Which women ruled the 80s?

We were delighted to see Elisabeth Shue’s name resurface (however briefly) in the pop culture conversation this week thanks to “Gracie,” a film she produced based on her real life experience playing competitive soccer. It opens in theaters today.

Some may identify Shue with her Oscar nominated performance in “Leaving Las Vegas.” Others think of her as the rich girl with a heart in “Cocktail.” But to ladies of a certain age (26-36), Shue will always be synonymous with Chris Parker -- the character she played in the 80s masterpiece “Adventures in Babysitting.” The coolest babysitter ever.

This reporter and her three younger sisters concur that Shue is the coolest of the cool 80s heroines, but we’re willing to admit that she had some steep competition. The 80s was an especially fertile time for young, tough women on screen.