From the Magazine Digital Covers 8 On-screen Heroines Who Bounced Back from Devastating Heartbreak in the Most Epic Ways From getting accepted into Harvard Law School (what, like it's hard?) to ruling countries, these women are more than their heartbreaks By Maggie Malach Maggie Malach Maggie Malach is the former staff editor, digital platforms at PEOPLE. She left PEOPLE in 2020. People Editorial Guidelines Published on February 5, 2018 01:07PM EST Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde. Tracy Bennett/MGM/Kobal/REX/Shutterstock It is said that the only two certainties in life are death and taxes, but heartbreak is pretty high up there on the list. We’ve all experienced the soul-crushing agony of unrequited love — but no one turns those lemons into lemonade quite like the fictional heroines of our favorite movies. As you binge watch them this Valentine’s Day, let yourself be inspired to embrace your most badass, unapologetic self. ELLE WOODS, LEGALLY BLONDE Reese Witherspoon’s Elle Woods is devastated when Warner breaks up with her for being “too blonde” (rude). After understandably crying into a box of chocolates, Elle works tirelessly to get accepted into Harvard Law School and beats Warner at every turn. When he is shocked to find out she was attending the prestigious school, Elle graces us with the best shutdown of our time: “What, like it’s hard?” HANNAH, CRAZY STUPID LOVE Hannah (Emma Stone) is expecting a proposal. Instead, her boyfriend (Josh Groban) offers her a job. Hannah responds by storming out into the rain — and right into Ryan Gosling’s arms. Equally important, she gains a new confidence and happiness once she’s moved on. IRIS, THE HOLIDAY Iris (Kate Winslet) is all of us. She loves selflessly — until she realizes she deserves way, way better. Don’t worry, she kicks Jasper (Rufus Sewell) to the curb. Not only does she epically stand up for herself, she finds a new friend in Hollywood legend Arthur (Eli Wallach) and a new love in Miles (Jack Black). JOSIE GELLER, NEVER BEEN KISSED Oh, Josie. Her high school years culminated in heartbreak, but she gets the last word by going back to relive them as an adult. Not only does she discover that she’s amazing exactly how she is, but she finally receives her first real kiss. KATHLEEN KELLY, YOU’VE GOT MAIL Okay, so Kathleen Kelly’s (Meg Ryan) heartbreak was more about business than love (tbh, her split from her boyfriend was actually pretty civil), but she still makes a major comeback. Not only does she start a new career as a children’s book author, she finally gets together with Joe Fox (Tom Hanks). Our hearts are still recovering. NATALIE, LOVE ACTUALLY We don’t actually see Natalie (Martine McCutcheon) and her boyfriend together, but we definitely know he was trash. (“He says no one’s gonna fancy a girl with thighs the size of big tree trunks. Not a nice guy, actually, in the end,” she said.) Luckily, sparks fly with the prime minister (Hugh Grant) and their embrace at the end of the movie still makes our hearts soar. MIA THERMOPOLIS, THE PRINCESS DIARIES Mia’s (Anne Hathaway) heart is broken when she finds out Josh (Erik von Detten) was just using her because she’s royalty. Like the true princess she is, Mia ditches him, gets a foot-popping kiss from Michael Moscovitz (Robert Schwartzman) and accepts her destiny of ruling Genovia. Take that, jerkface. ROSE DEWITT BUKATER, TITANIC Although Rose (Kate Winslet) faces the ultimate heartbreak when Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) freezes to death after the Titanic sinks, she goes on to live the life he inspired her to have. After all, as she puts it, he saved her “in every way a person can be saved.”