Top Cinema Ensemble Casts

10 September 2008

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New film The Women brings together some of the biggest actresses currently working in Hollywood Meg Ryan, Eve Mendes, Annette Bening, Debra Messing and Bette Midler are all part of this great ensemble cast.

An adaptation of Clare Boothe Luce’s play The Women is set in New York City’s modern whirl of fashion and publishing, and tells the story of Mary Haines (Meg Ryan), a clothing designer who seems to have it all a beautiful country home, a rich financier husband, an adorable 11-year-old daughter and a part-time career creating designs for her father’s venerable clothing company.

Her best friend, Sylvie Fowler (Annette Bening), leads another enviable life a happily single editor of a prominent fashion magazine, a possessor of a huge closet of designer clothes and a revered arbiter of taste and style poised on New York’s cutting edge.

But when Mary’s husband enters into an affair with Crystal Allen (Eva Mendes), a sultry ‘spritzer girl’ lurking behind the Saks Fifth Avenue perfume counter, all hell breaks loose.

So here at FemaleFirst we decided to take a look at some of the best ensemble casts that have graced the big screen over the years.

The Dark Knight

Despite the impressive casts of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Iron Man the second instalment of Christopher Nolan's Batman brought together a whole host of names.

Reprising his role as the caped crusader was Christian Bale with Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Gary Oldman also back as Lucius Fox, Alfred Pennyworth and James Gordon.

But there were new faces the most notable that of Heath Ledger, who was the surprise choice as Batman's nemesis the Joker, and Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent.

The film was a massive box office hit, despite being shrouded in tragedy after the death of Ledger in January, going on to gross just over $949 million at the international box office making it the most financially successful movie of 2008 so far.

Pulp Fiction

Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction brought together an impressive cast of John Travolta, Samuel L Jackson, Uma Thurman, Bruce Willis, Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth and Ving Rhames as the director really made his mark as one of Hollywood's most exciting directors.

The role of Vincent Vega revitalised John Travolta's stalling career as he went on to receive a Best Actor Oscar nomination while his partner in crime Samuel L Jackson almost blew his audition despite the role being written with him in mind.

Despite Miramax wanting either Meg Ryan or Holly Hunter for the role of Mia Wallace Tarantino wanted Uma Thurman, she would go on to star in Kill Bill. And Harvey Keitel's role was written especially for the actor while his Reservoir Dogs co-star Tim Roth was also brought on board.

The film went on to be a major critical and commercial success scooping the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and a Best original Screenplay Oscar as well as landing a Best Picture nomination.

Ocean's Eleven

The 1960's movie had an impressive cast of the Rat Pack which included Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr but it was the 2001 picture that really featured Hollywood royalty.

Director Steven Soderbergh brought together George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Julia Roberts, Don Cheadle, Bernie Mac and Elliott Gould in what was to be the first picture in a very successful, if somewhat unexpected, franchise.

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