning performance in Misery. Kathy Bates's highest grossing movies have received a lot of accolades over the years, earning millions upon millions around the world. The order of these top Kathy Bates movies is decided by how many votes they receive, so only highly rated Kathy Bates movies will be at the top of the list. Kathy Bates has been in a lot of films, so people often debate each other over what the greatest Kathy Bates movie of all time is. If you and a friend are arguing about this then use this list of the most entertaining Kathy Bates films to end the squabble once and for all.

If you think the best Kathy Bates role isn't at the top, then upvote it so it has the chance to become number one. The greatest Kathy Bates performances didn't necessarily come from the best movies, but in most cases they go hand in hand.

The list you're viewing is made up of many different films, including Fried Green Tomatoes and Titanic.

"This list answers the questions, "What are the best Kathy Bates movies?" and "What are the greatest Kathy Bates roles of all time?" If you're a fan of Kathy Bates' bone-chilling performances, you might also enjoy our list of best James Caan movies and best Jessica Lang movies.

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Misery
Lauren Bacall, Kathy Bates
Released: 1990
Directed by: Rob Reiner
Misery is a 1990 American psychological thriller film based on Stephen King's 1987 novel of... more
More Misery
Behind The Scenes Of Annie Wilkes Hobbling Paul Sheldon In 'Misery'#4 of 230 The Best Psychological Thrillers of All Time
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Fried Green Tomatoes
Kathy Bates, Mary-Louise Parker
Released: 1991
Directed by: Jon Avnet
Fried Green Tomatoes is a 1991 comedy-drama film based on the novel Fried Green Tomatoes at... more
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Behind-The-Scenes Stories From The Making Of 'Fried Green Tomatoes'#256 of 1,540 The Most Rewatchable Movies
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Dolores Claiborne
Kathy Bates, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Released: 1995
Directed by: Taylor Hackford
Dolores Claiborne is a 1995 drama thriller film based on the novel of the same name by Stephen... more
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#75 of 247 The Best Whodunit Movies#13 of 58 The Best Movies Based on Stephen King Books
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Titanic
Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet
Released: 1997
Directed by: James Cameron
Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed by James Cameron. A... more
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The Blind Side
Sandra Bullock, Lily Collins
Released: 2009
Directed by: John Lee Hancock
The Blind Side is a 2009 American semi-biographical sports drama film. It was written and... more
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#61 of 91 Great Historical Black Movies Based On True Stories#6 of 82 The Best Movies Based on Non-Fiction Books
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The Waterboy
Adam Sandler, Kathy Bates
Released: 1998
Directed by: Frank Coraci
The Waterboy is a 1998 American sports/comedy film directed by Frank Coraci, starring Adam... more
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#34 of 50 The 50 Highest Grossing '90s Movies, Ranked#9 of 252 The Funniest '90s Movies
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A Home of Our Own
Edward Furlong, Kathy Bates
Released: 1993
Directed by: Tony Bill
A Home of Our Own is a 1993 drama film directed by Tony Bill, starring Kathy Bates and Edward... more
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My Sister's Keeper
Kathy Bates, Elizabeth Perkins
Released: 2003
Directed by: Ron Lagomarsino
The poignant real-life story of two sisters, Christine and Judy, and their journey of...
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The Family That Preys
Tyler Perry, Taraji P. Henson
Released: 2008
Directed by: Tyler Perry
The Family That Preys is a 2008 American movie drama written, produced, and directed by Tyler... more
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#131 of 665 The Best Black Movies Ever Made, Ranked#8 of 34 The Punniest Movie Titles in Film History
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Annie
Kristin Chenoweth, Kathy Bates
Released: 1999
Directed by: Rob Marshall
Annie is a 1999 American made-for-television musical-comedy-drama film from The Wonderful... more
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Charlotte's Web
Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey
Released: 2006
Directed by: Gary Winick
Charlotte's Web is a 2006 American live-action/computer-animated feature film based on the... more
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Primary Colors
John Travolta, Emma Thompson
Released: 1998
Directed by: Mike Nichols
Primary Colors is a 1998 drama film based on the novel Primary Colors: A Novel of Politics, a... more
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#44 of 62 The Funniest Movies About Politics#250 of 675 The Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars
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About Schmidt
Jack Nicholson, Kathy Bates
Released: 2002
Directed by: Alexander Payne
About Schmidt is a 2002 American comedy-drama film directed by Alexander Payne, starring Jack... more
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#23 of 39 Great Movies About the Death of a Spouse#23 of 37 Great Movies About Sad Loner Characters

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Midnight in Paris
Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard
Released: 2011
Directed by: Woody Allen
Midnight in Paris is an American 2011 romantic comedy fantasy film written and directed by... more
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#67 of 115 The Best Movies to Watch on Mushrooms#12 of 17 17 Oscar-Winning Movies That Got Away With Not Explaining Major Things
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Failure to Launch
Zooey Deschanel, Sarah Jessica Parker
Released: 2006
Directed by: Tom Dey
Failure to Launch is a 2006 American romantic comedy film. In the movie a 35-year-old man... more
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#178 of 781 The Greatest Chick Flicks Ever Made#432 of 541 The Greatest Guilty Pleasure Movies
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P.S. I Love You
Gerard Butler, Hilary Swank
Released: 2007
Directed by: Richard LaGravenese
P.S. I Love You is a 2007 American drama film directed by Richard LaGravenese. The screenplay... more
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#49 of 277 The Top Tearjerker Movies That Make Men Cry#20 of 105 The Best Valentine's Day Movies
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Diabolique
Sharon Stone, Kathy Bates
Released: 1996
Directed by: Jeremiah S. Chechik
Diabolique is an 1996 American thriller directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik and written by... more
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Fred Claus
Elizabeth Banks, Rachel Weisz
Released: 2007
Directed by: David Dobkin
Fred Claus is a 2007 American Christmas comedy film directed by David Dobkin, written by Dan... more
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Dick Tracy
Madonna, Al Pacino
Released: 1990
Directed by: Warren Beatty
Dick Tracy is a 1990 American action film based on the 1930s comic strip character of the same... more
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Rat Race
Whoopi Goldberg, Amy Smart
Released: 2001
Directed by: Jerry Zucker
Rat Race is a 2001 American ensemble comedy film directed by Jerry Zucker, written by Andy... more
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#414 of 913 The All-Time Greatest Comedy Films#263 of 1,137 The Absolute Funniest Movies Of All Time
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Dragonfly
Kevin Costner, Kathy Bates
Released: 2002
Directed by: Tom Shadyac
Dragonfly is a 2002 fantasy film directed by Tom Shadyac and starring Kevin Costner. The story... more
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#24 of 50 The Best Kevin Costner Movies#81 of 144 The Best Doctor Movies
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Men Don't Leave
Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates
Released: 1990
Directed by: Paul Brickman
Men Don't Leave is a 1990 comedy-drama film that stars Jessica Lange as a housewife who, after... more
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Unconditional Love
Julie Andrews, Dan Aykroyd
Released: 2002
Directed by: P. J. Hogan
Unconditional Love is the title of a comedy film released in 2002. The film follows Grace... more

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A Civil Action
John Travolta, Robert Duvall
Released: 1998
Directed by: Steven Zaillian
A Civil Action is a 1998 American drama film that was directed by Steven Zaillian, that stars... more
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Love Liza
Kathy Bates, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Released: 2002
Directed by: Todd Louiso
Love Liza is a 2002 tragicomedy film directed by Todd Louiso and starring Philip Seymour... more
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#141 of 170 The Most Utterly Depressing Movies Ever Made#118 of 134 The Best Movies You Never Want to Watch Again

My Sister's Keeper