3. Laney Boggs - She's All That
It always frustrates me so much in this movie that there are people who want to change this girl. She's intelligent, creative, level-headed, and best of all, totally cool with herself the way she is. She's not sitting around moping that she isn't more popular, she genuinely does not want to get involved in the drama s**tstorm that is high school. Does no one else find that totally refreshing? I can pinpoint the moment where I totally fell in love with Laney's character. It happened relatively early in the film, when Zach follows her after the appallingly pretentious performance art. He asks her if she's ever thought about wearing contacts because her eyes are really beautiful. Her response? She mocks him so hard he's reduced to a tiny pile of lame jock dust on the floor. I love that even though she's a high school girl, and even though he's a popular boy, Laney is capable of recognizing a crappy line when she hears one, and calls Zach out on it. Y'all are going to have to try a little hard than that. Extra points for the fact that she is a tremendously ambitious young artist, and for how much she takes care of her father and little brother. How could anyone meet this girl and think, "Ugh, what a freak! She needs a makeover!" No. Damn the patriarchy, and you stay the angry little artist that you are!