This is a list of five female characters in movies and television who I have always admired. As much as I love Disney movies, I never wanted to be a princess. Instead, I wanted and still want to be a unique, curious and persevering female like the ones below.
1. Harriet the Spy
This is the movie that made me want to become a writer. When I was little, I tried writing things down on paper like "Harriet the Spy." I even talked to myself as if I was narrating my own movie like Harriet. Harriet is a strong role model for girls who want to follow through with their curiosity.
2. Juno
You're probably thinking "no way" because Juno is a pregnant teen. However, she does a smart thing by putting her baby up for adoption rather than raising it herself being that she is in high school. "Juno" is more than just about teen pregnancy to me. Juno is a great example of a dynamic risk-taking character who transforms from an irresponsible teenager to an independent adult. She confidently goes through her pregnancy and successfully gives birth to a healthy child for Vanessa (Jennifer Garner). What I love about the movie is that Juno makes a lot of decisions on her own, including the choice of putting her baby up for adoption. When Mark and Vanessa split, she of course feels scared and upset. She doesn’t want the child’s adoptive family to be “broken” as a result of a divorce. However, she eventually realizes that no family is perfect and it was actually a better idea for Vanessa to raise the baby without Mark (Jason Bateman), for Mark and Vanessa raising the child together would actually be a toxic environment. Juno learns a number of other lessons on the way, one of which is altruism. I love how she gives Vanessa the note “If you’re still in, I’m still in.” This shows her consideration of Vanessa’s dream to become a mother. She also demonstrates altruism when she leaves tic tacs in Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera)’s mailbox. Love is another thing she learns about. She and Paulie Bleeker learn to overcome their obstacles, let go of their baggage and form a healthy relationship. She cries at the end in the hospital bed with Bleeker after giving away the baby after all the hard work she went through. However, she knows that she will be a mother one day when the time is right. That’s why I love when after she gives birth, her dad tells her, “Someday you’ll be back here on your own terms.” When I first saw “Juno,” I wanted to be her, but without the pregnant part. I wanted to be intelligent and face problems head on with confidence and courage. "Harriet the Spy" was the movie that made me want to write books. "Juno" was the movie that made me want to write scripts.
3. Chihiro
I first saw "Spirited Away" in art class on the last day of school in the third grade. I loved it from what I saw, but we didn’t finish it. I loved it so much that rented it from Blockbuster and finished the rest of it at home. Chihiro is scared at first of the spiritual world, but she learns to face her fears and actually connects with the spirits. She also shows bravery when she saves her friend Haku. "Spirited Away," along with Hayao Miyazaki's other films, including "Nausicaa: Spirit of the Valley of the Wind," "Kiki's Delivery Service" and "Princess Mononoke," have excellent, strong female characters.
4. Matilda
Like Harriet the Spy, Matilda is a girl who delves upon her curiosity. She teaches young girls that being intelligent or reading a lot does not make you dorky, but rather a fascinatingly fun person to be around.
5. Daenerys Targaryen
This fierce queen on “Game of Thrones” works so hard to achieve her goals, and she does not let anything bring her down. One thing I love about Daenerys, aka Khaleesi, is that she is independent and does not need a man to help her rule Mereen, nor the Seven Kingdoms.
