The Most Iconic New York City Movie Heroines Ever
We already pulled together our favorite small and silver screen moments that feature the streets and skyline of NYC as their backdrop. And while, absolutely, these movies made us fall in love with the city, we've also come to associate particular heroines with the warm fuzzies we have for the Big Apple. From Diane Keaton in Annie Hall to Piper Perabo in Coyote Ugly, these strong female characters drew us toward the city with their spunk and energy—click through to learn a little more about all the NYC screen heroines who made our list!
Did we miss one of your favorite NYC-based movie heroines? Give her a shoutout in the comments below!
1/6These five Big Apple-based characters inspire us in every way.
Alamy2/6Diane Keaton as Annie Hall in Annie Hall
There’s something about watching Annie Hall become herself over the course of this movie that we find inspiring (seriously, if you’re ever having a mini identity crisis, she is the character who will assure you that everything is going to turn out okay). Diane Keaton is so effortlessly charming in this movie—and easy on the eyes too boot—but it’s how she eventually finds her personal independence that makes her heroic in our eyes.
Alamy3/6Anne Hathaway as Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada
We cannot believe this movie is almost 10-years-old (and you better believe we’ll be throwing it an anniversary party in the next couple of years). This is one we watched over and over again, not just because it was so amazing to see Meryl Streep as scary as she’s ever been, but because it was so easy to identify with Hathaway as she struggled to figure out what it meant to be a young woman living and working in New York. We were so proud of her when (spoiler alert!) she said no to compromising herself at the end of the movie and flew back from Paris to pursue her actual dreams. From then on, Andy Sachs was a good reminder to stick to our guns.
4/6Piper Perabo as Violet Sanford in Coyote Ugly
This might be our very favorite of the bunch. Coyote Ugly is still a bar in the East Village, and once upon a time we stepped inside to compare it to the movie version (yep, it was pretty rough). When Violet heads to pursue her dreams in the big city, she gets a little distracted along the way, and it takes a serious reality check for her to return to her songstress roots. But she never gives up, and when she stumbles she always picks herself back up again.
Alamy5/6Idina Menzel as Maureen Johnson in RENT
If you haven’t watched this movie, you definitely should. It’s a new classic New York period piece (that period being relatively recent history), and gives a lot of context to the city’s class struggles. We loved the Broadway show, but the movie gave it a run for its money—especially when Idina Menzel stepped onscreen. Beyond her powerhouse voice and serious acting chops, she inspired us to stand up for what we believe in and demand to be accepted for exactly who we are. She’s headstrong and dedicated, and we just adore her.
6/6Gwyneth Paltrow as Margot Tenenbaum in The Royal Tenenbaums
Girlfriend is maddeningly dysfunctional, but she’s also a super talented playwright with some serious fashion sense (our "too-much-eyeliner" days were actually inspired by this character). We also like that, underneath the demure ’tude, she’s actually a little bit of a wild child (sort of like early days Gwyneth herself!).
