From Ernst Lubitsch to Greta Gerwig: Sigourney Weaver names her favourite movies of all time
Changing the face of heroines in contemporary cinema, when Sigourney Weaver entered the industry as Ellen Ripley in Ridley Scott’s seminal 1979 sci-fi flick Alien, she left an indelible mark. Beating out the likes of such iconic actors as Meryl Streep and Helen Mirren to gain the role, Weaver created one of action cinema’s greatest characters, a level-headed killer who stopped the monstrous Xenomorphs time and time again.
Understandably, Weaver has gained acclaim for this role over the years, with her performance in Scott’s sci-fi being one of her very first major cinematic appearances. Over the course of the 20th century, Weaver went on to appear as the character three additional times, including in sequels by James Cameron and David Fincher, making her character increasingly memorable despite the waning quality of the films themselves.
Yet, while her work in the Alien franchise made her a star, Weaver’s other successes shouldn’t be forgotten, taking a lead role in Ivan Reitman’s celebrated 1984 comedy Ghostbusters before appearing in the five-time Oscar-nominated biopic Gorillas in the Mist. The movie was one of three acting nominations she received in the same decade, most notably receiving a nod in Cameron’s Aliens, the first sequel to Scott’s classic sci-fi.
Though she might be an icon of 1980s cinema, no movies from the decade appear on her list of favourite films, as revealed through Letterboxd, with the actor preferring a small collection of classics from across the history of cinema.
An avid fan of comedy movies, Weaver starts her list at the very beginning of Hollywood, picking out the 1932 film Grand Hotel by Edmund Goulding and Ninotchka by Ernst Lubitsch, which was released in 1939. Both considered classics of their time, Ninotchka is probably the best-known of the two, with the movie starring Greta Garbo as a woman sent to Paris, France, to oversee the sale of priceless jewels.
Opting for a pair of more modern releases, Weaver first picks out Ang Lee’s three-time Oscar classic Brokeback Mountain, starring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal. A timeless love story and groundbreaking LGBTQ drama, the film tells the story of two shepherds whose friendship forms a romantic relationship, considerably complicating their separate marriages.
The last film to grace Weaver’s list is Greta Gerwig’s fabulous box office hit Barbie from 2023, which followed the adventures of the iconic Mattel doll from her fantastic plastic world into reality. With Margot Robbie at the helm, the film was crucial in reigniting the global box office in an industry still suffering from the devastation of the Covid-19 pandemic, causing a viral internet storm thanks to its ingenious marketing.
Sigourney Weaver’s favourite movies
- Barbie (Greta Gerwig, 2023)
- Brokeback Mountain (Ang Lee, 2005)
- Grand Hotel (Edmund Goulding, 1932)
- Ninotchka (Ernst Lubitsch, 1939)