All Penny Marshall Movies Ranked

Penny Marshall has passed away at age 75. She was one half of beloved sitcom duo Laverne & Shirley, a show spunoff from Happy Days, created by Penny’s older brother Garry Marshall. She transitioned into a notable directing career, including giving Tom Hanks his major movie breakthrough (Big), knocking a crowd-pleasing female sports comedy out of the park (A League of Their Own), and Best Picture-nominated Awakenings, which creating a platform to showcase the dramatic flair of Robin Williams, who had starred in his own Happy Days spinoff, Mork & Mindy. Her final film was the ’60s-set Riding in Cars with Boys, starring Drew Barrymore. See her full list of directed movies by Tomatometer below. Alex Vo

#1

Big (1988)
Tomatometer icon 98%

#1
Adjusted Score: 105146%
Critics Consensus: Refreshingly sweet and undeniably funny, Big is a showcase for Tom Hanks, who dives into his role and infuses it with charm and surprising poignancy.
Synopsis: At a carnival, young Josh Baskin wishes he was big, only to wake up the next morning and discover his... [More]
Directed By: Penny Marshall

#2

Awakenings (1990)
Tomatometer icon 81%

#2
Adjusted Score: 83487%
Critics Consensus: Elevated by some of Robin Williams' finest non-comedic work and a strong performance from Robert De Niro, Awakenings skirts the edges of melodrama, then soars above it.
Synopsis: The story of a doctor's extraordinary work in the Sixties with a group of catatonic patients he finds languishing in... [More]
Directed By: Penny Marshall

#3
#3
Adjusted Score: 89139%
Critics Consensus: Sentimental and light, but still thoroughly charming, A League of Their Own is buoyed by solid performances from a wonderful cast.
Synopsis: As America's stock of athletic young men is depleted during World War II, a professional all-female baseball league springs up... [More]
Directed By: Penny Marshall

#4

The Preacher's Wife (1996)
Tomatometer icon 62%

#4
Adjusted Score: 64752%
Critics Consensus: Solid performances and a steady directorial hand help The Preacher's Wife offer some reliably heartwarming - albeit fairly predictable - holiday cheer.
Synopsis: A cleric begins to doubt himself and is visited by an angel. The heavenly emissary is supposed to help the... [More]
Directed By: Penny Marshall

#5
#5
Adjusted Score: 52546%
Critics Consensus: Riding in Cars With Boys suffers from mixing grit and pathos with cuteness and comedy. Ironically, many critics found Zahn's character more compelling and three-dimensional than Barrymore's.
Synopsis: The fresh, funny, touching and true story of writer Beverly Donofrio (played by Drew Barrymore, who ages from 15 to... [More]
Directed By: Penny Marshall

#6

Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986)
Tomatometer icon 33%

#6
Adjusted Score: 34711%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Terry Doolittle (Whoopi Goldberg) works with computers in a bank office. She routinely talks with others via her computer, but... [More]
Directed By: Penny Marshall

#7

Renaissance Man (1994)
Tomatometer icon 12%

#7
Adjusted Score: 13087%
Critics Consensus: Renaissance Man tries to simultaneously be a literary comedy, an inspirational drama, and a star vehicle that caters to Danny DeVito's strengths, but proves to be a master of none.
Synopsis: After getting canned from his advertising job, down-and-out divorcé Bill Rago (Danny DeVito) gets a gig teaching English at a... [More]
Directed By: Penny Marshall