10 Underrated Pixar Characters Who Were Feminist Heroines

Ellie Fredericksen, the cheerful catalyst for Carl's late-life quest, stands apart as a pioneer for her generation. She comes of age in the conservative thirties and forties when women were expected to be crafty homemakers rather than South America explorers.

Her courageous spirit separates her from those trappings. Pixar brings us a daring female in the flapper age. By age eight, she's plotting her journey to the exotic Paradise Falls in her own clubhouse. Ellie gravitates to fellow Muntz fan Carl and they forge a friendship based on mutual interests.

In their imaginative childhood days, Ellie breaks Carl out of his comfort zone but always boosts his confidence in the process. Ellie's often the one cajoling Carl into her wild antics, making the orders, and promoting the spirit of adventure prior to her passing.

She builds a colorful house with Carl but dies before she can reach South America. However, her dream is what largely prompts their home to soar to Paradise Falls with Carl at the helm. Her physical form disappears after the film's first fifteen minutes following one of Pixar's best montages. Ellie's presence, on the other hand, continues to make itself known beyond her death.

Carl sifts through a photo album full of memories of her and the audience realizes she's not limited to the confines of those pages. Much like the scenes in those photographs, Ellie's one-of-a-kind boldness and beauty is beautifully captured at just the right time.