Friday, Sept. 27, 2004, less than three weeks after the passing of James Earl Jones, Dame Maggie Smith passed away at the age of 89. I can’t even pretend to have known the famed actor in any meaningful way, and yet I felt a great sadness reading the news. Similar to Jones, the reports that were prevalent to inform people focused very intently on Smith’s most prominent roles: Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter film franchise and Violet Crawly, Dowager Countess of Grantham in the “Downton Abbey” television and film series. Those were two iconic roles for her, to be sure, but there are so many more to appreciate. She was also very prolific on stage, and some of those performances are available on YouTube for those interested. Here are some suggestions for a movie tribute to the now late Dame Maggie Smith:

MOVIE: “Murder by Death” (1976, PG, 95 min, watch it: DVD)

I’ll say up front this movie won’t be for everyone. For starters, it’s a parody of famous sleuths including Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Sam Spade, Nick and Nora Charles, and Charlie Chan. If you’re wondering who those people are, many of the jokes in this movie won’t land for you. Additionally, Peter Sellers is playing an Asian caricature (much as the original Charlie Chan character was and not as offensive as Mikey Rooney was in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” but neither is an excuse) and there are several homophobic jokes in the movie. It would be remiss of me to not bring those things to light, but it would also be remiss of me not to mention this movie from Smith’s repertoire because, despite its faults, it’s a hilarious movie with a very impressive cast.

MOVIE: “Clash of the Titans” (1981, PG, 118 min, watch it: DVD)

While Smith’s role is small in this movie, it’s also pivotal. Following Perseus on his journey to kill the Kraken and save Andromeda, this tale brings legends and gods of ancient Greece to life. Smith plays the sea goddess Thetis who sets this story in motion, manipulating the life of Perseus in retribution for Zeus’ meddling in the life of her son Calibos. While some of the acting leaves something to be desired, Smith really grounds the movie with endearing emotion. Technically she plays more of a villain in this movie when looking at the big picture, but one can’t fault her motives as the mother of a wronged son. I always watch this movie through the goggles of nostalgia, but it still holds up well and is better than the more recent remake, in large part because of Smith’s acting.

MOVIE: “Hook” (1991, PG, 142 min, watch it: DVD, AMC+)

I’m willing to bet even people who remember the movie don’t remember Maggie Smith being in it. This fun look at Peter Pan following Wendy away from Neverland and actually growing up is a great Steven Spielberg movie. I hesitate to go too much more into the plot here in case anyone reading this hasn’t seen it before and instead focus on Smith’s role. Known as a scathingly sarcastic and wonderfully witty character through most of her roles, this one is purely heartfelt and endearing. What is really confusing to me is that Maggie Smith looks as old in this movie as she does thirty years later in “Downton Abbey” because of the makeup they used (she was only 51 when they filmed this movie). Still, the fun tale is a wonderful watch for people of all ages.

MOVIES: “Sister Act” (1992, PG, 140 min, watch it: DVD, Disney+) & “Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit” (1993, PG, 107 min, watch it: DVD, Disney+)

Whoopi Goldberg came into “Sister Act” with big hair and an even bigger personality. The comedic situation of her character, Dolores Van Cartier, getting put into a convent would only work well with a good foil. Smith provides that wonderfully throughout these movies as Mother Superior, first being strictly resistant to the change Dolores was bringing to the convent, changing to being the resigned loser in the situation and flipping all of that around when Dolores is in trouble. When she starts guilt tripping a pilot and even has other sisters join in with her, you see the mischievous side of Mother Superior that was always there but closely guarded. Smith gets to loosen up a little in the second movie, showing more of that side of Mother Superior throughout. Quite simply, the first movie wouldn’t have worked nearly as well without Smith, there probably wouldn’t have been a second and I don’t know how good the purported third one will be without her.

MOVIE: “Gosford Park” (2001, R, 137 min, watch it: DVD)

Another comedic whodunit style movie, this one is notable both for the number of awards it was nominated for (including a supporting actress nod for Smith, though this wasn’t one of her two wins) and for being written by Julian Fellowes. He is the creator of the television series “Downton Abbey” which was nearly written as a spinoff of this movie. For the record, this comedic movie has nothing in common with that much more serious show, but it is no coincidence Maggie Smith’s character is a Dowager in both iterations and people who have seen the show will see the similarities. Beyond Smith, this movie is just excellently entertaining and has a stellar cast, both upstairs and downstairs.

MOVIE: “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” (2011, PG-13, 124 min, watch it: DVD, Prime) & “The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” (2015, PG, 122 min, watch it: DVD)

I personally adore both of these movies and the feel-good vibes they give off. The main mantra is, “things will work out in the end and, if they haven’t worked out, it isn’t the end.” All of the characters gathering at the hotel are older and have gone to India for a variety of reasons, but what drives the movie forward is the idea that self-discovery is something that is an ongoing process, and one that will continue throughout your life. Smith’s character embodies that as her clearly bigoted beliefs are challenged continuously in the first movie. Despite her character uttering a stream of horrible things, there are still elements about her you’ll grow to like and hope she’ll change. Once again, that is because of the charismatic acting of Maggie Smith.

So, are any of these what to watch for you? There are a wide variety of movies types on offer with this selection, most of which are family-friendly and all of which show off the endless talent of Dame Maggie Smith. Perhaps the best course of action is to watch them all and compare the Smith characters to one another to highlight that diversity. Then again, picking any of them to watch would land a solid choice.

Kent Kraft is someone who also wanted to pay tribute to Kris Kristofferson who passed on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. While best known in film for the lead role in the second remake of “A Star is Born” in 1976, Kristofferson also helped legitimize comic book movie adaptations with the R-rated “Blade” in 1998. Without that performance as Whistler, the movie wouldn’t have worked very well and without that success for Marvel, the MCU wouldn’t have been around the corner, so thank you, Mr. Kristofferson.