Film critic, Nathan Rabin first coined the term Manic Pixie Dream Girl in response to Kirsten Dunst’s role in "Elizabethtown." He described the stock character as, "that bubbly, shallow cinematic creature that exists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures."
From then on, the term Manic Pixie Dream Girl (otherwise known as a MPDG) has been used to describe quirky female characters who are unabashedly girlish (and have great taste in music). However not everyone is a fan of the term.
"Ruby Sparks" star and writer Zoe Kazan told HuffPost Entertainment that it's a reductive phrase. "I think defining a girl and making her lovable because of her music taste or because she wears cute clothes is a really superficial way of looking at women," Kazan said.
Perhaps she'll want to avoid this new supercut produced by Flavorwire. The clip package highlights 75 years of Manic Pixie Dream Girls, from Kate Hudson in "Almost Famous" to Zooey Deschanel in practically every film role she's ever had. Even a young Jeff Daniels dancing in "Something Wild" makes an appearance. (No, he's not an MPDG, but it's still hilarious; his "Something Wild" co-star Melanie Griffith does qualify, however.)
Please enjoy the supercut -- set to the tune of "Good Morning Starshine" -- above.
Before You Go
