Bette Midler (1945-) is an Oscar®-nominated American actress, singer, songwriter, comedian, and film producer. Midler made her motion picture debut in 1979 with The Rose, which earned her a Golden Globe for Best Actress, as well as a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She has since starred in a number of hit films, which include: Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986), Ruthless People (1986), Outrageous Fortune (1987), Big Business (1988), Beaches (1988), Hocus Pocus (1993), The First Wives Club (1996), This page ranks 25 Bette Midler movies from Best to Worst in six different sortable columns of information. Television shows, bit parts and her movies not released in North America theaters are not included in the rankings.
Bette Midler Movies Ranked By Combination of Box Office, Reviews and Awards (UMR Score) *Classic UMR Table (the one with all the stats is the second table)
Bette Midler 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 Bette Midler movies by co-stars of her movies.
- Sort Bette Midler movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
- Sort Bette Midler movies by yearly domestic box office rank
- Sort Bette Midler movies how they were received by critics and audiences. 60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
- Sort by how many Oscar® nominations each Lena Horne movie received and how many Oscar® wins each Bette Midler movie won.
- Sort Bette Midler 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.
- Use the search and sort button to make this page very interactive.
I hadn’t hitherto realised that Bette Midler had such a prolific movies career as I had seen just 5 of her movies, Beaches, Stella, What Women Want [though I can’t remember Bette in that] Get Laddie and Down and Out In Beverly Hills though I was aware of a few others such as The Rose, and indeed I loved her recording of the song The Rose. Her net worth is quoted at $230 million as at 9 Jun 2017 and IMDB quotes for her 29 acting awards and 49 nominations
Beaches is personally one of my favourite movies made in the last 40 years though I see it is given just a middling rating of 65% with reasonable box office of approx $125 million adjusted domestic in the table above and just as I was impressed by the characters Reno Hightower and Jack Dundee in The Best of Time I loved Beaches’ Hilary Whitney and C C Bloom.
The latter was played by Bette and Hilary by Barbara Hershey, one of my very favourite supporting actresses of all time and Beaches is one of the few movies that I’ve seen in which my Babs has a main star role, albeit jointly with Bette.
Sadly Barbara isn’t credited with Beaches in the co-star link column on this page . In that respect it just doesn’t seem to be my week on the Cogerson site and neither The Work Horse nor Steve have ever thought of profiling her. “Full many a flower is born to blush unseen” etc.
Barbara is a supporting actress Oscar nominee for 1996’s Portrait of a Lady and a Golden Globe winner for lead actress in 1990’s A Killing in a Small Town, accolades that are part of an overall 15 acting awards and 21 nominations according to IMBD and Chicago Tribune regards her as one of the finest actresses the paper has ever seen. She twice wone the Chicago Film Critics Award. After 2 years on TV she movie debuted in With Six You get Eggroll in 1968 with my Doris and of course it was good to see two of my gals getting together. Babs and Bette too made a great team in Beaches in my view.
Looking at the chart I’ve seen 6 Bette Midler films, they are – Ruthless People, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Outrageous Fortune, Oliver & Company, Big Business and Get Shorty.
My favorites – Ruthless People, Down and Out in Beverly Hills and Get Shorty.
What Women Want is the biggest hit here but I don’t think I’ve seen it.
Hey Steve…only 6? I figured your tally would be higher. I have seen 15 of her movies. For some unknown reason I saw Outrageous Fortune in theaters….that was a waste of money and time. I am right there with you with Get Shorty…easily her best movie…though her part is small. I laughed so hard the first time I saw Ruthless People…so I like that one too. As for What Women Want….it is actually pretty good….and a movie I watch (ok WoC requests and I watch) on a regular basis. Good feedback as always.
Bette Midler is no longer on the Oracle of Bacon Top 1000 Center of the Hollywood Universe list. She was # 774 in 2000. These are the actors on the 2016 she has appeared with;
20 MAX VON SYDOW Hawaii (1966)
28 CHRISTOPHER WALKEN The Stepford Wives (2004)
33 FRANK WELKER Oliver & Company (1988)
36 JOHN GOODMAN Stella (1990)
38 NICK NOLTE Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986)
40 HARRY DEAN STANTON The Rose (1979)
43 JAMES CAAN For the Boys (1991)
65 ROBERT LOGGIA Oliver & Company (1988)
71 ROBERT DUVALL The Detective (1968)
89 ROBERT DOWNEY JR. A Century of Cinema (1994)
91 JAMES EARL JONES Fantasia/2000 (1999)
94 XANDER BERKELEY For the Boys (1991)
107 CHRISTOPHER MCDONALD Isn’t She Great (2000)
107 CHRISTOPHER MCDONALD Outrageous Fortune (1987)
113 TRACEY WALTER Drowning Mona (2000)
127 GENE HACKMAN Get Shorty (1995)
127 GENE HACKMAN Hawaii (1966)
162 DANNY DEVITO Drowning Mona (2000)
162 DANNY DEVITO Get Shorty (1995)
162 DANNY DEVITO Ruthless People (1986)
167 J. K. SIMMONS Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (2010)
167 J. K. SIMMONS The First Wives Club (1996)
181 RIP TORN Jinxed! (1982)
193 BILLY BOB THORNTON For the Boys (1991)
196 RICHARD PORTNOW For the Boys (1991)
200 JOE PANTOLIANO Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (2010)
201 JOHN CLEESE Isn’t She Great (2000)
207 BEN STILLER STELLA (1990)
211 JOHN HEARD Beaches (1988)
214 NICOLE KIDMAN The Stepford Wives (2004)
223 GREG BRONSON WHAT WOMEN WANT (2000)
231 BILL PULLMAN Ruthless People (1986)
250 WILLIAM FICHTNER Drowning Mona (2000)
260 PETER COYOTE Outrageous Fortune (1987)
264 GLENN CLOSE The Stepford Wives (2004)
270 DOUG JONES Hocus Pocus (1993)
297 FRED WARD Big Business (1988)
307 DAVID PAYMER Get Shorty (1995)
310 EDWARD HERRMANN Big Business (1988)
318 DAN HEDAYA The First Wives Club (1996)
329 DAVID COHEN THE ROSE (1979)
339 WALLACE SHAWN Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (2010)
353 CLORIS LEACHMAN The Women (2008/I)
355 MARISA TOMEI What Women Want (2000)
391 JACQUELINE BISSET The Detective (1968)
402 CHEECH MARIN Oliver & Company (1988)
409 JOHN TRAVOLTA Get Shorty (1995)
427 GEORGE SEGAL For the Boys (1991)
439 CARMEN ARGENZIANO Big Business (1988)
447 RICHARD DREYFUSS Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986)
480 JUDY GREER WHAT WOMEN WANT (2000)
484 WILL FERRELL Drowning Mona (2000)
485 DEBI MAZAR The Women (2008/I)
487 YUL VAZQUEZ DROWNING MONA (2000)
515 MARCIA GAY HARDEN The First Wives Club (1996)
519 VINCE VAUGHN For the Boys (1991)
532 PAUL BEN-VICTOR DROWNING MONA (2000)
538 JON GRIES GET SHORTY (1995)
541 HECTOR ELIZONDO Beaches (1988)
543 LYNN COHEN THEN SHE FOUND ME (2007)
556 DAVID RASCHE THAT OLD FEELING (1997)
562 STOCKARD CHANNING Isn’t She Great (2000)
562 STOCKARD CHANNING The First Wives Club (1996)
569 JAMES GANDOLFINI GET SHORTY (1995)
572 CARRIE FISHER The Women (2008/I)
574 MEL GIBSON What Women Want (2000)
576 ANDY DICK FOR THE BOYS (1991)
583 PAUL THORNTON THE STEPFORD WIVES (2004)
590 VICTOR ARGO The Rose (1979)
628 JANEANE GAROFALO THEN SHE FOUND ME (2007)
630 SETH GREEN BIG BUSINESS (1988)
634 JON LOVITZ THE STEPFORD WIVES (2004)
657 BARRY PRIMUS BIG BUSINESS (1988)
657 BARRY PRIMUS DOWN AND OUT IN BEVERLY HILLS (1986)
657 BARRY PRIMUS THE ROSE (1979)
661 MATT MALLOY THE STEPFORD WIVES (2004)
689 MATTHEW BRODERICK The Stepford Wives (2004)
689 MATTHEW BRODERICK Then She Found Me (2007)
690 MIGUEL SANDOVAL GET SHORTY (1995)
698 JAMES MARSDEN CATS & DOGS: THE REVENGE OF KITTY GALORE (2010)
709 COLIN FIRTH Then She Found Me (2007)
725 BARBARA HERSHEY Beaches (1988)
739 DIANE KEATON The First Wives Club (1996)
741 MICHAEL CLARKE DUNCAN CATS & DOGS: THE REVENGE OF KITTY GALORE (2010)
770 JOE GRIFASI Beaches (1988)
770 JOE GRIFASI Big Business (1988)
777 DELROY LINDO GET SHORTY (1995)
787 JACK CONLEY GET SHORTY (1995)
793 ALEX ROCCO Get Shorty (1995)
803 TIM CURRY Get Bruce (1999)
826 PAUL MAZURSKY Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986)
826 PAUL MAZURSKY Scenes from a Mall (1991)
841 WOODY ALLEN Scenes from a Mall (1991)
853 JACOB VARGAS GET SHORTY (1995)
868 MAGGIE WAGNER FOR THE BOYS (1991)
875 JENIFER LEWIS BEACHES (1988)
875 JENIFER LEWIS GET BRUCE (1999)
904 NORBERT WEISSER Hocus Pocus (1993)
934 VICTOR GARBER THE FIRST WIVES CLUB (1996)
966 KATHLEEN FREEMAN Hocus Pocus (1993)
983 JAMES KEANE The Rose (1979)
The following actors on the 2000 list have since fallen off but all worked with Bette;
100 IAN WOLFE Jinxed! (1982)
101 RICHARD HARRIS Hawaii (1966)
189 VAL AVERY Jinxed! (1982)
195 MICHAEL GREENE Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986)
195 MICHAEL GREENE For the Boys (1991)
195 MICHAEL GREENE Scenes from a Mall (1991)
209 DOM DELUISE Oliver & Company (1988)
238 PATRICK O’NEAL For the Boys (1991)
270 FRANK SINATRA The Detective (1968)
272 VITO SCOTTI Get Shorty (1995)
320 ROSCOE LEE BROWNE Oliver & Company (1988)
400 VALERIE PERRINE What Women Want (2000)
404 JACK ELAM Jinxed! (1982)
499 JESSICA TANDY A Century of Cinema (1994)
530 NORMAN FELL For the Boys (1991)
535 FRANK CAMPANELLA Beaches (1988)
546 REED MORGAN Jinxed! (1982)
561 ROBERT PROSKY Outrageous Fortune (1987)
597 CANDICE BERGEN The Women (2008/I)
598 DON CALFA The Rose (1979)
602 MAGGIE SMITH The First Wives Club (1996)
608 FREDERIC FORREST The Rose (1979)
616 MICHAEL CONSTANTINE Hawaii (1966)
631 MEG RYAN The Women (2008/I)
684 ALAN BATES The Rose (1979)
720 ROY BROCKSMITH Big Business (1988)
730 JUDGE REINHOLD Ruthless People (1986)
743 WILLIAM WINDOM The Detective (1968)
770 GOLDIE HAWN The First Wives Club (1996)
802 BRIAN DOYLE-MURRAY Drowning Mona (2000)
804 NICOLAS COSTER Big Business (1988)
833 HARRY NORTHUP The Rose (1979)
853 JOHN DENNIS JOHNSTON The Rose (1979)
861 JONATHAN BANKS The Rose (1979)
879 TONY EPPER Outrageous Fortune (1987)
880 J.C. QUINN Big Business (1988)
886 PHIL LEEDS Beaches (1988)
904 ROGER CORMAN A Century of Cinema (1994)
909 LEWIS ARQUETTE Big Business (1988)
927 PHILIP BOSCO The First Wives Club (1996)
949 JOHN HANCOCK Big Business (1988)
957 BILLY CRYSTAL A Century of Cinema (1994)
957 BILLY CRYSTAL Get Bruce (1999)
957 BILLY CRYSTAL Parental Guidance (2012)
961 NICKY BLAIR Beaches (1988)
Bette worked with 21 Oscar winners;
CASEY AFFLECK DROWNING MONA (2000)
CHRISTOPHER WALKEN The Stepford Wives (2004)
CLORIS LEACHMAN The Women (2008/I)
COLIN FIRTH Then She Found Me (2007)
DIANE KEATON The First Wives Club (1996)
FRANK SINATRA The Detective (1968)
GENE HACKMAN Get Shorty (1995)
GENE HACKMAN Hawaii (1966)
GEORGE BURNS A Century of Cinema (1994)
GOLDIE HAWN The First Wives Club (1996)
HELEN HUNT THEN SHE FOUND ME (2007)
HELEN HUNT WHAT WOMEN WANT (2000)
J. K. SIMMONS Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (2010)
JESSICA TANDY A Century of Cinema (1994)
JULIE ANDREWS Hawaii (1966)
LIZA MINNELLI A Century of Cinema (1994)
MAGGIE SMITH The First Wives Club (1996)
MARCIA GAY HARDEN The First Wives Club (1996)
MARISA TOMEI What Women Want (2000)
MARSHA MASON Stella (1990)
NICOLE KIDMAN The Stepford Wives (2004)
RICHARD DREYFUSS Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986)
ROBERT DUVALL The Detective (1968)
Hey Dan
1. As always thanks for these lists.
2. So good ole Bette has fallen off the list.
3. She had a very solid year…..but seems more of a supporting actress than a lead actress in my book. With the exception of The Rose most of her movies had lots of support from other stars.
4. Looks like Danny DeVito is her most frequent well known star.
5. 21 Oscar winning co-stars is low…but awesome when you think of the few movies she starred in.
Good stuff as always.
great page. I lost forum on the header, my primary connection to commenters , please help. I saw 12, including top 8. 10 and favorite is get shorty. love her performance in the rose also a ten. hidden gem is for the boys, I am not a caan fan but midler nails it a solid 8.
Hey bob cox…..the forum header link is back….did not mean to get rid of that….was just trying to make room for the three new pages. I have seen 15 of the 25 movies. Not a huge Midler fan. I am right there with you on Get Shorty. Her role is uncredited, but it is far from being a cameo. I unlike you a huge James Caan fan. I watched For The Boys because Caan was in the movie. I remember when it came out….their old people makeup got ripped….but it does not seem that bad now. Good stuff as always.
I have seen 6 Bette Midler movies.
The HIGHEST rated film I have seen is The First Wives Club.
The highest rated film I have NOT seen is Get Shorty.
The LOWEST rated film I have seen is The Stepford Wives.
Favourite Bette Midler Movies:
The Rose
Beaches
Oliver & Company
Hey Flora….thanks for checking out our Bette Midler page. She has been in the news for a bad tweet….so I looked to see how many of her movies were in the database….when I realized I had 96% of her movies are there…I added in Freak Show and I was done…so I figured I would do a page on her.
Tally count: Me 15, bob cox 12 and you at 6. I think you might like Get Shorty (my favorite). In many ways it is a behind the scenes look at the making of movies. Travolta plays a loan shark who comes to L.A. and his love of movies leads him into the movie world. Rene Russo plays an actress, Danny DeVito plays a movie star (his performance is based on Dustin Hoffman), Gene Hackman is a producer, Midler plays the widow of a writer. It has some violence but it is not too rough.
As for your favorites…I have not seen either The Rose or Beaches…..but I know many people love those movies…especially Beaches. Oliver and Company is a fun animated movie. Good feedback as always.