Little Fires Everywhere and the 10 top Reese Witherspoon performances so far
By Reed Gaudens
10. This Means War
Original release date: This Means War hit theaters on Feb. 17, 2012.
Box office earnings: During its domestic run in theaters, the film earned $54.7 million, while overseas it brought in $101.7 million for a combined worldwide total of $156.5 million.
Critical acclaim: Unsurprisingly, This Means War didn’t wow critics. The action-rom-com debuted at a time when romantic comedies were rapidly fading out of their box office popularity. Being so, the film holds a meager 26% on Rotten Tomatoes, taking a beating for not being smarter or funnier, which isn’t entirely unfounded. If Witherspoon had been producing in 2012, This Means War could have fared better with critics, no doubt.
About the role: Witherspoon plays Lauren Scott, an unlucky in love product-testing executive who happens to be dating a pair of CIA agent best friends. While taking on a dangerous mission, FDR (Chris Pine) and Tuck (Tom Hardy) battle for Lauren’s affections. Eventually, the truth comes out, and it’s up to Lauren to choose between them.
Why it’s the best: In all honesty, Lauren is far from Reese Witherspoon’s strongest romantic comedy character. But it is one of her most underrated. This Means War came out during a period of searching in Reese Witherspoon’s career. She was between box office hits and award-nominated roles, figuring out if she was the next indie darling or dedicated rom-com queen. We know she ultimately put on her producer hat and created the roles she deserved, but This Means War finds her at her most at ease, playing Lauren with an endearing relatability.