Kate Winslet

It's Kate Winslet's 30th birthday today! Like Kajol, I was going to compile a list of 30 reasons why you should watch a Kate Winslet film on her 30th birthday when it occured to me that you really only need one reason to watch a Kate Winslet film: She is, arguably, the best living actress today--quite possibly of all time.

As for me, I'll be watching Heavenly Creatures (1994, Kate's first film, directed by Peter Jackson). But I'd also recommend:
--Sense and Sensibility (1995)--my favorite film--ever. Watch it for it's great performances (KW, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant) or it's superb direction (Ang Lee) or it's stunning cinematography (Michael Coulter) or its melodic score (Patrick Doyle) or for Emma Thompson's brilliant screenplay. Kate received her first Oscar nomination for this role.
--Jude (1996)--this underappreciated film is amazing. It's a Thomas Hardy adaptation, so be prepared for bleak, but KW, Christopher Eccleston, and Rachel Griffiths deliver outstanding performances in this beautifully shot film.
--Hamlet (1996)--this is the best version of Hamlet I've seen on film (and it would be even if KW wasn't in it). KW plays Ophelia opposite Branaugh's Hamlet. It's a gutsy and haunting portrayal--well worth the four hours viewing time.
--Holy Smoke (1999)--the movie isn't amazing, but it's worth watching just for KW's performance. She should have been nominated for an Oscar for her bold performance in Jane Campion's film. WARNING: this film contains disturbing images of Harvey Keitel.
--Iris (2001)--In this Oscar-nominated performance, KW plays the young Iris Murdoch, a brilliant novelist who died of Alzheimer's disease. KW is accompanied by Dame Judi Dench and Jim Broadbent (who's performance earned an Oscar win) and is just as good as its cast suggests.
--Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)--KW and a Charlie Kaufman script--there's nothing else to really ask for. It was my #1 film of 2004. KW plays the quirky and unstable Clementine opposite a sober Jim Carrey. It's a performance that earned her a fourth Oscar nomination, making her, at 29, the youngest person with the most Oscar nominations.
--Finding Neverland (2004)--KW is luminous in her quiet performance as Sylvia Llewelyn Davies, the mother of the boys author JM Barrie (Johnny Depp) befriends. This film was nominated for Best Picture last year, and though KW's performance was overlooked for a nomination, it's worth watching so you can see how good her range really is.

Other Kate films: A Kid in King Arthur's Court (1995--please watch only if you're a die-hard Kate Winslet fan), the small film Titanic (1997), Hideous Kinky (1998), Quills (2000), Enigma (2001), The Life of David Gale (2003).

Enjoy! And Happy Birthday, Kate!