1. Jenna Rink - 13 Going on 30 (2004)
For a girl who finds herself wishing for a “thirty, flirty, and thriving” lifestyle at her 13th birthday party, Jenna Rink is a legacy in my book. She wakes up and gets used to her life. She uses Lisa Frank gear and glitter pens in her professional Poise office whilst coming up with creative ideas. She stays after office hours to bring the real life of people and fun into Poise magazine. Not to mention, she has no problem busting a move to MJ’s Thriller at an office function. Jenna has all of the qualities of a hardworking, young, professional.
2. Cher Horowitz - Clueless (1995)
Sure, Cher was a ditzy Valley girl with a great closet but she was so much more. With a heightened sense of the world around her, Cher learns how to be a better person by joining a relief fund, giving hopeless Tai a fab makeover, and getting two lonely teachers together. Cher was the high schooler all girls strived to be, beautiful with a golden heart and a high status.
3. Cady Heron - Mean Girls (2004)
In the beginning, Cady is a typical teenager power hungry for popularity. The reason she makes the list is based around one idea, “sucking the poison out of your life”. Cady teaches us that we need to take all of the toxic elements out of our life in order to live happily. Through making up with mean girl Regina George, confessing to owning the infamous Burn Book, and sharing her Homecoming Queen crown with all of the girls at the Spring Fling, Cady shows us what it means to be a well rounded teenager.
4. Juno MacGuff - Juno (2007)
Point blank, Juno finds herself pregnant at 16. She isn’t the typical teenager about it, she doesn’t cry and she doesn’t blame the world. Immediately, she finds adoptive parents and accepts that the father may not want to help. Juno is selfless, the only time we see her cry during the film is when she finds out the adoptive father wants out of the deal. I’m not saying we all wanted to be pregnant teenagers, I’m saying we should all treat problems the way Juno does.
5. Sam - The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
We all love Sam. She’s not popular, she just has a lot of friends. She accepts Charlie for the wallflower that he is and makes sure his first kiss is with her, someone he loves. She’s mature beyond her years, owning an old soul. On occasion her hobbies include acting in The Rocky Horror Picture Show and listening to Bowie’s Heroes on a Friday night. All in all, Sam was the girl we all wanted to be and the friend we all wanted to have.
6. Megan - Bridesmaids (2011)
Melissa McCarthy’s hilarious character deserves a spot on this list because she is always positive despite the possible negative. She tackles her own issues with a good sense of humor. Eventually, she is the one to pull Annie out of her depression at the end of the movie by telling her not to feel sorry for herself. Megan teaches us to not pity ourselves if we have problems but to look at all of the things that we do have keeping us going like friends and family.
