 In 2008 , Streep found major commercial success when she starred in Phyllida Lloyd 's Mamma Mia ! , a film adaptation of the musical of the same name , based on the songs of Swedish pop group ABBA . Co @-@ starring Amanda Seyfried , Pierce Brosnan , Stellan Skarsgård and Colin Firth , Streep played a single mother and a former girl @-@ group singer , whose daughter ( Seyfried ) , a bride @-@ to @-@ be who never met her father , invites three likely paternal candidates to her wedding on an idyllic Greek island . An instant box office success , Mamma Mia ! became Streep 's highest @-@ grossing film to date , with box office receipts of US $ 602 @.@ 6 million , also ranking it first among the highest @-@ grossing musical films for now . Nominated for another Golden Globe , Streep 's performance was generally well received by critics , with Wesley Morris of the Boston Globe commenting " the greatest actor in American movies has finally become a movie star . " 
