10. Tracy Flick (Election)
It's hardly a surprise to see the smartest student in school running for student body president. After all, it's usually the only accolade still up for grabs. But for Tracy (a career-defining performance from Reese Witherspoon), the campaign is mired in difficulty. Not only does she have to prise support from her peers but also swerve the machinations of civics teacher and student councillor, Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick) - who blames Tracy for the dismissal of his best friend. With her permanent grimace and clipped tones, Tracy is the very picture of passive-aggression. Even her prayers seem like thinly-veiled threats. But as the campaign progresses, we find that she isn't afraid to stoop as low as her rivals: the brother and sister team of Paul (Oz Klein) and Tammy Metzler (Jessica Campbell). And while McAllister may be the one pulling the strings, he quickly becomes entangled in the ethics of political sabotage. Ambitious, assured and always armed with the last word (she ends a confrontation with McAllister by telling him ''If you want to keep questioning me like this, I won't continue without my attorney present'') Tracy is a star pupil turned psychopath. Yet director Alexander Payne is careful enough to keep her on the right side of smarm, ensuring that this sharp satire reaches far beyond the school grounds.