2019 was a good year for women in Hollywood.

Late 2017 saw the Harvey Weinstein scandal break. This scandal led to the #Me Too movement and heavily colored the movie industry in 2018.

Hollywood scrambled to catch up and change its ways, something which led to increased awareness of women and their vital role in all aspects of the movie business.

This year saw the release of almost 100 female-led movies by the American film industry, some of which were the biggest blockbusters of 2019.

From Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker to Terminator: Dark Fate, women led the way in many of this year’s films.

To honor this long-overdue shift in Hollywood, Sofy.tv has put together a list of the best female roles in Hollywood movies.

1. Hud

In 1963, actor Paul Newman was at his peak. He was an internationally recognized movie star who was on a par with James Dean.

Newman took the lead role in Hud, a story about a family of cattle ranchers who are trying to make ends meet while dealing with the exploits of their rebellious son.

Amazingly, Newman found himself upstaged by Patricia Neal, who played the housemaid. Her witty comebacks and ability to outbattle Hud wins her the top spot on our list of the best roles for women in the movies.

2. Sunset Boulevard

Sunset Boulevard remains one of the best all-time Hollywood classic movies.

The reason why is not because of the film’s relatively common detective film noir style, but rather because of the stratospheric performance by Gloria Swanson as the delusionary ex-film actress Norma Desmond.

Not only is her performance impeccable, but it also pushed the boundaries for the time. Despite being a male-led movie, Swanson dominates the film.

Without question, the role and her performance are one of the best to make it onscreen.

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3. His Girl Friday

What greater love story could there possibly be than of a quick-talking husband and wife who can’t stand each other?

His Girl Friday is without question one of the best movies ever written. Its fast-paced, witty tete-a-tete between the pair not only is incredibly well written but also demanded the best performances from Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell.

As two journalists end up trying to save a man’s life while also trying to get the story, love might just win the day.

Russell’s fast comebacks and ability to stand shoulder to shoulder with the immoral and charismatic Grant, despite remaining moral herself, make this performance an all-time classic.

4. A Streetcar Named Desire

A Streetcar Named Desire is a play written by Tennessee Williams. It is one of the most famous and popular plays by any American writer. (https://romantichoneymoonisland.com/)

British actress Vivien Leigh was cast alongside Marlon Brando, who’s new method acting style was taking over Hollywood at the time.

Being a little more old school, audiences might have expected Brando to outshine Leigh, however, she puts in a masterful performance as the emotionally spent Blanch DuBois.

5. When Harry Met Sally

When Harry Met Sally is one of the best romantic comedies ever made.

The clinical Harry meets a young and passionate girl called Sally. From the outset, the pair clash over nearly everything. Harry’s negative outlook in life completely contrasts with Sally’s youthful passion.

Despite their seemingly complete lack of compatibility, When Harry Met Sally is a movie that stands by the idea that opposites attract.

Meg Ryan’s performance as the innocent and optimistic Sally rocketed her to international fame. Once again, the role required the ability of the led actress to give as good as she gets from her male counterpart.

6. Annie Hall

What movie that is so filled with hilarious comic moments by its leading actress could not make it to this list? Well, if we are totally honest, Woody Allen’s Manhattan for one.

However, since we had to pick one, Annie Hall was the one we chose. Starring Woody Allen and Diane Keaton, Annie Hall tells the tale of an older guy who falls in love with a younger woman.

He sees it as his role to educate her. Gradually, Annie begins to find her own direction and the pair drift apart, setting up one of the funniest sad endings to ever appear onscreen.

Diane Keaton’s wonderful portrayal of Annie was fully deserving of an Academy Award. Her ability to master a role that required her to use her screen time to show audiences her character’s development was impressive, to say the least.

Annie’s blossoming into an independent headstrong woman has to make her character one of the most interesting and challenging to make it onscreen.

7. Batman Returns

Long before the modern superhero movie, there was Batman. After the success of Tim Burton’s original, Batman Returns to save Gotham once more.

However, this time it is the mysterious Catwoman, played by Michelle Pfeiffer who steals the show. While her character never gets to develop sufficiently, the role is arguably the first modern female superhero.

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8. Boys Don’t Cry

Hilary Swank was a relative unknown until she appeared in Boys Don’t Cry. The movie would see Swank play a transvestite woman who calls herself Brandon.

The movie explores the psychology of the real-life Brandon and her eventual tragic end. Swank deservedly won the Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of this very interesting character.

9. Cleopatra

This epic starring Elizabeth Taylor tells the true-life tale of the last Egyptian Pharaoh, Cleopatra.

The former lover of Julia Cesar, Cleopatra falls in love with his heir, the dashing Marc Anthony.

Unfortunately for the pair, civil war has broken out in Rome over who will be the new ruler, dragging the two into a Shakespearean tragedy.

Cleopatra was the first women-led Hollywood epic and one that proved that women can lead the way in any kind of movie.

10. Eternal Sunshine Of A Spotless Mind

Spike Jonze’s impressive directorial debut is a complicated and original take on the love story.

Starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, the film’s originality lies in the concept of memory deletion to allow people to forget their heartbreak.

For some strange reason, the company offering this service deletes the memories in reverse chronological order, meaning that the patients actually have the bad end of relationship memories removed first.

When this happens, a patient played by Carrey finds himself trying to prevent the memories from being deleted whilst still asleep during the procedure.

The question is, will his love be strong enough to save his memory of the lover he has chosen to delete?

Winslet’s role as the often erratic and live for the moment Clementine is undoubtedly one of the best of the last few decades. To master such a complex and unpredictable character was no easy feat.