40 Greatest Female Double-Acts

Emma and Liv - Bride Wars (2009)

Why We Love Them: Rather than following the typical route of movie best mates who meet, hate each other on sight and eventually become inseperable, Bride Wars follows childhood chums Emma and Liv as their friendship falls apart.

It's no Citizen Kane , true, but there's some fantastic moments of schadenfreude in seeing these two great actresses really tear into each other.

They say: "There aren’t really that many female-driven comedies...We don’t get the opportunities, as female comedians, to do that." Kate Hudson.

Jennifer and Needy - Jennifer's Body (2009)

Why We Love Them: It's that old tale again. Two best friends: one's a bespectacled nerd, the other is a flesh-eating demon who feeds on teenage boys.

Not all double acts are good, and Jennifer and Needy's friendship had something sour about it long before the former was turned into a cheerleader demon - Cody used her horror-com screenplay to explore the very strange nature of teenage girlfriends.

They say: "A key reason for writing the film was to bring to the screen a new way of expressing the intensity of female bonds" says writer Diablo Cody.

Juno and Leah - Juno (2007)

Why We Love Them: Diablo Cody's snappy dialogue comes to life in Ellen Page and Olivia Thirlby's scenes, but underneath all the jokes and super-hip slang, Leah is always a real friend to Juno, sticking with her buddy throughout her unplanned pregnancy.

They say: "It's probably just a food baby. Did you have a big lunch?" Leah.

Tracy and Evie - Thirteen (2003)

Why We Love Them: It's a dark, twisted friendship, but one that's familiar to almost every teenage girl.

Bad girl Evie appears in Tracy's life like a very cool, very dangerous bolt of lightening. It might all end badly, but actresses Nikki Reed and Evan Rachel Wood are an almost hypnotic duo.

They say: “I don’t know if 13 year olds should see this without someone there...” says Nikki Reed.

Marianne and Eleanor - Sense and Sensibility (1995)

Why We Love Them: The Dashwood sisters may be determined to find suitable husbands (preferably those with a buttload of family money stashed away somewhere), but their quest takes a back seat to their relationship in Ang Lee's charming adaptation.

They say: "I wished to avoid depicting a couple of women waiting around for men," says Emma Thompson.

Torrance and Missy - Bring It On (2000)

Why We Love Them: Being on the same cheerleading team is akin to being sisters, and no one knows that better than ambitious team leader Torrance.

Her peppiness combined with new girl Missy's bad girl attitude makes for a perfect pairing, and we unfortunately haven't stopped singing "I'm sexy, I'm cute! I'm popular to boot!" since the movie's release. So damn catchy...

They say: "Thank God you're here this season Missy. I couldn't have done it alone" - Torrance Shipman.

Roxie and Velma - Chicago (2002)

Why We Love Them: This tap-dancing, song-belting, husband-murdering duo made death row all kinds of fabulous.

Their prison rivalry didn't last, as the two ladies found themselves jobless and partnerless, and teamed-up to create a sell-out double act. No ruthless killers have ever looked so great in a beaded frock and fur coat.

They say: "These girls killed, slugged — I got two at the same time!" Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Norah and Caroline - Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008)

Why We Love Them: On first viewing it might seem as if Nick and Norah is all about the budding romance between our titular characters, but we see it much more as a love story between a very, very drunk girl, and her devoted best friend.

The whole plot revolves around Norah's determination to find her boozed-up bestie, and the moment they're reunited will provoke a scream of relief from even the hardest of viewers.

They say: "Yeah, *I* am a great friend. It's always been like this. I'm the squire in Caroline's quest for attention," Norah Silverberg.

Beca and Amy - Pitch Perfect (2012)

Why We Love Them : In an all-female a capella group there's ample room for great movie friendships, but it's leading lady Beca's partnership with self-titled Fat Amy that really grabs your attention.

One's an edgy DJ, the other's... well, the other's Fat Amy, and Anna Kendrick and Rebel Wilson are brilliant together, providing almost all of the movie's laughs.

They say: "I thought that was a really beautiful thing to look around at all these girls and know that they’re my co-workers and my friends and that we’re in it for each other," Anna Kendrick.

Jess and Jules - Bend It Like Beckham (2002)

Why We Love Them: When it comes to football, these two can run rings around the lads.

It's Jules that encourages quiet Jess to ignore her strict Indian family and pursue her passion for the beautiful game, and they're friendship goes from strength to strength.

They even survive a stupid argument over a dreamy boy. We've all been there.

They say: "The whole thing is about being a girl and the hoops that you go through to get what you want," says writer Gurinder Chadha.