The 5 best female movie characters of 2016
While female characters still represent roughly 20% of lead roles in movies, this year has seen several great female main characters winning the box office. Among them, here are my favorites.
*BEWARE, SPOILERS AHEAD!*
5. Judy Hopps I Zootopia
Zootopia is one of the best movies of 2016 and its main character Judy has something to do with that. Judy is brave, kind, smart, she worked hard to be where she is and has only the best intentions at heart. But when she realizes she has done wrong, she has the courage to acknowledge her mistakes and help her friends. I loved the fact Judy was not particularly “feminine” and that her story was a relevant metaphor for minorities suffering from injustice.
4. Dr Jillian Holtzmann I Ghostbusters
I have a confession to make: I don’t like the 1984 Ghostbusters movie. So when the 2016 reboot-remake-sequel-whatever-this-is came out, I was kind of skeptical. And I have to admit this is not the best movie I’ve ever seen BUT I loved it. It was funny, had some deliciously cheesy VFX and it was really refreshing to see female characters that are neither babes in arms nor damsels in distress. Among them, my favorite is Dr Jillian Holtzmann even if she’s not part of the main duo. I mean, come on, she’s hilarious, confident, badass, awkward and has a nice queer vibe going on. And she’s a brilliant crazy scientist whose mentor is Sigourney Weaver herself. What’s not to like?
3. Jyn Erso I Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Okay okay, I know I’m not partial when it comes to Star Wars because I may be a little bit of a fangirl. But please bear with me. I was honestly positively surprised when Lucasfilm announced the main character for the first spin-off was a female character — just after Rey in The Force Awakens. Two women as lead characters in a row? It’s not an obvious move in today’s Hollywood. But as much as I loved Rey, I also loved Jyn. From traumatized orphan kid to lonely rebel warrior, Jyn’s narrative arc is usually one you see attached to male heroes. Jyn is disillusioned, grumpy and violent, but as the same time she finally agrees to fight for justice to the point of sacrificing her life. Bonus point for the lack of romantic plot and her practical costume. Way to go Star Wars!
2. Dr Louise Banks I Arrival
Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival is a brilliant and timeless movie, featuring one of the most memorable female characters of this past year: Dr Louise Banks. Louise is a linguist with what seems like a pretty boring life when the US army come to take her on a thrilling mission: understanding what the recently arrived aliens say. Afraid at first, she will teach to her team - and the entire humanity - that it’s all about trust when you’re trying to communicate with someone. Cultivated, pacifist and sympathetic, she shows that an alternative to the hot scientist trope can exists.
1. Moana (& her awesome grandma)
I think a lot of people had great expectations for this new Disney movie introducing the first polynesian princess. And like many of those people, I’m happy to say Moana was amazing! The movie was breathtakingly beautiful to look at, and the eponymous heroine was really well written. Bold and strong, joyful and curious, Moana is one hell of a great character. She lacks neither of fearlessness nor of cleverness, and is definitely not your regular ‘pretty princess’. Unlike Merida who brings a curse on her family by defying unjust laws in Brave, Moana ends up saving her community because she dares to break irrational prejudiced rules. Her relationship with her grandma is really touching and that awesome old lady shows that the age has nothing to do with being conservative or not.
Of course those characters are sometimes cliché and not as diverse as they could have been. But they represent a new step in the right direction when it comes to more complex and nuanced female characters. Let’s see what 2017 movies will bring us!
