Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada
In this comical drama, Meryl Streep plays the cunningly fabulous Miranda Priestly. Streep takes on the role of a hardcore editor of an accredited fashion magazine. Her character is cold and vile, yet you cannot help but love her. Even as she makes the main character’s life a living hell, she’s still everlastingly iconic. You can hate her so much, but at the same time it is hard to not adore the character’s witty comebacks. That is what makes this performance so compelling. Streep will always have praise for many of her movies, but The Devil Wears Prada has to be my favorite villain moment for her.
tARAJI p. hENDERSON IN hIDDEN fIGURES
Hidden Figures is a historical drama centered around the women who put the first man in space. It goes behind the scenes to show that black women in NASA were main contributors for space exploration, one of those women being Katherine Goble Johnson (Taraji P. Henderson). She plays a brilliantly talented space engineer who spends the majority of the movie fighting for her seat at Nasa’s table, which was full of white males. She delivers a heartbreakingly powerful performance of womanhood and the torture of racism that was still dwindling in the early 1960s. Henderson always plays bold female roles, and she certainly did not drop the ball.
Anna Chlumsky in My Girl
One of the most beautiful coming of age movies of all time, My Girl shares the story of young Vada (Anna Chlumsky) and her growing up as a girl in the 1970s. Chlumsky’s performance is incredibly relatable to what it is like navigating girlhood. She captured the attention of every woman and girl in the world for her stunning execution of the female experience. Not only does she correctly deliver the journey into womanhood, she truly digs deep for certain aspects of the movie. There is a lot of discussion on the events of death and Chlumsky absolutely kills this part of the role. Her acting skill was incredibly impressive due to her only being eleven at the time of filming. She has unmatchable talent when it comes to her role as Vada.
Jennifer Garner in 13 Going on 30
Jennifer Garner will never receive enough love for her role in 13 Going On 30. In this comedy, a thirteen year old girl, Jenna, wishes to be “thirty, flirty, and thriving” after her party doesn’t go so well. And in the blink of an eye, that is exactly what she becomes. With the mind of a teenager and the body of a woman, Jenna takes on NYC. Jennifer Garner gives a heartwarming and nostalgic presentation of a young girl finding her way. She is hilarious, and you never loose sight that she is still a teenager inside. Her portrayal is spot on. She is nothing but loveable in this film, and there should be more of it for Garner.
Viola Davis in The Help
In The Help, a historical drama, Viola Davis plays Aibileen, a black nanny to a high class white family. Set in Mississippi in the 1960s, Aibileen slowly takes the opportunity to share her experiences regarding racism and the foul treatment by her employers in an anonymous book. Her delivery is nothing short of flawless. Her character development is one of the strongest parts in the entire movie. You see her grow from an obedient bystander to an unstoppable force to be reckoned with. In the final scene of the movie, she delivers a passionate and spirited performance that will leave you without air.
Florence Pugh in Don’t Worry Darling
Florence Pugh is stuck inside the puzzle that is Don’t Worry Darling. In this thriller-mystery, Alice (Florence Pugh) is a perfect, polite little housewife who lives with her husband in a suburban town set in the 1950s. But her flawless life filled with friends and forever good times suddenly comes crashing down at her feet. Her character is chilling yet admirable. As things happen to Alice, you hold your breath for her. You’re on the edge of your seat as you start to genuinely care about her ending. But more than that, she taps into the jaw clenching female rage every woman faces. Pugh is engaging, and doesn’t hold back when it comes time to stick it to the man.
Rachel McAdams in Mean Girls
One of the most iconic movies with the most iconic role. In Mean Girls, Rachel McAdams plays the cruelest and most merciless mean girl of all, Regina George. She’s evil, ruthless, and the girl we all hate… but she’s so good at it. If you can loathe the character, that means the performance is phenomenal. McAdams embodies the narcissistic, high school biatch we all knew: THE mean girl; her role never wavers for a moment.
Jennifer Lawrence in The Hunger Games
In the famous book to movie adaptation, The Hunger Games, the mesmerizing Jennifer Lawrence gives a deadly display of Katniss Everdeen. In a world of action, dystopia, and heartbreak, Katniss Everdeen is at the forefront. Lawrence plays a teenage girl trapped inside a sickening game of murder. Her intensely chilling portrayal is one of the greatest female performances ever. She captures raw emotion in such a way that you feel like you’re stuck in the web just as much as her. You cheer for her, which I feel is sometimes hard to seize from audiences. You wish for her victory and sing her praises.
