With the release of “Dirty Girl,” this week, we are reminded of the bad girls and boys who inspired the role, those juvenile delinquents who stole our hearts with a flick of their cigarette (or their finger). Here’s a look back at some of the best bad characters ever to grace the silver screen.
Hatchet-Face — “Cry Baby”
Played with exquisite campiness by Kim McGuire, Hatchet-Face is the ultimate ’50s bad girl, portrayed as only a John Waters character can be. With her greaser boyfriend, switchblade, and an attitude as bad as her looks, she plays saxophone and threatens old ladies with equal pleasure while still maintaining unwavering loyalty to her friends.
Legs — “Foxfire”
One of my personal favorites, this film is a mostly overlooked tale of a group of high school girls whose lives are turned upside down — in a good way — by a tall, curvy drifter who crashes their bio class just to escape a sudden rain shower. Although they start the film as quasi-enemies, the girls end it as best friends, brought together by the mysterious, self-tattooed character who teaches them to stand up for themselves in a world where no one has your back.
John Bender — “The Breakfast Club “
Bender is, in my opinion, one of the best characters ever written in film, and he is played brilliantly by Judd Nelson in this classic ’80s flick. He smokes, he drinks, he gets high (at school), he comes from the wrong side of the tracks, and he has a horrendous family life. All perfect qualities in a bad boy, as Molly Ringwald’s character finds out when she looks into those big dark eyes and sees beyond the delinquent label everyone puts on him.
Jim Stark — “Rebel Without A Cause “
No “juvenile delinquent” list would be complete without a mention of the original rebel, James Dean. With his squinty good looks and laid-back attitude, Jim Stark was the ultimate bad boy, complete with motorcycle jacket and a cigarette pack in the sleeve. Whether drag racing or doing that oh-so-cool lean he was famous for, Stark’s character belonged solely to Dean, who embodied the role with vigor.
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