Quirky Indie Chicks

Published by Interrobang Staff at October 25, 2012

They’ve been described as being everything from “distinctive” to “eccentric”, “unique” to “unusual”. We’re talking about some of those cool, quirky indie chicks we know and love. Once relegated to supporting roles as the sarcastic, wisecracking best friend, the bitch or the crazy girl who’s good for a few laughs, the Quirky Indie Chick is finally approaching leading lady status thanks to some of the amazing work of a few of our faves.

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Parker Posey

The Godmother of the Quirky Indie Chick, Parker started out as a supporting actress in a few memorable roles for directors like Hal Hartley and Richard Linklater (remember her megabitch in Dazed and Confused?). She quickly became an indie film darling and started racking up the lead roles in films like Party Girl, House of Yes, and SubUrbia. Proving that she can do comedy and drama with equal finesse (think of her in all the Christopher Guest films), Parker also paved the way for those who wanted to float between indies and big budget flicks without losing their cred. It’s great to see that she still has impeccable taste in the projects she chooses to work on, with her arc on Louie this season and her newest film, Price Check, which the Sweetheart of Sundance brought to the Festival this year.

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Janeane Garofalo

If Parker Posey is the Godmother, then Janeane is the Cool Aunt. Starting out as a standup but finding success as an actress, Janeane was born to play the “acerbic sidekick friend of” the star of the movie. However, one of her goals was to break out of that stereotype. Her unconventional beauty and intellect made her a perfect fit for indie films, and she carved out a nice career with subtle performances in films like Minus Man and Steal This Movie, as well as comedies like Wet Hot American Summer and The Truth About Cats and Dogs. Her career trajectory changed after she became vocal about her political beliefs following 9/11, but she still helped open the doors for the women who don’t necessarily fit Hollywood’s definition of beauty.

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Miranda July

Don’t hate her because she’s a Performance Artist. It’s part of what makes her one of our faves. Can it get more idiosyncratic than Miranda July? A performance artist working in multimedia, she’s also a short story writer, with a collection of stories published. That’s in addition to being a writer/director/actress with two features and a few shorts to her credit. A sweetheart of Sundance a few years ago and the winner of several awards, Miranda’s writing is personal and at the same time universal. If you haven’t seen her debut feature, Me and You and Everyone We Know, it’s definitely worth checking out, if for nothing else than to see John Hawkes in an early lead role.

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Allison Pill

We all have a preconceived notion of child actors. They are usually either too cute for words, too precocious for words, or just plain too annoying for words. Allison Pill started out as a child actor, but she proved she was anything but a typical kid actor when she started doing Broadway plays by the likes of Martin McDonagh (The Lieutenant of Inishmore) and Neil LaBute (Reasons to be Pretty). Another unconventional beauty, her choices since then have put her firmly in the smart chick category, picking projects like Gus Van Sant’s Milk, Midnight in Paris and Aaron Sorkin’s latest HBO series, The Newsroom. Unlike most of her peers, Allison vacillates between theater, tv and film, foregoing stardom for good work.

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Zoe Kazan

Yes, she’s Elia Kazan’s granddaughter. Some may say she has a head start already, just because of that. However, she’s paid her dues, getting a BA in Theater at Yale and, like Allison Pill, doing theater (Zoe was also in a Martin McDonagh play – A Behanding in Spokane, with Christopher Walken and Sam Rockwell) in addition to film and tv. After playing some supporting roles in films like Revolutionary Road and Me and Orson Welles, Zoe has taken what she’s been given and run with it. Writing and starring in a small flick with her boyfriend Paul Dano, Zoe got the directors of Little Miss Sunshine to direct her first feature, the fun and sweet Ruby Sparks.

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Lena Dunham

The voice of her generation – or at least “a” voice of her generation. That’s how Lena’s character on her HBO show Girls describes herself, but Lena could have been talking about herself. Her second film, Tiny Furniture, made right out of college in her own home with her own mother and sister playing themselves, was a small success. But once Judd Apatow and HBO got on board, Lena became a defining voice for a new group of people. Yet another un-Hollywood beauty on our list, Lena is seemingly fearless in her writing, acting and her directing- allowing things (herself especially) to look and feel “real” where many others would want to look “good”.

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Aubrey Plaza

Probably the most direct lineage from Janeane, Aubrey Plaza is the person who young people watching Daria think the character is based on. While Scott Pilgrim solidified her as the the cool indie chick, Safety Not Guaranteed, her summer movie, proved she can hold a movie as a lead. Cynical, sarcastic, deadpan, funny and smart, Aubrey had a role in Parks & Recreation written just for her. If she has Amy Poehler’s seal of approval, that should be good enough for anyone.

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Zooey Deschanel

If Parker is the Godmother and Janeane the Cool Aunt, then Zooey is the Big Sister to this new crop. Before she even had her own show on a network (which Parker just guest-starred on), Zooey was the definition of quirky. Her style is so unconventional that a new word had to be created to describe her – “adorkable”. Okay, so all of that might be annoying (which she even poked fun at in an SNL sketch when she hosted). What is great is her ability to get you to go with her, no matter what the role she is playing. You always are instantly on her side, from leads in smaller films like Manic and All the Real Girls to smaller roles in big films like Almost Famous and Elf. Bottom line – she’s just likeable. Yes, even when she’s breaking Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s heart in (500) Days of Summer.