Sugar and Spice and...?

Growing up, I was the epitome of the “good girl.” I did well in school, rarely got in trouble, and pretty much did what I was told. Yawn. The very idea of standing up for myself or challenging authority was terrifying to me.

That's probably why I'm now so drawn to stories of girls who defy the expectations that their families, friends, and society try to impose on them. Here are three wonderful movies that honour such free-spirited females.

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Rabbit-Proof Fence

Starring Everlyn Sampi, Tianna Sansbury, and Laura Monaghan
This 2002 Australian movie tells the true tale of three aboriginal girls who, in 1931, were taken from their families by the government because their fathers were white. Sent to a school where they are to become indoctrinated in the ways of white society, the eldest girl, Molly, leads the other two on an extraordinary mission to walk the entire 1,500 miles back to their home.

The performances by the three girls, none of whom had ever acted before, are astonishing.

Whale Rider

Starring Keisha Castle-Hughes
A young Maori girl is destined to become the leader of her people, despite the objections of her grandfather who believes that only a man can assume that role. Like the girls in Rabbit-Proof Fence, Keisha Castle-Hughes had no acting experience prior to making the movie. However, that didn't stop her from garnering a nomination for Best Actress at the 2004 Academy Awards making her, at 13, the youngest women ever to be nominated in that category.

Anne of Green Gables

Starring Megan Follows
When this movie first came out, I had serious doubts that it could do justice to the beloved Canadian novel it was based on. I was wrong. This has to be one of the best cast movies of all time. Megan Follows perfectly portrays Anne's unbridled spirit and Colleen Dewhurst and Richard Farnsworth seem to have literally stepped off the book's pages as Marilla and Matthew. This film is a delightful tribute to Lucy Maud Montgomery's classic work.

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Do you have a favourite book or movie or song that speaks to your own adventurous spirit? Tell us about it!