Every Winona Ryder ’80s Movie From Lucas to Heathers, Ranked Worst-Best

As one of the biggest stars of the ’80s, Winona Ryder helped create some of the decade’s most memorable movies. Ryder’s career began in 1986 with her first-ever movie, Lucas, and she quickly established herself as a young talent. However, while the ’80s saw the rise of many teen stars, including the members of the Brat Pack, Ryder separated herself by taking on darker and more unexpected roles that allowed her unique talents to truly shine.

While Ryder is likely best known by modern audiences as Joyce on Stranger Things, even that hit show is tied back to her ’80s roots, with Ryder’s casting referencing her star status from the decade. Looking back at all six movies Ryder made in the ’80s, they include some iconic films that are still enjoyed by audiences to this day, as well as some lesser-known titles that fans might want to check out. The decade also saw her work with some terrific talents, including Robert Downey Jr., Christian Slater, and Michael Keaton.

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6

Square Dance (1987)

As Gemma Dillard

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Square Dance marks the first leading role for Winona Ryder and a terrific display of her ability to carry a movie. Ryder stars as Gemma, a young teen living in the country with her grandfather. However, when she meets her estranged mother for the first time, she is introduced to life in the big city and becomes torn between her two worlds.

Despite the fact that some bigger-name stars appear, including Jason Robards and Rob Lowe, this is very much Ryder’s movie. She is excellent as the confused teen who is being introduced to so many new things at a pivotal time in her life, trying to decide what path to take for the future. The movie has some interesting family dynamics and deals with the concept of “home” in a thoughtful way. However, it is overly melodramatic and ultimately doesn’t live up to its strong performances.

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Square Dance

PG-13

Drama

Romance

Release Date

March 1, 1987

Runtime

112 minutes

Director

Daniel Petrie

Producers

Charles Haid, Jane Alexander

Cast

• 

  Jane Alexander

  Juanelle

• 

  Jason Robards

  Dillard

• 

  Winona Ryder

  Gemma

• 

  Rob Lowe

  Rory

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5

1969 (1988)

As Beth Karr

Winona Ryder starred in a terrific ensemble, which included a future MCU star, in the period drama 1969. The movie stars Kiefer Sutherland and Robert Downey Jr. as two best friends starting their young adult lives while fearing the possibility of being drafted into the Vietnam War. As the young men battle with the idea of fleeing to Canada or staying and fighting for their beliefs, Sutherland’s character begins to form a romance with Downey Jr.’s sister, played by Ryder.

While it is a smaller supporting role, Ryder holds her own in the cast, which also features Bruce Dern as Sutherland’s strict father. Ryder plays a fiery and passionate young character who is willing to push back against the establishment. Even at a young age, she is believable as someone with such conviction. However, the movie fails to have anything very interesting to say about the subject matter and is only elevated by its strong cast.

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1969

R

Drama

War

Release Date

August 18, 1988

Runtime

95 minutes

Director

Ernest Thompson

Producers

Bill Badalato, Daniel Grodnik, Michael Rosenblatt

Cast

• 

  Kiefer Sutherland

  Scott Clifton Denny

• 

  Robert Downey Jr.

  Ralph Carr

• 

  Bruce Dern

  Cliff Denny

• 

  Mariette Hartley

  Jessie Denny

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4

Great Balls Of Fire (1989)

As Myra Gale Brown

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While there were several big musical biopics of the 1980s, such as Amadeus and Coal Miner’s Daughter, Great Balls of Fire was one of the overlooked entries in the genre during this decade. Great Balls of Fire tells the story of Jerry Lee Lewis (Dennis Quaid), one of the pioneers of the rockabilly movement and a musician who was hailed as being the next Elvis Presley. However, this rise to fame ended in scandal when Lewis married his 13-year-old cousin, Myra Gale Brown (Winona Ryder).

Great Balls of Fire fails to really dive deep into the character of Lewis and doesn’t seem overly concerned with showing the dark side of his personality.

Quaid leads the movie with his energetic performance, while Ryder has an interesting role to play as this innocent young girl who is seduced by the excitement of Lewis’ music. However, Great Balls of Fire fails to really dive deep into the character of Lewis and doesn’t seem overly concerned with showing the dark side of his personality.

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Great Balls of Fire!

PG-13

Drama

History

Music

Release Date

June 30, 1989

Runtime

108 minutes

Writers

Jack Baran

Producers

Adam Fields, Art Levinson, Mark Victor

Cast

• 

  Dennis Quaid

  Jerry Lee Lewis

• 

  Winona Ryder

  Myra Gale Brown

• 

  John Doe

  J.W. Brown

• 

  Stephen Tobolowsky

  Jud Phillips

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3

Lucas (1989)

As Rina

Winona Ryder made her movie debut in the coming-of-age movie Lucas alongside some other young stars known for their ’80s work, like Corey Haim and Charlie Sheen. Haim stars in the lead role as Lucas, a young kid who is relentlessly bullied at school only to get a glimpse of better days ahead when he finds a protector in a kind-hearted football player (Sheen) while also forming a connection with a beautiful new girl in school (Kerri Green). However, he is heartbroken when those two form a romantic connection.

Ryder stood out in a supporting role as Rina, another overlooked student who has feelings for Lucas while he is stuck in this separate love triangle. From the beginning, Ryder was able to establish a quirkier and unique energy that separated her from other young stars of the era. The movie is an underrated coming-of-age story that overcomes some clichés with a thoughtful story and complex characters.

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Lucas

PG-13

Comedy

Drama

Romance

Release Date

March 28, 1986

Runtime

108 Minutes

Director

David Seltzer

Writers

David Seltzer

Cast

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• 

  Corey Haim

• 

  Kerri Green

• 

  Charlie Sheen

• 

  Courtney Thorne-Smith

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2

Heathers (1989)

As Veronica Sawyer

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Winona Ryder cemented herself as a different kind of teen star when she starred in one of the darkest and best teen movies of all time. Heathers stars Ryder as a high-schooler who becomes intertwined with an inner circle of a group of popular girls in her school. However, when she and a fellow school rebel, JD (Christian Slater), accidentally kill one of these “mean girls” they decide they can get away with killing them all off and ridding the school of their toxic behavior.

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Well over three decades after its original release, Heathers is still one of the most quoted teen movies of all time thanks to the brilliant writing.

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The movie walks a fine line with its dark satirical material and its teen comedy. However, it pulls it off wonderfully, with Ryder’s performance acting as the guiding light in many ways. She manages to make this killer character funny, charming, and even heroic by the end of the movie. It is a bold movie that stands out as one of the freshest pieces of filmmaking from the 1980s.

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Heathers

R

Comedy

Documentary

Thriller

7.5/10

Release Date

March 31, 1989

Runtime

103 minutes

Director

Michael Lehmann

Writers

Daniel Waters

Cast

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• 

  Winona Ryder

• 

  Christian Slater

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1

Beetlejuice (1988)

As Lydia Deetz

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Beetlejuice is not only the best movie from Winona Ryder in the 1980s, but it might be her best movie of all time as well as the one that allowed her to truly break through in Hollywood. Tim Burton also introduced his quirky and visually unique style in this supernatural comedy starring Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis as a newly deceased couple who reluctantly seek the aid of a troublemaking demon named Beetlejuice (Michael Keaton) to get the new homeowners out of their house.

8:01

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3

Ryder is funny and captivating as Lydia, the goth daughter of the home’s new family who finds her close connection to death allowing her to talk to the ghost inhabitants. However, the best aspects of the movie are Lydia and Beetlejuice together with Ryder’s dry wit playing wonderfully off Keaton’s wild and hilarious performance. It is a truly inventive and endlessly fun ride that led to the sequel, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, becoming a over three decades later.

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Beetlejuice

PG

Comedy

Fantasy

9/10

46

9.1/10

Release Date

March 30, 1988

Runtime

92 minutes

Director

Tim Burton

Writers

Michael McDowell, Larry Wilson, Warren Skaaren

Sequel(s)

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Cast

See All

• 

  Catherine O’Hara

• 

  Michael Keaton

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Source: https://dinhtienhoang.edu.vn
Category: Entertainment