Cool ‘80s heroines
Martha Plimpton in ‘Goonies’
She played teenage girls as tough-talking broads and dated River Phoenix for years. She was the older sister you wish you had. Not doting. Not sweet. Just effortlessly awesome. (Evan Agostini / Getty Images)
Lili Taylor in ‘Say Anything’
Her guitar-strumming, Joe-loving, sympathetic, ear-lending best friend to John Cusaks character in this ultimate ‘80s romance was way cooler than leading lady Ione Skyes uptight daddys girl. (Rick Maiman / Associated Press)
Samantha Mathis in ‘Pump Up the Volume’
Pump Up the Volume came out in 1990, but that means they filmed it in 89, so were including it. (Mostly because we think Mathis deserves to be on this list). In this movie, she was self-assured, AP-art-class-cool and, incredibly, the only person at her high school to recognize Christian Slaters hotness. How did that work again? (Carlo Allegri / Getty Images)