The Best Movie Makeovers

The Best Movie Makeovers

A makeover may be a matter of life or death for Hunger Games' Katniss Everdeen, but she's not the first cinematic heroine to adopt a dramatic new look. So we teamed up with EW.com to list the top 20 makeovers in modern movie history. From Cinderella's metamorphosis from neglected waif to fairy tale princess to Dustin Hoffman's gender-bending Tootsie transformation, click here to see them all.

-Bronwyn Barnes (InStyle.com) and Sandra Gonzalez (EW.com)

Cinderella (1950)

InStyle.com says: Glass slippers, a custom gown and a handsome prince? Sign us up! Cinderella's fairy tale transformation is the stuff that many a little girl's real-life makeover dreams are made of.

EW.com says: This animated tale brought to life Charles Parrault's classic story Cendrillon. You could say that seeing Cinderella magically transform from floor-scrubbing peasant to ball gown-adorned princess set the standard for every amazing makeover we'd ever see in movies. (Fairy Godmother not always included.)

Working Girl (1988)

InStyle.com says: Costume designer Ann Roth spent days observing secretaries on the Staten Island Ferry in order to make Tess (Melanie Griffith) look as authentic as possible. When she decides to assume her boss' identity, Tess tames her big hair, trades her white Reeboks for patent pumps and loses the shoulder pads in order to look the part. We'd call this a classic movie makeunder.

EW.com says: Plain Jane Secretary Tess McGill always had a head for business and a body for sin, but no one would have known it had it not been for a life-changing makeover-one that ended up being good enough to woo stud Jack (Harrison Ford).

My Fair Lady (1964)

InStyle.com says: The preternaturally graceful Audrey Hepburn plays cockney waif Eliza Doolittle, who becomes a proper English gentlewoman thanks to elocution lessons from Professor Henry Higgins and a one-of-a-kind ensemble created by famed costume designer Cecil Beaton. Obvious? Yes, but it's too good of a makeover not to include!

EW.com says: Audrey Hepburn may not have sung her own songs in this Oscar-winning stage-to-film adaptation, but there's no one else who could have pulled off Doolittle's journey (at the hands of Rex Harrison's Henry Higgins) from slovenly slummer to the consummate fair lady.

Pretty Woman (1990)

InStyle.com says: Hollywood hooker Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) goes from the Sunset Strip to Beverly Hills, stopping off on Rodeo Drive to shop for a more appropriate wardrobe. "Stores are never kind to people," Edward (Richard Gere) tells her after she complains of being rebuffed by a snooty boutique employee. "They're kind to credit cards."

EW.com says: Roberts' smile radiates off the silver screen no matter what she's wearing, but it was certainly easier to see her beauty when she ditched the hooker boots. As a character, Vivian had a harder time shedding some of her awkward self-consciousness; that was nothing a makeover could solve. But her new look certainly set her on the course toward a make-under. By the time she slaps Edward's slimy partner (Jason Alexander), she oozes self-worth-and that's something no credit card can buy.

She's All That (1999)

InStyle.com says: Zach (Freddie Prinze) enlists his sister Mackenzie (Anna Paquin) to help change the tragically unstylish Lainey (Rachael Leigh Cook) into a prom queen. The big reveal occurs in the form of a classic coming-down-the-stairs makeover scene.

EW.com says: Cook's transformation is almost a makeover parody. How much work is it to pluck a girl's brows, remove her glasses and give her a pair of heels? Well, these seemingly small changes apparently make a huge difference, which, in a way, is a bit of a makeover lesson in itself.

Never Been Kissed (1999)

InStyle.com says: Geeky newspaper copy editor Josie Geller (Drew Barrymore) goes undercover as a high school student to report a story, but soon finds herself re-living the nightmare of her own teenage years. With the help of her brother Rob (David Arquette), Josie finally overcomes the traumatic memory of life as "Josie Grossy," finds her signature style-and gets her first kiss.

EW.com says: In Josie, every former geek found a little solace. We all eventually come into our own and make up for the fashion mistakes of the past-even if we don't have to go back to high school to do so.

Maid in Manhattan (2002)

InStyle.com says: When she's tempted into trying on a wealthy guest's clothing, hotel maid Marisa Ventura (Jennifer Lopez) catches the eye of politician Christopher Marshall (Ralph Fiennes). Before finally confessing that's she's not a rich socialite, Marisa conceals her true identity with clothes and jewels from luxe labels including Dolce & Gabbana and Harry Winston.

EW.com says: This was a fun--albeit sometimes grating--take on the Cinderella story. But as questionable as the film's appeal was, there was no denying that this maid's couture transformation was something straight out of--well--fairytales.

Mean Girls (2004)

InStyle.com says: As Cady (Lindsay Lohan) falls deeper down the rabbit hole of popularity, her clothes get smaller and smaller (and her hemlines shorter and shorter) until she actually begins to resemble Barbie, patron saint of the Plastics. By the end of the flick, we're glad she loses the attitude but keeps the new hairstyle. It's so fetch.

EW.com says: The introduction into the world of high school Plastics was a dramatic transition for poor, home-schooled Cady Heron, but it was still not as jarring as her physical transition into Queen B. Soon enough--like a haunted mask--the mascara and a short skirts had an almost-mystical power over Cady's nice-girl tendencies, revealing her inner…well, you know.

The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

InStyle.com says: As the new assistant to the notoriously ruthless editor of Runway magazine, Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway) spends the early part of this label-filled flick just trying to keep her head above water. Things begin to change when she receives some much-needed style advice and armloads of free designer clothes (Narciso Rodriguez, Manolo Blahnik, Nancy Gonzalez!) from the mag's art director. Even when things turn ugly, Andy still looks beautiful.

EW.com says: It's also worth noting that throughout the course of the movie, Andy not only gives in to her new look, she starts to appreciate the power it has. Though she initially turned her nose up at the world of style, we love that she found the balance between dismissing the notion and putting too much value in it.

House Bunny (2008)

InStyle.com says: In an effort to save their sorority house, Natalie (Emma Stone) and her band of super-geeky Zeta Alpha Zetas amp up their sex appeal (left) with tips from Playboy Bunny Shelley Darlingson (Anna Faris). Among Shelley's best pearls of wisdom: "Your most important secret weapon is the water bra. Just stay away from sharp corners." By the end of the movie, they tone down Shelley's tips for a much more natural, fresh-faced look.

EW.com says: Normally, we'd advise against taking fashion tips from people who don't wear clothes for a living, but when the teacher is Faris' Shelley Darlingson, there's little you can do to resist her good-natured demeanor. Plus, sometimes girls just gotta have fun.

SEE MORE MOVIE MAKEOVERS AT EW.COM

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