ILLUSTRATION
JOHNUELAND
POV
TheBestGirl-PowerMoviesEver
Forget thedrippy romanceflicks.ThisValentine’sDay,we suggest
How toBeSingle
, outFeb. 12withheroineswho
aredoing justfineon their own, thankyouverymuch. In true single-girl spirit,wecharted someotherbig-screen,
butt-kickingbadgirls.Read, rent, repeat.Red roses andchocolatesnot required (well,maybe thechocolates).
—ALLISONWINN SCOTCH
24
FEBRUARY2016
AMERICANWAY
THELMA AND
LOUISE
1991
Twobest friends run into
troubleon a vacation
when they accidentally
kill an attempted rapist,
then
elude the law
(not tomention their old
lives) on a liberating
road trip.
GeenaDavis as timid, un-
happyhousewife
Thelma
andSusanSarandon as
toughbut tender
Louise
Thelma: “I feel really
awake. I don’t recall ever
feeling this awake. You
know?Everything looks
different now. You feel
like that?You feel like you
got
something to live
for
now?”
It’snever too late
to findyourownpower.
Also, for road trips and
for life ingeneral, best
friends trumpmale
companions anydayof
theweek.
ALIENS
1986
Heroic alien slayer
returns to theplanet
where she firstmet a
decidedlyun-cuteE.T.—
and this time, with a crew
ofmarines and a child to
protect,
shevows
nomercy
.
SigourneyWeaver as
gutsy,muscular and
ruthless squad leader
LieutenantEllenRipley
Ripley: “Just tellmeone
thing, Burke. You’regoing
out there todestroy them,
right?Not to study.
Not tobringback. But to
wipe themout.”
Burke: “That’s theplan.”
Ripley: “All right,
I’m in
.”
Ripleywas a
revolutionary character
—
awoman inaman’s
world
— andproved that
youdon’t have tohave an
XY chromosome tobe a
butt-kicker.
ERIN
BROCKOVICH
2000
Basedon real events,
adown-on-her-luck
singlemom-turned-
unlikely-legal assistant
spearheads a class action
suit against PacificGas
andElectricCompany—
and
brings themdown
.
JuliaRoberts as tough-
talking, tenacious, decep-
tivelyglamorousmom
ErinBrockovich
(Toher boss, EdMasry,
after he accuses her of be-
ingemotional anderratic):
”Not personal?That ismy
work!My sweat!My time
away frommy kids!
If that’s not personal,
Idon’tknowwhat is
.”
Never doubt your own
voice, nomatter how
small, nomatter
how improbable.
All voicesmatter
, and
big things happenwhen
they’reheard.
MAD MAX:
FURY ROAD
2015
After the fall of civiliza-
tion, awarrior
betrays
her ruthless leader
by freeinghis enslaved
wives, thengoes on the
run as she (OK, andMax)
battlebaddies in adesert
wasteland.
CharlizeTheron as
grubby-sexy rebel and
dangerous driver
ImperatorFuriosa
(Tooneof cult leader
ImmortanJoe’swives,
TheSplendidAngharad):
“Out here, everything
hurts. Youwannaget
through this?
Doas I say.
Nowpickupwhat you can
and run.”
Redemption, humanity
andhope cannot be
obliterated, even in
thedarkest hours.
Bebrave, digdeep and
fight forwhatyou
know tobe true
.
THE STORY
THE BUTT-KICKER(S)
QUOTABLE MOMENT
GIRL-POWER TAKEAWAY
LEGALLY
BLONDE
2001
Trying towinbackher
pompous ex-boyfriend,
anunderestimated so-
roritygirl, alongwithher
super-stylishChihuahua,
Bruiser,
provesshe’sgot
beautyandbrains
at
HarvardLawSchool.
ReeseWitherspoon as
bombshell blonde, Beverly
Hills-bred, pink-obsessed
ElleWoods
(ToWarner, herHarvard
Lawex-boyfriend, when
heasks her out after her
big trial): “If I’mgoing to
beapartner ina law firm
by the time I’m 30, I needa
boyfriendwho’s
notsuch
acompletebonehead
.”
Believe in yourself even
if others don’t.
Thebest
revenge isproving
themwrong.
(Also: The
bend and snaphas an83
percent rateof returnon a
dinner invitation.)
