As Kate McCallister in Home Alone, Emmy award-winning actress Catherine O’Hara was the movie mom to every kid in the ’90s, the one who was willing to cancel an entire vacation just to make it back home to us (never mind the fact that she forgot us there in the first place). While she may have started her career in sketch comedy, where she won a Primetime Emmy for Second City Television, she would breakout into movies in a big way by starring in three landmark films: Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice, Chris Columbus’ Home Alone, and its sequel Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.
When she wasn’t being the forgetful mom of the Home Alone movies, she was showcasing her comedic chops as a regular collaborator for Christopher Guest, starring in Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration. O’Hara also contributed her voice talents to many animated classics, such as The Nightmare Before Christmas, Chicken Little, Monster House, and most recently, The Wild Robot.
Towards the latter half of her career, she found major success in television, winning another Emmy for her role as Moira Rose in Schitt’s Creek, and was nominated twice more for The Studio and her dramatic turn on The Last of Us. And now we’re celebrating her life and career by collecting Catherine O’Hara’s movies and television shows, and sorting them by Tomatometer. Check out our list, and see where your favorites rank! — Bryce Marrero
#1
Critics Consensus: Witty, warm, and with just the right blend of wisdom and wisecracks, Schitt’s Creek’s final season is the perfect farewell to the Roses and the town that changed their lives.
#2
Critics Consensus: A simple tale told with great sophistication, The Wild Robot is wondrous entertainment that dazzles the eye while filling your heart to the brim.
Synopsis: The epic adventure follows the journey of a robot–ROZZUM unit 7134, “Roz” for short — that is shipwrecked on an [More]
#3
Critics Consensus: The Nightmare Before Christmas is a stunningly original and visually delightful work of stop-motion animation.
Synopsis: The film follows the misadventures of Jack Skellington, Halloweentown’s beloved pumpkin king, who has become bored with the same annual [More]
#4
Critics Consensus: A fine example of writer-director-star Christopher Guest’s gift for improv comedy, Best in Show boasts an appealingly quirky premise and a brilliantly talented cast.
Synopsis: The tension is palpable, the excitement is mounting and the heady scent of competition is in the air as hundreds [More]
#5
Critics Consensus: Grabbing onto thorny moral questions with its bare hands, The Last of Us’ second season is a challenging expansion that retains its predecessor’s superb performances and verisimilitude.
#6
Critics Consensus: Savvy enough to impress even the most studious of film buffs, The Studio fights the good fight for a better Hollywood while eliciting huge laughs at its expense.
#7
Critics Consensus: When Marnie Was There is still blessed with enough visual and narrative beauty to recommend, even if it isn’t quite as magical as Studio Ghibli’s greatest works.
Synopsis: A tomboy (Hailee Steinfeld) explores a long-abandoned villa and meets a mysterious blonde girl only she can see. [More]
#8
Critics Consensus: Bursting with frantic energy and tinged with black humor, After Hours is a masterful — and often overlooked — detour in Martin Scorsese’s filmography.
Synopsis: In a Manhattan cafe, word processor Paul Hackett (Griffin Dunne) meets and talks literature with Marcy (Rosanna Arquette). Later that [More]
#9
Critics Consensus: This riotously deadpan mockumentary about aspiring community theater performers never stoops to ridicule oft-ridiculous characters.
Synopsis: When the town of Blaine, Mo., approaches its sesquicentennial, there’s only one way to celebrate: with a musical revue called [More]
#10
Critics Consensus: Focusing on the good times as it chronicles John Candy’s life and career, I Like Me gathers those who knew and loved the iconic actor for a bittersweet retrospective that feels like a cathartic group hug.
Synopsis: From director Colin Hanks and producer Ryan Reynolds–both lifelong John Candy fans–comes John Candy: I Like Me, an exploration of [More]
#11
Critics Consensus: Frankenweenie is an energetic stop-motion horror movie spoof with lovingly crafted visuals and a heartfelt, oddball story.
Synopsis: Young Victor Frankenstein (Charlie Tahan) is a science nerd and outsider at school, but he does have one good friend: [More]
#12
Critics Consensus: Though not as uproariously funny as Guest’s previous movies, A Mighty Wind is also more heartfelt.
Synopsis: In this hilarious backstage mockumentary, three eclectic, never-quite-famous folk bands come together for the first time in decades following the [More]
#13
Critics Consensus: Brilliantly bizarre and overflowing with ideas, Beetlejuice offers some of Michael Keaton’s most deliciously manic work – and creepy, funny fun for the whole family.
Synopsis: After Barbara and Adam Maitland die in a car accident, they find themselves stuck haunting their country residence, unable to [More]
#14
Critics Consensus: Michael Keaton’s devious poltergeist still has plenty of juice left in this madcap return to form for Tim Burton, marrying charming practical effects and ghoulish gags to provide a fun fun time.
Synopsis: Beetlejuice is back! After an unexpected family tragedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River. Still [More]
#15
Critics Consensus: Even if it’s not an animation classic, Over the Hedge is clever and fun, and the jokes cater to family members of all ages.
Synopsis: When Verne (Garry Shandling) and fellow woodland friends awake from winter’s hibernation, they find they have some new neighbors: humans, [More]
#16
Critics Consensus: Monster House welcomes kids and adults alike into a household full of smart, monstrous fun.
Synopsis: No adults believe three youths’ (Mitchel Musso, Spencer Locke, Sam Lerner) assertion that a neighboring residence is a living creature [More]
#17
Critics Consensus: Elemental may not satisfy as fully as the greatest Pixar pictures, but it remains a solid story told with dazzling visual flair.
Synopsis: Disney and Pixar’s “Elemental,” an all-new, original feature film set in Element City, where fire-, water-, land- and air-residents live [More]
#18
Critics Consensus: Filled with hard-earned character growth and a deft knack for belly laughs, this big-hearted fifth season finds Schitt’s Creek thriving as much as its titular community.
#19
Critics Consensus: The comedic real estate value rises for Schitt’s Creek in its fourth year, the series gradually maturing into appointment viewing with a big, beating heart beneath its absurdity.
#20
#21
Critics Consensus: Fast and frenetic, The Paper captures the energy of the newsroom thanks to its cast and director on first-rate form.
Synopsis: Henry Hackett (Michael Keaton) is an editor at the New York Sun, a tabloid paper facing financial cuts. His pregnant [More]
#22
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Raoul and Emile accidentally release a monster from an eccentric scientist’s greenhouse and vow to track it down. They soon [More]
#23
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Anne leaves Holland behind and moves to Ireland where she meets a hermit named Martin. [More]
#24
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Rosanna Arquette interviews actresses who discuss the challenges of making movies as they grow older. [More]
#25
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Fate brings a lawyer (Joe Pantoliano), an exterminator (Stephen Rea), a dressmaker (Catherine O’Hara), a student and others together for [More]
#26
Critics Consensus: Some may find its dark tone and slender narrative off-putting, but Spike Jonze’s heartfelt adaptation of the classic children’s book is as beautiful as it is uncompromising.
Synopsis: Feeling misunderstood at home and at school, mischievous Max (Max Records) escapes to the land of the Wild Things, majestic [More]
#27
Critics Consensus: Although it softens the nasty edges of its source material, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events is a gothic visual treat, and it features a hilariously manic turn from Jim Carrey as the evil Count Olaf.
Synopsis: After the three young Baudelaire siblings are left orphaned by a fire in their mansion, they are carted off to [More]
#28
Critics Consensus: The title is one of the best jokes of Schitt’s Creek, but performances from Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara give the writing a comedic boost.
#29
Critics Consensus: Built on a set of quirks and charms that are as noticeable as they are interchangeable, Away We Go is a sweet but uneven road trip.
Synopsis: As they await the birth of their baby, a couple (John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph) travel across America in search of [More]
#30
Critics Consensus: Home Alone’s uneven but frequently funny premise, stretched unreasonably thin, is buoyed by Macaulay Culkin’s cute performance and strong supporting stars.
Synopsis: When bratty 8-year-old Kevin McCallister acts out the night before a family trip to Paris, his mother makes him sleep [More]
#31
Critics Consensus: Dick Tracy is stylish, unique, and an undeniable technical triumph, but it ultimately struggles to rise above its two-dimensional artificiality.
Synopsis: Hard-boiled detective Dick Tracy (Warren Beatty) is searching for evidence that proves Alphonse Big Boy Caprice is the city’s most [More]
#32
Critics Consensus: Though packed with Don DeLillo’s witty dialogue and bolstered by strong performances, particularly by lead Michael Keaton, Game 6 also suffers from uneven direction and overwrought symbolism.
Synopsis: It’s 1986, and New York playwright Nicky Rogan faces a series of fears, but none more frightening than the powerful [More]
#33
Critics Consensus: As the object of satire gets bigger the jokes become thinner, and Christopher Guest isn’t as droll or insightful here than when he was lampooning smaller subjects.
Synopsis: The possibility of Oscar gold holds the cast and crew of an independent film in its grip after the performance [More]
#34
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Jake (Dylan Walsh) and Betsy (Molly Ringwald) are a young couple looking to tie the knot. Content with an understated, [More]
#35
Critics Consensus: Despite its impressive cast and some sharp observations, A.C.O.D. is neither funny enough nor poignant enough to work as a potent comedy or incisive satire.
Synopsis: An attempt to negotiate a truce between his bitterly divorced parents sends a man (Adam Scott) back to his childhood [More]
#36
Critics Consensus: Though Penelope has a charming cast and an appealing message, it ultimately suffers from faulty narrative and sloppy direction.
Synopsis: Born with the snout of a pig, young Penelope Wilhern spends life a virtual prisoner in her home. Believing that [More]
#37
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: This animated tale finds big bear Kenai emerging from hibernation with a ferocious hunger. When he goes to eat some [More]
#38
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: An independent Swedish child lives alone, foils crooks and astounds neighbors in her seafaring father’s absence. [More]
#39
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Small-town recluse Michael McCann (Steve Martin) lives an isolated existence until unusual events pull him out of his shell. After [More]
#40
Critics Consensus: Tall Tale draws on American folk legends for a family-friendly adventure with disappointingly little appeal.
Synopsis: Legendary American folk heroes come to life as young Daniel Hackett (Nick Stahl) embarks on a quest to save his [More]
#41
Critics Consensus: Smarter than the average teen movie, but a little on the unmemorable side.
Synopsis: A smart high-school student with his heart set on going to Stanford is horrified when his guidance counselor accidentally sends [More]
#42
Critics Consensus: The Addams Family’s starry voice cast and eye-catching animation aren’t enough to outweigh its saccharine handling of the delightfully dark source material.
Synopsis: Members of the mysterious and spooky Addams Family — Gomez, Morticia, Pugsley, Wednesday, Uncle Fester and Grandma — are readily [More]
#43
Critics Consensus: Despite an astonishing collection of talent across the board, Heartburn’s aimless plot inspires mild indigestion instead of romantic ardor.
Synopsis: Rachel Samstat (Meryl Streep), a New York food critic, beds Mark Forman (Jack Nicholson), a Washington, D.C., newspaper columnist. The [More]
#44
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The original adventure-comedy follows Op and Ed, two adorable donut-shaped animals — FLUMMELS — who accidentally time-travel from 1835 to [More]
#45
Critics Consensus: Disney expends more effort in the technical presentation than in crafting an original storyline.
Synopsis: Young Chicken Little (Zach Braff) throws his small town into panic by claiming the sky is falling. Unable to find [More]
#46
Synopsis: The first production to come from Michael Eisner’s Tornante Animation, “Glenn Martin, DDS” follows the adventures of a dentist who, [More]
#47
Critics Consensus: A change of venue — and more sentimentality and violence — can’t obscure the fact that Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is a less inspired facsimile of its predecessor.
Synopsis: After snarky youth Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) loses track of his father at the airport, he mistakenly gets on a [More]
#48
Critics Consensus: Argylle gets some mileage out of its silly, energetic spin on the spy thriller, but ultimately wears out its welcome with a convoluted plot and overlong runtime.
Synopsis: Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World franchise) is Elly Conway, the reclusive author of a series of best-selling espionage novels, whose [More]
#49
Critics Consensus: Easy to admire yet difficult to love, Wyatt Earp buries eye-catching direction and an impressive cast in an undisciplined and overlong story.
Synopsis: The epic biography of western lawman Wyatt Earp, who at an early age, is taught that nothing matters more than [More]
#50
Critics Consensus: Screenwriter Vince Gilligan’s mordant sense of humor strikes a discordant note in Home Fries, a romantic caper full of empty calories.
Synopsis: Dorian (Luke Wilson) and Angus (Jake Busey) chase down their womanizing stepfather with a helicopter, frightening him to death. In [More]
#51
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Rob Cohen tries to find out what it really means to be Canadian. [More]
#52
Critics Consensus: Pain Hustlers has some great actors and a worthwhile premise, but lackluster execution dooms this dramatic look at the opioid epidemic.
Synopsis: Liza Drake (Emily Blunt) is a blue-collar single mom who has just lost her job and is at the end [More]
#53
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A stubborn idealist (Ryan Kwanten) spies a bride (Sara Canning) on her way to her wedding and immediately falls in [More]
#54
Critics Consensus: Dull, formulaic, and chemistry-free, Killers is an action/comedy that’s largely bereft of thrills or laughs.
Synopsis: Three years after a fateful trip to the French Riviera, Jen (Katherine Heigl) enjoys the good life in suburbia with [More]
#55
Critics Consensus: Surviving Christmas is unpleasant characters attacking each other for 90 minutes before delivering a typical, hollow anti-consumerist message
Synopsis: A wealthy executive, Drew Latham (Ben Affleck) has no close relationships and becomes nostalgic for his childhood home as Christmas [More]
#56
#57
Synopsis: Johnny wants to celebrate the holidays with an old-fashioned Rose Family Christmas Party, but it takes a lot to get [More]