She conquered the heart of millions with her performance in The Notebook. With About Time in theaters this Friday, we decided to take a quick trip through time and explore McAdams’ work.

By Elisa Osegueda

The Hot Chick (2002)

In The Hot Chick, McAdams was literally the hot chick—she played Jessica Spencer, a popular, self-centered cheerleading captain. Convinced she has a perfect life, her snotty elitist remarks make her a truly unpleasant "it" girl, but it all came quickly crashing down when she woke up in the body of a 30-year-old man. McAdams is nothing but a hot mess in the film.

Mean Girls (2004)

Trying her luck with another high school driven plot, McAdams dishes out a "don’t mess with my ex-boyfriend" 'tude in Mean Girls. Written by Tina Fey, this coming-of-age dark comedy sees McAdams play Regina George, the number one popular high school girl, alongside Lindsey Lohan as the new girl. Lohan does the unthinkable when she dates Regina’s ex-boyfriend, and it doesn’t take long before Regina implements her revenge.

The Notebook (2004)

The Notebook, a romantic drama set in the 1940s, portrays a love story between Allie Hamilton (McAdams), a wealthy debutante, and Noah Calhoun (Ryan Gosling), a local mill worker. Taking the audience on a dramatic emotional roller coaster, McAdams delivers a riveting performance—convincing audiences that love can last a lifetime.

Wedding Crashers (2005)

Just when you thought Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson would take center stage, McAdams steps into the scene with her quirky-loveable personality in Wedding Crashers, making any man rethink his promiscuous single days.

The Family Stone (2005)

This romantic comedy is the perfect holiday movie with an A-list cast that includes McAdams, Diane Keaton, Dermot Mulroney, Sarah Jessica Parker and Luke Wilson. McAdams plays Keaton’s cheerfully and rebellious young daughter who along with the rest of the family are trying to approve of Mulroney’s soon-to-be bride (Parker). The story gets better when additional family members enter the picture only to trigger further chaos and possibly stop Mulroney from proposing.

Red Eye (2005)

McAdams traveled skyward in Red Eye, a psychological thriller directed by Wes Craven. She plays Lisa, a woman on a night flight to Miami who encounters an assassin with plans to kill the Deputy of Homeland Security. To her dismay she’s forced to help him carry out his plan—failure to do so will result in the murder of her father.

Married Life (2007)

Leaving teenage high school roles in the past, McAdams transforms herself into a daring seductress. Married Life tells a tale of love, passion and betrayal. Smitten and deeply in love with the young Kay (McAdams), Harry (Chris Cooper) plans to kill his wife in order to live a happily ever after life with his lover. But Harry’s best friend (Pierce Brosnan) is also in love with Kay, and so begins a damning love affair.

The Lucky Ones (2008)

McAdams ditches the Barbie look for a short brunette ‘do in the drama The Lucky Ones as a private coming back to the U.S. after serving in Iraq. Her mission is to return the guitar of her late boyfriend, who died in combat, to his family in Las Vegas. Her journey is intertwined with two other soldiers on their own personal quests.

State of Play (2009)

In State of Play McAdams stars with Russell Crowe and Ben Affleck as a young reporter/blogger who teams up with seasoned reporter Cal McAffrey (Crowe). Together they embark on a murder mystery that threatens to expose the nation’s most promising political and corporate figures.

The Time Traveler’s Wife (2009)

Returning to the romantic scene, McAdams stars as Clare in The Time Traveler’s Wife. Having been in love with the time-traveling Henry (Eric Bana) all her life, she believes she’s destined to spend the rest of her life with – and at many times without – him.

Sherlock Holmes (2009)

McAdams portrays Irene Adler, Robert Downey Jr.'s love interest in the highly anticipated adaptation of Lionel Wigram’s comic book Sherlock Holmes. She briefly returned in the sequel...

Morning Glory (2010)

McAdams plays newbie producer and referee between an anchorman (Harrison Ford) and his legendary co-host (Diane Keaton) in order to save the low-rating morning show.

Midnight in Paris (2011)

Academy Award Best Picture nominee Midnight in Paris centers on a family traveling to France for business and an engaged couple experiencing a profound transformation. McAdams co-stars with Owen Wilson, Michael Sheen, Marion Cotillard, Adrian Brody, Kathy Bates and many more.

The Vow (2012)

Bring out the tissue because this gut-wrenching romantic drama starring Channing Tatum (Dear John) and McAdams will make you shed a few tears. When a car accident puts Paige (McAdams) in a coma, causing her to wake up with severe memory loss, her husband Leo (Tatum) works to win her heart again.

To the Wonder (2012)

Though her appearance in Terrence Malick's visual love story is brief, it nonetheless drives a divide between leads Ben Affleck and Olga Kurylenko. Playing Affleck's childhood friend, she reconnects with him as his marriage with Kurylenko hits a rocky patch and ultimately brings the two lovers back together.

About Time

Rachel loves to date time travelers, as we've now seen in The Time Traveler's Wife and Midnight in Paris, and girlfriend is back at it this Friday in About Time.

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