Movies can spell trouble for women. Usually, a female-centric flick entails a morose, unlucky-in-love woman who pines for love. Ultimately, she finds it with a reformed bad boy. When does this happen? Usually after she’s realized that her wacky commitment to her career has made her unsuitable for love. Shed of her silly life aspirations, she settles into domestic bliss for the rest of her life. Or as long as the end credits take to roll. Anyone else asleep right about now?
Instead, let’s think about the ladies of authority, the women of wit, the steel magnolias of cinema. For every loveless lass brought to life by a Rom Com Queen, there’s a kick-ass character of empowerment. Here are our 15 favorites.
Sigourney Weaver Say what you will about James Cameron and his obsession with special effects – this man knows how to write a strong woman. Ellen Ripley of the Alien franchise embodies the strength of Future Woman as no other Hollywood screen siren. Not to mention, her turns in “Working Girl” and “The Ice Storm” gave depth to otherwise complicated (okay, horrible) women.