A Mini-Tribute to Winona Ryder

 So, today is Winona Ryder's 50th birthday [which I didn't know until earlier this week when my dad and I were looking up various different things about Stranger Things], and I really like a lot of her different roles, plus 50 is a pretty significant birthday, hence this post. I also genuinely think that she's a very talented actress, as well as just someone that I like a lot. I mean, she's talented, she's pretty, and, in interviews, she always comes off as very intelligent [in kind of a wise way] and very sweet. Basically, in this post,  I'll be talking about each character that I've seen her play, and what I think she brought to the role that was just kind of special.  So, let's get started on the post.

The order of the characters on this list are just based on when I saw that specific show/movie, not which came out first. Just so we're clear. 

Lydia Deetz, Beetlejuice

If someone were to make a list of iconic Goth girls in fiction, Lydia would definitely be on there. Sure, she seems like your typical somewhat gloomy goth girl [and, er, her mother died, which explains at least part of it], which is a somewhat overdone trope, but Winona just pulls it off so well. Lydia's a well-rounded, complex character. She's kind of snarky, but is a genuinely sweet girl, once you get to know her. She's moody, she's smart, she's a great photographer [not really a character trait, but whatever]. I just felt like Winona did a really great job with this role, and I like Lydia a lot.

Veronica Sawyer, Heathers

Veronica may be my personal favorite Winona Ryder character [I like her a lot in the musical, too. I just like her a lot as a character] just because she's such a complex character. She's a smart, sarcastic, somewhat cynical girl who wanted to be popular, but, now that she is, has decided that she's not really a fan of being in the popular crowd and she starts to fall for a mysterious newcomer, Jason ''J.D'' Dean. 

I never expected to actually like for a protagonist who's, you know, a murderer [accidental murderer but still]. She's....kind of a terrible person, but she does turn around at the end, and she's a sympathetic character, despite some of the bad things she's done. She's so complicated and interesting, and I deeply love her. 

Winona just played her perfectly. I don't think this character would be as iconic if Winona Ryder hadn't played her [apparently, she almost didn't get the role because the people making the movie didn't think she was pretty enough. Which is insane because she's stunning].

Also, she was, like, 15/16 when this movie was filmed, which makes her acting even more impressive.

Kim Boggs, Edward Scissorhands

If I'm being honest, Kim has never been my favorite, just because she's a character type I'm not overly fond of, but that doesn't mean I don't like her. First of all, her outfits were on point. Second of all, she just seems like a genuinely sweet girl. Flawed, sure, but sweet. Also, it's interesting to see Winona in a role that's so different from her usual roles. In this, her character is kind of a girl-next-door. She did a really good job with this role, in my opinion.

Joyce Byers, Stranger Things

I honestly think that while Veronica is my favorite character she's played character-wise, but acting-wise I think Joyce is her best role. Like, I can't even imagine how hard some of those scenes must have been to do. Like I said, she's got talent. 

Also, I just like Joyce as a character. She's just a a genuinely great parent, and is [for the most part] a very sweet person. I also really admire her determination, no matter what anyone else says [everything in Season One with Will and the Upside Down. Need I say more?]. Also, she's a lot tougher than most people would think [again, the whole thing with Will and the Upside Down. And all the stuff with Will in Season Two. And pretty much everything she does, actually]. I think people underestimate her a lot, which makes it all the more awesome when she proves just how amazing she is.

Jo March, Little Women

I actually just saw the '90s Little Women recently, and. while I prefer the 2019 version, I did really like this one, and I think Winona did a really great job as Jo. She really just captures all of the energy and passion that Jo has. She did really great in the more emotional scenes, as well as the sweeter, more-lighthearted ones. 

Jo has just always been a favorite character of mine, and I love her in the book and in all the adaptations I've seen. She's not a character who was originally played by Winona Ryder, so I won't talk too much about her as a character, but I just had to add in that I do really like her, and she's a character that I relate a lot to.

So, that was pretty much everything I've seen her in. Like I said earlier, she's a very good actress, and I like her a lot. 

What's your favorite Winona Ryder role? Are there any shows/movies you've seen her in that I haven't?