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<\/p>\nCredit: Far Out \/ Warner Bros. \/ Miramax<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
1996 is a year that unambiguously changed film<\/a> history, especially in the types of characters that would become prominent in the next several decades. <\/p>\n Fargo introduced an all-time cinematic hero in Frances McDormand\u2019s Marge Gunderson, Scream redefined the final girl, thanks to Neve Campbell\u2019s Sidney Prescott, The English Patient identified the archetypes of a classic sweeping epic romance, Trainspotting offered an astute observation about Generation X and their rebellious nature, and even Independence Day became the highest-grossing film of the year, with a motley ensemble of actors, including Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Judd Hirsch, and Randy Quaid.<\/p>\n The biggest difference between the films of 1996 and those seen today is that the movie stars, and thus the characters that they play, are less important than the properties that they are attached to, with actors having less sway in terms of getting audiences<\/a> to see films. There have been plenty of box office bombs led by many stars of \u201996 in recent years, such as George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Robert De Niro, Cameron Diaz, and Julia Roberts. A compelling character or performance used to be enough to generate enthusiasm, or at least interest, but the pendulum has swung back so that its studios, corporations, and financiers have the power.<\/p>\n Since films are marketed, made, and distributed in radically different ways today than they were 30 years ago, there are many notable characters from 1996 that never would have made it to the screen in the contemporary landscape.<\/p>\n10 iconic movie characters who couldn\u2019t exist today:<\/h2>\n
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