[NEWS] Women Who Ruled Movies in 2009

Women Who Ruled Movies in 2009
From Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side to Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia, see which top film actresses stole the show this year. By Thelma Adams

Sandra Bullock in 'The Blind Slide'
She's got the power: 2009's favorite Soccer Mom demonstrated that charity begins at the McMansion. By taking in a homeless African American teen, Sandra Bullock's character gave him the structure he needed to make it all the way to the NFL. And Bullock herself kicked butt, receiving two Golden Globe nominations (for The Blind Side and The Proposal) and helping blaze the latest trail for actresses over forty who seek meaty starring roles.

Kristen Stewart in 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon'

Courtesy of Summit

She's got the power: In New Moon, Kristen Stewart's Bella is torn between two impossible loves, a vampire and a werewolf. What's a mortal teenager to do? Thanks to this supernatural sequel to 2008's Twilight, the cute shy girl is back in vogue just when the pop culture landscape is cluttered with brassy Hannah Montana types. And give it up for Stewart: the 19-year-old strives to avoid the limelight, despite being linked to swoon-worthy co-star Robert Pattinson.

Meryl Streep in 'Julie & Julia'
She's got the power: As a middle-aged housewife, Julia Child followed her bliss -- a love of delicious food -- and forever changed the world of modern cooking when she wrote a monumental French cookbook that (thanks to Julie Powell's 2005 memoir Julie & Julia) gave Meryl Streep her latest Golden Globe nomination and, fingers crossed, another chance at Oscar.

Hilary Swank in 'Amelia'
She's got the power: Amelia Earhart refused to believe only men should fly planes in the vast skies that canopy everyone equally. In taking the title role and co-executive producing Amelia, Hilary Swank reminded another generation why Earhart, who disappeared circumnavigating the globe in 1937, was not just a thrill-seeking aviatrix -- she was a pioneer.

Emily Blunt in 'Young Victoria'
She's got the power: Before her 1837-1901 reign as Queen of England defined an entire era dubbed "Victorian," the teenaged Princess Victoria was beset by manipulative adults who saw her as a political pawn. Emily Blunt beautifully embodied a Victoria who came of age gracefully, learning how to play the power game deftly while inviting a prince (Rupert Friend) to be her partner, but not her master.

Helen Mirren in 'The Last Station'
She's got the power: Helen Mirren glowed as Countess Sofya, wife of aristocratic War and Peace author Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer), who married her in 1862. When Tolstoy threatened to socialize his hefty estate, and cut her (and their thirteen children) from his will, the Countess called on every seductive trick she'd learned in 48 years of marriage to change his mind before he died. The 64-year-old Oscar winner -- also known as Dame Helen Mirren -- exploited every year of her acting experience to deliver a brilliant portrayal of wife, mother, muse, and manipulator.

Carey Mulligan in 'An Education'
She's got the power: In this acclaimed 1960s drama, Oxford-bound student (Carey Mulligan) meets a seductive older man (Peter Sarsgaard) and questions whether she'd rather learn about the world in books or really live it. Mulligan is absolutely believable as a precocious teen whose intelligence and longing for adventure symbolizes a precursor to modern girl power -- which, after all, is the ability to make our own choices, even if they're the wrong ones.

Vera Farmiga in 'Up in the Air'
She's got the power: Vera Farmiga's self-possessed frequent-flying executive Alex is the perfect match for George Clooney's Ryan, a man wedded to his lifestyle as a jet-setting consultant who specializes in laying off employees so their bosses don't have to. In a role that director Jason Reitman (Juno) says he wrote for the talented actress, Farmiga wears a power suit, knows when to take it off, and ends up giving Clooney the eye-opening ride of his life.

Ellen Page in 'Whip It!'
She's got the power: Bliss (Ellen Page), weary of pleasing her mom (Marcia Gay Harden) by competing in Texas beauty pageants, stumbles onto the roller derby scene in Austin. Swept away, Bliss finds her bliss on skates, as "Babe Ruthless." Page rocked, rolled and ruled as a character who realized that girls should be true to who they really are, not who their mothers want them to be.

Gabourey Sidibe in 'Precious'
She's got the power: Growing up in Harlem abused, belittled, and obese, Precious endures an unthinkably bleak adolescence as a pregnant incest victim -- but by honing her writing skills, she finds a lifeline, spinning out her own story with the help of a good teacher (Paula Patton), a good social worker (Mariah Carey), and a good nurse (Lenny Kravitz.) Newcomer Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe, who brought this role of a lifetime to life, is the most exciting Cinderella to hit the red carpet in years.

Uma Thurman in 'Motherhood'
She's got the power: In this wry comedy, Uma Thurman plays Eliza, who is determined to pull together her daughter's birthday party and win a blogging contest on the theme of motherhood -- in one hectic day colored by all the challenges typical of any urban working mom's life. Thurman, herself a single mother of two, validates all the filmgoers who take their kids to school wearing a nightgown with a jacket tossed over it. Been there, done that!

Zoe Saldana in 'Star Trek'
She's got the power: Uhura (Zoe Saldana) holds her own majestically in a love triangle with Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) in this remake from director J.J. Abrams (Alias, Lost.) But Uhura, a dedicated space explorer, will not be distracted from her mission to boldly go with the Enterprise crew, into the final frontier. Without a doubt, Saldana launched a year -- ending with her pivotal role in Avatar -- that should propel her to a new level of stardom at warp speed.

Credit : http://www.ivillage.com/kristen-stewart-new-moon/1-b-70733

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