The Best Female Movie Characters
Chihiro (Sen), 'Spirited Away' (2001)
In what may be the most beloved of Hayao Miyazaki's films, a girl crosses into a bizarre realm where her parents are suddenly pigs and she must find the bravery and work ethic to return to a more conventional reality.
Akeelah Anderson, 'Akeelah and the Bee' (2006)
There are not nearly enough family-friendly movies that place Black girls in the protagonist's role. Thankfully, there's this one about a masterful speller who's laser-focused on winning that national bee.
Velvet Brown, 'National Velvet' (1944)
The quintessential horse story finds an already-stunning Elizabeth Taylor in the role of Velvet, a girl so determined to win the big race that she craftily disguises herself as a male jockey to make it happen.
Mulan, 'Mulan' (1998)
Can a woman fight just as effectively as a man? According to this Disney film, about a Chinese girl who disguises herself as a boy so she can go to war in her father's stead, the answer is yes.
Jo, 'Little Women' (1994)
Any of the many actresses in the various Little Women adaptations make worthwhile female protagonists. But since Winona Ryder played Louisa May Alcott's gutsy, aspiring writer most recently, her portrayal may resonate more strongly with contemporary girls.
Tiana, 'The Princess and the Frog' (2009)
She's the rare Disney princess of color and one who actually works for a living. In fact, Tiana's great wish is not to marry, but to open her own restaurant.
