Three days and no responses, very interesting.

I had to give this one a bit of thought. Seeing as how the prompt is for top CHARACTERS, and not actresses, this question is a bit harder than it appears. Here are, if not my top three, then at least what surfaces to the top of my head.

The title character from Amelie, played by Audrey Tautou. Impish smile, innocent curiosity, wicked creativity. She's got a huge spirit. (And I mean spirit, and not vast... tracts of land)

Jennifer Connelly playing Emma Murdoch in Dark City. First off, because Jennifer Connelly is, well, who she is. She can pull of the combination of charm and noirish grace that the roll calls for.

Lastly... hmmm. I'm going to cheat here. No list involving me, and actresses, and favorites can be allowed to pass by without me mentioning Audrey Hepburn. On general principal. Need a role? Fine, take Roman Holiday and run with it.

And for you purists out there who need a third firm _roll_ choice, I'm going to go with the OTHER Hepburn, Katharine, in The Lion In Winter as Eleanor of Aquitaine. Not because she was young and beautiful (lets be honest, my other three choices kind of lean on that sort of thing), because by the time this movie came around, she was already starting to age. She was still certainly beautiful, though. But I'm choosing this character because of her fierce qualities: her mind, her wit, and her ability.

Well, that does it for me, brunettes all around. Where the hell are the rest of you?

Sorry for the lateness of this comment; believe me, I'd rather sit around all day and think about girls than EO sensor systems, but _some_ people don't have that luxury!
First nod has to go to Alicia Silverstone. Alicia's always been my girl; she's got that girl-next-door thing going on. Not a super-model body, she doesn't need one. Very cute face, nice smile, A+. As for roles, you've got "Excess Baggage", "Batman & Robin", "Clueless"; 'nuf said.
Next up there's Charlize Theron. Probably the only actress that pulls off the short hair-do and is still super-hot in my book. Plus she definitely is hot as the timid yet resourceful woman overcomming her fears in "The Italian Job". Not a half-bad actor either with roles in "Cider House Rules", and "The Devil's Advocate".
And to mix it up a little bit, I'll throw in Jennifer Garner, who from seeing her interviews on TV, definitely gets me going. And her roles often portray her as a women with strong convictions that opens up her vulnerablilities when you get close. Sign me up! Castings include "Daredevil", "Catch Me If You Can", and "Pearl Harbor".

Hey guys, just wanted to let you know I am running a little behind. I finally posted on the Philly comments.( I think it breaks any previous record for longest entry) Anyways, I'll respond to this post in due time.

Again-- this is for favorite female character-- not necessarily hottest actress. But here'a goes:

1. Clarice Starling - played by Jodie Foster in "The Silence of the Lambs."
Reasoning: Intelligent, determined, independent, courageous. Sure the southern accent is irritating, but she's classic.

2. Sally Albright - played by Meg Ryan in "When Harry Met Sally." (a token chick-flick pick!)
Reasoning: Girl-next-door, witty, perky, sweet, great opposite Billy Crystal. So what if Meg Ryan has been type-cast in every role since its release.

3. Mystique - played by Rebecca Romijn Stamos in X-Men & X-Men 2.
Reasoning: There is just something intriguing about a female mutant that can morph into any woman imaginable. Plus, those blue scaly things are hot!