Filmy o dospívajících protagonistech
The Top 40 Teen Movie Protagonists
There was a time – a rather long time, in fact – when teenagers didn’t dominate the motion picture industry. Movies were made by and for adults, and typically featured mature individuals dealing with mature problems. Teen movies finally got a jump-start in the 1950s when lowbrow horror movies and cautionary tales about youthful rebellion made a splash, but it wasn’t until the 1980s that the genre completely exploded, driving the young to the multiplex to see teen movies that explored their adolescent daily lives in realistic, comedic and fantastic ways. Nowadays, teen movies seem to drive the entire motion picture industry, but since the movies are still made by adults, their heroes don’t always seem to resonate with audiences of any age. The heroes of teen movies who stick with us speak to real issues teenagers deal with, and learn practical lessons that young audiences still can apply to their lives years later. The most iconic heroes of teen movies are fully realized characters like any other, even if they’re stuck in schlocky stories.
Related: 11 Other Great Back to School Movies
S nejnovější Hladové hry now in theaters, starring Jennifer Lawrence as one of the most inspirational teen movie heroes around, CraveOnline wanted to take a look at the 40 adolescent heroes who changed our lives, either by inspiring or entertaining or making us think long and hard at the tragedies that befall the young in a society that likes to exploit them, but not always treat them like real people. Did we miss your favorites? Let us know in the comments. There are too many teen heroes to highlight them all, and what inspires us can be totally subjective. So go ahead and share the teen movie heroes that made your life a little better, one way or another, because that’s exactly what we are about to do.
Top 10 Teen Movie Characters with Main Character Energy
VOICE OVER: Samantha Clinch WRITTEN BY: Val Namaki
Sometimes, you just have to try to get into the spotlight! For this list, we’ll be looking at characters in films geared towards adolescents who think and act like they’re the star — for better or worse. Plot points will be discussed, so beware of potential spoilers ahead! Our countdown includes characters from «She’s the Man», «Easy A», «Heathers» and more!
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Teen Movie Characters with Main Character Energy. For this list, we’ll be looking at characters in films geared towards adolescents who think and act like they’re the star — for better or worse. We’re excluding central protagonists, but everyone else is fair game. Plot points will be discussed, so beware of potential spoilers ahead Which of these fictional folks do you love, hate, or love to hate? Let us know in the comments!
#10: Monique Valentine
“She’s the Man” (2006)
“She’s the Man” is about a girl who pretends to be her brother Sebastian in a bid to play soccer at his fancy boarding school. No, that girl is not Monique Valentine – it’s Viola Hastings. So who is Monique? To simplify, she’s a vain, super snooty side character who dates Sebastian for a time, until Viola (posing as him) hilariously ends things. You could describe the film without ever mentioning her, and all the important bits would still come through. But to qualify for having main character syndrome, a person doesn’t necessarily need to be relevant, they just have to believe they are. And if you ventured into Monique’s mind, you’d definitely find that she believes she’s the prettiest, most important person around.
#9: John Tucker
“John Tucker Must Die” (2006)
A lot of the time, young female characters are the ones written to exude obvious main character energy. We don’t have time to unpack the not-so-great implications of that, but we will say that boys aren’t immune to the syndrome! John Tucker is the perfect example. He’s attractive, but thinks that gives him permission to walk around like he’s hot you know what! After all, it takes a serious level of self-involvement to think you can not only date multiple people at once, but get away with it. Talk about arrogance and toxic masculinity at their finest! Needless to say, the girls at the center of the story give him an important and much-needed lesson in humility.
#8: Marianne Bryant
“Easy A” (2010)
The leader of her school’s Christian club, Marianne is about as holier-than-thou as they come, taking it upon herself to rescue protagonist Olive Penderghast. Nevermind the fact that Olive doesn’t need saving — Marianne thinks she knows best. She hides behind faith, but it’s arguably pretty transparent and boastful (and okay, kinda funny). But spreading gossip and actively campaigning against her sure seems judgey to us. As you can imagine, the school’s resident savior also deals with a lot of drama herself, and therefore seems to mellow out slightly at the end. But for most of the movie, she stirs up drama and loudly inserts herself into a story that isn’t hers.
#7: Lucy «Tom-Tom» Wyman
“13 Going on 30” (2004)
We all know the stereotypical, popular yet evil queen bee. Most teen movies have one, and they’re often self-absorbed, vicious, and generally terrible. In other words, they represent textbook cases of main character syndrome. Lucy “Tom-Tom” Wyman is no exception. For starters, she completely humiliates Jenna at her 13th birthday party, pretending to be her friend only to turn around and leave her hanging. And if you were hoping she’d grow out of it and become an honest, kind adult? Well, sorry, but no such luck. At thirty, Lucy is essentially the same selfish person, just post-puberty. Once a basic mean girl, always a basic mean girl? You decide, but this kind of energy is not what we want protagonists around — it’s a horrible influence!
#6: Amber Mariens
«Bezradný» (1995)
In life (or in this case, teen movies), there are main characters, and those who wish they were main characters. Cher Horowitz, for instance, falls firmly into the former category. She’s fun, stylish, has great catchphrases, and yes, makes a few messes. Most importantly though, her heart is in the right place. Amber Mariens, on the other hand, belongs in the latter group. Don’t get us wrong, she’s stylish too. But she comes across somewhat pampered and desperate, like she’s trying and failing to be everything Cher effortlessly is. She’s mean and kind of vapid, yet thinks rather highly of herself and acts like an it girl. Honestly, Cher sums up Amber’s whole vibe better than we ever could.
#5: Fiona Montgomery
«Příběh o Popelce» (2004)
When you combine a “Cinderella”-esque evil stepmom with blatant narcissism, you get someone with major main character syndrome. More specifically, you get Fiona. She’s obsessed with making sure her life is as privileged as possible, and severely mistreats her step-daughter, protagonist Sam, to make it happen. She constantly puts our heroine down, going so far as to create a fake Princeton University rejection letter! Oh, and there’s the whole pretending not to know about her dead husband’s will thing. Thank goodness Jennifer Coolidge makes the character entertaining and fun to watch, because yikes! Fiona isn’t the only villain in “A Cinderella Story” who thinks she’s at the center of it all. But she is hands down the most toxic one.
#4: Heather Duke
«Heathers» (1989)
Using a supposed friend’s (we use that term loosely) passing as an opportunity for social climbing is low. But Heather Duke wants to be the main girl, and she’s not going to let the chance pass her by. To be fair, the sociopathic J.D. is arguably the real villain, and he certainly influences her after Heather Chandler’s death. But that doesn’t change the fact that Duke is fundamentally egotistical and ruthless. Just consider the way she treats Heather McNamara and Martha! Then there’s the way she makes red — Chandler’s color — her new signature shade. If she took a short break from her power trip, maybe she’d realize how off things around her are. Sadly, those with main character syndrome rarely see past their own reflections.
#3: Kathryn Merteuil
«Kruté úmysly» (1999)
The movie is called “Cruel Intentions”, and we’re not exaggerating when we say that nobody’s intentions are crueler than Kathryn’s. She thinks she’s better than everyone else, treating the world like a chess game and acting as though she’s the master. There’s no person she won’t hurt, and no situation she won’t manipulate, as long as it serves her. Even her step-brother Sebastian, who’s initially her partner in crime, isn’t safe from her scheming, destructive ways. Ultimately, he ends up paying the biggest price of all, losing his life as a result of her lies and misdeeds. Her two-faced, condescending nature makes watching her downfall at the hands of Annette, the real main character who’s basically her polar opposite, extra satisfying.
#2: Sharpay Evans
“High School Musical” franchise (2006-11)
It’s Sharpay Evans’ world and we’re all just living in it. She wouldn’t have it any other way. If you ask her, we bet she’d say she’s the hero of the “HSM” franchise! But Sharpay does some questionable things, from manipulation to straight up sabotage, in an attempt to become the female lead. If that’s not main character energy, what is?! The thing is though, she has star power and she knows it! So she’ll be darned if she lets anyone stand between her and fame. If you need more proof, check out “Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure,” where she finally is the protagonist. When someone is this talented and fabulous, they find ways to steal the show whether you like it or not!
Než odhalíme náš nejlepší výběr, zde je několik čestných uznání.
Amber Von Tussle, “Hairspray” (2007)
She Does NOT Want to Share the Spotlight
Lana Thomas, “The Princess Diaries” (2001)
A Mean Girl in Need of a Major Reality Check