The Judy Greer Effect

Here’s Every Single Line Judy Greer Had in a Movie This Summer

Spoiler alert: it’s not much.
Image may contain Human Person Helmet Clothing Apparel Judy Greer Adrian Grenier Robe Fashion and Evening Dress
Photo-Illustration by Ben Park; By David Kotisnky/Getty Images (Greer).Courtesy of Jurassic World (Raptor), Walt Disney Motion Pictures (Clooney, Antman).

When someone like Chris Pratt lands back-to-back roles in some of the biggest movies of the year, that’s headline news. But when a charismatic, quirky actress like Judy Greer does the same, well, blink and you might miss her. The comedic actress—best known for her scene-stealing work in shows like Arrested Development and movies like The Descendants—showed up in four major 2015 films: Tomorrowland, Entourage, Jurassic World, and Ant-Man. Mostly playing ex-wives and mothers. But if you’re having trouble remembering her in a few of those films, that’s because she was, for the most part, relegated to the sidelines. And when you look at not just how much screen time Greer has, but what her characters have to say for themselves in that time, it makes for a rather bleak portrait of the thankless roles Hollywood women often have to play.

We’ve collected every line of dialogue Greer said in all four films, and you can read them all for yourself at the end of the article. Here, in word-cloud form, is an at-a-glance look at Greer’s verbal contribution to the cinematic landscape this summer, with each word weighted for frequency of use.

The emphasis on “you” is fairly telling, as is the comforting word “O.K.” Her lines are mostly filler, intended to move the story from one place to the next. None of them are about her own character, or what she wants or needs, as Scott Meslow at The Week noted while coining the phrase “The Judy Greer Effect.” Greer, and many talented actresses like her, deserve better film roles. Even Tomorrowland director Brad Bird said, after cutting her almost entirely out of his movie, “Judy Greer is a fantastic actress and I feel kind of like I was cheated by not getting to use her performance in the film.”

When Greer first started in Hollywood, she was often cast as the rom-com best friend to the likes of Katherine Heigl, Jennifer Garner, and Jennifer Lopez. Addressing her perpetual second-fiddle status in her 2014 book, I Don’t Know What You Know Me From: Confessions of a Co-Star, Greer wrote, “You’ve heard the phrase ‘There are no small roles, just small actors?’ Well, I kind of disagree. There are small roles, but when you get a lot of them in a row, you can become a pretty successful actress, and that’s what I’ve done.”

But as Greer graduated from “best friend” to “wife and mother,” Hollywood, it seems, had less and less for her to do. And this isn’t just a Greer-specific problem; this is a film-industry problem, especially in the realm of summer blockbusters. Greer has it better than some other women this summer, and she made hay out of her limited screen time in Jurassic World. But while mom characters like Greer’s, or Jordana Brewster’s in Furious 7, are often relegated to the other end of a phone line or, even worse, trapped in flashback, dad heroes like Paul Walker, The Rock in San Andreas, and Paul Rudd in Ant-Man continue to take the wheel. When, through the trickery of Terminator Genisys’s timeline reboot, action’s most famous matriarch, Sarah Connor, is transformed into a comely babe 18 years her son John’s junior, it feels like Hollywood is turning “mom” into a dirty word.

If there’s a light at the end of this tunnel, it’s shining brightly from the land of TV. Here, the concepts of “mom” and “hero”/“villain” aren’t divided at all. You’ve got action moms in all shapes and sizes in Orange Is the New Black, Fargo, Empire, Game of Thrones, and The Americans, to name just a few. And they have plenty to say and do. You even have Greer herself in FX’s Married which began its second season earlier this month. Greer plays a wife and a mother grappling with her place in life. If you want Greer slaying some comedic dialogue, this is where you’ll find it. And sometimes, you’ll find her slaying even when she hardly says anything at all.

TOMORROWLAND

In an old video we see Greer as Casey’s (Britt Robertson) mom, asking her about her dream of traveling to the stars.

It’s video.
O.K., go ahead, sweetie.
It’ll take a long time. A real long time. What if you get all the way up there and there’s nothing?

ENTOURAGE

Greer plays an unnamed casting director who runs an audition for Johnny “Drama” Chase (Kevin Dillon), during which she and her co-worker see his sex tape leak online.

Johnny Chase is next.
Oh.
That’s my fault. I’m so sorry. It’s Johnny. I told him Jimmy.
That’s Vinny Chase’s brother.
Not even a little.
So, whenever you’re ready, Johnny, Sarah’s going to read with you.
Oh my God. I’m sorry. Nothing. Just keep . . . keep going.
OH MY GOD. Sorry, Johnny. Honestly, we’re getting all of this on tape, and it’s great, so just keep reading with Sarah.

ANT-MAN

Greer plays Scott Lang’s (Paul Rudd) ex-wife and mother to his daughter Cassie (Abby Ryder Fortson).

Scott. You can’t just show up here. You know that. Come on.
Yeah, I know, but you can’t just show up.
He’s not an asshat.
Just give me a minute. Stop it.
At least he’s not a crook.
Get an apartment. Get a job. Pay child support. And then we will talk about visitation. I promise.
You’re her hero, Scott. Just be the person that she already thinks you are.

Are you sure you don’t want a different toy.
O.K., well get some sleep. I love you.
No, Daddy just gets confused sometimes, you know?

You going to be home for dinner tonight?
O.K. Good news?

He’s got Cassie. That thing, that thing, I don’t know what it was.
::gasp::
Yeah she has been practicing all week, but today was the magic day.
Yeah, it is.

JURASSIC WORLD

Greer plays mother to Gray (Ty Simpkins) and Zack (Nick Robinson) and sister to Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard).

Boys, let’s do this.
Grey, honey, what are you doing? What is this here?
Come on, honey, your flight’s in two hours.
How many minutes to get your little butt in the van?
How many of those?
Feed the monster under your bed?
You in, buddy?
I know it hurts, sweetheart.
Everything right on there? I’m so jealous. You’re going to have so much fun. I love you.
O.K., right. All right, let’s give these to your brother, O.K.? You hold these please. Can you hold these? Honey, I need you to take care of these. All right, take care of your brother, answer your phone. I’m serious, it’s the green button. When you see my name, push it. O.K.? And remember, something chases you, run. Come on, all right. Bye, guys. I miss you already. Why do you have to say things like that? Straight to voicemail.

You were supposed to call me when you landed. Are you having fun?
Wait, she’s not with you?
Hi, Claire, how’s it going
Really? Cause I just hung up with Zack and he said you weren’t even with them.
This was supposed to be a family weekend, Claire. And you haven’t see the boys in forever. And I know how Zack will treat Grey if they’re by themselves. He can just be so mean.
Well, a promise tomorrow is worth a lot less than trying today.
God, I am using Mom’s lines. All right, but you know I have to tell you they work. You’ll see when you have kids.
When. It’s worth it.
Bye.

::gasp::
Are you O.K.?
Shhh. Are you O.K.?
Come here.

Special thanks to Jenni Miller for additional research.