Movies:
1.Sally (The Nightmare Before Christmas)- Oh, "we can live like Jack and Sally if we want too." Sally sticks with you. She is brave, she is intelligent and she is kind. Sally is an inspiring character.
2. Iris Simpkins (The Holiday)- I LOVE HER. I love how much I relate to her. Her belief in love, her unrequited love, her in ability to move on despite the necessity of it. I love how she is a writer and a dreamer, and then how she is brave enough to take off half way across the world to experience a holiday alone in a foreign place.
3. Nick Naylor (Thank You for Smoking)- his transformation sticks with you. You root for him despite his part in the company that is Big Tobacco. I love watching him struggle with morality and being a role model for his twelve year old son.
4. Andrew Largeman (Garden State)- I feel Andrew Largeman. He had some moderate success, and then feels ashamed to return home following his mom's death. His separation from his father and mother, and the loneliness he feels makes him so real. Largeman is searching for his place in life, he's searching for success, and he's searching for happiness. Andrew is a character who sticks with me.
5.Constance Harraway (The Life of David Gale)- this movie and her part in it basically formed my opinion on the death penalty. Contance commits suicide while framing a friend...and he is given the death penalty for it. It just has made me think twice about whether or not we should put people to death. We just never know when we're wrong!
****I almost put Bellatrix Lestrange on this list, because Helena Bonham Carter does a masterful job of bringing Bellatrix to the big screen...she party steals the show!****
Literature:
1.Jay Gatsby (The Great Gatsby)- big surprise right? A character in one of my favorite books? Shocking I know. Jay Gatsby is the epitome of the Great American dream. Where someone dreams and dreams and dreams, where you can make yourself into whatever it is you want to be...and still not be satisfied. Gatsby is the man who lied, cheated and stole to gain status in life. Who did all of this to win over a woman....and who ultimately failed. He's charismatic...yet vulgar. Exciting and addicting ...yet a liar. Gatsby is a character that sticks with you, that makes you question what you know and makes you wonder what you believe.
2. Severus Snape (Harry Potter)- Ahh the man who tortured me throughout my love of Harry Potter. In the beginning when I was a naive middle schooler reading books 1-3, I thought for sure he was evil! As I matured and my love for the series grew I knew there was more to the man than met the eye. Was he perfect? No. Did he have flaws? Yes. Did he basically verbally and mentally abuse a student because of who he was? Yes! But, Snape was brave, Snape was intelligent and in the end Snape was good. I love his part, his look, I love how perfect he is. He is the perfect good guy you love to hate. His inclusion in the series was pure genius, and done by JK Rowling and is one of my favorite characters of all time.
3.Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird)- The true definition of a hero. An amazing father, an inspiring lawyer and a true Christian...are all words that describe Atticus Finch. Atticus Finch is an iconic figure and one that has gone down in history. You can cite his calm and cool demeanor, the love for his children, and his willingness to properly defend a black man in the south in the 1930's and all of them are reasons for loving, admiring and considering him a hero. Atticus Finch is an inspiring character.
4. Tigger (Winnie the Pooh)- I am referring to the book version...and not the Disney book version but the original AA Milne version. Milne's creation of the character Tigger embodies all the excitement and optimism that life has to offer.Tigger embodies the true spirit of a child. The unabashed excitement, the eagerness to please and the naivete of the problems they sometimes cause.
5.Eustacia Vye (Return of the Native)- Trapped in a heath that she loathes, the beautiful and vivacious Eustacia Vye is someone who you cannot help but remember. Eustacia represent the wildness of the heath, she is unbridled. I feel for her as she aches to move beyond the heath. I am angered by her abuse of the man who love her. But I cannot help but be impressed by this strong hearted woman who goes after what she wants and dreams of the next big thing.
1.Clarissa Darling (Clarissa Explains It All)- This one speaks for itself. Clarissa was a young teenage girl who seemed to speak trough the TV directly to me! Granted she was older than I, but she seems to be like the big sister I never had. I cherished her advice, her fashion sense and craved her life! Clarissa was the voice of a generation and is one of those characters (like a Jan Brady) that seems to transcend a generation
2. Zack Morris (Saved by the Bell)- The crush of my elementary years. Zack Morris was the vision I had of what high school and high school boys would be like (based on that belief I was a bit disappointed). Saved By the Bell was the first show that brought to light teen romance, drug use and the etc.
3. Dr.Spencer Reid (Criminal Minds)- Genius? Check. Nerdy Hott? Check. The Character of Dr. Reid transcends the awesomeness that is Criminal Minds, and takes me back to my dads of being in Gifted. His social awkwardness, love for his family and friends, and desire to do what's write are inspiring.
4.Phoebe Buffay (Friends) - Paging Dr. Flanges! While I love every single character in the TV show Friends, Phoebe is near and dear to my heart. She is funny, strong and she overcame a past with an amazing personality and outlook on life. Phoebe I feel most of the time makes the show.
5. JD Dorian (Scrubs)- Letting me know that an inner monologue is not entirely unusual is Dr. Dorian from Scrubs. With a desire to prove himself and a desire to be loved and respected by his higher ups. Dr. Dorian is amazing. He comical, intelligent and goes with his heart. He's there for his family and friends and tends to think with his gut/heart.
