There may not have been a more prominent point in cinema that featured women as the stars of the show, as a few of these roles go down as absolute icons of the industry. Some names likely materialized in your head off the bat, and there will be other recognizable characters, movies, and actresses to boot.
But there are some characters that could very well appear a bit more unfamiliar. That shouldn’t take anything away from the value of their dynamics and developments, though, or from their respective actress’s performance. But without further ado, let’s get to it: these are the best female protagonists of the1990s, ranked.
20Nikita — La Femme Nikita (1990)
Anne Parillaud portrays the titular Nikita in this action thriller written and directed by Luc Besson. And some fans ofLe Femme Nikita(1990) may be a bit surprised to see the film kicking off the list. But a spot anywhere among the twenty best female protagonists of the 1990s is nothing to hang one’s head about.
It follows the titular protagonist as a convicted felon who is given an alternative route to jail time: she’s given a new identity and istrained as an assassincontrolled by the police. It’s an intriguing premise off the bat that Besson sees come into stylistic fruition, and Parillaud performs brilliantly as Nikita until the film’s final frame. It’s a French-language project, but definitely worth your time if strong female leads are what you’re after.
19Lelaina Pierce — Reality Bites (1994)
Valedictorian, humanitarian, aspiring videographer — Lelaina Pierce does it all. Portrayed by Winona Ryder, she appears as the protagonist ofReality Bites(1994) as she makes the titular documentary about the mundane lives of her friends. And she really steals the show, with the film as a whole going down as a cult classic after receiving lukewarm reception from critics and garnering modest money at the worldwide box office.
There are plenty of other noteworthy names like director Ben Stiller, who co-stars alongside Ryder, Ethan Hawke, and Jeneane Garafalo. And aside from their performances, it’s worth noting that the film switches cinematographic styles between narrative and documentary. And that fascinating facet of filmmaking can be attributed Lelaina and her status as a high-quality, well-developed character.
18Officer Megan Turner — Blue Steel (1990)
Played by Jamie Lee Curtis, the protagonist ofBlue Steel(1990) in Officer Megan Turner leads the charge in what is perhaps the mostintriguing inciting incidenton the entire list. The film begins with Officer Turner shooting a robber in a convenience store, where a bystander subsequently retrieves the dead robber’s gun, exits the crime scene, and leaves Turner held accountable for shooting an unarmed man.
The project was directed by Kathryn Bigelow, and received great reviews from critics despite making modest money at the worldwide box office. It’s worth a watch just for the plumb and passion portrayed by Jamie Lee Curtis in the starring role, let alone the thrilling story that induces after the aforementioned plot point
17Kat Strafford — 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
As one of the more famous characters on the list, Kat Strafford resonated with millions of high school girls across the globe. She is of course the protagonist of10 Things I Hate About You(1999), and she’s portrayed to a career-defining extent by Julia Stiles. Of course, she shared the screen with the late, great Heath Ledger, who performs to an equally admirable extent as her love interest, Patrick. This marked his breakthrough role, as well as actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who drives the story by contriving a plot to get the two to date.
The film itself saw direction under Gil Junger, and it received mostly positive reviews while also accruing $60.4 million at the worldwide box office from a $13 million budget. And in the end, its legacy is defined by theperformances from Ledger, Gordon-Levitt, and of course Julia Stiles, who in hindsight seems like the only fit for the role of Kat Strafford. She lands here at number seventeen.
Related:10 Facts You Didn’t Know About 10 Things I Hate About You
16Vivian Ward — Pretty Woman (1990)
In one of the defining romantic comedies of the decade, Julia Roberts plays the titular character inPretty Woman(1990). A free-spirit prostitute from Hollywood, Vivian Ward boasts a strong sense of independence, courage, and honesty that is rarely seen in protagonists of her archetype. She’s not wealthy like her love interest counterpart Edward Lewis, played by Richard Gere.
But what they lack in commonalities is made up for in dynamics and development. Plus, both performers put on quite the show, as Julia Roberts won Best Actress at the 48th Golden Globes, with Gere picking up a nomination for Best Actor. Roberts was also nominated for Best actress at the 63rd Academy Awards, and in any other year — when Kathy Bates wasn’t delivering the performance of a lifetime as Annie Wilkes inMisery(1990) — she would’ve won forPretty Woman.
15M.J. Monoghan — Copycat (1995)
Although Sigourney Weaver appears first on the cast list inCopycat(1995) as Dr. Helen Hudson, a psychologist who specializes inthe tendencies of serial killers, the true protagonist is Inspector M.J. Monaghan. Portrayed to a critically acclaimed degree by American actress Holly Hunter, she takes the center role as the lead detective hot on the hunt of a serial killer who bases all his murders off the actions of other, real-life serial killers like Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy.
It’s a great premise with equally admirable execution, and Hunter shines as Monaghan the whole way through with dynamic dialogue and tremendous chemistry with her on-screen contemporaries. But the character herself is strong and sturdy when achieving her goals, and ultimately, she comes in at number fifteen.
14Ruth Stoops — Citizen Ruth (1996)
The titular character Ruth Stoops is played by Laura Dern, who performs with pure poignance all throughoutCitizen Ruth(1996). Made by Alexander Payne in his directorial debut, it follows Ruth as a poor and drug-addicted woman whose pregnancy sparks further debate across the country regarding the hot topic of abortion. It’s arguably the most prominent film ever made on the subject, and remains highly underrated in today’s landscape.
Those familiar with Payne’s filmography won’t be shocked to learn thatCitizen Ruthdoubles as a comedy on top of its dramatic inclinations, with Dern truly running the gamut of emotion. It’s amongher greatest roles to date, and ultimately, Ruth without a doubt deserves a spot on the list.
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13Lola — Run Lola Run (1998)
A German language film,Run Lola Run(1998) saw direction under Tom Twyker, while the character Lola was portrayed by Franka Potente. And it’s hard to determine what has a greater, more show-stealing effect: the development of Lola as a character and the scriptwriting basis in general, or the on-point performance from Potente that ultimately defined not just her career, but German cinema throughout the entire 1990s.
A thriller, its plot follows Lola as she has a mere twenty minutes to retrieve enough money to pay back her boyfriend’s debt, who’s stuck in a sticky situation with his powerful criminal of a boss. An engrossing premise that’s executed to perfection, with Lola being highlighted from sheer intrigue through each stride of her frantic pace.
12Tracy Flick — Election (1999)
This is the second entry on the list that features a film from American director Alexander Payne, and there’s an argument thatElection(1999) remains his magnum opus to this day. It’s a witty, award-winning script about an overachieving high school student whose campaign for the student council president is complicated by the antics of one of her teachers.
The elder at hand was played by Matthew Broderick, whose character Jim McAlister resents Tracy — the protagonist,played by Reese Whitherspoonto a career-defining degree — for engaging in sexual relations with a teacher, Jim’s coworker and friend, and ultimately getting him fired. And with dulcet dialogue and convincing performances in tandem with engaging character dynamics,Electionentertains through and through. And Tracy easily steals the show.
Related:The 12 Greatest ’90s High School Movies
11Cher Horowitz — Clueless (1995)
Written and directed by Amy Heckerling, her magnum opus features Alicia Silverstone in her breakthrough role as Cher Horowitz. And sure, the rest of the cast members ofClueless(1995) each hold more name value today than the actress who played the protagonist, with names such as Paul Rudd, Brittany Murphy, Donald Faison, and Breckin Meyer. But without a doubt, Silverstone shines brighter than everyone else combined as Cher, thanks mainly to her breaking of genre conventions.
Generally, characters of Cher’s archetype are self-interested, frankly selfish individuals who lean more toward their materialistic tendencies than those that would benefit others. But Cher makes an honest effort to better the lives of those around her, despite what her stepbrother might say. And it’s her struggle with finding the root of those tendencies that defines Cher as one of the best protagonists of the nineties, regardless of performer.
