3. Celie Johnson (The Color Purple)
Celie Johnson goes through so many things over the course of The Color Purple that I'm always amazed the filmmakers were able to bring all that they did to the screen. And Whoopi Goldberg shows how fantastic an actor she really is. Celie goes through so many horrific forms of abuse over the course of her lifebrought upon by her father, her husband, society, and her husband's friends and family. And in the end, she breaks free of her multifaceted oppression. But even with all she goes through, this movie never forgets that it's about the rich complexity of Celie's experiences and perceptions. It's not about her physical relationships, but about her life experience, reactions, and efforts; her emotional and intellectual evolutionnot her powerlessness in being beaten or being rescued. And Celie really is an interesting person. And not only is she a tremendously active, dynamic, and organic character in what could have easily become a passive, consistent situation, but her outlook is very inspirational. She does not give into hate or bitterness, even with all that she knows and when things seem overwhelmingly hopeless, and finds a life she is happy with instead. Similar stories have been repeated so many times before and since, but rarely with this much humanity. Anyone can say, "Be positive no matter what," but this movie really knows what that means. It is an excellent reminder for a variety of reasons, with a great character to take us there.