Amy Adams made her screen debut in the 1999 American satirical mockumentary black comedy film ‘Drop Dead Gorgeous’ directed by Michael Patrick Jann. While the film opened to a mixed reception, it gained a cult following in later years. She next starred as ‘Marvel Ann’ in the 2000 comedy horror film ‘Psycho Beach Party’ directed by Robert Lee King. The film currently sits on a 55% approval score on Rotten Tomatoes. That same year, she portrayed ‘Kathryn Merteuil’ in the Roger Kumble-directed American comedy-drama film ‘Cruel Intentions 2.’ The film has a 17% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In 2002, she played the role of ‘Kate’ in the American romantic comedy film ‘Serving Sara’ directed by Reginald Hudlin. The film was marred by negative reviews from critics and failed to perform at the box office. The same year also saw the release of the Steven Spielberg-directed American biographical crime comedy-drama film ‘Catch Me If You Can’ where Adams portrayed ‘Brenda Strong.’ The film saw critical acclaim upon release and was a major commercial success, grossing over $352.1 million on a budget of $52 million. Adams received an ‘Academy Award’ nomination for her performance as ‘Ashley Johnsten’ in the 2005 American comedy-drama film ‘Junebug’ directed by Phil Morrison. The film was well-received by critics and earned an 86% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
She next starred in films such as ‘Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby’ (2006), ‘The Ex’ (2006), ‘Underdog’ (2007), ‘Enchanted’ (2007), ‘Charlie Wilson's War’ (2007), ‘Sunshine Cleaning’ (2008), ‘Doubt’ (2008), ‘Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian’ (2009), ‘Julie & Julia’ (2009), ‘Leap Year’ (2010), ‘The Fighter’ (2010), ‘The Muppets’ (2011), and ‘The Master’ (2012). In 2013, she played the role of ‘Lois Lane’ in the superhero film ‘Man of Steel’ directed by Zack Snyder. While the film received a mixed response from critics, it grossed over $668 million at the box office. That same year, she also starred as ‘Sydney Prosser’ in the American black comedy crime film ‘American Hustle’ directed by David O. Russell. The film received massive acclaim upon release and was a major commercial success, grossing over $251.2 million on a budget of $40 million. Adams also received the AACTA International Award, BAFTA Award, and Academy Award nominations for her portrayal of Sydney Prosser in the film. She continued to star in films such as ‘Lullaby’ (2014), ‘Big Eyes’ (2014), ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ (2016), ‘Arrival’ (2016), ‘Justice League’ (2017), ‘Vice’ (2018), ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ (2020), ‘Zack Snyder's Justice League’ (2021), and ‘The Woman in the Window’ (2021). Adams last appeared in the 2021 American musical coming-of-age film ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ directed by Stephen Chbosky. The film was panned by critics and was a commercial failure.