5 Ashley Judd Movies You Don’t Want To Miss

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"Eye of the Beholder". Love gets twisted, heated, and folded like the metal for a katana blade in "Eye of the Beholder". Ashley Judd ensures that her character doesn't become a foolish cardboard cutout of a female assassin by taking the role into a hybrid of emotionless Zen and tension filled, powerfully apparent heart on a sleeve emotions. There are no apologies here and that's the only way it could be played as an apologetic killer leaves far too many holes that could be filled with comedy that would detract and lessen her role. The film messes with your perspective over and over, each time making the water it splashes on your face to keep you attentive, colder and colder until it's a shock to your system.

"Crossing Over". Playing a role that is filled with compassion and a keen look for insight into the murky and hostile waters of immigration, Ashley Judd keeps her heart open while never being foolish enough to let every little thing into it. Her role is more than necessary as she gets tossed about emotionally as a counterpart to the physical turmoil the illegal immigrants get thrown around in. "Crossing Over" could have ended up being almost jingoistic in feel were it not for the various characters, such as Judd's, that keep the human element of love and mercy alive throughout the movie.

"Smoke". This is one of those films that you worry would never get green lit nowadays due to a lack of aliens, gunplay or special effects. "Smoke" takes a little shop and builds story upon story with characters that don't fit together like a simple puzzle but rather form a bigger picture where pieces might still be missing but you get to see so much more than you'd have imagined was out there in the first place. Ashley Judd as the daughter of the proprietor of the cigar shop plays the angry, lost child with a reckless abandon that pops off the screen. Her emotions come at you rapid fire and you don't get to dodge them but have to take your own lumps as you deal with her character. A great performance that shows that supporting roles can be just as important as the leading roles to make a film work.