8 Roles Christine Lahti Is Best Known For, Ranked by IMDb
Your guide of the actress’ best performances.
Even though many of the reviews people leave online are very subjective, there is usually a certain trend that the majority can agree on. The cases where a good movie gets bombed in the reviews, or vice versa, where a horrible movie gets a good score, are very rare.
If you love Christine Lahti's acting performance and wonder what else you can watch with her in the lead, be sure to check out the list of her most prominent TV and movie titles below. The IMBd rating will help you see what people think about it and make a final decision on your next viewing.
The Pilot's Wife (2002) – 5.7/10
Although audiences loved the heartbreaking story of a recently widowed Kathryn trying to find out if her husband intentionally crashed the plane he was piloting, and praised Christine Lahti's performance, the TV movie failed to impress audiences.
As is often the case with movies produced for television, The Pilot's Wife was made on a shoestring budget, and that was too obvious on screen. The locations ended up looking too cheap and simply unbelievable, which broke the immersion for the viewer. And without the immersion, it looked more like a parody.
Swing Shift (1984) – 5.9/10
Even though this was the movie that earned Lahti an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, that was about the extent of her benefits. While it is a wartime love triangle story in its most basic form, the movie ended up being a perfect case of how behind-the-scenes drama can affect production quality.
Many believe that Goldie Hawn, who starred alongside Christine Lahti and Kurt Russell, felt so threatened by her co-star that she, as a producer, ended up changing the cut of the film. However, this did not change Lahti's success, but only messed with the overall quality.
Leaving Normal (1992) – 6.5/10
While Leaving Normal is by no means the masterpiece many wanted it to be, the Christine Lahti-led comedy-drama about a former stripper trying to reinvent her life with the help of an Alaskan inheritance is a good watch for anyone looking for something fun and lighthearted after a long day at work.
Filled with colorful characters of all kinds and cheeky jokes, some more funny than others, the movie is fun to revisit once in a decade, but not the masterpiece you'll want to watch over and over again. Very solid 6.5/10.
No Place Like Home (1989) – 6.8/10
Many consider this movie to be one of the most, if not the most, powerful and impressive television movies ever made. Does it suffer from the same budget problem as The Pilot's Wife? Absolutely, but this time it actually ties into the theme of the movie, which follows a normal family's painful descent into poverty and homelessness.
What's as impressive as it is disturbing about No Place Like Home is that the movie is still relevant to audiences in 2024 and would leave just as many people truly horrified. The world doesn't seem to be changing for the better.
Chicago Hope (1994–2000) – 6.9/10
Before we all gathered around our televisions to watch Chicago doctors do their best to save patients on NBC's Chicago Med, there was CBS' Chicago Hope, and for most of the show, Christine Lahti portrayed one of the main characters, Dr. Kathryn Austin.
The show was well received and so was Lahti's performance in it. The actress has received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series Drama and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, as well as many similar nominations.
Housekeeping (1987) – 7.1/10
After the massive flop at the box office, Housekeeping was expected to be an equally big failure with the critics, but it ended up being a hit or miss movie that some considered a true masterpiece and others didn't give it a second thought.
Either way, Lahti's performance as a strange lady, Aunt Sylvie, who likes to sit in the dark and sleep in the park, elevated the movie and made at least half of those positive reviews possible. Modern viewers tend to agree with this assessment, hence the unexpectedly high IMDb score.
Hawaii Five-0 (2010-2020) – 7.4/10
One of the best police procedurals, Hawaii Five-0, had Lahti in a recurring role as Doris McGarrett, a CIA agent codenamed Shelburne. The show was a success, and even though the actress' involvement was not that high, she still appeared in 10 episodes spread over 8 seasons before Doris was killed off.
The high rating of the show only goes to confirm how beloved it was by the viewers. So if you're interested in giving it a try, go ahead and do it, even if there won't be as much Christine Lahti as you'd like.
Law and Order: Special Victims Unit ( 1999-...) – 8.1/10
Another amazing police procedural and the show that tops the list of Christine Lahti's best projects is Law & Order's longest-running spin-off, Special Victims Unit. Lahti starred in the lead ADA role of Sonya Paxton, a character that wasn't universally loved by the fandom, but definitely left an impression.
Christine Lahti was originally slated to guest star in a single four-episode arc in season 11, but then returned for another appearance. While many would have liked to see her become a series regular, Lahti was unable to commit to SVU as she was living in Chicago at the time and wasn't ready to make the move.
