Manny and Lo (1996)

Two sisters, Amanda, 11, and Laurel, 16, run away from their different adopted parents, sleeping in model homes, or wherever they can. But when Laurel becomes pregnant, they find they can't make it through this crisis on their own. With nowhere else to turn, they decide to kidnap Elaine, a clerk in a baby supply store. But Elaine seems to need Manny and Lo just as much as they need her.

This is a modest and very innocent film to all family. The sisters really create in this film an enormous union between them, remaining always together whatever happens. Scarlett had in this film her first more significant role, being one of the two main characters in this film. She had a great performance in this film, a way better than the older sister. Also, she received her first nomination for better actress in the Independent Spirit Award. :D

Trailer

The Horse Whisperer (1998)

Robert Redford directs this compelling story of 14-year-old Grace MacLean (Scarlett Johansson), who is emotionally and physically scarred after suffering a terrible accident while riding her prized horse, Pilgrim. Desperate to help her daughter, Grace's mother, Annie (Kristin Scott Thomas), a high-powered magazine editor, launches an all-out campaign to find a horse whisperer, someone with a unique gift for curing troubled horses. She learns of Tom Booker (Redford), who works to rebuild all the lives shattered by the accident. Love blossoms between the horseman and the uprooted sophisticate, resulting in unexpected consequences. The film was based on the popular novel by Nicholas Evans.

The worst defect of this film is its long duration (almost 3 hours), becoming a slow and a bit tiring film. The relation between the Man and the horse was very well demonstrated in this film, and the paisages and photography were very well too. Besides that, this film has excellent interpretations by Kristin Scott Thomas and Robert Redford, so as Scarlett Johansson that despite being so young in this film, has demonstrated a great maturity for the paper she had. This is without a doubt one of the best interpretations of her career. I have inserted a clip below where you can watch Scarlett's best scene from this motion picture.

Awards:
1999 - Favorite Supporting Actress - Blockbuster Entertainment Award- Nominated
1999 - Most Promising Actress - CFCA Award - Nominated
1998 - Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actress - Nominated
1999- Best Performance by a Young Actress in a Drama Film - WON

Trailer

Just Cause (1995)

A Harvard law professor takes up the case of a southern black man on death row for murdering a white woman, a crime he may not have committed. Discovering the truth proves difficult, as a Bible-spouting inmate and the brutal police officer who convicted the condemned man lead the professor down blind alleys and into treacherous waters.

Who likes police films with lots of suspense, persecutions and many overturns, have a reasonable film to see here. I personally didn't find anything special in this movie , and Sean Connery makes me sleep :P). I saw it all just because of Scarlett, and she was great in this film, keeping in mind that she had only 11 years and that this was only her 2nd one in her career. She's Sean Connery's daughter in this movie, appearing mostly in the final scenes.

Trailer