7 Best Shirley MacLaine Movies

By Vlad Zakh · January 12, 2026

Shirley MacLaine has spent seven decades moving between sharp comedy and genuine heartbreak, often finding both in one performance. Terms of Endearment follows a mother and daughter across love, conflict and loss, Steel Magnolias supports Southern women through everyday life and tragedy, Sweet Charity keeps a taxi dancer hopeful, and Irma la Douce falls for a Parisian prostitute. The Apartment, Some Came Running and The Trouble with Harry round out the list.

Steel Magnolias (1989)

TMDB ★ 7.3

A group of Southern women support each other through a daughter's declining health.

Directed by Herbert Ross · 1h 57m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: Netflix, Paramount Plus Essential, Netflix Standard with Ads · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Terms of Endearment (1983)

TMDB ★ 7.4

A mother and daughter's stormy, loving relationship survives three decades of heartbreak.

Directed by James L. Brooks · 2h 12m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Sweet Charity (1969)

IMDb ★ 6.9 RT 82% Metacritic 53

A hopelessly romantic dance-hall hostess keeps getting her heart broken by the wrong men.

Directed by Bob Fosse · 2h 33m · Rated G

Nominated for 3 Oscars6 nominations

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Irma la Douce (1963)

TMDB ★ 7.2

A disgraced former policeman falls for a Parisian prostitute, played by Shirley MacLaine, and schemes to become her only client.

Directed by Billy Wilder · 2h 27m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Apartment (1960)

IMDb ★ 8.3 RT 94% Metacritic 94

An ambitious insurance clerk lends out his flat to philandering executives in exchange for promotions.

Directed by Billy Wilder · 2h 06m

Won 5 Oscars26 wins & 8 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: YouTube TV · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Some Came Running (1958)

TMDB ★ 7.1

A disillusioned war veteran and aspiring writer returns to his small hometown and stirs up old tensions, with Shirley MacLaine in the cast.

Directed by Vincente Minnelli · 2h 17m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: Darkroom · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

The Trouble with Harry (1955)

TMDB ★ 7.0

A small Vermont town's residents repeatedly bury and unbury a troublesome corpse found in the woods.

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock · 1h 39m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

7 Best Shirley MacLaine Movies

Steel Magnolias (1989)

Terms of Endearment (1983)

Sweet Charity (1969)

Irma la Douce (1963)

The Apartment (1960)

Some Came Running (1958)

The Trouble with Harry (1955)

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