Florence Foster Jenkins

Streep's heartwarming, hilarious performance as a music lover oblivious to her own awful singing voice makes this biopic a surprisingly poignant look at one woman's delusional delight. Florence Foster Jenkins wouldn't be anywhere near as effective if audiences didn't know that Streep definitely can sing, whether she's belting out Broadway numbers or performing a folk ballad. The comedy also wouldn't work if it wasn't set in the '40s, since today such a vanity project would be instantly trashed and mocked via social media. But thanks to Streep's commitment to the role, Jenkins is a sweetly tragicomic figure whose dream to sing for an audience won't be denied.

Supporting Streep/Jenkins are Grant and Helberg. Grant's Whitey may have a girlfriend on the side, but he genuinely shares a "love of the spirit" with Jenkins ... as well as a more traditional physical and romantic love with said girlfriend, a downtown bohemian named Kathleen (Rebecca Ferguson). But Whitey's devotion to Florence is unquestionable and not a cad's con, as you might assume. The Big Bang Theory's Helberg is endearing as Florence's pianist, a role he plays mostly with his eyes -- wide in bemused horror -- and knowing smile. While the topic and setting may not be a shoo-in for younger audiences, you can always leave the kids at home and take the grandparents out to appreciate this crowd-pleasing comedy about a woman whose love of music was so deep she was self-deceptively sure of her own talent.