Emma Stone is one of my favorite actresses, and she’s got a growing repertoire of historical costume flicks, so I figured it was time to highlight them! I hope she takes on more historical roles going forward, because she’s always a delight to watch.
The Help (2011)
This movie wasn’t perfect and had some valid criticism leveled at for buying into the “white savior” trope, but it was Emma Stone’s first historical flick, so we’re including it.
Gangster Squad (2013)
Did you realize Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling had starred together in a movie before La La Land? Somehow I missed that memo, but now I need to watch it. It’s set in Los Angeles in 1949 and the costumes look pretty good!
Magic in the Moonlight (2014)
I have a very well documented dislike of Wood Allen films going back a couple of decades, so I’m not sure I’ll ever watch this. But the costumes look good, so if you’re into tedious cinematic experiences, have at.
Battle of the Sexes (2017)
I kind of need to watch this. Yes, it technically takes place after our 1969 cut-off date (based on the tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973).
The Favourite (2018)
This movie is so good. We covered it in a podcast and a blog post, but really, you just should watch it. It doesn’t disappoint.
Cruella (2021)
This one hasn’t been released yet, but we are champing at the bit to watch it. It looks like a delicious visual feast, with costumes by Frock Flicks fave Jenny Beavan.
Do you have a favorite film starring Emma Stone? Share it with is in the comments!
Trivia: Before LaLa Land, Emma and Ryan were also in Crazy, Stupid, Love with Steve Carrell, though it wasn’t a Frock Flick.
Battle of the Sexes was really good. I couldn’t imagine her playing BJK but she was great and the whole movie was really fantastic.
That said, La La Land was overrated all around.
Not period, but I honestly really enjoyed her in Easy A. Battle of the Sexes was great.
I saw The Favourite with my mom. I knew what it was about. She didn’t. She enjoyed it, but was surprised that I’d see a movie with that much sex, with her. I actually used some of the talking points from the blog post here (denim for servants, laser cut vinyl for “lace”) and she thought the tricks were ingenious. She’s a master sewer. I can make potholders.
The Favourite is really great when I First heard about it they only mentioned Rachel weisz as Sarah Churchill so I thought it might have been about Winston Churchill’s daughter and seemed nice I admired her a lot she made countless costume pictures most on TV turning her into a tv pioneer so I became an admirer but then I discovered it was about her ancestral and got disappointed but the trailer was great Olivia Colman Rachel and Emma were great reasons to watch so I did and LOVED it that’s beautiful and really entertaining
Magic in the Moonlight is so delightful. It has your typical jaded older man (ahem, self insert for the director) falling for a much younger woman, who of course worships him back, but the themes of life after death and mediums are great fun.
I enjoyed the plot and much of the ideas of the movie but the significant age gap between the leads just felt off and awkward to me, much as Firth and Stone were individually charming.
I found Battle of the Sexes actually disappointing. Yes, costumes, hair and make-up looked great, but I felt so many things happened in that story that didn’t get properly looked at or would have deserved mores space – though I guess that would have blown the film up to too long. I just felt so much was left not properly explored.